Looking to get into LEDs?
Our guide with the 9 best LED grow light reviews has you covered.
Put simply, lights are a hugely important part of your indoor grow setup.
Bad lights = weak output = no photosynthesis = terrible growth.
But there’s so much LED garbage on Amazon. Which lights are the real deal?
This guide wades through the knockoff garbage to cover our 9 top picks plus 4 important product specs you absolutely have to know before you spend your hard-earned money.
Let’s get growing.
Best 1000W LED Grow Lights: Quick Picks
- Best True 1000W LED Grow Light: Black Dog LED PhytoMax-2 1000
- Best 1000W Quantum Board: Mars Hydro TS 1000W
- Best Value 1000W LED Grow Light: KingLED 1000W
- Best Compact 1000W Grow Light: VIPARSPECTRA 1000W
9 Best 1000W LED Grow Light Reviews
The rankings below aggregate and compare the detailed technical specifications for each light. In this industry, it can be tough to weed through the marketing speak and truly compare different LED grow lights, so we’ve done the work to organize everything you need to know:
- PAR and PPFD
- Spectrum
- Power Draw
- Coverage
If you aren’t sure what those important specs are or how to use them, check out our How To Compare section below that breaks it down.
1. Black Dog LED PhytoMax-2 1000 Grow Light
| PAR | 1602 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 365-750 nm |
| Power Draw | 1050W |
| Coverage | 8′ x 8′ vegetative 6.5′ x 6.5′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on LED Grow Lights Depot → |
- LEDs: 420 x 5W LEDs
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 21″W x 21″D x 7″H
- Weight: 53 lbs
- Cord Length: 8′
At the bottom of this roundup, there’s a section called “3 Things To Look For When Buying The Best 1000W LED Lights.” Thing #2 on that list is knowing the difference between actual wattage and theoretical wattage.
Summary: Most 1000W LED bulbs advertise 1000W theoretical power while actually running at half that (or less), so you aren’t actually paying for 1000W of photon emission. That isn’t the case with the Black Dog LED PhytoMax-2 1000. These lights are 1050W of actual output and 2100W of theoretical output.
That makes these lights way more powerful than any of the other 1000W LEDs on this list because the rest are talking about theoretical output and these lights are talking about actual output.
Basically, Black Dog LED ain’t a bunch of corporate speak liars.
They also make their PhytoMax-2 1000 LED with concentrated power featuring high output where plants need it most: the UV, blue, and red parts of the spectrum.
Other full spectrum LEDs below expend way too much power on the green portion of the light spectrum that’s wasted on plants.
So not only do they put out a ton more PAR, they put out A TON (extra emphasis required) more usable PAR.
And because these lights put out more total power, they’ll support a larger grow area and are more powerful than any double-ended HID light fixture.
If you’re a beginner grower unsure of whether this hobby is for you, keep scrolling. You’re going to want something less expensive to decide if growing is right for you.
If you know you’re a grower, don’t waste your time reading any further. Get these Black Dog LED PhytoMax-2 1000 LEDs for the best combination of powerful growth and efficient electricity usage.
Pros
- Double the power of the other LEDs on this list with 1050W of actual power.
- Full spectrum light goes beyond the 400-700 nm PAR range from 365-750 nm.
- For cannabis growers, UV light with shorter wavelengths under 400 nm boost THC, CBD, terpenes, flavonoids, and antioxidants.
- 5 year warranty.
Cons
- Cost.
- Buying one large LED light doesn’t give as even a distribution of each wavelength as multiple smaller lights.
2. KingLED 1000W LED Grow Light
| PAR | 773 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 380-780 nm |
| Power Draw | 185W |
| Coverage | 3.5′ x 3.5′ vegetative 3′ x 3′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 100 x 10W LEDs
- Lifespan: 100,000 hours
- Size: 12.2″W x 8.3″D x 2.4″H
- Weight: 6.4 lbs
When shopping for the best 1000W LED grow lights, you’ll often hear a common phrase: Beware the “blurple.”
You know, the lights that look like at a throwback-style 70s disco party?
These KingLED lights are one of the only exceptions.
Yes, they have that blurple coloring that screams cheap crap, but they actually draw 185W and put out 773 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ which are more than any of the grow lights below.
The LEDs are easy to control with two switches on the side that turn on/off separate vegetation and flowering modes. You can use them one at a time or both combined.
And subtly, I like the rectangular design, which helps prevent emitted light from concentrating too much over a single plant when you have multiple plants lined up next to each other. That makes these KingLED systems more scalable as you can put two sets of these 1000W LEDs side by side for better coverage.
Pros
- Highest power draw and PPFD of any item from here on out.
- Very efficient fan system keeps both the system and your plants cool.
- Rectangular design scales well.
Cons
- Doesn’t ship with instructions.
- Some concerns with fans dying and lights burning out 1-2 years in but does come with a 3-year warranty.
3. Mars Hydro TS 1000W LED Grow Light
| PAR | 709 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 660-665 nm red light 3200-4200K white light 5200-6800K blue light |
| Power Draw | 150W |
| Coverage | 3′ x 3′ vegetative 2.5′ x 2.5′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 342 white LEDs, 16 red LEDs, 2 IR LEDs
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 14″W x 13″D x 2.5″H
- Weight: 7 lbs
Black Dog LED, who makes the best 1000W LED grow light shown above, is a premium brand suitable for commercial applications. If you’re looking for something in a second tier “hobbyist” range, Mars Hydro makes some great products.
But unfortunately, these grow lights fall behind the KingLED lights above for two reasons:
- Lower power draw and PPFD
- No cooling system means these lights get hot
The TS 1000W grow light is part of the Mars Hydro TS series, which has 2000W and 3000W models as well. The TS grow lights are the quantum board design and relatively lightweight for their size. Much of that is because of their aluminum reflector hood, which offers three benefits:
- Lightweight (as mentioned)
- Heat resistant
- Concentrates light downward instead of outward
With true full spectrum white LEDs that emit all across the blue color spectrum combined with 18 red and IR LEDs, the Mars Hydro TS 1000W can take your plants all the way from veg to flowering.
They also comes with a wattage adjustment screw that lets you increase or decrease the emitted light, but there’s no meter to help you figure out what “percent max wattage” you’re at, only some sticker that’s hard to use.
The biggest downside is the complete lack of a cooling system. LEDs are naturally cooler than other types of light, but most LED light systems still need a fan-based cooling system to dissipate heat. These lights don’t have one, and that means they get very hot, especially overhead.
(You can get away without a fan system on smaller LED quantum boards, but this one is too big and puts off too much heat.)
Mars Hydro products are made in China, which sometimes means quality concerns, but overall their products are more well-made than the usual garbage we associate with Chinese manufacturers. And while customer service is responsive and helpful, you frequently get replies in hard-to-understand, broken English.
Pros
- 150W power draw is among the best on this list, which means more photon emission.
- 709 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ is second behind the KingLED 1000W grow light above if we exclude the top-ranked Black Dog LED grow light, which is in a whole other class.
- Aluminum hood is lightweight and heat resistant.
Cons
- Made in China, which is true for every other LED below so consider that a universal con from here on out.
- Puts out a lot of heat for a typical LED light and has no integrated cooling system.
4. Spider Farmer SF-1000 LED Grow Light
| PAR | 523 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 660-760 nm red and IR light 3000K white light 5000K blue light |
| Power Draw | 100W |
| Coverage | 2.5′ x 2.5′ vegetative 2′ x 2′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 208 Samsung LM301B LEDs, 9 deep red LEDs, 1 IR LED
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 12″W x 11″D x 2″H
- Weight: 6 lbs
- Cord Length: 6′
Starting here, there are somewhat significant PPFD declines among the remaining 1000W grow lights reviewed.
But of these relatively weaker grow lights, Spider Farmer has one thing going for it: They use high-quality Samsung LEDs and a MEAN WELL driver.
While there’s no cooling system, the high-quality LEDs are more efficient and the overall lower power draw means less heat.
For total power output, any of the three grow lights above will put out more total, raw power with larger vegetative and growing areas.
But when quality and efficiency are included, the Spider Farmer SF-1000 is a better product per square foot of growing area.
Pros
- Uses high-quality Samsung LEDs and a MEAN WELL driver.
- No fan needed because of minimal heat production, which means no noise.
- Best quality of any product listed except the top-ranked Black Dog LED.
Cons
- Much less heat than other fan-less LED light systems.
- Dimmer switch is on the side of the driver, which is an inconvenient location.
- Smaller grow area than others above.
5. BESTVA CE-1000 LED Grow Light
| PAR | 114 μmol/m2/s @ 35″ ~525 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 660-760 nm red and IR light 3000K white light 5800K blue light |
| Power Draw | 104W |
| Coverage | 2.5′ x 2.5′ vegetative 2′ x 2′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 200 SANAN white LEDs, 22 red LEDs, 2 IR leds
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 16″W x 13.5″D x 6″H
- Weight: 6.5 lbs
- Cord Length: 6.5′
This BESTVA CE-1000 is a lot like the Spider Farmer SF-1000 above in terms of power draw, photon emission, and growing area, but it’s made with lower-quality SANAN LEDs compared to Spider Farmer’s Samsung LEDs.
Aside from that, they function similarly with the same overall design and stated specs.
Pros
- No fan needed because of minimal heat production, which means no noise.
- Durable construction but not too heavy.
- Quality, responsive customer service.
Cons
- LEDs and driver are good but don’t top Spider Farmer above.
- Smaller grow areas than the models above.
6. VIPARSPECTRA 1000W LED Grow Light
| PAR | 321 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 660 nm red light 3500K white light 6500K blue light |
| Power Draw | 230W |
| Coverage | 3′ x 3′ vegetative 2.5′ x 2.5′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 100 x 10W SMD LEDs
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 12.6″W x 8.7″D x 3″H
- Weight: 6.6 lbs
- Power Cord: 6′
There are two VIPARSPECTRA grow lights on this list. This is their Pro Series, which has two advantages:
- More PAR per LED, led by the 230W power draw, thus being more powerful..
- Separate VEG and BLOOM knobs, as shown in the image above.
Brand-wise, VIPARSPECTRA is up there with Mars Hydro, KingLED and BESTVA as a quality second-tier grow light manufacturer.
Pros
- Great 230W power draw puts out more PAR per LED than other models.
- Separate controls for VEG and BLOOM lights.
- Rectangular design scales well.
Cons
- Efficiency per LED is great but overall 321 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ isn’t suitable for larger grows.
- Power cord hooks into top-middle of the light, which makes it tilt to whichever side you hang it over.
7. PARFACTWORKS 1000W LED Grow Light
| PAR | 288 μmol/m2/s @ 24″ ~450 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 380-780 nm |
| Power Draw | 115W |
| Coverage | 4′ x 3′ vegetative 3′ x 2′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 16 x 660 nm SMD LEDs, 84 x 3000K SMD LEDs, 28 x 5000K SMD LEDs
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 12.6″W x 6.7″H x 2.4″D
- Weight: 3.4 lbs
At this point in our rankings of the best 1000W LED grow light reviews, we’re hitting lesser-known brand names. Personally, I’d stick to one of the models above made by manufacturers with more well-established reputations.
But if you want to venture down here, you can probably save some money. And if you’re a novice grower dipping your toes in the world of LEDs, that might not be a bad idea.
These grow lights from PARFACTWORKS have about 75-80% the PPFD of the Spider Farmer and BESTVA grow lights above and are far lighter despite the integrated cooling system. That means lower quality LEDs that emit more heat and lower quality components.
Still, reviews are overwhelmingly positive for an affordable, entry-level grow light.
And in what can be construed as either a positive or a negative, the LEDs on this light skew red. That’s good for flowering and not-so-good for seedlings. Since flowering is typically a weak point for LED grow light systems, I’ll call that a positive.
Pros
- Higher concentration of red spectrum LEDs helps flowering.
- Much more affordable than models above.
- Rectangular design makes them more scalable.
Cons
- Weaker for seedlings.
- Quality and customer service can be questionable from this lesser-known brand.
8. VIPARSPECTRA Pro Series P1000 Grow Light
| PAR | 337 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 660 nm red light 3500K white light 6500K blue light |
| Power Draw | 100W |
| Coverage | 2.5′ x 2.5′ vegetative 2′ x 2′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on LED Grow Lights Depot → |
- LEDs: 290 SMD white LEDs, 10 SMD red LEDs
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 12″W x 11″D x 2.6″H
- Weight: 5 lbs
If you read the product specs on the LED Grow Lights Depot, just be aware they list the PAR value under ideal circumstances: 796 umol/m2/s at 12″ heights at center.
Other PAR values here are listed at 18″ and are taken at the average of all areas in the entire flowering zone. This is the only way to make apples-to-apples comparisons of the various 1000W LED grow lights.
To arrive at the 337 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ listed in the table above, I averaged the PPFD values from the following graphic at 18″.
That’s another big decline from PARFACTWORKS’s grow lights above, though VIPARSPECTRA is a higher-quality brand than PARFACTWORKS.
Pros
- Higher-quality brand than PARFACTWORKS above means better construction.
- LEDs don’t produce as much heat and no integrated fan means no noise.
Cons
- More heat production per LED than Spider Farmer and BESTVA quantum boards above.
- Lower PAR output even at the center.
9. MAXSISUN 100W LED Grow Lights
| PAR | 399 μmol/m2/s @ 14″ ~250 μmol/m2/s @ 18″ |
| Spectrum | 660 nm red light 3500K white light 6500K blue light |
| Power Draw | 100W |
| Coverage | 2.5′ x 2.5′ vegetative 2′ x 2′ flowering |
| Price | Check lowest price on Amazon → |
- LEDs: 300 SMD LEDs
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Size: 12″W x 10.8″D x 2.5″H
- Weight: 4.8 lbs
The technical specifications listed for this grow light describe the MAXSISUN 1000W LED grow light’s PPFD at 14″ instead of the standard 18″ used for the rest of the lights on this list, so it needs to be taken with a grain of salt and is likely around 250 μmol/m2/s at that height.
The same holds true for the stated 2′ x 2′ flowering coverage, landing these lights clearly near the bottom of this list of the best 1000W LED grow lights.
Combined with a third-tier brand name, and there are better grow lights on this list, though I do like the MAXSISUN’s quantum board design.
Pros
- Quantum board design requires no fan and thus no noise.
- Despite lower PAR @ 18″, virtually no heat output so can be hung lower for seedlings and vegetative phase.
Cons
- Hanging system tends to sway and lean and is tough to keep straight.
- 2′ x 2′ flowering area is smaller than other grow lights with the same size and dimensions.
3 Things to Look for When Buying the Best 1000W LED Grow Lights
Buying the best 1000W LED grow light can be challenging for two reasons:
- LED light setups are fairly new and there’s a lack of industry-wide standardization in both products and terminology.
- The stated benefits of LEDs (cooler, lower power consumption) sometimes come at the expense of both plant growth and flower production.
Many less-than-reputable manufacturers try to sell you on their garbage products with big numbers and fancy phrases that sounds great.
We’re here to help you weed through the crap and sales-speak. When you’re reading our list of the best 1000W LED grow light reviews, keep these three things in mind.
- Full spectrum coverage
- Draw power per square foot
- Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)
Allow me to explain.
1. Full spectrum coverage
Many LEDs claim to be “full spectrum” lights, putting out every wavelength on the light spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared.
In reality, they don’t.
And unfortunately, LED lights operate differently than HPS, MH or the other types of grow lights, which have well-defined output ranges. This means the only way to be sure of whether an LED light truly is full spectrum is to read their literature, assess the manufacturer’s reputation, and read actual user reviews.
That last one is crucial, and it’s something we take seriously when compiling these 1000W LED grow light reviews.
2. Draw power per square foot
A 1000W LED isn’t actually a 1000W LED.
Wattage is a unit of power, and a 1000W LED theoretically draws 1000W of power from your outlet. But there’s a key word in that sentence: “theoretically.”
When LEDs get too close to their theoretical wattage, two problems arise:
- They get too hot to emit light at the proper wavelength.
- They burn out faster, reducing their working lifespan.
For these reasons, manufacturers regulate them down so that they draw less power than their theoretical wattage, usually 20-50% of their max.
This means two brands of LED lights can have the same stated wattage (for example, 1000W) while one actually draws far more power than the other.
Don’t we want lights to draw less power so we have lower electric bills?
Partially yes. But performance is important too. It’s the reason I only buy Bounty paper towels or Q-Tip brand cotton swabs. Is it worth paying less for something that doesn’t work?
The same is true for LED lights and draw power. Less powerful LEDs may be cheaper to run, but they won’t emit as much light and our crops need them to emit light.
That’s why draw power is such a crucial number to know. Reputable brands will tell you their stated draw power, and there are two draw power ranges you need to know:
- Vegetative: 30-35W per square foot
- Flowering: 35-50W per square foot
If you have a 20 square foot grow space, you’ll need LEDs that draw 700-1000W of power.
For high-quality brands like Black Dog LED, their PhytoMax-2 1000W LED with 1050W of draw power will suffice.
For bargain-oriented brands like Mars Hydro, you’ll need 4-5 of their 1000W LEDs that only draw 150W of actual power per unit.
3. Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)
PAR is the amount of light produced in the 400-700 nm range, which is the part of the light spectrum used by plants for photosynthesis.
There are a few different ways to measure PAR, but for grow light purposes we usually see three.
Photosynthetic Photon Flux (PPF)
- Unit: μmol/s
- Description: Total amount of PAR produced by a lighting system each second. It doesn’t tell you how much light lands on a plant per unit time, but does tell you how efficiently a lighting system produces light in the PAR spectrum.
Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD)
- Unit: μmol/m2/s
- Description: PPF with an area component telling you how much photosynthetically active light falls on an area of plant per unit time. PPFD varies as you move away from the center of the lighting source, so an average should be taken over the entire coverage area.
Photon Efficacy
- Unit: µmol/J
- Description: PPF (μmol/s) divided by drawn watts, which are measured in J/s. Using simple mathematical cancelation, we get μmol/s divided by J/s, which cancels out the seconds in both the numerator and denominator, leaving µmol/J. Photon efficacy tells us how efficiently a lighting unit converts drawn power into PAR light. If a lighting unit draws a lot of power but converts it to light outside the PAR spectrum, it’s inefficient.
Summarizing the above, the various PAR metrics are important because grow lights deliver energy to plants. Higher PAR means more energy is delivered per unit area and time, and that means more growth. There are different PAR requirements for different stages of growth:
- Vegetative: 300-350 μMol/s
- Flowering: 700-800 μMol/s
I don’t want to get too sciency and complex here, but not all PAR values are equal. Technically, the PAR spectrum from 400-700 nm includes green light, which plants don’t use for photosynthesis. (This is why plants are green. They reflect green light and don’t absorb it.) Two lights can have the same PAR value while one actually delivers more usable light at 450 nm (blue) and 650 nm (red).
5 Types of Grow Lights (And Why LED Is King)
LEDs aren’t the only type of grow light available. In fact, there are five types of grow lights, each with their own pros and cons.
- LED
- Fluorescent
- High-intensity discharge (HID)
- Double-ended (DE)
- Plasma
Most people looking at LEDs are comparing them to either fluorescent or HID, and there are situations where all three are the best choice:
- Fluorescents are best for low-cost, beginner setups.
- HID, specifically HPS, are best for pure power with thick, flowering crops when electrical bills are secondary.
- LEDs are best for cool, compact, customizable grow light setups with lower recurring costs when you can stomach the upfront investment.
Our LED vs HPS comparison has everything you need to know about those two and really is an excellent resource.
That wraps up our roundup of the best 1000W LED grow light reviews. Is there an LED grow light you swear by that didn’t make the list? Or thoughts on any of the grow lights we did mention? Let us know in the comments below.
