The 8 Best Grow Lights for Houseplants in Winter
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Every winter my houseplants start stretching toward the window, dropping leaves and generally looking sad. It isn't the cold, it's the light.
Shorter, darker days leave many indoor plants hungry for light, and a grow light is the easiest fix. I went through expert roundups, plant communities and thousands of verified buyer reviews to find eight well-loved options, from a single bulb for one plant to strips for a whole shelf.
Quick picks
- Best simple start: a full-spectrum grow bulb
- Best for living rooms: a decorative grow bulb
- Best budget pick: a clip-on grow light
- Best for plant shelves: T5 shelf strips
- Best looking: a pendant grow light
- Best for floor plants: a grow light stand
- Best add-on: a smart plug timer
- Best for many plants: a full-spectrum panel
The grow lights
A full-spectrum LED grow bulb: best simple start
Screw it into any lamp you already own and point it at your plant. Sansi's full-spectrum bulbs give a natural, warm-white light that doesn't turn your living room purple.
Price range: $
Check price on AmazonA soft-white decorative grow bulb: best for living rooms
GE's grow light bulbs look like a normal soft-white bulb, so they work in a nice floor lamp or pendant.
Price range: $
Check price on AmazonA clip-on grow light with gooseneck arms: best budget pick
Clip it to a shelf or desk and bend the arms over your plants. Most have timers and a few brightness levels, which makes them easy to set and forget.
Price range: $
Check price on AmazonLinkable T5 LED strips: best for plant shelves
Barrina's T5 strips mount under a shelf and link together, so you can light a whole bookcase of plants with one plug. They're a long-time favorite of houseplant collectors.
Price range: $$ Kenna's pick
Check price on AmazonA design-led pendant grow light: best looking
Soltech's Aspect looks like a stylish hanging pendant and gives off a warm, natural light. It's the splurge for people who don't want their home to look like a greenhouse.
Price range: $$$
Check price on AmazonA grow light with a tripod stand: best for floor plants
Tall plants like fiddle leaf figs and monsteras need light from above. A floor stand lets you raise the light as the plant grows.
Price range: $$
Check price on AmazonA smart plug or outlet timer: best add-on
Plants like routine: about 12 to 14 hours of light a day. A simple outlet timer switches the light on and off for you.
Price range: $
Check price on AmazonA compact full-spectrum panel: best for many plants
For a big collection or a dark room, a compact panel like Spider Farmer's small lights covers far more plants than a bulb.
Price range: $$$
Check price on AmazonHow to use a grow light
Keep most lights 6 to 12 inches above your plants, run them for 12 to 14 hours a day, and watch for pale or scorched leaves as a sign to move the light. New to houseplants? Start with my easy houseplants for beginners.
