There is an incredible amount of advice available on the internet surrounding the types of light bulbs, the best systems, and what kind of grow lights you should purchase for the best support of your vegetation. It doesn’t take long to become overwhelmed with attempting to make a choice for an all-inclusive system, or sticking with more tried and true bulbs specific to certain light spectrums.
If you are new to, or an old hand at, indoor plant grows, and are looking to support your vegetation in the best way possible- it never hurts to keep up with the products that are on the current market. High-Pressure Sodium Lights, or HPS, are a tried and true bulb that has been used for well over 100 years to help support and promote reproductive stages of plant growth. Some of the best HPS grow lights reviews surrounding current market products can be found below.
WHAT ARE HPS GROW LIGHTS?
HPS lighting falls under the label of a High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting that is donated by a type of large bulb that is filled with gas. This gas ignites when two electrodes arc electric currents between them- which causes the gas to light up. The different types of HID bulbs are defined by the type of gas found within, and HPS are called so due to the High-Pressure Sodium used to create the glow of the light itself.
These grow lighting systems include a ballast to power the bulb and also regulate the amount of energy provided to keep the bulb from burning out quickly. A reflector, or hood, helps focus the light energy where you need it, it’s also commonly used with an HID bulb.
How HPS Light Works
HPS light works by using ballast, which creates a pulse that stirs the gas in the bulbs or lamps. The ballast first ignites the xenon gas, which in turn generates a flow of electrons. The electrons heat up the arc producing a pale blue light. After this, the arc vapors mercury into gas generating a deeper blue color. Finally, the sodium gas vapors turn the arc into a yellow color spectrum.
These are all the colours that provide lighting effects that influence the growth of the crops. All the colours have different wavelengths depending on the gases inside them. Majority of the HPS bulbs are ideal for the FLOWERING phases of the crops because of their orange and red lights.
Though you can use the lights for other stages, it is better to supplement HPS grow lights with other lights during the other growing stages for even better yields.
Advantages Of HPS Grow Lights
Pros
Energy efficiency
When it comes to energy efficiency, HPS light beat all the other kinds of lights in the market. This reduces your electricity bills by a large margin.
Affordable
HPS bulbs are far cheaper than LED grow lights. This makes them ideal for people growing their crops and have a tight budget to buy the more expensive LED grow lights.
Ideal for flowering stage
They have a particular colour wavelength that is ideal for the flowering and budding stages, which also provides the crops with the best lighting for the production of healthy and bigger flowers. They help to increase the yields.
Less cost per wattage
Compared to LED lights, HPS bulbs have less cost per output wattage, which makes them very cost effective.
WHY CHOOSE AN HPS GROW LIGHT?
HPS bulbs create a more red light when ignited, and so is a popular choice for influencing bloom and supporting plants through productive growth phases. This allows you to provide the exact wavelengths needed for these stages- and when used in conjunction with both a ballast and reflector, you can control the intensity through dimmer switches. Plus, you can keep your light concentrated in the area you want it in, rather than losing light and energy through dissipation into the surrounding space.
HPS bulbs produce a very intense light, which is extremely beneficial to the bloom stages of your plants. If you are dependent upon the production of your plants for harvest reasons, these are bulbs worth considering to maximize your overall crop yield.
CONCERNS ABOUT HPS GROW LIGHTS
The intensity of an HPS bulb requires you to pay close attention to your light placement in conjunction with your plants. Placed too close and you can easily burn your vegetation and ruin your chances of a good bloom. They also produce quite a bit of heat, and proper ventilation is a must. Air or water cooled reflectors are popular to use with these as well to provide you with peace of mind, and often come complete with bulbs in certain grow kits.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST HPS LIGHT FOR YOUR PLANTS
There are certainly many reasons to consider when deciding if an HPS lighting system is a possible choice for your vegetative needs. Since they are not specific for all stages of growth, and have a few rules surrounding their use, you should consider all aspects of your needs prior to investing in one.
What stages of plant development do you need to support?
As mentioned, HPS lighting is specific to the red wavelengths of light, and support bloom and plant production more so than vegetative stages. Whereas you can use them in conjunction with other lights, and many ballasts will support other bulbs of the same power draw, be sure to use them on the stages of growth where they will benefit your plants the most.
How much space do you need to cover?
You can cover quite a bit of space with an HPS bulb, and can create larger footprints through the use of higher bulb wattage. Just be sure to match your ballast with the compatible bulb size as it is a requirement to avoid quick burnout or other power issues.
Do you have proper ventilation and space?
HPS bulbs will put out quite a bit of heat and they are incredibly intense. Be sure to have enough space above your plants to place it where it won’t burn your vegetation, as well as around the light to provide proper ventilation.
What plants do you plan on growing?
If you are not trying to influence and support the bloom of your plants, and are looking more to maintain, this probably isn’t a good choice for you. Red lighting is very specific to these later stages of growth leading into and during bloom and production. So, if your plant doesn’t flower — you may want to consider lights that have a stronger blue spectral support for vegetative stages.
TOP 5 HPS GROW LIGHT REVIEWS
There isn’t a lot of variation between one HPS bulb and another in terms of what they are made to do, but there are variances between brands and quality control. Sticking with a company that consistently provides dependable lighting is an important consideration to keep your plants from being left in the dark- literally. Most HPS bulbs are sold within systems (although replacements can be purchased separately) and some of the 5 best HPS grow light setups are found below.
ECO Farm 1000W Double Ended HPS HID Grow Light Enclosed Kit
These reflection hood are overlaid with a dual layer oxide system tuned for maximum visible reflection enhancement. This serves to increase the overall reflectivity provided by the reflective hood and adds protection against damage
Efficiency and uniformity have been the main focus in the development of the Flowers-only reflector. The unique design of the reflector hood and the high uniformity of light the reflector projects results in less hotspots on the canopy and a more even plant growth.
These lights are especially advantageous for facilities with limited head height. They are ultra-low profile. This means you can give your plants more vertical growing space, for heavier harvests.
From a power standpoint, these fixtures put out a whopping 2050 µmol/s with the included HPS bulb.
NanoLux 1000W Double Ended OG Grow Light Fixture with DE HPS
The OG DE1000W fixture. Featuring all the same great benefits of our popular DE1000W fixture but in a more economical form. Unlike the standard DE1000W, the OG DE1000W is fan-cooled exactly like our bestselling OG1000W.
By replacing the aluminum enclosure with a durable powder coated steel enclosure, we were able to make a complete DE fixture that weighs less and costs less that our original DE1000W. This makes the OG DE1000W the optimal choice for small scale growers that want all the benefits of DE lighting technology, for less cost. Reduced weight of the fixture makes the OG DE1000W ideal for hanging in grow tents.
The OG DE1000W is compatible with both NCCS and 0–10V controllers and uses 97% German reflective reflector material. Comes with random start, soft start, and soft dimming capabilities.
Specifications:
Output Power: 1000 Watts
Input Voltage: 120–240
Input Current: 8.9/4.5A
Input Frequency: 50/60 HZ
Bulb: DE MH or DE HPS
Dimming Settings: 600W-660W-750W-825W, 1000W-1200W(Super Lux)
Power Factor: > 0.99%
Weight: 11.7lbs
Size: 17.9″ x 13.2″ x 5.4″
iPower 1000W Double Ended Grow Light System Kits
From seeding to flowering, iPower Grow Light System has your plant covered with all the light it will ever need. HID provides the most lumens per dollar, which means the most yields for your investment. This kit eliminates the need for mixing incandescent with fluorescent or additional LEDs that provide little gains at 2 to 3 times the cost.
The balanced spectrum set of lights will not only be well-absorbed by plant’s chlorophylls but also promotes healthy chlorophyll production and regulates plant life cycle.
1000W 240V Double Ended Digital Dimmable Ballast:
600/750/1000/1150W optional output, UL listed and FCC certified
Super HPS+ (Pro-Plus) Double Ended HPS Bulb; PAR 2100um+, provides 35% more energy than Standard HPS Lamp Bulb
3-Mode Double Ended Adjustable Reflector: German made VEGA98 Aluminum Layer, 98% efficiency
8-Feet Adjustable Ratchet Clip Rope Hanger with Metal Gears: hold up to 150 lbs
Emperor Lighting DE 1000W Grow Light Kit
Electronic Ballast
Our Electronic ballasts are designed to power our double ended lamps at precisely the right frequency and power for optimal and stable output, and a long light maintenance.
Our cast Aluminum body design with Super white electroluminescent baked paint ensures optimum thermo regulation keeping the electronics much cooler allowing for longer ballast reliability.
The complete fixture integration of ballast and reflector results in a compact fixture resulting in low EMI.
Reflector
The Emperor DE reflectors are made from the absolute highest quality Alanod German Miro 4 anodized aluminum.
The aluminum is >95% reflective and diffuses the light to penetrate deeper into the plant canopy.
Lamp
The high voltage lamp technology results in a better efficiency of the arc tube: more light for the same power 10–25% more than traditional single ended lamps!
Gavita Pro 1000 DE Complete Fixture
The Gavita Pro 1000 Double Ended is the most powerful and sophisticated indoor grow light available. In greenhouse areas where this unit is being used as supplemental lighting, it can cover up to a 10' x 10' area. If used as a primary light source, the Gavita Pro 1000 Double Ended fixture can cover up to a 6' x 6' area.
The GAVITA Pro 1000 is the first 240 Volt electronic ballast that powers the professional Gavita Pro Plus 1000W 400V EL (electronic) Double Ended lamp. This lamp has the highest PAR light output, improved spectrum and the best light maintenance (>95% PAR light over one year of use). Being the most efficient 1000W horticultural lamp available and the only lamp specifically developed for electronic ballasts this is the 1000W lamp of choice for Dutch professional greenhouse growers. The GAVITA Pro 1000 is available as a complete fixture with the highly efficient professional HortiStar HR 96 1000 DE reflector or as a remote ballast. Being completely closed and solid state (no fans) with extremely low heat dissipation the remote ballast can be mounted close to your lamps, enabling safe and easy installation. Having your ballast close to your lamp reduces the amount of EMI (RF interference). Both ballasts are adjustable to 600/660/750/825/1000/1150 watt, enabling them to drive a wide range of EL lamps and boost them 10 or 15%, creating the highest output in the market.
Conclusion
The best HPS grow lights are the backbone of the cannabis industry. These ubiquitous bulbs power many marijuana operations — and for a good reason.
Although there are a large number of alternatives when it comes to lighting, nothing comes close to the intensity and growth potential that emits from an HPS bulb.
With their time tested results, HPS grow lights remain the best grow lights in the industry.
Now that you know what the experts consider to be the best HPS grow lights available right now, it’s just a matter of considering which one fits your grow best.
