Best LED light for 4×4 grow tent

We’ll help you find the best LED light for 4×4 grow tent setups.

Using an LED light in 4×4 grow tents will produce high quality bud development while using less energy and producing less heat. But quality matters. LED growlights are an expensive investment. Product descriptions can be confusing. And misleading.

When choosing the best LED setup for 4×4 grow tent use pay attention to wattage and diode quality. Try to buy the best LED light that you can afford. Don’t be fooled by cheap imitators who offer bold promises of a “1000 watt HPS replacement” for under $200. 4×4 LED yield depends on light quality and intensity, and only the higher priced LEDs can deliver it.

A word of warning: if you can’t afford anything but a cheap LED grow light, skip the LEDs altogether. The best light for 4×4 grow tent yield on a budget is a 600 watt MH/HPS light setup. They’re cheap and produce high quality buds, with the drawbacks of more heat and energy usage.

Gavita Pro 1700e LED Grow Light

Overall winner: Best LED light for 4×4 grow tent

The best light for 4×4 tent growers is the Gavita Pro 1700e LED light. It is a powerful, full-spectrum LED light that delivers broad, intense light coverage with 8 passively-cooled LED bars. Features include:

• 645 watts with an output of 1700 µmol s-1 PAR and an impressive efficacy of 2.6 µmol s-1 per watt.
• Premium Philips drivers, Samsung white LEDs and Osram deep-red LEDs
• Dimmable to 50% without any loss of efficiency using the Gavita E-Series LED Adapter and Gavita Master Controllers
• Dimensions: 44.1 in x 43.7 in x 2.3 in

The Gavita Pro 1700e the most expensive of the LED lights on this page at nearly $1500, so it’s not a great fit for new growers on a budget. But if you’re looking for the best light for 4×4 grow tent use to maximize yield and bud quality, this is it.

Gavita also makes a 345 watt Pro 900e LED that’s under $900, a more affordable option that still produces strong results. If you are concerned about heat in your tent then the lower wattage may be a better choice, but you’ll sacrifice bud development at the edges of your tent.

Spider Farmer SF 7000 LED Light

Runner up: Best led grow light for 4×4 tent

The Spider Farmer SF 7000 LED is dimmable and has strong light intensity at the corners of 4×4 tents. It’s a good balance of quality at a much lower price that the Gavita 1700e. The SF 7000 also comes as part of a light and ventilation combo set with an 8″ fan and carbon filter.

• 650 watts of power
• Samsung LM301B diodes, high energy efficient drivers with a photon efficiency of 2.8 umol/J
•  You can daisy chain up to 14 of these lights, great for commercial growers
• Dimensions: 29″ x 21.9″ x 4.07″

Spider Farmer also offers several other LED lights for 4×4 tents:

• The 730 watt SE 7000 LED light has more power and light intensity than the SF 7000, but at a higher price. It’s the best LED light for 4×4 grow tent use that Spider Farmer makes.
• The 450-watt SF 4000 LED light provides less light coverage so there’s less 4×4 LED yield. But the lower price makes it a good choice for tent growers on a budget. If you’re just getting started growing weed, Spider Farmer sells a 4×4 LED grow tent kit with the SF 4000 light.

Mars Hydro TS 3000W LED Light

Best LED light for 4×4 grow tent under $500

The Mars Hydro TS 3000W LED is is a good choice if you don’t want to spend a fortune on your LED light. At this price point it’s not the best LED light you can get in terms of light coverage and intensity, but it’s a good balance of cost, quality, and reliability.

• 450 watts of power with built-in dimmer
•  1016 LED diodes and two waterproof Mean Well Drivers (1274umol/J)
•  Provides light coverage for 4×4 flowering tents or 5×5 vegetation tents
• Dimensions: 25.28″ x 22.8″ x 2.72″

Because of its lower price point the TS 3000 is best LED light for 4×4 tent growers on a budget who need to buy all of your equipment. Experienced growers looking for increased yield would be better served by getting a more powerful LED light for their tent.

It’s also available part of a 4×4 led grow tent kit that includes the TS 3000 W LED and a 4×4 grow tent.

4×4 led yield

To increase 4×4 LED yield and bud quality, you need to increase light intensity across the full plant canopy.

• Look for LEDs with high quality diodes. The cost of good diodes exceeds the price of some cheap LEDs. Those $200 pink lights are ok for seedlings or clones, they can’t deliver strong root development and dense bud growth.
• Check the energy consumption. There is a huge difference between a “1000-watt equivalent” LED versus a true 1000-watt LED fixture. Most of the manufacturer’s descriptions are filled with a bit of nonsense. Be skeptical and pay attention to energy draw.

In addition to the grow light fixture itself, to increase 4×4 LED yield can be increased through proper plant training. Consider using a screen of green (aka scrog) setup using a plant trellis or elastic net to create a flat, even canopy with lots of exposed bud sites. Defoliation and removing lower growth will also increase cannabis yield and bud quality.

LED grow tent setup

Requirements for LED grow tent setup vary based on the manufacturer. You’ll want to pay attention to two things:

1. Distance from canopy:
   How far you place your LED from the top of the plant canopy affects the light intensity, especially at the corners of a 4×4 grow tent. LED lights from different manufacturers require different heights.
2. Clearance above fixture:
   When choosing the best LED light for 4×4 grow tent use, note the required clearance you need above and the light fixture. We once bought an expensive LED whose product description didn’t mention it needed 18″ of clearance on top, making it unworkable as an LED in our 4 x 4 grow tent setup due to the carbon filter above.

Try to buy the best led light for your 4×4 grow tent setup. If you can’t afford a good LED, consider a dimmable 600 watt HPS/MH with an air-cooled fixture. They use more energy and produce more heat that you’ll need to deal with, but the low price point and high quality bud development make it a good alternative to save on some up front costs.

Summary

The best best LED light for 4×4 grow tent is the Gavita Pro 1700e. The Spider Farmer SF 7000 is a good value at a cheaper price point. If you’re looking for the best LED light under $500 go with the Mars Hydro TS 3000w.

Try to avoid cheap LED lights, they don’t offer enough usable light for weed plants to develop dense, high-quality buds. You’re better off using a HPS/MH combo light, it’s the best light for 4×4 grow tent yield if the higher price of quality LED lights is a concern.

To learn more about how to set up your 4×4 grow tent to grow better weed, check out our 4×4 grow tent setup guide.