Best grow light bulbs

The best grow light bulbs mimic the sun's rays, giving your plants just the right amount of light year-round. 

Did you know most grow light bulbs work in a regular light socket? It's true. As long as your lamp or light socket supports the bulb socket type and wattage capacity, you're good to go. Investing in one of the best grow light bulb setups is an inexpensive way to start plants indoors or keep them going strong in a windowless room all year.

Ready to get started? These are some of the best grow light bulbs available today.

Many shy away from grow lights because they tend to produce a constant, ear-deafening buzzing noise. With the GE LED grow lights, there's none of that. This light bulb installs in seconds in a standard light fixture and outputs a full spectrum of light and a boost of red, making it the best grow light bulb for flowering and fruiting and houseplants. These are low energy/low heat grow lights that won't hike your electric bill or burn delicate leaves. And with an advanced red spectrum, they're ideal for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, flowers, and fruit trees.

Eighty-eight LEDs power this self-contained lamp kit from Relassy. Clamp it to the side of a shelf, desk, or garden table, power it on, and it gives off natural light for indoor plants in all growth stages. The internal grow light bulbs in this unit last 50,000 hours and are user-replaceable. Each gooseneck-shaped light provides a 120-degree beam angle, giving plants maximum illumination for optimal growth.

When you need artificial light for one plant, the best grow light bulb is the Miracle LED. This commercial hydroponic grow light has a low heat signature, remaining cool to the touch even 12 hours after being turned on. This bulb is a full spectrum light that works with all standard light sockets. It turns on instantly, doesn't buzz or whine, and gives your indoor plants the love they need.

This three-light set from Bluex emits 1600 micromoles on the red and blue ends of the spectrum. They're perfect for indoor gardens of vegetables, fruits, or flowers. Each bulb delivers a 150-degree angle of light and casts a purplish hue. You can screw these bulbs into any traditional light socket, including lamps. The bulbs stay cool to the touch, so if you're monitoring temperature, you won't have to worry about your light source putting off heat. If you need a multi-pack for a big indoor garden, toss these in your shopping cart now.

Haus Bright LED grow light bulbs output 100 watts while consuming only 20 watts. They're the ultimate in energy-saving tools. These bulbs are full-spectrum and work beautifully for indoor plants and seedlings. The LEDs fit into standard light sockets and cast off enough light to fill a 10-by-12-foot room in a heavenly purplish light. If saving money is at the top of your needs list, you're going to love these LED grow lights.

Bottom line

No doubt, there are a lot of lights to choose from out there, but they don't all measure up to our standards. What are the best grow light bulbs for you? If you want a simple bulb that fits in your regular light socket and throws off a natural white light, go with the GE LED grow lights. They look like traditional light bulbs, so you can put them in your living room if needed, and they last up to 25,000 hours.

If you want a lamp that does nothing but focus on your garden, grab the Relassy grow lights. This gooseneck lamp has two lights that clamp to any surface and offer up 50,000 hours of power.