How to Choose a Grow Light

LED SunLite grow light gardens are ideal for seed-starting, herbs, and houseplants.

When it comes to growing plants under lights, gardeners have SO many options. Are you a DIY-er looking for just an individual bulb? Are you looking for a standalone lamp that is both stylish and powerful? Or are you seeking an all-in-one grow light stand to maximize your indoor growing? Let’s shed some light on our full suite of grow light options.

Grow Light Systems

Complete grow light systems offer gardeners a whole host of benefits, such as built-in trays to catch water spills, adjustable bulbs that can be easily raised and lowered as your seedlings grow, and modular design capacity, so you can expand your indoor garden over time. Plus, most of these models are just plain attractive! No need to hide your seed-starting operation away in the basement anymore; these are made to be displayed.

Individual Bulbs

For gardeners interested in a DIY approach, or dealing with space constraints, individual bulbs and fixtures are a great low-cost option, allowing you to retrofit existing fixtures, or install single grow lights where you most need them.

Standalone Grow Light Fixtures

Ideal for single houseplants that require additional light to promote healthy growth or flowering, standalone grow lamps and fixtures provide dedicated full-spectrum light in a variety of designs, including desktop, hanging pendant, and floor models.

Shop all bulbs and standalone fixtures

Modular Bamboo LED Grow Light Gardens

The power of high-output LEDs

Good-looking grow lights that can bring indoor plants to flower and fruit? Absolutely!

• High-output LEDs are twice as bright as standard LED grow lights; no height adjustment needed, even when growing light-hungry fruiting plants and seedlings
• Optimized full-spectrum lamps are hidden behind top wooden bar so there's no distracting glare
• Modular, stackable 3' wide units for a custom look
• Furniture-quality construction — strong, renewable bamboo
• Galvanized trays catch spills
• Tall model lets you grow plants up to 45" high!
• Optional rolling base makes it mobile (sold separately)

Modular, stackable Bamboo LED Grow Light Gardens in 3 sizes: Tall (left), Low (top right), and Medium (bottom right).
Rolling Bases sold separately.

"I have some tomatoes just starting to bear ripe fruit!! I'm loving this!"
— Amy, Frederick, MD

Features: Furniture-quality construction. Galvanized trays. High-output LEDs are 2x bright.

Modular Sets

Grow light gardens are available individually or in these three convenient configurations:

• Bamboo LED Grow Light Garden for Succulents and Seeds (left)
• Bamboo Home LED Grow Light Garden (middle)
• Bamboo Display LED Grow Light Garden (right)

Bamboo Mini

The Bamboo Mini LED Grow Light Garden fits under kitchen cabinets, on a countertop, table or desk, and can even be stacked or hung on a wall!

Shop all Bamboo LED Grow Light Gardens

Related Article: How to Grow Vegetables Indoors

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Large-Capacity SunLite® Gardens

4' of Growing Space

Tabletop and rolling floor models in 3 heights.

• Grow thriving seedlings, houseplants, and herbs
• Dual-bulb, height-adjustable light fixtures
• Choose energy-efficient LEDs or affordable fluorescents
• Sturdy aluminum frames will never rust
• Includes heavy-duty, watertight trays
• Floor models include casters for mobility
• Accommodates maximum plant heights of 14" to 30", depending on model

The 4' wide shelves of our LED SunLite 3-Tier Garden provide plenty of space for growing.

Full-spectrum lights. Pull-chains to adjust light height. Sturdy trays catch spills. Caster roll easily.

LED SunLite® Gardens: 3-Tier, 2-Tier, and Tabletop. 

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Space-Saving SunLite® Gardens

Same SunLite features, but just 2' wide

Compact tabletop and rolling floor models in 3 heights.

• Start seeds and grow thriving herbs and houseplants anywhere!
• Dual-bulb, height-adjustable 2' light fixtures
• Choose energy-efficient LEDs or affordable fluorescents
• Sturdy, rustproof aluminum frames with watertight plastic trays
• Each floor model has casters, so you can roll where you need it — even into a closet!

With 2' wide shelves, the LED SunLite Compact 2-Tier Garden has room for seedlings and houseplants.

Compact LED SunLite® Gardens: 3-Tier, 2-Tier, and Tabletop. 

Shop all Grow Light Stands

Related Article: How to Grow Herbs Indoors

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Modular Stack-n-Grow Light Gardens

The perfect starter system that grows with you!

Ease into indoor growing with 3' wide stackable units. We show you how easy it is to build your Stack-n-Grow growing station.

• Energy-efficient LED and fluorescent options
• Dual-bulb, height-adjustable light fixtures
• Lightweight, super-sturdy plastic frames and shelves
• Easy assembly and light fixture height adjustment
• Available as a Garden Starter Kit, complete with seed-starting supplies

With Stack-n-Grow, you start with the lights you need now, and add more modular units as your indoor garden expands.

Start with the Stack-n-Grow Base Unit, left, and place one or two Add-On Units on top as needed.

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Oslo Customizable Grow Lights

Flip-shelf, rolling grow light in two heights

 

• High-output LED lamps need no height adjustment
• Repositionable magnetic light fixtures
• Shelves flip up for maximum headroom
• Smooth-rolling, lockable casters
• Frame sets up quickly out of the box
• Folds up flat for storage
• Optional matching trays catch drips and spills

Oslo 4-Tier Customizable Grow Light

Features: Magnets hold the full spectrum LED fixtures in place. Optional matching trays catch spills. Folding shelves make room for plants tall and small. Locking casters for safety and mobility.

Oslo Customizable Grow Lights: 4-Tier and 2-Tier. Also available, Oslo Grow Light Trays.

Shop all Grow Light Stands

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Individual Grow Light Bulbs & Fixtures

DIY, retrofit & affordable grow light options

Purchasing an individual bulb is a great low-cost option for gardeners interested in a DIY grow light system. Retrofit an existing shop light fixture with an LED grow bulb or install a simple hook and chain fixture and hang a bulb anywhere in the house. If you plan to use a fluorescent bulb, be sure to match up the size of the fixture with the correct bulb size; for grow lights, these are generally T5 or T8 (the “T” stands for “tube” while the number indicates the bulb diameter in eighths of an inch).

LED Grow Light Bulbs

T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights

T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights

High-Output LED Grow Lights

LED Grow Light Fixtures

High Intensity Grow Light Fixture

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Standalone Grow Light Fixtures

Functional & fashionable full-spectrum grow lamps

Need a little extra light for your precious houseplants, but don’t want to sacrifice style, space, or a good reading light? Whether a desktop, pendant, or floor model, a standalone fixture provides full spectrum plant-growing power in a compact and classy design. These are ideal for single (or multiple!) houseplants that require additional light to promote healthy growth or flowering.

Adjustable 3-Arm LED Grow Lamp

Alden LED Grow Lamp

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Grow Light Accessories

Trays, timers, humidity covers & more

Once you’ve settled on your grow light setup, be sure to add the right indoor gardening accessories to help lighten your workload and ensure your indoor growing success. Timers help you grow more effectively by keeping your plants on a pre-determined lighting schedule. Trays keep your grow setup neat, catching soil and water spills. Humidity covers help speed up germination rates, so you can grow larger seedlings in less time.

Bulb Fiction: The True Value of Fluorescent and LED Grow Lights

Fluorescent bulbs are an excellent choice for brand new gardeners or gardeners looking for just a few weeks of grow light use per year (seed starting, for example). They’re super affordable and have moderate lifespans (typically around 10,000 hours). Fluorescents come in an assortment of shapes from traditional “bulb-shaped” compact fluorescents (CFLs) to tubes. 

For an illuminating deep-dive on grow light terminology and technical specs, check out: Grow Light Basics, Explained

LED bulbs have exploded in popularity over the last several years. They typically cost a bit more upfront, but growers may find that their longevity and energy efficiency are well worth it. LEDs can have a lifespan 3-5 times as long as traditional fluorescent bulbs, and specific “high output” LEDs deliver even BRIGHTER light for each unit of energy they consume. Below, we compare the 3 main types of grow light bulb.