Best T5 Grow Lights For Indoor Cannabis – Reviews & Buying Guide

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Indoor cannabis cultivation trend is on its peak. And, demand for different types of grow lights is getting massive day by day. Some of the best t5 grow lights are one among such high demanding indoor growing lights.

In this article, we’ve compiled and curated some of the top rated t5 grow lights for our fellow indoor cannabis cultivators.

Well, if you don’t know, T5’s are famous because of its improved efficiency and abilities to deliver plant oriented lighting.

Yeah, prior to T5, there were T8 and T12 on the market but its demand got blurred with time due to major efficiency issues in those grow lights.

Basically, T5 lights are a kind of fluorescent lights with 5/8” of diameter. Moreover, these lights are durable and feature better lifespan compared to older T8 and T12 grow lights. Also, T5 grow lights usually have best possible light quality that we could expect from a fluorescent grow light.

This grow lights are picked up carefully after hearing to many of the users opinion and feedbacks on the same. So, you could even choose any one out this list blindly even if you’re first time grower. This is to clarify that we’ve done all due diligence before picking up each panel and we’re confident about its quality and performance.

So, now, let’s move forward and take a look over reviews of some of the best T5 grow lights for cannabis growing.

Are you ready?

Best T5 Grow Lights of 2022

Here’s our list of reviews for some top notch T5 grow lights on the market for cannabis growing.

#1. HydroPlanet 4ft 8lamp Fixture – Editor’s Pick

Yeah, very first on our list of best t5 grow lights is from a reputed and trustworthy brand “HydroPlanet”.

Well, manufacturer is serving indoor growing enthusiasts and gardeners with quality growing tools since a long time now.

Moreover, it’s evident that their quality is best, because that’s what people are talking about the most.

Now, if we talk about HydroPlanet T5 grow light, then this grow light comprises 8 fluorescent tubes with sizing of 4ft.

Also, quality and intensity of this lamps are decent and enough for your plants to thrive well.

Moreover, housing of whole fixture is powder coated to add few more years on its lifespan.

Regarding power requirements, HydroPlanet 4ft T5 grow light is compatible for household power supply of 110/120V.

And for controllability, it is equipped with two separate switches to increase or decrease its light efficiency. Yeah, it allows you to control depth of light beams with help of these two separate switches.

Apart from that, it also allows its user to extend lighting and coverage with a daisy outlet on the ballast itself. Yeah, freedom is all yours with this top T5 grow light.

Furthermore, regarding coverage, this grow light is ideal for plants grown in an area of 2’X4’.

Regarding efficiency, this grow light comprises all 8 lamps of 6500 kelvin. So, it’s ideal for seedling as well as for vegetation.

Also, reflectors are added to maximize brightness and improvise light quality. We’ve verified with out connections that this grow light succeeds in reflecting almost 95% light produced by those tubes.

Regarding reflector quality, one can rely without a doubt as it’s made up of aluminium and durable enough to last longer than usual chrome reflectors which are prone to melting.

Moreover, Hydroplanet provides this grow light fixture with a plug and play ballast.

And, want to know best part of this T5 Grow light?

Yeah, Above all, Hydroplanet provides 2 years warranty on this one of the best T5 grow lights of theirs. So, even if in rare case, you face any trouble; they’re there to back you up with their quality servicing.

Pros & Cons of HydroPlanet T5 Grow Light

Pros

  • Highly Reliable and Trustworthy brand HydroPlanet.
  • Stable and durable build and design.
  • Plug and Play Ballast.
  • Convenient functions and features.
  • Less heat production.
  • Versatile hanging options.
  • Light quality is fabulous and people have praised it for that.
  • 2 years warranty is cherry on the dessert.

Cons

  • Not suitable for blooming phase if you plan to use it without replacement of lamps.
  • Not safe in too humid environment. So, necessary care is required.

#2. HydroFarm Agrobite T5 – Choice of Indoor Growers

HydroFarm being a reputed brand, providing quality controlled growing tools to indoor growers since almost a decade now.

Yeah, people are showering love on their product by giving positive feedback and ratings to it. You might like to check how people are praising this one best T5 grow light? And, Why they’ve rated it on top of all by going though their reviews.

Well, it’s all because of real quality that it possess and deliver to our plants.

Now, if we look at this T5’s build quality then it comprise 8 fluorescent tubes of 4’ in its steel made housing. Yeah, housing is steel made and hence reliable and can fight against rust and humid environment.

Regarding brightness depth and intensity, this grow light is rated for up to 40,000 lumens which is a lot of bright light to be precise.

Well, that’s almost double of what usual fluorescent grow lights deliver. Yeah, that’s one of the key reason behind this grow light’s inclusion in our list of some of top rated T5 Grow lights.

With this intense light, one can grow anywhere 4-5 plants under this panel. Also, not only for seedling but it is ideal and suitable for vegetation phase as well.

This top rated T5 grow light from HydroFarm comes with a 10ft power cord. Yeah, it is compatible for power outlet of 110-120ACV supply.

It comes with a hanger so you can mount it above your plants if you want. Also, it is compatible for vertical and horizontal placement as well. Yeah, you can hang it as you want. Cool! Isn’t it?

Moreover, with quality T5 tubes and steel encasing in the place, this one of best indoor growing T5 grow light is rated for 20000 hours of lifespan.

Above all, HydroFarm Agrobite provides 5 years warranty on ballast and 1 years warranty on parts and materials. And yeah, support quality is quiet good and friendly.

Pros & Cons of HydroFarm T5

Pros

  • A Reliable Variant from Trustworthy Brand.
  • Ballast is safe and made from scientific design parameters.
  • Plant growth is visible under this best t5 grow light.
  • Dual switches for convenience.
  • Daisy outlet on fixture to make multiple unit work with single power outlet.
  • Support quality is good and trustworthy.
  • Warranty of 5 years on ballast and 1 year on parts.

Cons

  • Need to purchase 3000K lamps separately.
  • Compared to our previous model in this best t5 grow light reviews, this pulls more power.

 #3. Sun Blaze T5 Fluorescent Grow Light – Highly Reflective

If you’re looking for one of most durable and highly reflective T5 grow light option out there, then Sun Blaze is one of good option.

Yeah, Sun Blaze T5 features an advanced reflector design which reflects more than 90% light and maximizes brightness effect.

Moreover, there are variety of options available when it comes to sizing. Yeah, from 2ft. to 4ft and with 2 lamps to 8 lamp all fixtures are available in Sun Blaze T5 fluorescent series.

Also, you’ll have option to select power supply requirements in its variants. As it offers 120V as well as 240V fixture and you can choose either of them depending on your requirements and needs.

Now, if we talk about casing and housing then this grow light is made up of highly durable and rust-resistant steel materials which is further passed through a powder coating process.

Yeah, Sun Blaze T5’s outer housing is highly durable and capable of lasting longer than usual cheap T5 fixtures.

Furthermore, encasing and outer body also features some louvered venting holes to implement sufficient cooling and dissipation. Usually, this feature is rarely available in T5 fluorescent grow lights but Sun Blaze is one among those experts who knows how to design grow tools.

Also, if we talk about 8 tube 4ft variant then all bulbs are capable of producing high level output in terms of lumen per watt performance.

Yeah, Sun Blaze T5 grow light is capable of delivering around 5000 lumens per lamp, which is equivalent to 40000 lumens in 8 lamp fixture.

And, the best part about Sun Blaze T5 fluorescent grow light fixture is yet to come.

Yeah, as this one of the best t5 grow light comes with all 6500 Kelvin lamps, you might require to purchase red bulbs with 3000 Kelvin levels. However, replacement process is easy and even a beginner can do it himself.

Now, if we talk about coverage and light density then this grow light is capable of delivering dense enough light which is suitable for seedling as well as vegetation phase of your marijuana plants.

This grow light fixture is compatible for vertical as well as horizontal placement. Yeah, separate hanging and mounting kit is available in the box.

Apart from main unit, you’ll get 12 ft power cord to provide input to this grow light.

Above all, Sun Blaze provides one year warranty on its tubes. However, it’s less than what we expected but still looking at durability we don’t think that you’ll have to contact them either.

Pros & Cons of Sun Blaze T5 Light

Pros

  • Stable design.
  • Certified by various safety authorities for safe indoor usage.
  • Comes with a complete fixture including mounting kit.
  • Reflector and reflection capabilities claims are true and verified by us.
  • Sun Blaze T5 grow lights are best for vegetation.
  • Dual switch and daisy port makes it quiet compelling for convenient usage expectation.
  • Versatile positioning abilities make it best fit for even larger grow tents.

Cons

  • Warranty of only 1 year is quiet short compared to other brands.
  • Fixture is not water safe, so necessary precautions regarding dripping water is advised.

#4. Vivosun 2ft 4lamps T5 Grow Light

Are you looking for one of the best t5 grow light within budget range of $100? Then, Vivosun fixture is a great option out there for you.

Yeah, Vivosun is Chinese brand that’s manufacturing quality growing tools since a long time. And, their experience and expertise in growing tool manufacturing business can be seen on their products.

Yeah, this 2’ 4lamp fixture is also one of such kind product from Vivosun.

Now, if we look at some of key factors playing role in its success, then first that comes in our mind is, quality build.

Yeah, Vivosun T5 grow light is made up of high quality steel materials and its outer casing and body is highly durable for long time usage.

Moreover, this grow light features two separate switches for having complete control over its light density. Yeah, depending on your requirements you can either run all tubes or half on them.

Well, for producing plant oriented spectrum, this grow light has 4 fluorescent lamps of high output and each one produced light effect equivalent to 2000 lumens.

Furthermore, light shade is blue and hence this is best fit for plants in seedling and vegetation. Yeah, it’s a day light spectrum. However, you can always replace few tubes with red effect to produce a complete spectrum.

Moreover, power efficiency of Vivosun T5 grow light is also remarkable as a 2ft 4 lamps fixture pulls on average 96W from your power supply.

As entire fixture is certified for UL safety certification, this one is safest option to keep your plants beneath it.

Also, this grow light has a reflector to maximize produced light effect, and it succeeds in achieving around 95% reflection for best possible intensity and wider coverage.

Moreover, reflector surface is designed using peel off covering method, which helps you in keeping surface clean to keep maximum reflection level intact.

Yeah, Vivosun T5 grow light is capable of covering an area of 2’ X 4’ with an ease.

Also, this one of the best t5 grow lights runs without producing much heat. So, even if you hang it near to canopies, your plants are safer to survive without any issue.

Above all, this grow light comes in a sturdy package and is less prone to fragility during transport.

Also, Vivosun offers 2 years warranty on its fixture as well as on parts. So, in case of queries and concern, the brand is always there to back you up with their support. However, we also came across some negative responses regarding their support quality. Hence, make required clarifications with brand and support before you buy from them.

Pros & Cons of Vivosun T5 Grow Light Fixtures

Pros

  • Affordable t5 grow light for beginners.
  • Sensible and scientific design.
  • Lamp quality is quiet good.
  • Light shade and lumens output per watt is best fit for plants in vegetation.
  • Can cover 2X4 feet of area.
  • Dual switches adds on to convenience ratings.
  • Less heat producing unit on our list.

Cons

  • Warranty and support has some issues according to some of our readers.
  • Ballast and overall build is fragile and need appropriate care.

#5. iPower GLT5XXPANL4T4 T5 Grow Light

iPower is also a reputable name in growing tools segment. And, when it comes to quality t5 grow lights, they won’t stay behind in the race.

Yeah, iPower GLT5XXPANL4T4 is a masterpiece manufactured in its production house.

iPower T5 grow lights are known for high intensity cool light without pulling a lot of power from outlet.

Firstly, this grow light is equipped with 4 lamps of 4ft length. And yeah, all lamps are HO fluorescent lamps of 6500 Kelvin wavelength rating. Well, all combined delivers 20000 lumens down on to your plant canopies.

Moreover, as this is 6500K lamps, this are suitable for vegetation or seedling phase and not ideal for blooming. So, when your plants step up from veg stage to bloom stage, we recommend you to replace this initial lamps with 3000K lamps which are best fit for blooming.

Furthermore, as this grow light comes with two separate switches. You can make 2 or 4 lamps work depending on your overall requirements and plants phase. However, you’ll only require to operate it using switches if you replace 2 lamps with 3000K lamps.

Also, actual power consumption of this t5 grow light is limited at 216W if you run all lamps on at a given point of time. However, it’s still better than those old fashioned MH systems that pulls more than 400W for similar performance and efficiency.

Moreover, iPower T5 grow light is backed by a highly reflective surface that reflects around 95% light back over to the plants. Yeah, due to best reflection, this grow light is also a best fit for low grade tents where light leakage happens.

And yeah, if you’re concerned about coverage and grow area compatibility, the iPower T5 grow light is one of best t5 light out there which can cover an area of 4’ X 4’ with an ease.

Also, iPower T5 grow light is rated for 20000 hours of lifespan if operated in ideal working conditions.

And yeah, iPower offers 2 years warranty on their fixture. And, we’ve verified from its existing users that iPower’s support is best on the market which is always responds to their customer’s queries in satisfactory way.

Additionally, iPower being one of the most reliable brands on the market, you should put more emphasis on this particular panel if you’re comparing panels by price to reliability ratio as well.

All in all, if you’re planning to go after an inexpensive t5 grow light with best possible quality ratings and functioning then iPower is one best fit for you. Yeah, you won’t regret buying it and we ensure that.

Pros & Cons of iPower T5 Grow Light Fixture

Pros

  • Best budget t5 grow light in our list.
  • Reliable and trustworthy brand iPower.
  • Light and brightness is suitable for seedling and vegetation.
  • It’s also a best fit for a supplementary or additional light in grow space for extra light.
  • Light operates at low temperature and produces less heat.
  • Versatile operations for light shade controlling is possible.
  • Daisy port makes it more convenient for more unit with single outlet.

Cons

  • Features 20000 hours of lifespan, which indicates that it’s not as durable as other options available in our list.

Also Read:-

#6. Durolux DL844L T5 Grow Light for Indoor Plants

People who’re expecting a high output T5 grow light fixture will surely like this amazing grow light from Durolux.

Yeah, with its advanced design mechanism Durolux is producing some tremendous grow light fixtures for indoor cannabis cultivators.

DL844L from Durolux is a 4ft 4 lamp variant and it delivers high output light equivalent to 20000 lumens all over your grow space. Yeah, it is equipped with German hammer-tone reflector hood which reflects around 95% light back on to plant canopies after its initial delivery.

Moreover, if we compare its output with other conventional light systems then it’s almost 30% more than those systems.

If we talk about light spectrum then its primary light shade is bluish but as majority of T5 comes in day light spectrum design, we need to replace half of tubes with 3000K red wavelength tubes later in use.

Moreover, it’s plug and play design out of the box; so, you won’t require to put much efforts into its installation and mounting. Yeah, all the required accessories for its installation are available in the box and you don’t need to purchase anything separately. Cool! Isn’t it?

Concerning power requirements, this one of the best t5 grow light from Durolux needs 120V input supply. And, with daisy port given on the panel itself, you can run 5 units with a single outlet port. Yeah, it’s there to provide you with best possible convenience in your growing job.

Moreover, daisy chaining also helps in reducing resulting clutter in power supply.

Also, two separate switches to control dimming of brightness is available on the panel itself. Well, one will control outer bulbs while another one will control inner bulbs. It will also help in delivering more specific light shade and wavelength to your cannabis plants when you replace 6500K tubes with 3000K lamps.

Now, if we talk about safety parameters then this grow light is rated as safe by UL and CUL certification authorities. And hence, it’s less prone to damage and harm even if you use it in wet or damp growing environment.

Yeah, in our opinion, this T5 Grow Light won’t let you down when it comes to light quality and performance, also, output from plants raised under lighting of this T5 panel is much more better than rest of all.

Above all, Durolux being a reputed brand, provides 5 years warranty on this fixture. Well, with quality in place, we could ensure you that you’ll seldom need to approach their support for issues.

Pros & Cons of Durolux T5 Growing Light

Pros

  • Most inexpensive option out there in t5 segment.
  • Reliability and trust factors for brand are best on the market.
  • Light quality is exceptional at this price.
  • Fabulous energy efficiency ratings.
  • Higher reflection for reducing light leakage.
  • Convenient control options and functions.
  • Longest in the segment warranty period.
  • Support quality is checked and verified for best response.

Cons

  • 3000K lamps are not included in box, and user might require to purchase separately.
  • After long term usage, few people face issues regarding heat dissipation and light getting hot too quickly.

Best T5 Grow Lights – Buying Guide

Well, our reviews are vetted by experts and you can rely on our recommendations without any fear. However, before coming to a conclusion on your choice, we highly recommend our readers to keep few things in mind before selecting any t5 grow light as one of the best t5 grow light.

To supplement your needs, we’ve also compiled this easy to digest and understand buying guide. So, before buying any T5 grow light you should go through this buying guide once.

Here in this buying guide for T5 grow lights, we’ll cover each points starting from definition to factors associated with it.

So, let’s get started now.

What Is T5 Grow Lights?

T5 grow lights are a specific type of fluorescent grow lights. Tubes used in making T5 grow lights are of 5/8” diameter and these tubes can produce significantly better light compared to those of traditional HPS bulbs.

Moreover, while fluorescents are known for individual applications by placing single bulb over canopies, T5 grow lights are combination of multiple lamps in single unit like structure. Yeah, majority of T5 grow lights are built with 4-8 bulbs in single casing. And, it creates more unified and evenly spreadable light for plants.

Mostly, T5 grow lights are known for day light spectrum using 6500K bulbs. However, to suffice all around needs of plants separate 3000K bulbs are also available on the market. Moreover, 6500K suits mostly during vegetation phase while 3000K bulbs are suitable for blooming phase.

Why T5 Grow Lights for Indoor Plants?

When it comes to T5’s selection as one of the best grow light for indoor plants, there are several reasons behind it. Well, while some of them are preference based while others are scientific concerning plant’s growth and health.

Yeah, primary preference based reasons includes budget, day light spectrum requirement, less heat inside grow space, addition of a supplementary light in grow room etc.

While, scientific reasons includes more energy efficiency compared to MH and HIDs, better and mild light effect, improvised plant growth rate compared to conventional lights etc.

So, now, let’s understand which factors you should consider while buying one of the best t5 grow lights for your indoor plants.

Factors to Consider While Selecting Best T5 Grow Light

Here are some factors that you should keep in mind during your selection process. So, let’s discover what those factors are!

Durability & Build

This is the first and foremost factor that you should keep in consideration during your selection process for T5 grow lights. Yeah, nowadays, many brands are manufacturing cheap quality T5s to hoard on to the competition. Hence, you should make sure that your selection is having best build quality and longer lifespan compared to others on the market.

Moreover, some of best t5 grow lights runs as long as 40000 hours while others go dead within a short time span.

So, we insist our readers on focusing on build quality to have long term safe usage. Moreover, you should make sure that whether casing of your selection is made up of aluminium or steel? Is it powder coated? What sort of lamps are placed on panel? etc.

Heat Management

As T5 grow lights are subsidiary of fluorescents, these grow lights produces less heat. However, you should still cross check before buying a t5 grow light that whether all required arrangements for ventilation and dissipation are on its place or not?

Considering this factor is crucial because plant’s survival will depend solely on environmental factors and heat is one of the most affecting factor for your cannabis plants.

Light Quality & Lamp Shades

Well, majority of brands are providing 6500K lamps in their fixtures. No doubt, these lights are quiet good as long as you utilize it for seedlings and vegetation. However, as mentioned earlier in these best t5 grow light reviews, you should also consider if any brand is providing 3000K upfront within their box. Also, if it’s not available in initial fixture then you should consider compatibility of these light for later time.

6500K lamps are usually day light spectrum lamps and they produce mild bluish shade while 3000K lamps are red spectrum lamp which helps a lot during blooming.

Additional Functions

As you might have observed, we’ve aimed to include only fixtures with additional features such as dual switching, dimming or versatile hanging abilities.

Well, these might seem less required features but it plays an important role when it comes to convenience and comfort of light utilization.

Budget

And here it comes the most crucial part. Yeah, budget is a necessary factor to keep into consideration whenever you look out for one of the best t5 grow light on the market. As, T5 grow lights are cheaper in cost compared to other lighting fixtures, you should always keep two options ready to compare with each other.

Warranty & Support

Grow lights are electrical appliances and these are prone to faults and damages while using. So, it is always better to keep an eye on support, warranty and support quality. We also recommend our readers to ensure that support quality is best possible even if warranty terms are longer. Because, low quality support for long term warranty is not of any use as we all know.

However, in our list of best t5 grow lights, we’ve ensured support quality for you so you can rely on our recommendation. But, if you’re planning to go for any other variant which is not listed in this list of top rated t5 grow lights, then check existing customer’s reviews for clarification.

FAQ’s For Best T5 Grow Lights on the Market

Here are some frequently asked questions related to best rated t5 grow lights for indoor cannabis. We’ve also covered questions which are found on several growing communities. So, check it out, who knows if your concern is covered in this section or not!

  1. Are T5 grow lights good?

Yes. If you’re not interested in LED grow lights then best option for you is T5 grow lights. These are basically fluorescent lights which runs cooler compared to HIDs and MH light systems and also energy efficient on other hand. When it comes to good growth during vegetation and seedlings, T5’s are best bet for you if not LED grow lights.

  1. What is the best t5 grow light?

There are plenty of options available on the market. And some of them are really considerable as best t5 grow lights, however, while curating products for our reviews we found that HydroPlanet is one of most reputable brand for T5 grow lights. And, we could say that Hydroplanet fixtures are undoubtedly best t5 lights out there on market.

  1. How high should my T5 be from my plants?

As, T5 grow lights don’t produce too much of heat you should place it as near as possible. However, we don’t recommend you to hang it too close where plant leaves touch running light panels as it can burn them. So, basically 5-6 inch from plant canopies are good hanging height in our opinion.

  1. Are T5 grow lights better than HID and MH lights?

Yeah, due to less heat, energy efficiency and longer lifespan we can say that T5s are better than HID and MH systems. Well, yeah, during comparing two same wattage and pricing models of HID and T5 we found that t5’s can easily beat our conventional lighting systems with its performance and perfection.

  1. How Much Electricity Do T5 Grow Lights Use?

If we count power consumption by ballast as well then a 4 lamp fixture will pull on average 200-220W of electricity from your outlet.

  1. Are T5 Grow Lights Good For Vegging?

Yeah, T5 grow lights usually deliver blue light effect with its 6500K lamps which is considered good for vegetation as well as seedling. However, if you ask for blooming then we’d recommend you to purchase a separate 3000K lamp for it as blooming will require red spectrum to take better growth and effect.

  1. Do T5 Grow Lights Get Hot?

Answer is combination of both YES & NO. Yeah, usually some of the best t5 grow lights won’t get too hot too quickly. However, some cheap lights from less reliable brands get hot even after a short term usage. Hence, we’ll recommend you to cross check on heating factors before making your final purchase.

Our Bottomline

As we’ve served you with as much information as possible in this best t5 grow lights reviews and buying guide, so we now believe that you’ve pretty decent knowledge to make your final call.

However, even if you’re still confused or overwhelmed with a lot of information served in this article, then we’d like to help you out.

Yeah, if you’re looking for an overall best t5 grow light which you can buy with confidence then our recommendation goes for HydroPlantet 2ft 4 lamp fixture. Well, it’s pretty inexpensive, and apart from that this grow lights are highly reliable and people have showered their positive opinions for these lights. So, by taking all its positive sides into consideration we’ll recommend you to buy HydroPlanet 4 lamp fixture.

Happy Growing Mate!

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