IKEA products for hydroponics (the VÄXER and KRYDDA series) were one of the best ways to get started with hydroponics. These products are now discontinued. If you’re looking for an alternative grow light you’ve come to the right place.
Table of Contents
What was the VÄXER white plant light LED bar?
The VÄXER white plant light LED bar was designed to provide supplemental light for indoor plants and was designed for use in a home hydroponic system. It was often used with KRYDDA.
Grow lights at HOME: HortiPower vs IKEA Växer LED cultivation
(if you’re interested in the Växer bulb, go to this blog)
VÄXER was available in two lengths: 46.5cm and 31.5cm. Let’s compare this with the Nurser 3 (450mm)
Specifications IKEA VÄXER vs HortiPower Nurser 3 (450mm)
| Brand |
IKEA VÄXER
|
HortiPower Nurser 3 (450mm)
|
| Model | L1519 / 703.231.10 | HP-CF-LINEAR-8W-450-AC |
| Length | 46.5cm | 45cm |
| Cord length: | 2.00 m | 2.00 m |
| Power supply | external | internal (integrated) |
| Lifetime | 25.000H | 25.000H |
| Wattage | 16W | 8W |
| LEDs | 15pcs (10 white, 5 red) | 54pcs (27 white, 27, deep red) |
| Spectrum | Growth and development | Growth and development |
| Color ratio |
UV=0% B=12% G=44% R=44% FR=0% |
UV=0% B=12% G=25% R=62% FR= 1% |
| Lumen | 880lm | 690lm |
| CCT | 4200K | 3500K |
| Light on plant level | 100 PFD at unknown distance | 100 PFD at 20 cm distance |
| Efficiency | 1.25 μmol/J | 2.1 μmol/J |
| LED placement | 5 segments | Continuous |
| Daisy chain | No | up to 18 meters/ 40 pcs |
| Availability | Not available | Available |
| Price | - | 25 EUR |
Length
The length of a grow light is important as it determines where a grower can install the light and to what extend it will cover the surface. The IKEA VÄXER LED cultivation light is 46.5cm and the nearest HortiPower grow light is Nurser 3 (450mm). A difference of about 1 cm.
Cord length
The cord length allows the grower to install it near a power plug. Both cord lengths are 2 meters and this seems a reasonable length. For the Nurser 3 (450mm) there are extension cables available.
Power supply
The power supply powers the light and it should do so in an efficient manner. The IKEA VÄXER LED has an external power supply. The external power-supply converts AC into DC, some energy will be lost during this conversion process. It is also another device that the grower has to install. The HortiPower Nurser 3 (450mm) has an internal power supply. The Nurser 3 uses an integrated power supply, so it has a more efficient electronic design and lights can be installed in a straight line without any external extra devices.
Lifetime
Both lights are rated at 25.000h.
Wattage
LED lights reduce energy of up to 70% compared to traditional lighting solutions (such as HPS, Tungsten, Fluorescent). However within LEDs there are also differences. The VÄXER LED is 16W, the Nurser 3 (450mm) is 8W. An energy reduction of 50%.
Number of LEDs
The VÄXER grow light uses 15pcs LEDs (10 white LEDs and 5 red LEDs). The Nurser 3 (450mm) uses 54pcs professional horticultural LEDs. That is 260% more LEDs compared to IKEA. More LEDs helps the grower to create a more uniform light effect on plants so plant growth can be more uniform. It also prolongs the actual lifetime of LEDs as the load is shared by many LEDs instead of a few.
Spectrum and Color ratio
Both spectrums are focused on plant growth and development. The IKEA VÄXER has a relative high percentage of light in the green area. This color is less relevant for plants. The most important colors are deepred, followed by blue and a little bit of green. The Nurser 3 (450mm) features about 40% more deepred compared to the IKEA VÄXER. These Deepred LEDs are professional horticultural LEDs and generally more expensive than regular white LEDs.
Lumen
Lumen is the amount of light that humans are able to see. It is less relevant for grow lights as plants require light that supports their growth and development instead of human vision. However it can still be a useful metric to assess a grow light that is used in an indoor environment. The lumen for IKEA VÄXER is not exactly known and it is estimated to be 880lm. The Nurser 3 (450mm) emits about 690lm. The IKEA VÄXER emits about 27% more lumen.
CCT
Color related temperature indicates how cool or warm the light will be perceived by the human eye. The IKEA VÄXER has a CCT of 4200K. The Nurser 3 (450mm) has a CCT of 3500K. It looks white with a soft pink color tone.
PFD
The intensity of light that plants are able to receive and perceive can be expressed in Photon Flux Density (PFD). IKEA VÄXER mentioned they achieve a PFD of 100 μmol/m2/s, but the distance from the light to plant is not stated. Manufacturers should state the distance from light to the plant as PFD is a metric of light that hits the plant leaf surface. The Nurser 3 (450mm) achieves 100 PFD at 20 cm distance from light to plant.
both lights will help growers to grow seedlings very well
Efficiency
Efficiency for grow lights tells growers how efficiently a watt is converted into plant-centric light. It is expressed in μmol/J. The IKEA VÄXER does not provide this data, based on actual measurements it is estimated to be 1.25 μmol/J. The Nurser 3 (450mm) has an efficiency of 2.1 μmol/J. It is about 68% more efficient in generating plant-centric light compared to the IKEA VÄXER.
LED placement
The IKEA VÄXER has only 15pcs of LEDs and therefore separates its LEDs into 5 segments. The Nurser 3 (450mm) has 54pcs of LEDs and therefore is able to place a continuous line of LEDs along the whole light. This makes the light more uniform which supports uniform crop growth and increases a uniform seedling and sprouting rate.
Daisy chain
Growers may use a shelf with several levels to grow crops. It is therefore relevant to look at the ability to extend or daisy chain (link) lights to each other. The IKEA VÄXER does not seem to have this possibility, this is because of the external power supply. Each light need an external power supply. The Nurser 3 (450mm) is able to link lights together into a dotless line of light or using extension cables. The maximum light line is 18 meters of light or 40pcs of Nurser 3 (450mm). That is 38X more lights in a single line and using the same power plug.
Availability
The IKEA VÄXER was introduced in 2016 and is discontinued. The Nurser 3 (450mm) was introduced in 2020 and is available for purchase.
Summary
IKEA VÄXER was a popular product at time of launch. The Nurser 3 (450mm) has a similar length. The IKEA VÄXER has an external power supply vs an intergrated power supply of the Nurser 3 (450mm). The Nurser 3 (450mm) reduces 50% energy, has 260% more LEDs and is 68% more efficient in generating plant-centric light. It is also more uniform in emitting light and can extend lights, up to 38pcs.
Get your Nurser 3 (450mm) here.
For reference, the IKEA VÄXER was also available in 31.5cm. The key specifications are below.
| Brand |
IKEA VÄXER
|
HortiPower Nurser 3 (450mm)
|
| Model | 903.231.09 | HP-CF-LINEAR-8W-450-AC |
| Length | 31.5cm | 45cm |
| Cord length: | 2.00 m | 2.00 m |
| Power supply | external | internal (integrated) |
| Lifetime | 25.000H | 25.000H |
| Wattage | 10W | 8W |
| LEDs | 9pcs (6 white, 3 red) | 54pcs (27 white, 27, deep red) |
| Spectrum | Growth and development | Growth and development |
| Color ratio |
UV=0% B=12% G=44% R=44% FR=0% |
UV=0% B=12% G=25% R=62% FR= 1% |
| Lumen | 550lm | 690lm |
| CCT | 4200K | 3500K |
| Light on plant level | 100 PFD at unknown distance | 100 PFD at 20 cm distance |
| Efficiency | 1.25 μmol/J | 2.1 μmol/J |
| LED placement | 3 segments | Continuous |
| Daisy chain | No | up to 18 meters/ 40 pcs |
| Availability | Not available | Available |
| Price | - | 25 EUR |
Check out more details for the Nurser 3 (450mm) here.