In this Viparspectra 1200w led grow light review, we’ll compare the Viparspectra 1200w led grow light with other models by the same company as well as alternative products on the market. We’ll discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the unit along with its technical specifications.
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Technical Specifications
review would be accurate without the actual technical specifications. It draws 4.4 amps of current. This LED grow lamp uses a fraction of the power of conventional grow lights. That’s one of the reasons it is so popular. Each LED grow light weighs about 24 pounds.
The unit itself is rated for more than fifty thousand hours. That’s one of the benefits of using LED bulbs over standard bulbs. The unit can be controlled by a wide variety of timers. The manufacturer doesn’t sell a compatible timer or provide one in their kits. Conversely, you can just leave the lights on without any problems. This can dramatically shorten your time until harvest.
The unit isn’t water-proof, so don’t use it outdoors and don’t let water sprayers hit it. There isn’t an easy way to make it water-proof. One benefit of this model is being able to shift between red and blue light, optimizing the color spectrum for your particular crop and its stage of development.
It puts out a lot of blue and white light and not as much in the red unless you intentionally set it to do so. If you need supplementary light, you can supplement this grow lamp with a 1000 watt sodium lamp]or ceramic halide lamp, especially in the flowering phase. On the upside, this lamp isn’t all blue and red like some LED grow lamps. You’re receiving a full spectrum of light with this grow lamp.
This grow light is part of a kit. It comes with a hanging kit (including two adjustable hangers) and a six foot power cord. If you find that the plants are burning or not getting enough light, it is easy to adjust its height with the hardware that comes with it. No extra ballast needed with the unit.
Product Information
Viparspectra has been making LED grow lamps since 2011. They sell LED grow lights to the public without going through distributors. This helps explain their low prices. We’re not going to give specific pricing information in this Viparspectra 1200w led grow light review since the unit is periodically on sale.
Depending on where you buy the grow lamp, you can either return the grow lamp or get your money back. They provide a pre-paid return label so you can send it back to them, if you’re located in the U.S. For minor failures, they’ll often provide replacement parts for free or ship the unit back to you after repairing it.
Viparspectra offers a three year warranty for their grow lights. The manufacturer gives buyers thirty days to return it. Note that the rules and restrictions regarding returns may be different if you buy it through an ecommerce site.
Performance
The Viparspectra 1200 Watt LED grow light has a mix of bulbs that balance Lumen output and PAR to provide the full light spectrum plants need to grow. This line of grow lights has secondary optical lenses that magnify the PAR output, up to doubling canopy penetration. When the bottom leaves receive more light, the entire plant grows faster. This grow light is designed for vegetables and blooming plants. It can be used at all stages of plant growth.
A few customers state that it works very well for the vegetable stage but is only moderately well for the blooming stage. Others state that it works well for the top flowers but doesn’t quite cut it when you have a thick canopy.
This can be solved by aggressive thinning and pruning, though that is counterproductive if you want a thick canopy of flowers. Or you could supplement the LED grow lights with moving lights on side rails to ensure that all layers are well lit. Otherwise, the flowers at the top of the canopy are gorgeous but those at the lower levels aren’t really marketable if you’re growing for commercial purposes. Conversely, it works very well for any plant in the nursery phase.
The unit doesn’t concentrate light in the center but instead disperses it, so you’ll see excellent growth across the covered area. The even lighting also prevents sun-burning seen with other grow lights. Note that these LED lights are not safe to look into.
The Viparspectra 1200 Watt Model Versus the Competition
The cost of Viparspectra grow lights goes up with the wattage, but you need their larger and more expensive models to cover a larger area. The Viparspectra 300 watt lamp covers a roughly 3 foot square area and uses 136 watts. The 600 watt model uses about 270 watts and covers a 4 foot square area. This model is the largest they currently sell. You pay more for the dimming function. The dimmable Viparspectra 1200 Watt LED grow light costs about 20% more than the model that cannot be dimmed.
One of these grow light panels is perfect for a four foot by four foot grow tent. It will cover, at most, a five foot square area. It is designed to be mounted at a 24” height. The PAR value is 251 at 36” from the grow lamp, 490 at 24”, 731 at 18”, 1223 at 12” and a whopping 2128 at 6”.
This grow light uses a fraction of the energy consumed by a 1000 HPS lamp. You don’t have to worry about the LED lights overheating, since it comes with a large aluminum heat sink and several fans. Each fan actually has its own heat sink. Overall, it runs about 70% cooler than its rivals. This makes the Viparspectra grow lamp ideal for plants that need precise temperature control.
Our Viparspectra 1200w led grow light review summary is that this is an excellent indoor grow light, perfect for vegetables and flowers being grown indoors. It gives you broad and consistent lighting without overheating without consuming too much power.
Summary
This unit is an affordable, basic and versatile unit for vegetables and flowering plants being grown indoors. It is no frills and comes with everything you need out of the box. We hope that our Viparspectra 1200w led grow light review provided you the information you need in order to decide if this LED grow light is right for your particular application.