So we’ve been sharing a lot about the AeroLight these days but how does it stack up with other products out there on the market right now? There is a lot to think about when you’re considering a new grow light and it can be difficult to parse what kind of considerations you’ll need to have in mind so we wanted to create a reference chart to make the process easy. So what kind of considerations are there? Let’s take a look:
Circulation – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Circulation refers to airflow within the tent. Proper airflow helps reduce and spread out temperatures and circulate fresh air and CO2 throughout the space. Circulation is normally accomplished by a circulation fan like a clip-on fan or an inline fan, however, the AeroLight has a built-in circulation fan that does the job of a clip-on fan (although having both will only make things better!).
Environmental Control and Automation – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Environmental control is a difficult task to accomplish. It requires constant management and attention but with the AeroLight and the GrowHub Controller, you can automate environmental reactions so that your grow space is always perfectly balanced like all things should be.
Efficacy – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Efficacy refers to the light’s ability to convert power in Watts to photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) that can be used by plants. The higher the rating, the better your plants will grow and the cheaper your electricity bill will be!
Light Spectrum – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
The light spectrum is something we talk about all the time – it refers to the quality of the light that comes from your fixture. This light should produce a lot of red spectrum light, some blue spectrum, and UVA and, sometimes, far-red. We want to mimic the light from the sun that is the best for our plants – plants don’t use all colors of the spectrum (green, for example, is mostly reflected off of the plant) but they do use specific colors along with the supplementary colors mentioned above, and a good light will produce that.
LED Type – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
LED is an acronym for light-emitting diode. The Diode type is a crucial component of the fixture and determines the efficacy of the light along with the quality of the spectrum, heat output, and lifespan of the fixture. Having a name-brand diode like SAMSUNG is crucial because there are a lot of poor-quality diodes on the market that simply die off over time or produce too much heat for a stable environment.
Spectral Tuning – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Being able to “tune” your spectrum is equivalent to being able to change the light produced by the Sun! Each stage of plant growth requires a specific coloration of light – seedlings tend to be fragile, vegetative growth wants blue light emphasized as this helps with the robustness of leaves, and flowering prefers red light as red light increases the size of buds. Being able to emphasize those specific light qualities goes a long way to helping your plant grow faster and healthier!
Light Distribution – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Distribution or area coverage means how many photons reach the surface across a given area – the higher the light is hung the lower the concentration of photons increases. We map this on a PAR map – the goal is to have an even distribution of photons across the floor or surface, without losing too many photons in the corners, so every plant gets even coverage.
Ease and Convenience of Install – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Installation is often overlooked as an important factor when purchasing a light. Having a light that is quick and simple to set up saves time and energy and means you can transfer the system wherever it’s needed, and quickly.
Smart Control – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Smart control refers to automation and controlling lights through automated processing, whether that be rudimentary like a timer, or something more sophisticated like the VIVOSUN GrowHub Controller, a fully-functional timer, spectrum adjuster, or climate control computer built into a small device that allows the user to synch all data and operations through an app on their phone. It makes growing so much easier and more fun and should be the industry standard!
Special Features – The AeroLight Versus Competitors
Special features might include natural environmental mimicking, specific airflow modes, or specific settings that you’ll find useful in niche situations. These aren’t required but they are great to have!
Now let’s look at how the competition stacks up against the VIVOSUN AeroLight!
| VIVOSUN AeroLight | Mars Hydro TS-600 – TS-1000 | Spider Farmer SF-1000D SF-1000 | VIPARSPECTRA P1000 | Groplanner 1500W | |
| Image |  |
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| Circulation | Grow Light + Circulation Fan 2 in 1 The best position to generate internal circulation, the uniform wind toward plants |
Grow Light Only | Grow Light Only | Grow Light Only | Grow Light Only |
| Environmental Control | One device provides the total environmental solution
|
Grow Light Only | Grow Light Only | Grow Light Only | Grow Light Only |
| Efficacy | 2.7 µmol/J
|
1.9-2.3 µmol/J | 2.5µmol/J | Unknown | 2.75µmol/J |
| Light Spectrum | Full spectrum: 3000K 5000K RED 650nm BLUE 450nm Far Red 730nm UVA 390nm |
No blue or UVA | No blue or UVA | No blue or UVA | No blue or UVA |
| LED Type | High-efficiency SAMSUNG 301B Highly reliable Quarts packaging; UVA diodes |
Generic LEDs | SAMSUNG 301B | Low-end 2835 LEDs | Generic LEDs |
| Spectral Tuning | Optimized spectrum fitting different grow stages: seedling/veg/flower |
Fixed spectrum, not adjustable | Fixed spectrum, not adjustable | Fixed spectrum, not adjustable | Fixed spectrum, not adjustable |
| Light Distribution | Uniform Light distribution, wide light area (330x330mm)
|
Uneven distribution with a small coverage area | Uneven distribution with a small coverage area | Uneven distribution with a small coverage area | Uneven distribution with a small coverage area |
| Installation | Hassle-free installation; pre-installed hanger hooks reduce hanging efforts; creative hanger design allows light to be mounted to the tent easily | Normal hangers | Normal hangers | Normal hangers | Normal hangers |
| Smart Control | Remote/Local control & monitoring Advanced schedule setting via the VIVOSUN App |
n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Special Features | Sunrise/sunset mode for grow light together with optimized spectrum, natural wind mode for circulation fan |
n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Awards | 2022 Red Dot Award Winner | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
And be sure to check out our other blog posts for useful tips on becoming a great grower!
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