Best COB LED Grow Lights

Not sure which COB LED grow light is best for your plants? Let's help you decide. Here are the best COB LED grow lights and their pros and cons.

If you have an interest in indoor gardening, then you might have read tons of best grow light reviews. In your search, you may come across different grow lamp brands on the market.

You might even come across a COB LED light when searching for your next grow light.

So what is a COB grow lamp or grow light, and what are the best COB grow lights out there? Do they perform better than the best LED grow lights in the market? Let’s find out in this article.

COB grow lights may not currently be as popular as other LED lights on the market. However, a lot of people don’t realize the advantages of using COB LED grow lights over traditional grow lamps.

In this article, let’s explore some of the best COB LED grow lights for your indoor plants.

But why? Why choose a COB LED grow light over the more traditional models like SMD LEDs? And if you do decide to invest in one, which is the best COB LED grow light for your indoor grow room?

We’ll help you answer these questions and more as we take a closer look at COB LED grow lights. We will also give you our pick for the best ones on the market today.

Are COB LED grow lights not your thing? Then check out our list of the top purple LED grow lights or the best red LED grow lights.

Table of ContentsShow

What Are COB LED Grow Lights?

Growing seedlings indoors under a full spectrum led growing ligh

COB stands for “Chip-on-Board”. The manufacturer has installed each COB LED chip onto an aluminum, copper, or ceramic substrate.

They attach it directly to the circuit board. (Check out this website if you want to find out more about their construction.)

Combining multiple LED lights on a single board creates LED light arrays. They make it appear as if it is only a singular light source.

The array is one of the main features that distinguishes COB LED grow lamps from other LED lights.

Since they build them this way, COB LED grow lights cut down on the number of components needed to make the light. At the same time, it also maximizes the number of LEDs you can have on the circuit board.

What Are The Advantages Of Using A COB LED Grow Light?

There are many benefits to using a COB LED grow light over the more standard grow light bulb. This includes any grow LED light bulb models sold on the market.

We refer to the most common ones as SMD (Surface Mounted Device) LED lights.

  • They are more energy-efficient. With COB LED grow lights, you can get more power per input watt.
  • They are high-intensity. COBs can penetrate deeper beneath the canopy than other grow lights. They function as if they are one big LED COB chip, more or less. This makes their light intensity stronger than any LED.
  • They offer a great color spectrum for plants AND humans. COB LED lights can provide a range of color spectrums, including warm and cool white lights.
    These kinds of spectrums are great for humans, as you can grow an indoor plant in a light that is closer to natural sunlight instead of a pink or purple glow. The white light makes it easier to detect any issues in the plant’s appearance.
  • They are compact. The company uses fewer components, and they packed the LED technology closely together. Because of that, a COB grow light can take up less space in your grow room than other grow lights. At the same time, it will still provide the same kind of output.
  • They produce less heat. These units have fewer components. That also contributes to the fact that COB LED grow lights tend to give off less heat than other lights.
    The heat is further dissipated because of the aluminum, copper, or ceramic substrate. This dissipation is because they can act as a heat transfer when combined with an external heat sink. This means you don’t have to worry about heat damaging your LED grow lights and your indoor plants.
  • They are more reliable. COB LED lights tend to have a lower failure rate than most grow lights; they produce less heat and require less welding as they attach straight to the substrate.
  • They have a long lifespan. COB lights tend to last anywhere from 30,000 – 60,000 hours. It does depend on the exact materials and build used by the manufacturer, though.

What Are The Disadvantages Of COB LED Grow Lights?

There are plenty of benefits to using COB LED lights. There is only one main drawback: they are fixed spectrum

Unlike SMD LED lights, you can’t change the light spectrum mix. So there isn’t any room for adjustment and experimentation.

The Best COB LED Grow Light

Now that you have learned the pros and cons of using a COB LED grow light, are you convinced that COB LED grow lights are perfect for your indoor growing space? If not, then you might want to try something else.

But if it is a sound yes, then let us check out the details below for our pick of the best COB LED light plus some runners-up.

The Pros:

  • Uses CREE COB technology
  • Spectrum suitable for all stages of plant growth
  • Switches to control LEDs
  • High PPFD when compared with similar products
  • Two-year warranty
  • 50,000-hour lifespan

The Cons:

  • Not waterproof
  • May be a little more expensive than similar options
  • Not daisy chain adaptable

This grow light is our number-one pick. And there are a lot of happy customers on Amazon who seems to agree.

We recommend the Phlizon CREE COB Series 1500W LED Grow Light. This first-class grow light uses high-quality 3000K and 6000K CREE COB options.

People in the industry know CREE COB LEDs for their power and stability. They are probably the top brand on the market today.

This CREE COB light also includes diodes. They add the ideal amounts of red light, blue light, UV, IR, and white light. This array helps to create a full spectrum of light suitable for all stages of plant growth.

The grow light has a coverage area of about 3 x 3 feet when hung at a height of two feet and the largest coverage area is approximately 3.5 x 3.5 feet.

When hanging at this height in your grow room or grow box, you can get a PPFD of 1127 µmol /m2/s. That makes it one of the most powerful grow lights out there when compared with similar products.

Phlizon CREE COB Series 1500W LED Grow Light Info

A nice feature of the CREE COB light is the ability to switch the lights on and off.

It has a “veg and bloom” switch for the germination and flowering stages of plant growth. It also has a “stronger” option when you need more light to help your plants reach their full potential.

The ability to turn lights on and off allows you to save both power and money.

These grow lights have been subject to 24 hours of quality and integrating sphere spectroscopic testing. The company guarantees each unit measures up to its standards.

If customers do have any problems, CREE offers a two-year warranty.

The Pros:

  • Full-spectrum light with UV and IR
  • Switches allow you to change light intensity depending on the stage of plant growth
  • A quiet fan and heat sink help ensure your indoor garden area keeps quiet and relatively cool
  • Daisy chain capabilities
  • Three-year warranty
  • More affordable than similar options
  • 50,000-hour lifespan

The Cons:

  • Not waterproof
  • Doesn’t use CREE COB LEDs

The next grow light on our list is AGLEX 2000W.

It is comparable to the Phlizon grow lights. But the AGLEX 2000W COB LED grow light is a popular choice for indoor plants. The cannabis plant is a perfect example.

The light is affordable and produces the ideal wavelength for growing plants.

There is one main thing making this a runner-up to the Phlizon light. Instead of the preferred CREE COB LEDs, this light uses Bridgelux BXCD1734 COBs. They offer 3500K and 7000K COB LEDs.

They may not be more desirable than the CREE COB LEDs, but they still provide a full-spectrum white light for plants.

It also comes with supplemental diodes that give off blue light, red light, UV, and IR light. This full light spectrum gives off a light intensity similar to natural sunlight.

That makes this grow light an ideal LED light for all stages of plant growth.

This COB LED grow light should be able to cover a 4 x 4-foot area for flowering. It should also give you about 1241 µmol /m2/s at a 24-inch hanging height. Nonetheless, you may want to limit the area to about 3 x 3 feet for best results.

AGLEX 2000W Image

Another nice feature of AGLEX is it has switches for veg and bloom changes.

You can toggle these switches off or on. That allows you to set the right amount of light intensity. At certain growth phases, plants need to receive different light intensities.

The veg switch draws 230W for plant seedlings and germination. The bloom switch draws an additional 178W.

Once again, being able to turn these kinds of switches on and off allows you to save power. That means you save money while your plants bask in the light they need to grow.

This model also comes with a large, quiet fan and heat sink that work together, ensuring the light doesn’t get too hot. This is even more important when you consider it is also daisy-chainable; thus it allows you to easily connect it to other COB LED lights.

Each light should cover about 5 x 5 feet. But if you need multiple lights to cover a larger area, you shouldn’t worry about it getting too hot and noisy in the room.

The Pros:

  • Uses CREE COBs
  • Spectrum is suitable for all stages of plant growth
  • Large grow area for a small unit
  • Two-year warranty
  • Affordable
  • Produces little heat
  • 50,000-hour lifespan

The Cons:

  • Not waterproof
  • No switches for controlling LEDs
  • Can’t daisy chain to other lights

Another good addition to your grow light kit would be a grow light bulb from Growstar. If you are on a budget, consider trying the Growstar 300W UFO COB LED Grow Light.

It is a bit small, at only 10.6 x 10.6 x 2.6 inches, and it weighs about four pounds. This grow light still has a core coverage area of 2.5 x 2.5 feet, hanging at a two-foot height.

The Growstar 300W UFO Grow light’s maximum coverage is 3 x 3 feet. But it will perform at its peak within the somewhat smaller core coverage area.

When hanging at this height, it has a PAR value of 260 µmol /m2/s.

Within its coverage area, this grow light will also be able to give out a consistent light intensity. This consistency is due to its 90- to 120-degree angle design.

The scope allows it to have a wider lighting area. It also increases the brightness, giving you a terrific output.

While the lights generally are bright, the company does warn that the UV and IR chips may look dim—but this is normal.

Growstar 300W UFO Info

Like the grow light from Phlizon, this Growstar light uses high-quality CREE COB chips.

It provides a full spectrum LED light from 350-760nm. The spectrum includes UV and IR and the 3000K CREE COBs, making it suitable for all stages of plant growth.

This Growstar light also comes with a built-in aluminum heatsink. It even has an aircraft-grade aluminum case. This case keeps the unit cool while also extending its service life.

Before leaving the factory, the COB lights pass inspection and a temperature test. They should arrive in perfect condition.

If something does go wrong, Growstar comes with a two-year warranty.

The Pros:

  • Uses CREE COBs
  • Dimmable
  • Provides full-spectrum light for plants
  • No noisy fan
  • Three-year warranty
  • 100,000-hour lifespan

The Cons:

  • Expensive for a 100W COB grow light
  • Not daisy-chainable
  • Not waterproof so not usable in grow tent

Are you looking for a grow light with the longest lifespan here on our list? Check out the CFGROW CREE CXB3590 100W COB LED Grow Light.

Talk amongst growers suggests this light lasts up to 100,000 hours. That’s twice as long as any of the other grow light options mentioned in our list.

Part of the reason for this lifespan is that, though this COB light uses a big heat sink, it doesn’t use any cooling fans.

It means there is one less thing for the grow light to run, saving you power. And with no fan, expect this light to be silent while it nourishes your plants.

This COB grow light provides a full spectrum LED light—from about 380nm to 780nm.

It should have good coverage for about a 3 x 3 to 4 x 4-foot garden. If you hang it at 24 inches above your plants, it will give off 289 µmol/m2/s.

CFGROW CREE CXB3590 100W Info

One thing that sets this COB light apart from the others is that it is dimmable. You will be able to dim the light to make it suitable for all stages of plant growth.

It also uses a 90-degree glass lens which focuses the light. That will increase your yield by up to 40% while using the same amount of power.

Conclusion

So there you have the list of the four best COB LED grow light to buy in 2022.

Each of the choices listed here has its pros and cons. It’s up to you—the user—to decide what your expectations in a grow light are. Then you can choose a grow light that suits your needs.

So, which do you think is the best COB LED grow light? Will you use a COB grow light or stick with the regular grow lights? Do you have a COB grow light you want to recommend?

Please share it with us in the comments below!

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Jad Daou

Jad has always been passionate about growing plants. When he finished high school, he majored in biology, which makes him very knowledgeable about agriculture.