With a suitable plant lamp, you can also bring demanding exotic plants healthy through the dark season. Various plants require the supply of artificial light in order to be able to continue to carry out the photosynthesis that is vital for them. We provide you with concrete recommendations for high-quality plant lamps as well as many basic tips for buying the illuminating aid for plant (friends).
Plant lamps provide plants in the house with the necessary light
Our recommendations
our recommendation
Niello COB LED Grow Light, 600w Sunlike Full Spectrum LED Plant Lamp with Reflective Cup, High PAR & High Lumen Growing Lamp, No Noisy Plant Light for Hydroponics Greenhouse Veg and Flower
To the product| full spectrum | Yes |
|---|---|
| illuminance | over 13,000 lm |
| lifespan | at least 50,000 hours |
| Assembly | ceiling |
The fact that we are presenting the Niello COB as the best LED grow light (€21.99) in our comparison is due to the positive reviews on Amazon, the very good basic properties and the fact that, despite relatively similar features, it is cheaper than the Spider model Farmer. Many buyers describe the lamp as extremely efficient and affordable.
our recommendation
LED grow lamp Spider Farmer SF 1000 LED plant lamp full spectrum and dimmable function with Samsung LM301 LEDs & Mean Well Driver LED grow light growth lamp for indoor plants, vegetables, flowers
199.99 EUR To the product| full spectrum | Yes |
|---|---|
| illuminance | over 16,000 lm |
| lifespan | at least 50,000 hours |
| Assembly | ceiling |
Amazon reviewers praise the very good workmanship and are impressed by the functionality. The latter apparently also applies to the plants, which, according to reports, grow well thanks to the bright, pleasant light. In addition, the plant lamp should be quiet during operation.
our recommendation
Roleadro LED Plant Lamp Winter 75w Plant Light Led Grow Lamp with Red Blue Light for Plant Growth in the Greenhouse
31.99 EUR To the product| full spectrum | Yes |
|---|---|
| illuminance | over 3,500 lm |
| lifespan | at least 50,000 hours |
| Assembly | ceiling |
The Roleadro LED plant lamp is our comparison winner in terms of price-performance ratio. It is by far the cheapest model among our recommendations, but still knows how to completely convince the majority of Amazon customers who bought the lamp. A quote that reflects the basic tenor of the reviewers well: "The plants have developed superbly."
Purchase Criteria
lamp type
Since LED grow lights don't get warm like traditional fluorescent tubes, you can place them relatively close above your plants (but not too close - light burns if the photon count is too high!).
It is also worth knowing that LED grow lights consume far less energy and have a longer lifespan compared to normal lights. You should therefore clearly prefer LED plant lamps.
full spectrum
Although short-wave (blue) and long-wave (red) light are most important for plant growth, they benefit from white, green and yellow light for specific processes. For this reason, there is nothing wrong with buying a full-spectrum grow light that doesn't "only" cover the blue and red wavelengths.
color temperature of the light
Depending on the intended use of the plant lamp, the color temperature of the light must be taken into account and a suitable model selected:
- Germination and growth phase: bluish spectrum, 6,500 Kelvin
- Flowering phase: redder spectrum, 2,700 to 3,000 Kelvin
- suitable in all growth phases: 3,500 Kelvin
tips
At best, the temperature can be varied as required (dimmability).
illuminance
Illuminance is given in lumens. The higher the value, the more intensively the light shines on the plants.
energy efficiency
Choose the most energy efficient grow light possible to save electricity and increase the life of the light. You are also doing the environment a favour. With LED grow lights you do everything right.
lifespan
The selected plant lamp should have a lifespan of at least 50,000 hours. The higher the better.
Attachment/Mounting
ceiling mount: A ceiling mounted grow light is commonly supplied with metal cords and a hook. Attach the latter securely to the ceiling. Then hang the lamp using the metal ropes.
benefits
- Depending on the growth progress of the plants, the lamp can be easily adjusted in terms of height
disadvantage
- time-consuming installation with ceiling drilling
wall mounting: With a plant lamp for wall mounting, you usually only have to screw the supplied mounting bracket to the wall at the desired height.
benefits
- Relatively easy installation without drilling the ceiling
disadvantage
- Difficult to adjust the height
For clamping: You clamp a clampable plant lamp to the edge of a table or shelf. Such a model often also has an adjustable neck that you can adjust as required.
benefits
- simple assembly
disadvantage
- illuminated area often very small (only for a single plant)
Tip: There are also Klemm grow lights with multiple spotlights, so you can light up about three plants at once.
our recommendation
Chefic Plant Lamp 30W, 60 LEDs Adjustable Plant Light IP55 Waterproof Full Spectrum, with Automatic Timer/3H/6H/12H Timer/3 Light Mode/Dimmable 6 Light Intensity Functions Plant Light
24.99 EUR To the productlamp socket: Perhaps you already have a lamp socket into which you can screw a suitable plant light. When buying the light, make sure that it harmonises with the socket (e.g. E27).
quality
At this point our appeal: If possible, choose plant lamps from trustworthy manufacturers. There are also companies that counterfeit CE marks and other seals. In addition, for most lamps you should assume that the specified performance data does not correspond to (practical) reality. Criteria such as illuminance et cetera are sometimes clearly exaggerated in the value specifications.
youtubefrequently asked Questions
What is a plant lamp?
Plant lamps are special light sources that give sensitive plants the brightness they need in order not to wither but to thrive magnificently. In dark rooms, the lamps provide the indoor plants with enough artificial light for the important photosynthesis. In addition, plant lights make it easier for many non-hardy garden plants to survive the winter in a healthy way.
Interesting: Plants use almost exclusively blue and red light for the photosythesis mentioned. For this reason, most LED grow lights contain mainly blue and red light-emitting diodes and white light as a basis.
- short-wave blue light promotes stem and leaf growth
- long-wave red light promotes flower growth
- white light supports root growth
The light from a plant lamp is generally based on the spectrum of natural sunlight.
Our tip for ambitious hobby and professional gardeners: If you want to specifically promote the growth of a plant with red light, you should look out for a growth lamp. Classic grow lights don't always have an explicit flowering phase mode.
Which plants benefit from a grow light?
Plant lamps are recommended for numerous plants, for example for the yucca (yucca). The agave plant is one of the most popular indoor plants in Germany because of its beautiful appearance and ease of care. But: If the palm lily in the living room does not get enough light (especially in the dark season), its leaves turn yellow and fall off. To prevent this, it makes sense to use a plant lamp. Here is an overview of other light-hungry plant species that you can make happy with artificial light:
- various palm trees
- Hemp (so-called LED grow lamps are suitable for cultivation)
- Orange, lime and lemon tree
- some bonsai
- Plants that want to be sown early (e.g. chillies, peppers, tomatoes, aubergines)
When is a plant lamp useful?
There are essentially three indicators for using plant lamps:
- Provide light-hungry houseplants, especially those from warmer climates, with artificial light in winter, since the duration of lighting with natural daylight is too short in the cool season
- get frost-sensitive garden plants well through the cold, dark season in an artificially lit room
- Improving the cultivation of vegetables (sufficient lighting is essential during the germination phase; if the environment is too dark, the tender sprouts grow too quickly to reach the light, so to speak; but the shoots remain soft due to ripening too quickly, pale and not very sustainable, so they often die)
How do I use a plant lamp correctly?
The light from the plant lamp should shine directly on the plant(s) that need light. Depending on the number of plants whose beauty you want to promote or maintain, you only need one or more lamps with artificial plant light.
During the germination phase, many plants need around twelve hours of light a day. It is ideal if you can cover most of the time with natural daylight. The remaining - dark - hours are compensated with the plant lamps.
Attention: You should not illuminate any plants artificially for longer than 16 hours. Even the most light-hungry green creatures need periods of rest in the dark.
Which brands offer good plant lamps?
Numerous well-known brands manufacture plant lamps. Here is a selection:
- OSRAM
- Phillips
- TaoTronics
- Mygdal
- MEGAMAN
- Lunartec
Where can I buy plant lamps?
Plant lamps can be found in any well-stocked hardware store, such as OBI, Bauhaus, toom, Hornbach and Dehner. Some furniture stores also have such lamps on offer, such as Ikea. However, the first port of call for most hobby gardeners is and remains Amazon.
How much does a plant lamp cost?
The simplest plant lamps are actually available from around three euros. You don't have to dig deep into your wallet for a higher quality of the lights and special features such as the ability to adjust different light levels. Good models are available from around 25 to 30 euros. If you want first-class professional grow lights, you usually pay at least 100 euros.
our recommendation
MagiDeal 220V 8W E27 LED plant lights plant lamp plant light bulb for garden plants, light color red and blue - 6W, 55x47mm
3.99 EUR To the productIs there a plant lamp test by Stiftung Warentest?
No, the Stiftung Warentest has not yet made a plant lamp comparison.