Take a Very Close Look at These Grow Light Reviews
In my grow light reviews – of all the grow lights available – the Sunblaster T5 High Output Fluorescent Strip Light is a Godsend for germination and transplanting aficionados!
My Germination Station is a Happy Camper…Because…
This is, by far, the best grow light I have ever used! I bought two of them a short time ago to test them…and they worked so well, I recently ordered 4 more Sunblasters to improve and expand my seed germination station!
Each strip light is fully functional on its own…with its own power cord. The light also includes a special connection cord, allowing it to be connected in series with added units.
I set up a 3 foot wide metal shelf unit for my seed germination and hung the lights in a way that allowed me to adjust them up or down, depending on plant growth. Thus, I opted for the 3 foot strip light to match the width of the shelving…but, the lights are also available in a 2 feet length.
Plugging the lights into an automatic timer, programmed for 16 hours of light per day, makes the whole setup worry-free. All I have to do is give the plants a little water every couple of days…occasionally check the lights and keep them a few inches above the plants…and watch my babies grow.
Sunblaster Strip Lights Are Better for Your Seedlings Than the Sun
The outside sunshine-color-temperature, at noon, measures about 5600 K (Kelvin). And, the sun’s light covers the full spectrum from infrared to near-ultraviolet…wavelengths that are most useful to both plant and animal life.
These Sunblaster lamps are putting out 6500 K, full spectrum, with emphasis on blue wavelengths. Blue wavelengths encourage photosynthesis…boosting vegetable growth and development. This is exactly what I want for my seedlings!
The power of these little rascals is phenomenal!
They also have a built-in electronic ballast, which provides instant start and no flickering, as well as a durable aluminum housing.
The lamps last up to 10,000 hours. Each spring, I germinate for 4 weeks, 16 hours per day, 7 days a week. That’s less than 500 hours per season, which means these lamps should last me about 20+ years. Can’t beat that!
Top it off with a 1 year warranty…and, buying these incredible strip lights becomes a no-brainer.
Well I’ve Given You All The PROS…But What Are The CONS?
I tried very hard to find something negative about the Sunblaster…because, nothing is perfect…now, is it? And, I came up with a couple of things:
- The special connection cord is a wee bit short when trying to connect one Sunblaster light to another Sunblaster light on an upper or lower shelf. I will have 3 germination shelves with 2 Sunblasters on each shelf and, I’ll run each shelf set through a multiple outlet plugged into my automatic timer…so, this won’t be a problem for me.
- There is no bulb cover to protect the lamp against accidental bumps. Don’t quote me…but, this could be “by design.” It may be possible that a bulb cover would distort the bluish-white light spectrum that is beneficial to the vegetable seedlings.
The Sunblaster T5 deserves a 5 out of 5 thumbs-up rating!
Both the 2 foot and the 3 foot Sunblaster lights are well worth the money to ensure our baby seedlings get a healthy start in life!
Exploring Other Grow Lights…
I also performed an extensive and thorough investigation on 3 other brands of T5 grow lights…looking for high-quality alternatives to the Sunblaster T5 High Output Fluorescent Strip Light.
After exhaustively researching Agrobrite by Hydrofarm, T5 lights by Hydroponic Bloom, and Apollo Horticulture’s line of lighting, I realized that Hydrofarm’s Agrobrite lights were heads and shoulders above the others. In many ways, the Agrobrite lights were equal to or superior in quality and design to the Sunblaster lights I am using.
I was planning to purchase Agrobrite grow lights but, only Sunblaster offered a 3-foot wide version to fit my germination station shelving.
Nevertheless, the Agrobrite lights were a cut above Hydroponic Bloom and Apollo Horticulture grow lights.
The newest Agrobrite grow light system is the 2 foot, 4-tube fixture, Agrobrite Designer T5, FLP24, 96W 2 Foot, 4-Tube Fixture with Lamps.
Agrobrite is a Top-Notch Performer
Hydrofarm’s Agrobrite T5 lights bring to the table unmatched performance and a high lumen output. They offer the flexibility of several different hanging arrangements…overhead…vertical…and horizontal.
These grow lights also come with a 5-year warranty on the ballast and a standard 1-year warranty on workmanship and materials.
The downside is they are a bit pricier than their lower quality competitors.
But, hey…as my dad always said, “You get what you pay for.”
Therefore, I formally give the Agrobrite lights a 5 thumbs-up rating!
…and my stamp of approval to:
Agrobrite Designer T5, FLP24, 96W, 2-Foot, 4-Tube Fixture with Lamps
Agrobrite FLT44 T5 Fluorescent Grow Light System, 4-Foot, 4-Tube
Agrobrite FLT48 T5 Fluorescent Grow Light System, 4-Foot, 8-Tube
Try these lights! You Will Love Them!
After looking at the grow light reviews, which lights do you think are the best for seed germination? Did you know that they also are great to increase hours of daylight for your greenhouse in the waning winter months?
Feel free to comment below or email me: jim@perfect-vegetable-garden.com.
This is really interesting as it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps the best way to start a veggie garden is with these lamps. So the idea is, you get them going and growing with the lamps and then when they are big enough you plant them outside or in a green house? Am I on the right track here?
I have often fantasized about having a veggie garden, but I felt concerned about the speed of which things grow in order to make it viable from a financial perspective and also their chance of survival. But these lights (with a space to gown them obviously) make it seem more doable, and then maybe having a green house in the back yard too. Thoughts?
Hi Liz,
Thanks, for visiting my website!
These fluorescent lights, working with a germination station, is the best way to grow young plants into a strong, outdoor planting stage…with or without a greenhouse. And, they don’t take up more space than the shelf unit you choose to use.
I will be adding more useful information, including some greenhouse ideas, that have proven to be successful for me throughout my gardening life. So, come back often and check it out!
Take care,
Jim
These Sunbasters sound the ideal strip-light solution for seed germination, I like the way you can interconnect the lights to expand a range. Your design in the way you’ve connected a cord to alter the strip-light height making it adjustable has given us a great idea, allowing you to alter the height as the seeds start to grow.
Seed germination is something we’d like to get into, after reading your review regarding fitting a range of Sunblaster strip-lights to accomplish growth with water we’ve decided to get rolling.
10,000 hours lifespan is more than ideal, are these fitted with an LED tube?
Having a 5 thumbs up rating suits me fine, thanks so much for your review,
Simon.
Glad to hear from you, Simon! The Sunblasters, with work great but, the Agrobrite lights are also excellent. Both of these come with fluorescent tubes…LEDs are a bit more expensive but, are available, if you choose.
Before you start your germination station, check out my article at: https://perfect-vegetable-garden.com/germinating-s….
Happy gardening!
Jim