So, you may have great lighting for your indoor plants, but your garden may not bloom the way you want without the best grow light reflector hood.
However, you can turn things around for good and increase the yield of your crops with a suitable reflector.
But, choosing the ideal reflector hood is a tad bit challenging; thus, we provide you with all the required information in this piece and the top five products you can consider.
Let’s get going.
Table of Contents
Do reflectors help grow lights?
Yes. You need these hoods to place your lights and then position the hoods around the room. Such an arrangement helps to enhance the effectiveness of the HID bulbs and also eliminates the need to have multiple lights in your garden.
You can choose the reflector you require from the various common types available in the market. In short we need the best grow light reflector hood to increase the overall productivity.
Does LED grow lights need reflectors?
This depends on what type of reflector you want to use. For some PAR wavelengths, only 88% of light is reflected from any high-end aluminum.
However, this is only possible when the HD reflector is dust-free and absolutely clean, not containing even fingerprints. Any form of dirt on the reflector reduces the reflectivity of the device significantly.
Additionally, multiple photons must be reflected frequently within the reflector before being directed at the plants.
Unfortunately, 12% of the light gets lost in every reflection, and the plants get a lot less of upward directed light. If your LED lights aim downwards at your plants, you don’t require a reflector that might get dirty over time and reflect less light.
What is the best reflective material for a grow room?
There are many options in this case. Reflective material is essential in a grow room to provide a suitable growing environment for your pants. Additionally, the material you choose should complement your room.
Mylar is one of the best reflective materials for indoor plants, which reflects about 95% light. Many people also opt for reflective paint, which reflects light between 85% and 96%.
Following this is Foylon, which reflects around 95% of light. A plastic reflective material also reflects about 95% light.
Though these are some of the best options, people also opt for budget-friendly reflective materials like the shiny side of the aluminum foil. This material is cheap and relatively easy to work with.
Best Grow Light Reflector Hood 2023: A Detail Review
I have listed some of the best grow light reflector hood of 2023 in this page. I have done my homework to try and test as many reflector hood as possible before making this article live.
In fact, I have personally tested more than 20 different products over a span of 180 days to study their quality and real life use cases. This is the standard process I follow before preparing any list whatsoever.
That’s not all, I have actually interviewed a few of home growers to take their inputs into consideration as well. The factors that contain highest weightage in this list are efficiency, reflectivity and durability.
Special Note: I review this list in every 3-6 months, and update the products if need be. I am aware of the fact that all the major grow light brands are keep launching new refractor hood lines, so it’s better to keep you all updated with that regard as well.
iPower GLWING20V1 19-Inch Hydroponic Gull Wing Reflector Hood
Features
- Highly reflective.
- Includes heavy-duty brackets.
- Highly powerful and efficient.
- Ideal for different watts of bulbs.
- Encompassing dimension.
The reflector hood is highly reflective, thanks to the painted white panels. The panels also include 0.4 mm 92% reflective and textures German aluminium, which maximizes the light reflected.
Solid galvanized steel mounting brackets have been used in the unit. The frames make the reflectors lightweight, stable, compatible, and sturdy.
This is the reflector you need if you have a packed growing space. It creates a more focused coverage allowing the plants to grow quicker. The unit is suitable for various watts and models, including 250W, 400W, and 1000Watt.
Pros
✅ Super compact.
✅ Value for money.
✅ Absolutely as advertised.
✅ Long shelf life.
Cons
❌ Produces a little noise.
❌ It does not light 1kw MH lamps.
The Final Verdict
Overall the product offers value for money and is long-lasting.
MIXJOY 1000 Watt Double-Ended Grow Light System
Features
- High-frequency lights.
- Excellent reflective rating.
- Full spectrum lights.
- Includes all components.
- Warranty covered.
According to most users, this is one of the complete HPS grow lights ideal for planters on the lookout for a simple, easy-to-setup system.
The grow kit comes with all the components you need except the timer. It includes about 1000W dimmable ballast, allowing you to control the light’s brightness easily. You can adjust it to a great extent to determine the brightness of the light.
The reflector hood covering the grow light reflects about 95%. It includes German aluminium, which is super strong, durable and lightweight. A full spectrum double-ended light comes with the set, making this kit one of the top HPS grow sets in 2020.
The lights function at a colour temperature of 2100K, ideal for flowering plants. Manufacturers claim that the lights provide 35% more energy than any other lights available in the market, producing a staggering 1521,000 lumens.
You can easily hang the lights using the hooks that come along with the set. There is a learning curve associated with the assembly.
Pros
✅ Includes all the things required to setup.
✅ Dimmable blasts work well.
✅ Colour temperature ideal for flowering plants.
✅ Uses highly reflective material.
✅ Produces 151000 lumens.
Cons
❌ It’s a tad bit difficult to set up the light.
❌ Heat accumulation is an issue.
The Final Verdict
It is one of the most potent reflectors to look into.
VIVOSUN Adjustable Wing Reflector
Features
- Patented design.
- Encompassing dimensions.
- Highly reflective.
- Standard ceramic socket.
- Easy to set up.
You can easily adjust the tightness of the steel wire using the buttons. This allows users to adjust the lighting area of the reflector. The dimensions of the reflector hood are pretty standard. Users have to peel off the blue film before use.
Coming to the reflectivity of the hood- made from imported Italian Vega aluminium, the hood reflects about 20% of light compared to the standard aluminium reflectors in the market. Overall the unit offers light reflectivity of 98%. Since the hood is contoured, hot spots or dead spots are eliminated.
The unit is perfect for 250W/400W/600W/1000W grow lights.
Pros
✅ Easy to adjust.
✅ Highly reflective.
✅ Ideal adjustable wing for 400W to 1000W lights.
✅ Great value for money.
✅ Decent coverage.
Cons
❌ Does not include screws and instructions.
❌ Fails to hold the bulb in the horizontal position.
The Final Verdict
The product offers decent coverage for the money invested.
VIVOSUN Compact Reflector Hood
This is a double-ended HPS MH grow light reflector hood measuring 17 x 9.2 x 4 inches. The unit includes a socket and cord (15 feet). Like many other good reflectors, this one also includes white-painted panels and 90% Italian aluminium reflective coating.
Owing to this, the lighting area and light intensity are heightened. The hood reflector is highly effective and is ideal for indoor plants. While you can cool hoods with single-ended lamps using DE HPS, it’s impossible to do that with this reflector hood. Cooling the double-ended bulbs diminishes the efficiency of the unit.
The 15-feet Ford included with the unit is robust, long and highly durable. A standard socket is also included for the hydroponic units, making the product highly versatile.
Pros
✅ Quality performance.
✅ Sturdy and effective design.
✅ Easy to install.
✅ Value for money.
Cons
❌ The hood design does not match the wire design.
The Final Verdict
The unit is of premium quality providing high performance.
iPower Horticulture 400 Watt Grow Light System
Features
- Stable power.
- Easy to set up.
- Highly reflective.
- Higher lumens produced.
This kit is ideal for indoor and commercial growers with a condensed collection of plants. You can use both HPS and MH bulbs with this reflector hood, providing your plants with the optimal spectrum for growth. The unit also includes dimmable options of 50%, 75% and 100%.
An 8ft heavy-duty power cord is included with the unit. Stable power output provides flicker-free light. The unit includes all the required components to make the setup.
However, please note that the system generates a large amount of heat and thus must be used in an area with proper ventilation. It’s advisable to use fans to create air circulation.
Pros
✅ Comes in a variety of wattage.
✅ Produces 55,000 lumens.
✅ 32,000 hours life span of bulbs.
✅ Cord included.
✅ Offers dimmability features.
Cons
❌ The kit produces a strong odour.
The Final Verdict
The product is ideal for both hobbyists and commercial growers.
Best Grow Light Reflector Hood: Buying guide
Since every grow room or garden is different, it’s essential to pick the best grow light reflector hood that will meet your growing requirements. Please understand that reflector grow hoods do not come in a one-size-fits-all option. So what might have worked for someone else may not work for you.
Unfortunately, there is no best type or shape of reflector hoods. Each type of grow hood has its pros and cons. Thus we have created this buyer guide to inform you about a few points that you must keep in mind while purchasing a reflector hood.
Open vs Air-cool design
Air-cool and open designs are two of the most popular hood designs. A quality open reflector will guide the light down to the plants and is highly adjustable. The hood material, in most cases, is extremely pliable, allowing you to adjust and control the light reflected.
Such types of reflector hoods are ideal for budget growers. These hoods have a standard design and are suitable as T5 grow light reflectors. But though the hoods have many benefits, advanced growers most often go for an air-cooled setup.
Air-cooled indoor reflectors have a glass sheet placed at the bottom, and cool air comes in from the closed section. Cool air is pumped into the room and is ideal for growing rooms with high-power lights.
Hood shape and size
Choosing a reflector is not challenging. The process is straightforward- choose a small reflector if you have a small grow space or tent. If it’s a bigger room or space, get a viable option.
While selecting the size is easy, identifying the best shape is challenging. The common options are square, rectangular, and parabolic. There are other options too besides these. Most growers often opt for a rectangular reflector.
Reflective material
A reflective hood must have some reflective material; however, not all reflective materials work similarly. The cheap reflector hoods have oxidized aluminum reflecting only 70% light.
Anodized aluminum is a better reflective material, which gives an 85% reflectivity. Some high-end models have superior quality reflectors like physical vapor deposition aluminum (PVD). PVD reflects 95% light and highly impacts the plants.
Polished unpolished, and dimpled reflectors also have their differences. In case of confusion, it’s best to opt for dimpled reflectors as they reflect in all directions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does tin foil reflect a grow light?
Yes. You can use these like aluminium foils and add them to the walls with their reflecting side facing the front. Some people also add it beneath the plants for more reflection.
2. Do mirrors help in a grow room?
It is not advisable to use mirrors in your grow room. Mirrors reflect infrared light, which is basically heat. This heat can lead to the creation of hot spots that might burn your plants.
3. Is aluminium foil good for reflecting light?
Yes. They can be placed on the walls of your grow room or below the plants to reflect the light. You can hang aluminium foils with their shiny side outward and not against the wall. Though the foil will not reflect as much light as white paint or grow films, it’s enough to improve the quality of the plant growth.
4. How long do reflectors last?
Though reflectors last for a while, manufacturers advise changing reflectors every year as the heat and the intense lights degrade the reflective surface of the reflectors.
Conclusion
We hope you find this article on the best grow light reflector hood of 2023 helpful in selecting the ideal reflector hood. Good luck and happy growing!
