Updated on Oct. 22, 2024
Winter's waning sunlight doesn't mean your plants have to die or go dormant. Replace the lost sunshine with these top indoor grow lights.
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Grow lights imitate natural sunlight for indoor plants. This artificial light triggers photosynthesis, the biochemical process that makes it possible for plants to sprout, flower and fruit. Indoor plants are happiest when they can bask in warm, bright, natural light, rain or shine. If you want to create an all-season indoor garden for your seedlings and stalks, get yourself some grow lights.
“Choosing the right grow lamp comes down to understanding the house plants or crops you’re growing indoors,” says Leslie F. Halleck, a certified professional horticulturist and author of Gardening Under Lights. “Are they low-light foliage plants or are you trying to produce an edible harvest? Foliage plants that can tolerate lower light levels won’t need intense supplemental light, whereas young seedlings and fruiting plants (citrus, tomatoes, peppers, etc.) need more intense light than small grow lamps can provide.”
Provide life-giving illumination to your plants with our picks for the top grow lights.
For most indoor gardeners who simply want to supplement natural light, the Soltech Solutions Vita Grow Light keeps your house plants happy with 20 watts of warm, white ambient LED light. We love that it’s dimmable, offers narrow- and wide-angle beams and screws into existing household fixtures. An instructive quick-start guide is included.
Beaming a full spectrum of colors, the Exlenvce LED grow light panel is ideal for an indoor seedling station. Watch those babies turn into grown-up flowers, veggies and other fruiting plants.
Choose the VEG channel to germinate seeds and young plants, or the BLOOM channel that gives off more red wavelengths to stimulate the flowering stage. The triple-chip design makes lights brighter and more intense. It’s also daisy chain compatible to connect up to three panels.
If you’re new to the indoor gardening game, get growing with the Hydrofarm Agrobrite Fluorescent System. Featuring an output of a whopping 40,0000 lumens, the powder-coated steel apparatus holds the slender 6,400 K T5 tubular bulbs.
Available in seven sizes (two to 12 tubes), the panel may be hung overhead, vertically or horizontally. The bulbs are low heat so they’re safe to use in close quarters.
If you’re looking for a standalone bulb, the Sansi grow light bulb is an excellent, full-spectrum all-arounder, available in 10, 15, 24 and 36 watts. Effective for germinating and growing plants, the Sansi gives off between 900 and 3,250 lumens of light.
It’s powered with Sansi’s patented chip on ceramic technology that reduces thermal resistance and promotes light efficiency. Go ahead and let it shine in just about any indoor garden environment.
Succulents love the sun — the brighter the better. When your windows don’t let in enough light, call on the Felt Electric full-spectrum LED plant grow light strip. Placed about 12 inches above your plants, the super-bright light strip emits intense daylight conditions that will help your cacti and other succulents get through the long, dark winter.
Have fresh herbs at your fingertips, even if space is limited. The self-watering and energy-efficient Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 fits practically anywhere — on a counter, table or a dimly lit window sill. It can even go inside a cupboard!
Grow basil, chives, parsley and more. There are more than 50 pre-seeded plant pods to choose from, including chef favorites like cilantro, thyme and chili peppers.
If you’re looking for something that’s portable and easy to mount, consider the LED Grow Light full-spectrum clip plant growing lamp. This clip-on grow light has two flexible gooseneck arms with strong, sturdy clamps at the base to grab and hold tight to surfaces.
Point the beams (10 red and 74 white LEDs) in any direction or angle toward your houseplants, then choose one of five brightness levels. Program the timer to four, eight or 12 hours. It also has an automatic on/off so you can set it and forget it.
It’s hard to believe this good-looking pendant is a grow light, but it is. Hanging Grow Light by The Sill is a pendulum-style fixture with enough power to stay on 16 hours a day for 15 years!
Choose between a 20- or 40-watt LED lamp in white or black. It comes with everything you need to hang it: a 15-foot fabric cord, an outlet timer, a pack of three ceiling hooks, a swag hook and instructions.
