So to start things off as some may know for the last while ive been a proponent of DIY Led builds for the good last while and have been doing my own since about 2015, whether cobs, dismantled SIL’s, retailer strip options, or manufacturer strip options like bridgelux’s EB series strips, they have been good viable options from a Cost vs what you get metric.
With that said we are currently and have been for the last while been at a time where Commercial light options are now at a point where the cost and output of them is on par or comparable vs going the DIY route. To add to that is DIY dead no i don’t think so but the only thing the DIY route may have is the ability to build something to suit your grow situation and really that only applies in odd shaped grow spaces or limited height applications where one can build something to suit their needs, and sure one may be able to tune to some higher efficiencies vs the cheaper commercial options but is that added expense worth the cost ? thats for further discussion in this thread.
So if looking at commercial cheap light options where would one start and what does one look for.
First ignore all names and titles and look for the specs on what a light actually consumes wattage wise.
In this initial post Im not gonna say go for __watts/sqft when looking for a light as tech changes, efficiencies are increasing, and grows differ where one could be running lower light due to 20/4 autoflowers while another may need more light for their 11/13 photo grows of equatorial sativas for example, but knowing what the light actually consumes is a good starting point.
Next is what kind of chips is the light composed of and how many , first the more chips per watt the better.
Example
One light has 360 diodes and runs at 100watts and another has 240 diodes and also runs at 100watts, diode selection aside the first light due to having 50% more diodes will mean overall those diodes are run alot softer which in turn increases efficiency and longevity vs those that are run harder and hotter.
Next is diode selection whether they even list it or not, diode selection comes into play so here im just mentioning Samsung diodes but LM301B/H’s > LM561C > LM281B+, its roughly a 10% drop dropping down from a LM301B to lm561 chips or another 20-30% from the LM561’s to lm281b+ which is not insignificant now new versions of those chips aside or specific models of them, base of it is the new the chip tech likely the better which is easy to say, even still though a light could have a similar or maybe even better efficiency running more diodes of an older type and running them soft vs a light using the latest diodes but running half as many but running them harder.
Which makes this clear as mud lol.
From there see if their are any reviews out there on the web, a good example is Shane of the MIGRO youtube channel and manufacture of his own lights that beign MIGRO, but he reviews alot of other lights and is worth a check, but see if there is a review out there on the light your looking at, from someone who reviews lights, migro, cocoforcannabis, ect ect, those coming from people who test lights.
Next brand names have a weight to consider in that likely they may have a more reliable product vs some no name brand, but at the same time some aren’t and some use their name to tack on a bigger price tag when the exact same light can be had for 30-40+% cheaper elsewhere just without the name.
Avoid burples, lets just not go there.
And last it has to be said but if it sounds too good to be true it likely is.
Now we will start here until some discussions start happens or people want to go down different routes.
Say are Higher temp “5000k” white leds even needed or are they just their for efficiency of the unit 
.
