Selecting the best grow lights for a 4ft x 4ft or 1.2m x 1.2m grow tent
I have tested 17 of the best grow lights for a 4ft x 4ft or 1.2m x 1.2m grow tent and compare them for PAR output, efficiency and value for money.
The 4ft x 4ft or 1.2m x 1.2m grow area is one of the most popular grow tent sizes and also a common modular size for commercial grow setups. There are a large number of grow lights on the market for 4 x 4 grow areas including a lot of commercial grade fixtures.
Not your size? try here:
12 best grow lights for a 2 x 2 grow space (0.6m x 0.6m)
7 best grow lights for a 3 x 3 grow space (1m x 1m)
10 best grow lights for a 4 x 2 grow space (1.2m x .6m)
21 best grow lights for a 5 x 5 grow space (1.5m x 1.5m)
How many grow light watts for a 4x4?
To maximise the potential yield from the space you need LED grow light wattage of about 400 to 600 watts of high efficiency LED lighting to achieve an average of 700 to 800 µmols PAR intensity. Some fixtures are in the 800 watt range and designed to delivery very high average PAR intensity of about 1,200 µmols which would require CO2 supplementation to make use of the high light intensity.
Ideally the light fixture will be suitably sized to cover the area evenly i.e. the fixture is square and close to the physical size of the grow tent. The PAR chart is shown below for each model so you can judge the best solution for your grow space.
Comparing the grow light spectrum
All of the lights have a mixture of mid temperature white LEDs with 660nm reds to improve their electrical and photosynthetic efficiency. Therefore all of the grow lights tested are full spectrum and suitable for growing from seed to harvest.
Grow light comparison method
The comparison chart uses the results from Shanes PAR output and efficiency tests to calculate and compare the total cost of each fixture to deliver an average PAR of 800µmols/m²/second over a 4x4 grow area over a 3 year period. The 3 year costing includes the cost of the fixture and adds the electricity costs at 16.8c/KW hour over 12 hours per day average.
Best value LED grow light 20254x4 grow space | 400 - 600 watts |
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| Make | Model | Grow area | Watts | USD $ Price |
Usable PPF*/ Watt |
3 year** elect. cost |
Total cost 3 years |
| MIGRO | ARAY 500 | 4x4 | 523 | $479.00 | 2.63 | $966.94 | $1,368.12 |
| MARS Hydro | FC6500 | 4x4 | 690 | $529.00 | 2.45 | $1,037.98 | $1,398.47 |
| MARS Hydro | FC-E1000 | 4x4 | 995 | $819.00 | 2.44 | $1,042.24 | $1,430.86 |
| Vivosun | AW400 | 4x4 | 420 | $399.00 | 2.51 | $1,013.17 | $1,449.19 |
| Medicgrow | Minisun 320W | 4x4 | 328 | $239.00 | 2.28 | $1,115.38 | $1,483.54 |
| Viparspectra | KS5000 | 4x4 | 491 | $400.00 | 2.3 | $1,105.68 | $1,513.72 |
| Spider Farmer | SE7000 | 4x4 | 733 | $759.00 | 2.46 | $1,033.77 | $1,518.67 |
| Spider Farmer | SE5000 | 4x4 | 474 | $569.00 | 2.5 | $1,017.23 | $1,570.38 |
| MARS Hydro | FC8000 | 4x4 | 813 | $799.00 | 2.3 | $1,105.68 | $1,597.92 |
| Forever Green Indoors | Uniformity pro flex | 4x4 | 634 | $699.00 | 2.35 | $1,082.15 | $1,622.63 |
| Parlite | Expert 600 | 4x4 | 666 | $738.72 | 2.31 | $1,100.89 | $1,654.04 |
| Hyphotonflux | HPF4000 | 4x4 | 494 | $449.00 | 2.16 | $1,177.34 | $1,662.09 |
| MARS Hydro | FC4800 | 4x4 | 480 | $530.00 | 2.21 | $1,150.71 | $1,726.27 |
| Spider Farmer | SF4000 | 4x4 | 438 | $459.00 | 2.06 | $1,234.50 | $1,820.53 |
| Grower's Choice | ROI-E420 | 4x4 | 392 | $699.00 | 2.32 | $1,096.15 | $1,981.58 |
| Lumatek/Photontek | 465w pro | 4x4 | 470 | $849.00 | 2.22 | $1,145.52 | $2,082.89 |
| Koray | G50 | 4x4 | 474 | $899.00 | 2.22 | $1,145.52 | $2,129.72 |
| * Usable PPF is the amount of PAR light reaching the plant canopy in a system test with reflective walls | |||||||
| ** 3 year electricity cost to deliver average 800 µmols/m²/sec usable PPF for 12 hours per day at US national average of 16.8c per Kw hour | |||||||
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*** 3 year electricity cost + fixture cost to deliver average 800 µmols/m²/sec
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Grow light reviews for a 4 x 4 grow space
MIGRO ARAY 500
The MIGRO ARAY 500 is 500 watt LED grow light with remote LED driver as standard which can be located outside of the grow tent.
The MIGRO ARAY 500 is designed for a 4ft x 4ft (1.2m x 1.2m) grow area with the following features:
- Full spectrum with 3% far red - grow from seed to harvest
- High Efficiency 3.1 µmols/J - high PAR - low energy costs
- 1,848 x white LEDs incl. Samsung LM301H EVO, 160 x Osram 660nm red LEDS
- Supersized heatsinks - LEDs run cool for longer life
- Power supply remote mounted - reduce heat for longer life
- Dimming - on board - daisy chain - external controller compatible
Maximise your yield and harvest quality with this full-spectrum grow light using the best Samsung LM301H Evo LEDs to deliver unrivalled PAR intensity with low power use.
The ARAY 500 is excellent build quality and uses the highest quality and efficient white LEDs by Samsung and Osram 660nm reds.
MARS HYDRO FC6500 EVO
The MARS HYDRO FC6500 draws 690 watts from the wall and delivers a very high average PAR intensity of 1,173 µmols/m²/second to the plant canopy with very even spread.
It is a full spectrum light with white Samsung LM301H EVO diodes and 660nm deep reds.
MARS HYDRO FC-E1000
Mars Hydro FC-E1000W is a 1000 watt LED grow light with a full spectrum light targeting full cycle plant growth. Built for high PPFD cultivation and designed for sealed grow rooms with added CO2 to make use of the very high average PAR delivered by this fixture. The most powerful grow light by MARS HYDRO to date date with a whopping PPF of 2,766 µmol/s and an average PPFD of over 1,800 μmol/m²/s.
Different from the other FC-E LEDs, FC-E1000W offers scalable flexibility, with 10 light bars that can be configured for 4'x4' or 4'x6' grow spaces to be used as 4x4 enhanced bloom grow lights, or as specific grow stand lights for 6-ft-wide rolling tables.
The fixture was tested in a 4x4 space with the light configured in the smaller size and the average PAR intensity is 1,668 µmols/m²/second and a system efficiency of 2.44 usable PPF/watt.
Vivosun AW400
The Vivosun AW40 LED grow light is a unique and innovative fixture with adjustable 'wings' and integrated fans. It is packing a lot of tech and innovation into a single grow light! The AW400 draws just under 400 watts from the wall and can cover an area of 4ft x 4ft for flowering.
The side LED panels can be adjusted to increase or decrease the spread of light from the AW400. No tools are required, the weighted hinges keep the wings in position after adjustment.
The average PAR over the 4ftx4ft space is 691 µmols/m²/second and the system efficiency is 2.51 usable PPF per watt consumed, an excellent result but not surprising. The AW400 is packed with Samsung LM301H Evo LEDs, the best on the market.
The spectrum can be adjusted via the Growhub controller or App to three settings:
- Seedling (more blue for short and dense growth)
- Vegetative (still a lot of blue but increase in power to accelerate veg time)
- Flower (Reds, Far reds and UVA LEDs on full power to maximise yield and flavour)
The circulation fans are very handy as they eliminate the need for a bulky fan attached to the tent poles. The fans are variable speed and can be adjusted in 6 increments from off to full speed. The fans run very quiet and are very effective at cooling the canopy and moving the air around in the grow tent.
Medic Grow minisun 320W
The Medic Grow Mini Sun 2 LED Grow Light is an excellent fixture in one, very affordable, package. The fixture is suitable for a 3x3 up to a 4x4 sized grow tent. At 320 watts it is the lowest wattage fixture in this comparison.
The white LEDs are San'an and the red LEDs are Osram.
The light was tested in a 4x4 or 1.2m x 1.2m area at 16" or 40cm hanging height and the system efficiency result was 2.28 µmols/watt or usable PPF per watt.
An excellent quality grow light packed with features and with a very innovative feature in the light timer incorporated into the fixture.
Viparspectra KS5000
The Viparspectra KS5000 is a new LED bar type light for a 4 x 4 or 1.2m x 1.2m grow space. It is a foldable grow light and is pre assembled and ready to hang. It is very well built and includes high quality LEDs, the LM301H by Samsung and the 660nm Reds by Osram.
The LED driver is remote with a long power cable with on board and daisy chain dimming as standard. There are 6 LED bars unevenly spaced & with LEDs more dense at the end of each bar to ensure the most even spread of light possible.
The light is recommended for a 16" or 40cm hanging height and delivers an excellent 750 µmols average PAR across the grow area and consumes 491.43 wats at the wall. The efficiency test result is 2.2 usable PPF per watt which is excellent for a light with this price tag.
Spider Farmer SE7000
The SE7000 is a very high powered LED bar type light for a 4 x 4 delivering an average PAR intensity of 1,257 µmols/m²/second. In order to make use of this high intensity it is recommended that CO2 levels are raised to about the same figure as the PAR intensity i.e. 1,257 ppm.
Spider Farmer SE7000 is a high efficient led grow light. Delivers an uniform PPFD, excellent light spread and very even coverage.
This new light is packed with features:
- 100% authentic Samsung LM301B. (Spider Farmer is an official partner of Samsung company, which can be verified on Samsung website)
- Dimmable brightness and wattage from 10% to 100%, for separate growing stages seedling/veg/flower.
- Dimming daisy chain function allows multiple fixtures controlled at same time -Detachable bar and driver, easy assemble
- DLC/ETL/CE Certified
Spider Farmer SE5000
Spider Farmer SE5000 is a high efficient led grow light for a 4ft x 4ft grow space. Delivers an uniform PPFD, excellent light spread and very even coverage.
The Grow light includes the following features:
- 100% authentic Samsung LM301B
- Added deep blue, deep red and far red leds
- Dimmable brightness and wattage from 10% to 100%, for separate growing stages seedling/veg/flower.
- Dimming daisy chain function allows multiple fixtures controlled at same time Detachable bar and driver, easy assemble -DLC/ETL/CE Certified
The SE5000 was tested in a 4ftx 4ft area with silver mylar walls and delivers an average PAR of 780 µmols/m²/second and a system efficiency of 2.3 usable PPF per watt
MARS HYDRO FC8000
The FC8000 is a very high powered LED bar type grow light for a 4 x 4 delivering an average PAR intensity of 1,298 µmols/m²/second. In order to make use of this high intensity it is recommended that CO2 levels are raised to about the same figure as the PAR intensity i.e. 1,298 ppm.
The Mars Hydro FC8000 is a commercial grade LED bar type light light with Samsung lm301B diodes and LED bars that are adjustable to vary the light distribution. The system efficiency and light spread are very good.
This fixture is aimed at the commercial market with features such as:
- Dimmable from 10%-100%
- Dimming daisy chain function for up to 30 lights connected together
- Uniform PPFD in the range of 1200-1800 μmol/m²/s
- DLC/ETL certified
Forever Green Indoors Uniformity PRO Flex
The Uniformity PRO Flex from Forever Green Indoors is a very high performance grow light for a 4ft x 4ft grow area with a lot of great features.
The fixture is high build quality, easy to assemble and hang and has a few cool features such as wireless control and can be integrated with cloud control systems such as Google home and Amazon Echo.
This 630W fixture delivers a very high average PAR intensity of 1,036 µmols/m²/second. As the model name suggests, the uniformity of light spread is incredible; the lowest PAR measurement in our test was 900 µmols/m²/second and the highest was 1,150 µmols/m²/second.
Parlite Expert 600
The Parlite Expert 600 is a beautifully designed and constructed LED grow light.
At 660 watts it is in the higher end of this selection in this list. It generates a high average PAR of 1,067 µmols/m²/second over the 4ft x 4ft or 1.2m x 1.2m plant canopy. This is in the range where adding CO2 in a closed system grow room would be necessary to utilise the very high PAR intensity.
Hyphotonflux HPF4000
The Hyphotonflux HPF4000 LED bar grow light designed for a 3ft x 3ft or 90cm x 90cm up to 5ft x 5ft or 1.5m x 1.5m space and to hang at a minimum 40cm or 16" over the plant canopy.
It is not the highest quality construction as other lights in this comparison but has all the features you need including:
- Full spectrum light output for growing from seed to harvest
- On board dimming control from 10 to 100%
- Meanwell driver
- Daisy chain dimming control
The light spread is good and in our test the fixture output an average PAR of 741 µmols/m²/second over the 4ft x 4ft or 1.2m x 1.2m plant canopy an consumed 493.5 watts for a calculated system efficiency of 2.16 µmols/watt or usable PPF/watt.
MARSHYDRO FC4800
The MARS HYDRO FC4800 LED bar type grow light with Samsung LM301B diodes for a 4ft x 4ft or 120cm x 120cm grow space.
The light draws 480 Watts from the wall and at 40cm or 16" hanging height delivers an average PAR of 738 µmols/m²/second which is a good level. The system efficiency is 2.21 µmols/watt (usable PPF/watt)
Spider Farmer SF4000
The SF4000 is a panel type light of basic construction and relatively expensive for the performance and quality of construction.
We found the optimum hanging height to be 48cm or 19" which is relatively high for a light of this size and the light spread is not as good as the LED bar type lights in this comparison. The system efficiency is also the lowest in this comparison.
Growers Choice ROI E420
The Growers Choice ROI E420 is and LED bar type light, has been out a few years now and has a solid reputation.
It is a foldable LED grow light consuming 392 Watts in the test. The light was hung low in the test as per the manufacturers recommendations and delivers a good system efficiency of 2.32 µmols/watt. However, for more uniform distribution we would recommend a higher hanging height of about 25cm or 10".
Lumatek & Photontek 465W PRO
The Photontek 465W LED bar type grow light is a very high quality fixture. This is the same light as the Lumatek 465W pro which is the UK brand from the same company.
This light delivers an excellent spread over the 4 x 4 area and a very good system efficiency of 2.22 usable PPF/watt.
Koray G50
Not your size? try here:
12 best grow lights for a 2 x 2 grow space (0.6m x 0.6m)
7 best grow lights for a 3 x 3 grow space (1m x 1m)
3 thoughts on “The 15 best value grow lights for your 4 x 4 grow tent 2025”
metuzalem
What do you think about mars hydro ts 3000?
Justin Manning
Have questions about my use with the 1000w photontek c02 pro model and how far at what % should I be running fixture at what distance from plants at seedlings vs young adult vs adults veg vs bloom. I’m running 800 watts at 4ft away at 100% and they are 7 weeks old from germination and they have been growing slow under 600w at 75% at 4ft so I turned up light % and added 2 light rails back onto fixture. I use the ppfd meter app on my phone and I measure the light at 42inches at 500ish ppfd at 600w at 100% but 800w at 100% gives me around 900-950ppf. But the plants have been growing slowly and I can’t figure out why. Please help. Thanks
Triangle Farm
Do the UV and IR on the Growealth add to their performance a desirable feature?