The original version can be found on the Grow Light Central website: https://growlightcentral.com/pages/best-hid-grow-light-for-weed This buyer's guide will help you choose the right HID plant light setup for your grow area. It covers choosing between HPS and MH bulbs, choosing the wattage, deciding between single ended and double ended bulbs and choosing the best reflector style for your grow space.

1. HID Buying Guide

2. Key Decisions
 MH or HPS
 Wattage
 Single or double-ended
 Reflector style

3. MH or HPS Bulbs?
HINT
Use both!

4. Best Results: MH + HPS
Use both bulbs throughout
the grow
Use HPS as the main overhead
lighting
Supplement with MH light
Or vice versa

5. Popular combination
 Modern ballasts can run both
bulbs
 MH for cloning and vegging
 HPS for flowering
Great results: MH for Veg, HPS for flower

6. HPS bulbs are not great
during veg, but are excellent
for flowering.
 Your plants will be leggy and
weaker, but you will still get good
yields
Decent results: HPS only

7. MH bulbs are great during
vegging, but they produce
lower yields during
flowering.
 Your plants will grow strong,
but yields will suffer
Worst results: MH for Veg, HPS for flower

8. Wattage

9. Anything outside this range
is too inefficient for most
uses.
1000 watt bulbs run very hot.
We recommend 400 or 600
watts for most growers.
Wattage: between 250w and 1000w

10. Wattage Table
Wattage Number of Plants Distance from
Canopy
250 watts 3 - 5 6” – 8”
400 watts 6 - 9 9” – 12”
600 watts 9 - 12 12” – 18”
1000 watts 12 - 16+ 18” – 26”

11. Single or Double Ended

12. Double-ended bulbs are:
25-30% more efficient (higher PAR
for same power consumption)
 last longer (retain 90% of output
after 10,000 hours of use)
Double Ended Bulbs

13. The drawback?
Bulbs cost 50% more, reflectors
twice as much
Produce more heat
Limited reflector selection
Double Ended Bulbs

14. Single ended for most
growers
Only go with double ended bulbs if
you have the budget (including the
additional cooling costs)
Our recommendation

15. Reflector Styles

16. Most reflectors will do the job and the
differences between them are not that
large.
Each style specializes in a certain
situation.
The key is finding the reflector best suited
for your grow space.

17. Air cooled for small enclosed
spaces only
Glass reduces output and UV light
Heat from ducting will radiate into
the grow area
Air Cooled or Not?

18. Single Ended Reflectors

19. Good for supplemental
lighting
Cheap
Easy to install
But…
Light goes to waste unless
hanging between plants
Mogul Socket

20. Good for budget growers
with well-ventilated space
Cheap
Good coverage
Intense light with deep
penetration
But…
All the heat escapes into grow
space
Reflector only on sides, not
ends
Wing Reflector

21. Good for lighting large areas
with small number of lights
Very large coverage
Even light distribution
But…
Very low intensity and
penetration
All the heat escapes into room
Umbrella Reflector

22. Good for budget growers
with a small enclosed space
Small
Cheapest air-cooled reflector
But…
Large loss of light
Small coverage area
Air Cooled Tube Reflector

23. Good for small enclosed
spaces
Large coverage
Intense light with deep
penetration
But…
Most expensive reflector
Air Cooled Hood Reflector
Recommended for
Most Home
Growers!

24. Good for lighting large areas
with small number of lights
Very large coverage area
But…
Low intensity and penetration
A bit expensive
Air Cooled Tube Hood Reflector

25. Double Ended Reflectors

26. Good for budget growers
with well-ventilated space
Cheapest double ended
reflector
Good coverage
Good intensity and penetration
But…
All the heat escapes into grow
space
Reflector only on sides, not
ends
DE Wing Reflector

27. Good for lighting large areas
with small number of lights
Very large coverage area
But…
Low intensity and penetration
A bit expensive
All the heat escapes into grow
space
DE XXL Hood Reflector

28. Good for lighting small
enclosed spaces
Large coverage area
Intense light with deep
penetration
But…
Most expensive reflector
DE Air Cooled Hood Reflector

29. To buy HID grow lights at great
prices or to get more information:
https://growlightcentral.com