The 8 Best Grow Lights Of 2024, Tested And Reviewed

If you’re dreaming of a lush oasis indoors or just trying to help your plants survive cold snaps, grow lights have you covered. In our testing, we found that on average, grow light plants grew 33% taller than the natural-light plants at the three-week mark, and they grew 81% taller than their natural-light counterparts by the end of the six-week testing period.

The field is wide when it comes to choosing the best grow lights—there are hanging models, tabletop styles, options that sit on the floor like a lamp, and some that come with apps. According to Jenny Maynard, owner of The Salt Shed in Panama City Beach, Florida, “it’s good to decide where you want to place your grow lights before you make your purchase; this will help determine what kind you need.”

She has a few recommendations on what to look for when you buy: “The cord length—will it reach the outlet that you will be using? Do you want flexible/movable lights on a stand? Will the grow light be under a shelf or hanging from the ceiling? What kind of plants will you be placing under the light, and what kind of light do they require?”

To determine the best grow lights, we spent hours tending six sets of seeds over six weeks with 16 different grow lights. We considered factors like ease of setup, design, brightness, and performance. In addition to Maynard, we received expert insight on what to look for in grow lights from Meredith Bishop, owner of Bloom & Bounty in Nashville, and Alexander Testel, sustainable gardening expert at Frugal Frontier.