LED Grow Lights for Indoor & Outdoor Growing
Modern LED grow lights deliver full-spectrum photon output at significantly lower energy consumption and heat production than traditional HID fixtures. The reduced radiant heat lowers HVAC load and operating costs across the growing cycle, while advanced diode arrays provide the broad spectrum coverage that supports strong vegetative growth through dense flowering. LED technology now dominates new commercial CEA builds and is the most common choice for home and hobby growers upgrading from HID.
LED Grow Light Brands: Growers Choice, Gavita, Faven, Matrix & More
Hydrobuilder carries LED grow lights from qualified brands including Growers Choice, Gavita, Faven Lighting, Matrix, Photontek, ThinkGrow, AC Infinity, and Mars Hydro. Fixtures range from compact 100W bar-style LEDs for propagation spaces and small tents up to 2,000W+ commercial bar arrays for large-canopy production. Full-spectrum models cover vegetative and flowering requirements in a single fixture. Dimmable and spectrally adjustable models offer flexibility for multi-crop facilities and research applications.
Fixture Types: Panels, Bar Arrays & Bulbs
LED panels are the most common format — integrated heat sink, driver, and diode array in a single unit, typically with a manufacturer warranty. Bar-style LED arrays distribute light more evenly across wide canopies and can be hung closer to plants due to their lower intensity per bar — the preferred format for top commercial brands including Gavita, Growers Choice, and Faven. Bar arrays also reduce intensity hot spots that single-source panels can create. LED bulbs are designed to replace CFL or HID bulbs in existing socket fixtures and work well for supplemental lighting or small-space applications.
Sizing LED Fixtures: PPFD, DLI & Canopy Area
The correct way to size LED fixtures is by PPFD (photosynthetic photon flux density) and canopy area — not watts per square foot. Vegetative crops typically target 400–600 µmol/m²/s; flowering crops target 800–1,500+ µmol/m²/s depending on variety and CO2 levels. A 5×5 ft canopy in flower typically requires a 600–800W LED fixture delivering 1,500–2,000 µmol/s total output. Daily Light Integral (DLI) — the total photons delivered per day — is the metric that correlates most strongly with yield in commercial production. Use our PPFD & Light Coverage Calculator to match fixtures to your canopy size and target DLI, and our Electricity Cost Calculator to model running costs across your lighting wattage.
LED vs. HPS: Comparing Technologies
Modern LED fixtures produce equivalent or greater yield per watt compared to double-ended HPS at the same wattage, with 30–50% lower heat output. For growers with established HPS infrastructure, the transition to LED reduces electricity costs and HVAC load simultaneously. However, LEDs produce less infrared heat, which can require supplemental heating in cold climates to maintain optimal canopy temperature. Compare the two technologies on our HPS and MH grow lights page, or read our guide to growing with LED lights in the Learning Center.
LED Grow Lights for Every Scale
Whether you’re lighting a 2×4 home tent or outfitting a commercial indoor farm with multiple production bays, our expert support team can help size fixture counts and layout for your specific canopy. For commercial facilities, explore our LED grow light rebates and utility incentives page — many utility providers offer significant rebates for replacing HPS with LED in commercial settings.
Browse sub-collections by wattage, explore hoods and reflectors for HID pairing, or view light timers and controllers for automated scheduling. Expert support available.
