Growing plants outdoors can be easy, however growing an indoors garden with grow lights can prove to be quite tricky. One of the hardest parts of an indoors garden is to find plant growing lights that will be efficient, that will be in the right plant light spectrum and that won’t cost you a fortune to use. Luckily there are one type of lights that fit the bill and they are fluorescent grow lights or more precisely T5 grow lights. And here is a list of the best T5 grow lights to get you started in the T5 lighting field.
| Image / Model | Bulb count | Lenght | Wattage | Brightness | Color temp. | Our rating |
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4 ft 
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54 W
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6400K |
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4 ft
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216 W
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6500K |
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4 ft
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432 W
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6500K |
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2 ft
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96 W
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6400K |
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4 ft
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216 W
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6500K |
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2 ft
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96 W
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6400K |
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Jump Start JSV4 T5 Grow Light System
One of the most popular T5 lights among all T5 lighting is this Jump Start JSV4 system, because it is one of the best grow light fixtures on the market.
This T5 light fixture is produced by one of the main plant grow light manufacturers called Hydrofarm. They have been selling and producing hydroponics equipment and grow lights of all types for almost 40 years now and have become the leading name in horticultural products. Their brand Jump Start under which this JSV4 grow light is manufactured, is a brand that was created for Hydrofarm to be able to offer growing lights that can be used not only by professionals, but also by those who are just first trying out their hand in indoors gardening, which is why this T5 grow light will be a great addition to any indoors garden.
The impressive features that this light have include higher lumen emission, low watt consumption, longer life span of the bulbs and reflective interior of the light among others. This T5 lamp will chew up only 54 watts of electricity, because it is a single bulb configuration in 4 feet length. But for that the Hydrofarm T5 grow light will emit light that delivers 5,000 lumens per each square feet that it covers with light. Meaning that while this isn’t the biggest light and won’t be suitable for huge grow operations, it will be perfect for a couple of plants or even for seed starting and seedlings, so you can jump start you plant growth process.
Like I mentioned before, this T5 grow lamp has a reflective interior that will direct more light back to the plants than grow light fixtures with regular reflectors could ever reflect, making the light that goes to the plants more intense and better for plant growing. The bulbs that this T5 fixture uses are High Output or HO bulbs that are 6,500 Kelvins in color temperature, meaning that the light spectrum that this light emits is cool, making it ideal for growing plants and also these bulbs run cool, leaving this T5 lamp cool to touch, so it can be placed closer to the tops of the plants and no damage will occur.
Additionally this system also comes with a grow light stand that together with the T5 light itself creates one of the best grow light kits for users of all gardening levels. The stand that is in dark green color to blend in with your plants is easily assembled without having to use any tools and it uses simple toggle clamps, so you can easily adjust the height at which the lamp hangs. And the white T5 fixture with the light stand is 31.75 inches high, 18.25 inches wide and 50 inches long (80.645cm x 46.355cm x 127cm).
EnviroGro FLT24 T5 Grow Light
Another T5 lighting with similar popularity, but with who you can fit more plants under this light than the previous fixture is this EnviroGro fluorescent grow light.
The creator of this light is another popular brand by the company Hydrofarm. EnviroGro is a brand of grow lights that was designed to produce T5 and CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light) grow lights that are flexible and can withstand any growing environment from extreme cold temperatures to temperatures that are uncomfortably hot, hence the name of the brand. And thanks to the array of durable features that are put into this T5 light, it really is one of the most resistant T5 grow lights.
Because this is a 2 feet long or 23 inches long fluorescent fixture with 4 grow tubes in this one fixture, the whole lamp will consume 96 watts of power, but will also give out about 8,000 lumens. If we calculate the lumen to watt ratio of this light we get a whopping 83.3 lumens per each consumed watt of electricity, meaning that you will get you money’s worth out of each watt you pay for at the end of the month.
Extras that only add to the fact that indeed this is one of the greatest T5 grow lights are the reflectors that are made from high quality specular aluminum, therefore they will reflect all of the light to the plants without letting any light to be lost in oblivion, the white powder coated steel housing of the light that will protect the bulbs and the interior of the fixture from any blows that might occur and the low profile aspect of this light, because it is small in dimensions – only 3 inches in height, 13.5 inches in width and 23 inches in length (7.62cm x 34.29cm x 58.42cm) and won’t leave big heat footprint because of the small watt consumption.
And although this grow light doesn’t have a light stand and it isn’t a full grow light kit, it still can be easily hung either from the ceiling or attached to the wall in horizontal or vertical manner by using the hanging kit that is included with the light. But the combination of the 10 feet grounded power cord and daisy chain option gives you the ability to plug together multiple of similar fixtures and easily expand your garden to the size you need.
DuroLux DL844s HO Fluorescent T5 Grow Light
A plant grow light that is simple in its design yet efficient in the way it works is this DL844s fluorescent grow light.
Producer of this light is a company by the name of DuroPower who is not only a manufacturer of different plant grow lights from T5 to CFL to LED lighting, but also distributor of these lights and different lighting component supplier to a lot of other grow light manufacturers. The company has been operating for more than 20 years now and it resides in Los Angeles, where their manufacturing facilities as well as other offices are. DuroPower’s motto is quality, flexibility and service and all of these adjectives can be applied not only to the customer service of the company, but also to the DuroLux T5 lights.
The quality of this particular grow light can be best seen in two places – in the way this light performs and in the way it is build. Firstly, the efficiency of this light. Although the maximum input wattage of this light is 230 watts, usually it consumes only 216 watts per each hour it is turned on. But if we compare it to the lumen output that we get in return which is 20,000 lumens, those 216 watts to us aren’t actually that much, but to plants it is enough to get the light they need to thrive.
Secondly, the build quality of this T5 light fixture is outstanding. Because the housing of this fixture is constructed from aluminum and an anti-rust coating is later applied to the housing, the fixture is extremely durable in terms of protection against blows as well as in terms of being suitable to all kinds of environments, including damp and cold areas. But the aluminum also adds lightness to the lamp making it about 30 percent lighter than any other similar T5 lights, so it is easier to hang up and move if necessary and it looks lighter, because it doesn’t have that extra bulk that steel contractions often have.
Moreover, this T5 grow lamp also has hammertone reflectors that optimize the amount of light that is delivered to the plants, so about 95% of the whole emitted light will end up shining on the plants that are placed under the fixture. There are an additional power outlet built on the side of the lamp letting you daisy chain up to 5 of these types of fixtures together and a dual switch is added to the fixture, so you can control how many bulbs you turn on each time. That gives you the option of combining different color temperature bulbs in one fixture, so you can provide your plants with custom made light.
The lamp holders where you place your T5 High Output tubes are Italy made and are specially manufactured to prevent any chance of fire while the lamps are turned on. And the dimension of this fixture are 47.5 inches by 12.5 inches by 4 inches in height (120.65cm x 31.75cm x 10.16cm).
Hydro Crunch T5 grow light system
Favorite among professionals and amateurs alike also is this grow light system, because it is easy to use and offers just enough features to be a great grow light, but not to confuse those who could be called novices in indoors gardening field.
This T5 lamp like its name suggests is made by a company called Hydro Crunch who is hydroponic product manufacturer based in California. They produce everything from light ballasts to reflectors to, of coarse T5 fixtures and they do it by using only the newest and most innovative technologies to be one step ahead of their competition. But at the same time this company lives by one word – simplicity – making their products discreet, simple and suitable for any application.
The fluorescent grow light fixture has multiple features that lets you call this a great grow light, starting with the efficiency, because the lumen output of this lamp is as much as 40,000 lumens once you turn it on, but at the same time each of the bulbs consumes only 54 watts of power, making the total T5 wattage of this light 432 watts.
Also this light has interior that is coated with reflective aluminum that will bounce back around 95% off all of the light to the plants that are under the grow light as well as will maximize the light that your lamp gives out, so your plants get light that has the highest possible intensity. But the spacing of the tubes in this fixture is specially calculated, so that the light is able to cover larger area while still being uniform and well distributed.
Speaking about exterior of the light the housing is made out of steel that is coated with white color for added style and there are slots strategically placed thorough the housing to let the light cool more efficiently, which in combination with the lamps low heat emission even further prevents any heat related damage to your plants. And if you use the hanging kit that comes with the light fixture, you will be able to mount it to your designed place horizontally or vertically.
The fixture is compatible with any T5 HO grow tubes, but there are 6,500 Kelvin bulbs also included with the fixture that will be ideal for plants that are in vegetative stages of growth. And the fixture is 46 by 19 by 3 inches (116.84cm x 48.26cm x 7.62cm) in size, so it is compact and will fit in to even the smallest of grow rooms.
Milliard 2-feet 4-bulb T5 grow light system
Popular and well-loved grow light by many grow light enthusiasts is also this grow light system by Milliard, which has many applications and many great functions.
Manufacturer of this T5 fixture is a company called Milliard, which also is the term that means a thousand millions in old English. And that is no coincidence, because although this firm was created only in 2009 and started out as a small family-owned company, during the last few years it has grown into large business that services millions of customers every year.
Because this grow light fixture is a 2 feet long fixture and there are 4 bulbs per fixture, it will chew up 96 watts of electricity. But that isn’t a lot of watts for the 8,000 lumens that this T5 lamp gives out at every giving moment it is turned on. So for less watts you will get bright light, meaning that you will be able to save money while still getting great and long-lasting light that maximizes the photosynthesis in your plants so that they can grow faster.
Additionally to the great cost efficiency of this light, it features a ballast that is of high quality and decked out with reflective surface, so that the lamp can direct all of the emitted light straight to the plants that are under it. But the tubes that come with the fixture have color temperature of 6,500 Kelvins and they perfectly simulate natural sunlight letting your plants think that they are growing outdoors and getting real sun rays instead of artificial light.
The lifespan of this light is about 20,000 hours, meaning that you won’t have to replace this light for a while after you purchase it, the white housing of this fixture is durable and produced so that it can safely work for a long period of time and also this T5 lighting doesn’t emit a lot of heat, meaning that by purchasing this light you will be able to place it mere 6 to 8 inches (roughly 15 to 20 cm) above your plants and they will still be perfectly comfortable under the intense light this T5 fixture produces.
You can use this fluorescent grow lamp in any indoors environment starting from greenhouses to your home, because not only this light is compact being only 24 by 12 by 2.5 inches (60.96cm x 30.48cm x 6.35cm) in diameter, but it is also easily mounted to any surface and in any orientation you need, giving you the freedom to use the grow light as you wish.
Apollo Horticulture 2-feet 4-tube T5 fixture
And lastly among the best T5 grow lights is also Apollo Horticulture T5 grow light, because of its outstanding range of features that add together into one great grow light.
Like you might already suspect, this light is molded and produced by Apollo Horticultures who is a lighting manufacturing company that is able to make grow lights and other hydroponic products that are innovative and of the best quality by integrating the newest technologies and techniques into new light development process.
Because this light, like the previous one, is also 2 feet long and features 4 bulb setup, the wattage of this fluorescents grow light is 96 watts per whole fixture or 24 watts for each of the 4 tubes that this fixture consists of. And the total lumen output for this whole fixture are 8,000 lumens, so if we calculate the lumen to watt ratio for this lamp then we come up with 83.3 lumens for each watt that this lamp burns up, meaning that by paying small operating costs, you will still have a T5 fixture that emits very bright light that is suited specifically for indoors plant growth.
Pair this cost effective lights efficiency with the great electronic ballast that lets the light achieve the energy burst the lamp needs to start and later levels out the voltage to 120 volts, so that this T5 light fixture can provide appropriate light intensity and have low electricity consumption and with the reflective interior of the light that will reflect basically all of the light back to the plants, so no light is lost on the way to the plants and you get the ideal grow light for growing plants, blooming plants as well as seedlings and even plant cloning.
On top of that, this T5 grow light has a stylish brown housing that is made out of steel for added durability as well as rust resistance, so that your fixture can last for a long time outliving the 20,000 hours of rated life expectancy for the T5 High Output bulbs in either 6,400 or 2,700 Kelvin color temperatures that you can chose to buy with the T5 fixture itself. And the fact that this light runs cool without giving out a ton of heat means that you can place this T5 light very closely to your plant canopies, literally only few inches away, and grow lamps won’t burn the plants or do any other heat related damage to them.
This Apollo Horticulture line of T5 grow lights was designed for them to be able to compete with HID bulbs and I think that the manufacturer has achieved this goal, because this light that is 23 by 13 by 2 inches (58.42cm x 33.02cm x 5.08cm) in size not only can measure up, but is able to be superior to any other grow light including HID and CFL lights, so that anyone who uses T5 light fixtures is able to get the most out of their lighting, without paying enormous electricity bills.
