Flowering Lights Comparison: Philips greenpower vs HortiPower Bloomer Pro

LED flowering lamps play a crucial role in maximizing harvest, stimulating flowering or fruiting during the flowering and fruiting stage.

In this blog we'll compare the Philips Greenpower flowering light and the HortiPower Bloomer Pro.

From left to right: Philips greenpower DRWFR, HortiPower Bloomer Pro DRW, HortiPower DRWFR 

All measurements in this comparison are taken at a distance of 60cm. However, it should be noted that in practical situations, a flowering light is typically suspended at a height of approximately 1.2m or even 2 meters above the plant.  Flowering lights are primarily utilized as supplementary lighting by professional growers. They can also be used by home growers as the sole source of grow lights. If you intend to use these lights as the sole source of grow lights, it is recommended to position them in close proximity to the plant, such as 30cm above the top leaf.   

A large beam angle for a uniform spread

Flowering lights are commonly employed in greenhouses, specifically in chrysanthemum greenhouses where grow lights are used during the day for photosynthesis, and specific flowering lights are used in the evening to regulate the flowering stage. Low-tech greenhouses without grow lights also utilize flowering lights to manage the flowering process of plants like dragon fruit and strawberries. Given the size of greenhouses, lights with a wide beam angle are advantageous. Both the Philips Greenpower and Hortipower Bloomer Pro models feature a beam angle of 110 degrees.  In general, when the light is installed at a higher position, the amount of light received by the plant decreases, but the coverage area of the light increases.  

Micromole output

Since flowering lights are primarily designed to aid in the regulation of the flowering stage, it is crucial that they emit the appropriate type of plant light, which is measured in micromoles (μmol). Reliable flowering bulbs indicate their light output in umol to indicate their suitability for plant growth. The HortiPower Bloomer Pro offers a similar or slightly higher micromole output compared to other flowering lights.

Power consumption

The Philips Greenpower consumes only 11 watts, while the HortiPower Bloomer Pro consumes 10 watts.  Energy efficiency is important even for lights that are used for a few hours only. The Philips Greenpower has an efficiency of 1.8 umol/J, and the Bloomer Pro has at least 2.0 umol/J.  

Easy to install

Both lights utilize an E27 socket, which facilitates easy installation.

Flowering bulbs with the E27 socket visible 

Visible light

Lux, although not relevant to the plant, may be of interest to the grower if the flowering light is also used for visibility or harvesting purposes in the evening or night.  

Color rendering 

The Color Rendering Index (CRI) is similar for both lights, with values around 70. This is primarily because far red light is included in significant amounts, which tends to lower the CRI value.  

Red light in flowering light

PFD-R% (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density in the red region) is a crucial factor for grow lights, including flowering lights. The Philips version with far red light has 37% PFD-R, while the Bloomer Pro has 32% PFD-R (or 57% for the non-far red version).  

Far red light in flowering light

PFD-FR% (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density in the far red region) is the most important color region for flowering lights. The Philips Greenpower features 44% PFD-FR in its far red version, while the Hortipower Bloomer Pro offers 51% PFD-FR in its far red version. HortiPower recommends that at least 50% of the flowering light output should be in the far red region to enhance the effectiveness of the light for flowering.  

Blue light in flowering light

PFD-B% (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density in the blue region) is approximately 7% for the Greenpower and 6% for the Bloomer Pro.

Summary 

In conclusion, both the Philips Greenpower and HortiPower Bloomer Pro flowering lights are designed for similar use cases and provide effective solutions for growers to regulate the flowering and fruiting stages of plants. The Bloomer Pro surpasses the recommended threshold of 50% far red light, making it particularly suitable for enhancing flowering. Furthermore, it is easily accessible for purchase online, providing convenience for growers seeking to optimize their plant growth and development.

The Bloomer Pro is available here.