Serious question: are expensive grow lights actually worth it or just hype?

I dropped $120 on a fancy LED grow light for my indoor succulents, and honestly, my cheap $20 shop light from the hardware store seems to work just as well. The expensive one has a pretty spectrum and all these settings, but after 3 months, the growth rate is nearly identical. On the other hand, my neighbor swears by her premium light and says her plants are thriving. Has anyone else tested both and seen a real difference, or am I just wasting money on the fancy stuff?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_tara28d ago

Just got a cheap shop light for my tomatoes and they grew like crazy, so fancy ones felt like a total rip off.

grace_bailey24d ago

Did you compare the actual light spectrum or just the brightness?

fiona_young28d ago

My son bought me one of those fancy LED panels for Christmas and honestly my basil did the exact same under a basic T8.