One of the most common grow lights used in plant growing and as artificial lighting are the T5 lights. Popular size of these T5 lights is the 4 feet 2 bulb light fixture because a grow light of these dimensions offers perfect light coverage for a few smaller plants or one or two big ones(4 ft 2 bulb light can cover an area of about 2 by 4.5 feet or 60.96 by 137.16 cm with light), making it ideal to use in smaller grow operations and for exampleto help any house plants in winter months. But because there are many different manufacturers and products available, I compiled a list of in my opinion the best 4 feet 2 bulb T5 fixtures that varies in pricing and other few key features, making sure that there is a product for everyone on this list.
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115 W
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6400K |
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108 W
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6500K |
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108 W
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3000K |
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108 W
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6500K |
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108 W
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6500K |
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108 W
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6500K |
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DuroLux DL842 HO T5 Grow Light
If you are looking for a reasonably priced fixture that isdescribed as “great light that helps producing lots of new leaves and blossoms” by customers that already use this light then your pick should be this DuroLux fixture.
This T5 fixture embodies brightness and power, because of its high lumen output and the brightness of the light it outputs. The lumen count for this light are 10,000 lumens, which means that each of the 2 bulbs output 5,000 lumens bright light, that can help you to grow plants indoors as well as outdoors.
Moreover, this light consumes only 115 watts of electricity per hour which means that you will get not only abright but also an economical light that will all be directed towards your plants thanks to the 95% reflective hammertone reflectors from Germany.
Some of the additional features include the ability to daisy chain multiple fixtures together and make more of a system that can be used in large gardens, as well as two T5 light bulbs that come with the fixture that have the color temperature of 6,500 Kelvins and are perfect for growing plants and won’t get hot even after extended period of operational time.
The dimensions of this particular fixture are 47.5 to 12.5 to 4 inches (120.65cm x 31.75cm x 10.16cm) and it weighs about 12 pounds (5.4kg).
Sun Blaze T5 42 Grow light
Similar in price but with a bit different specifics and amazing customer reviews such as “Outstanding craftsmanship, very bright, would recommend to a friend” there is the Sun Blaze brand 4 feet 2 bulb T5 grow light.
This fixture will chew up 108 watts because each of the 4 feet long bulbs consume 54 watts of electricity. But that is nothing compared to the light output of the fixture. The color temperature of the light will be 6,500 Kelvins which will not only be perfect for vegetation but also for seedling and cloning plants. But if you wish you can exchange them for 3,000 Kelvin bulbs that are more suited for budding and flowering plants.
The extras for this fixture are:
- The louvers in the durable powder coated steel housing that will let any extra heat evaporate and prevent any damage from occurring;
- The advanced reflectors installed into the fixture to better the reflectivity and light diffusion;
- The wire cable system that allows you to hang this fixture in various places and ways.
As for the size, this fixture is 47.75 to 7.75 to 2.675 inches in height (121.285cm x 19.685cm x 6.794cm) and weighs 14 pounds (6.35kg).
T5 Grow Light by Koval Inc.
If you are searching for a cheaper grow light option but still want to have the same benefits as you would get from more expensive light, then this Koval Inc. light is suitable for you.
This light similarly to other grow lights will all together consume 108 watts per hour because of the fact that each bulb separately consumes 54 watts, but for these watts each bulb will output 5,000 lumens worth of light together ranking up to 10,000 lumens per the whole fixture.
The great thing about this light is not only its price, because it is one of the cheapest available T5 fixtures of this size– 4 feet 2 bulbs – but also the simplicity of this fixture. It is a basic bulb setup that comes with pre installed reflectors, ballast and light stand. You could say that this is kind of do-it-yourself or DIY type of fixture, but because it already comes with all necessary parts assembled in one whole fixture, it is more like a ready-to-use type of fixture.
Plus the color temperature of the bulbs that come with the fixture are perfect for already growing plants and those that are starting to bloom because of the 3,000 Kelvin color temperature, the bulbs don’t emit any UV or IR rays that could damage your plants and the pre-installed ballast will ensure stable voltage for better fixture operation.
The overall size of this fixture is 48.625 to 8.5 to 2.125 inches in height (123.5cm x 21.59cm x 5.39cm).
VegieMaster Grow Light Fixture
In that same price range you can also chose to purchase the VegieMaster T5 grow light that have similar parameters as the previous fixtures bus also feature some characteristics that are unique to this particular fixture.
The best thing about this fixture in my opinion is the way the bulbs are spaced in this fixture. Although there are only two of them they are strategically placed so that they can cover the largest possible area while still provide uniform light and good light distribution. As well as the fact that the manufacturer have limited the heat output to a minimum, so that you can hang the fixture closely to your plants canopy and not damage them.
Other notable features include the regular 108 watt consumption to 10,000 lumen output, the aluminum reflectors that will make sure that all emitted light reaches the plants, the ability to Daisy chain a few of these kind of fixtures together to create a larger setup, a specially included wire hangers that will help you mount the fixture horizontally or vertically wherever you like and 6,500 Kelvin bulbs that are good for plants in vegetative stages of their growth, that however can be exchanged also to 3,000 Kelvin bulbs that are good for flowering plants.
And it also helps that the fixture weights only 8 pounds (3.6kg).
New Wave T5 42 grow light
If you are searching for more of a high end grow light then this New Wave T5 fixture is meant for you. It is a bit pricier that the other fixtures featured in this post, but it also means that this fixturehas better quality and a bit better features.
That being said the wattage and the lumen output don’t differ for other cheaper 4 feet 2 bulb fixtures, which is thanks to the fact that they all feature the same bulbs. So to this light as well the watt consumption will be 108 watts and it will output about 10,000 lumens. The difference between this and other similar fixtures is in its build quality and characteristics. Such as the top grade housing that is made out of light-weight but durable steel and features louvers and small slots for more efficient grow light cooling and heat distribution and the Smart Volt electronic ballast that will keep the voltage steady and efficacious and can run on various different volt inputs.
On top of that this fixture features things like 95% reflective aluminum reflector to direct the light directly to the plants, hangers for easy mounting and a guarantee that the lamp is assembled in the USA and majority of the parts used in this assembly process are also made is the United States.
The dimensions of this light are 47 inches in length, 6 inches in width and 2.5 inches in height (119.38cm x 15.24cm x 8.89cm) and it weighs only about 9 pounds (4kg).
MILLIARD T5 Grow Light System
And the second option for more of a higher grade T5 grow light is theMilliard fixture, because it, although is a bit cheaper than the New Wave one, still costsmore money than the others, therefore will have a tad bit better quality.
Moreover, this fixture has super reflective reflectors to direct all the emitted light right towards your plants, efficient ballast to keep the fixture voltage steady and of course compact design for comfortable use.
The fixture weights about 9 and a half pounds (4.3kg).
