WIRED Tests LED Grow Lights for Winter Houseplants, From Vego to Vivosun LumaLight
WIRED released a guide focusing on LED grow lights for indoor plants, emphasizing aspects such as installation simplicity and stability rather than specific wavelengths. The Vego Classic Grow Light, measuring 15 inches, features magnetic attachment, daisy-chaining capability, and five preset modes; Stewart Savin documented 138 germinations from 144 cells. A 100-watt light can be hung or adjusted, controlled remotely for dimming, but has a shaky stand. Vivosun's 100-watt LumaLight, weighing 4.4 pounds and rated IP65, was the brightest among those tested. A budget-friendly three-head clip light includes timers and dimming options. Other options are a bamboo LED growhouse, Smart Landscape Growframe, and full-spectrum bulbs. Mentioned as well are Sansi pot clip-on lights and a $40 Ferry-Morse T5 fixture that is non-functional.
Key facts
- WIRED's guide covers LED grow lights for houseplants during the low-light winter months
- PPFD for each light was measured at 18 inches with the Photone app and a light diffuser
- The Vego Classic Grow Light is 15 inches long and up to four units can be daisy-chained
- Stewart Savin recorded 138 germinations across 144 seedling cells using the Vego lights
- The 100-watt versatile light supports daisy-chaining of up to 20 units and dims via a corded remote
- Vivosun's LumaLight 100-watt panel weighs 4.4 pounds, is IP65-rated, and carries a five-year warranty
- The budget three-head clip light has a 10-foot cord, three timer settings, and 10 dimming modes
- The Ferry-Morse T5 fluorescent fixture costs $40 and did not turn on during testing
Entities
Artists
- Kat Merck
- Stewart Savin
- Martin Cizmar
- Louryn Strampe
Institutions
- WIRED
- Vego
- Vivosun
- Ferry-Morse
- Sansi
- Amazon
- Photone
Locations
- United States