Roleadro Full-Spectrum LED Plant Grow Light – Bright Light for a Small Area
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Roleadro Full-Spectrum LED Plant Grow Light
| MANUFACTURER: | Roleandro |
| MODEL: | ? |
| PRICE: | 25.99 |
| COUPON: | 3 |
| STYLE: | RECTANGULAR PANEL |
| RANK: | 160 |
| REVIEWS: | 4.7 |
| ASIN: | B087BZWFF5 |
| SPECTRUM: | FULL |
| LEDS (TOTAL): | 50 |
| LEDS (BY COLOR): | NOT LISTED |
| LEDS (NM RANGE): | SEE FIG. 1 |
| COLOR TEMP: | 3500 K |
| POWER EQIVALENT: | NOT LISTED |
| POWER (WATTS): | 22.75 |
| PPFD (μmol/m2/s): | 400 AT 12” |
| MAX COVERAGE: | NOT LISTED |
| SIZE: | 9”X5”X1” |
| WATERPROOF: | DAMP PROOF |
| ON/OFF SWITCH: | YES |
| FAN: | NO |
| DAISY CHAIN: | NO |
| CONSTRUCTION: | ALUMINUM HEAT SINK |
| WARRANTY/RETURN: | 12 MONTH/30 DAY |
| LED LIFE (HOURS): | 50000 |
| NOTES: | LM301H DIODES |
Affiliate links to products in this article:
Reed Instruments R8140 LED light meter:
Roleadro Full-Spectrum LED Plant Grow Light:
On Amazon
On eBay (similar items, same item unavailable on eBay)
Roleadro Store on Amazon
Super Sprouter products:
on Amazon
on eBay
(you pay nothing extra by clicking these links, but we may get a commission if you purchase a product)
The Roleadro entry in our full-spectrum LED plant grow light comparison doesn’t even seem to have a name or model number, so we will reference it with its ASIN[2]: B087BZWFF5 (affiliate link). Priced at $25.99[3], it offered a $3 off coupon – more than 10% – when we purchased it. It was 160 on Amazon’s best-seller list for LED plant grow lights, but had a 4.7 overall review rating, which was a big plus.
This full-spectrum plant grow light has only 50 LEDs, but they are high-output LM301H diodes. Current draw wasn’t listed on Amazon, but in our measurements, the lamp draws an average of 22.75 watts of electricity. The LEDs are listed as a 50,000 hour life, and the plant grow light has a 12 month warranty and 30 day return period.
Along with the use of high-output LM301H LED diodes, this Roleadro plant grow light really sold us with its metal construction that is “damp proof,” but not totally waterproof – the housings of most plant grow lamps in this price range are made of plastic. Its tiny rectangular 9 inch by 5 inch size also intrigued us. However, we could not find a listing for its maximum coverage area, so we test it below with our Reed 8140 LED light meter.
Looking at the spectral analysis graph provided by Roleadro (Figure 1), you can see that there is much more light produced between the blue and red spikes compared to the Red/Blue lights in our LED Plant Grow Light Comparison. Proponents of this “Full-Spectrum” light say this green light penetrates the canopy better, to reach lower leaves on the plant. Reported Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) is 400 μmol/m2/s (400 micromoles per square meter per second) at 12 inches. This is more than our runner-up FECiDa red/blue plant grow light is reported to produce at 8 inches, and about equal to what the Shengsite Red/Blue panel is reported to produce at 8 inches – using 250 LEDs compared to 50 in this plant grow light.
Based on the description of the light we had planned to use it to illuminate half of a 18” x 48” shelf in our LED Plant Light Comparison. However, when we unboxed the light, its size, even considering the high-output LM301H LED diodes, gave us pause about this expectation. And, after mounting it lengthwise 14 inches from the end of the 48-inch shelf, our light measurements (Figure 2) bore out our suspicions. With the light mounted about 12 inches above our soil height, you can see the readings in lux[4] on the right side of the shelf where the Roleadro lamp is mounted – and these readings are with the ECRU LED plant grow light on the left side turned on. Ignoring PPFD for the moment, full daylight with indirect sun[5] measures between 10,000 and 25,000 lux[6]. The reading directly under the Roleadro Full-Spectrum plant grow light was comfortably in that range at 23,800. However, as you can see in Figure 2, the readings dropped off precipitously once we measured away from the center point. Light-loving plants such as the carnivorous and succulent plants we were using would not be happy outside a small area under the lamp.
So, realizing we were too optimistic, we redesigned the Full-Spectrum shelf in our plant grow light comparison. We added a General Electric 24” LED plant grow light, and turned the Roleadro Full-Spectrum plant grow light perpendicular to the shelf and mounted it about 6 inches from the end of the shelf. This placed the light dead center over one of our 10 x 20 inch Super Sprouter trays that contained our carnivorous plants.
In this setting (see Figure 3), with the Roleadro about 12” above soil height, we measured light directly under the lamp (surrounded on two sides by reflective mylar and but without the GE 24-inch LED plant grow light next to it turned on) at 25,800 lux. Measuring six inches right of the fixture at the edge of the shelf produced readings of 13,500 lux; at the back edge of the 10×20 tray, with the benefit of the reflective mylar, we received a reading of 16,000 lux, however at the front edge of the 10×20 tray – at the front of the shelving unit, without the benefit of the mylar – we measured 10,000 lux. The light values in the corner were lower, at 7,000 lux at the right rear and 5,500 at the right front. The values to the left front and rear were far lower, as can be seen from the graphic, but once the GE plant grow light is turned on, will increase dramatically.
All things considered, this setup seemed a perfect match to the 10×20 inch Super Sprouter trays we are using. And, if you watch the price of these lamps, sometimes they dip as low as $18.99, with a $3 off coupon. At that price, you could buy four – one to cover each 10×20 Super Sprouter tray that will fit on the shelf – and spend less in purchase cost than three T8-style LED shop lights that run about $25 at the local hardware store. And, better yet, four of the Roleadro LED plant grow lights will consume only 91 watts, as opposed to 120 watts for the T8-style LED shop lights that each draw 40 watts.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux
[2] Amazon Standard Identification Number
[3] Price and other data accessed 09/14/2020 and subject to change
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux
[5] An area not in direct line-of-sight of the Sun, but illuminated by a clear blue sky at midday
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lux