When you get indoor gardeners in a room discussing LED grow lights, one name always pops up—Kind. Most growers will agree that the company revolutionized LED grow light technology. But controversy soon erupts when someone starts talking about the price. Are Kind LED grow lights really worth the expense?
Let’s examine the details so that you can decide for yourself.
About Kind LED
The founders of Kind LED are veteran growers from Santa Rosa, California. Like most early indoor gardeners, the Kind team began with High-Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting. When Kind started in the industry, LED technology couldn’t match the yields growers could get from standard HIDs.
The company spent decades producing high-quality harvests, but they were constantly reminded of the expensive energy costs and excessive heat produced by HID lighting. Eventually, they decided to take matters into their own hands and develop more effective LED grow lights.
Kind’s LED Technology
Kind’s LED innovations include 12-band diodes and targeted-spectrum technology. 12-band diodes ensure that plants receive light from every range of the Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) spectrum between 400-700nm. Kind’s targeted-spectrum technology is one of the most exciting and potentially useful features of Kind LED grow lights.
Kind’s engineers found that “white-light” full-spectrum LEDs wasted a considerable amount of energy in the yellow and green range (500-600nm) of the PAR spectrum. In order to thrive, plants need some light in the 500-600nm range, but they don’t require nearly as much yellow/green light as typical full-spectrum LEDs provide.
Typical white LEDs emit an equal amount of light throughout the entire PAR spectrum, which causes them to lose efficiency. All of the unabsorbed yellow/green light also produces more heat in the grow room. Kind’s X2 commercial grow light uses targeted-spectrum technology to focus more energy on the blue and red ends of the PAR spectrum while giving plants just the right amount of light from the yellow/green range.
Kind K5 Grow Light Series
Kind’s K5 series combines both three and five-watt diodes within an extra-large footprint, which matches the coverage of traditional grow lighting.
The K5’s impressive wireless command center offers gardeners a host of advanced features. K5’s Secondary Optical Lenses allow gardeners to dim or intensify individual ranges of the PAR spectrum as the plants move through the growing stages. The command center includes an integrated timer to simulate sunrise and sunset and a remote controller.
K5 Series Specs
Dimensions
23” x 17” x 3.5”
26” x 20” x 3.5”
Footprint (RMH)
4’ x 4’
5’ x 5’
Weight
28 pounds
36 pounds
Total Diodes
208
320
Maximum Wattage
430 watts
650 watts
HID Wattage Equivalent
750 watts
1000 watts
Diode Wattage
Mix of 3 watts and 5 watts
Mix of 3 watts and 3 watts
Input Voltage
100-240 volt AC power
100-240 volt AC power
Output Voltage
UL standard < 76 volts DC
UL standard < 76 volts DC
Amperage
3.58@120v / 1.8@240v
5.25
PPFD Peak (RMH)
458
720.25
Lifetime
>50,000 hours
>50,000 hours
Warranty
Three years
Three years
Price
$1,395
$1,695
Kind K3 Series 2 Grow Lights
Kind’s K3 line of grow lights is targeted more toward home gardeners rather than commercial growers. The K3 line offers the same 12-band LED technology without some of the extra features of the K5 series, such as the wireless command center and 5-watt diodes.
K3 Series Specs
Feature
Dimensions
15.75” x 13” x 3.25”
22” x 13” x 3.25”
28.4” x 13” x 3.25”
Footprint (RMH)
2’ x 2.5’
2’ x 3’
3’ x 4’
Weight
14.76 pounds
19.3 pounds
24 pounds
Total Diodes
90
120
150
Maximum Wattage
170 watts
227 watts
288 watts
HID Wattage Equivalent
300 watts
450 watts
600 watts
Diode Wattage
3 watts
3 watts
3 watts
Input Voltage
100-240 volts AC
100-240 volts AC
100-240 volts AC
Output Voltage
UL Standard
UL Standard
UL Standard
Amperage
1.75@120v / .875@240v
2.25@120v / 1.125@240v
2.67@120v / 1.33@240v
PPFD Peak (RMH)
776
579
663
Lifetime
>50,000 hours
>50,000 hours
>50,000
Warranty
Three years
Three years
Three years
Price
$660
$825
$990
X2 Commercial LED Grow Light
The latest addition to Kind’s line, the X2 provides growers with an alternative to the typical white-light, full-spectrum LED fixtures that dominate commercial grow spaces.
The X2 uses targeted-spectrum lights that filter out some of the yellow and green range of traditional full-spectrum LEDs.
Kind specifically wanted the X2 to solve some of the problems involved with vertical racking and overhead grow operations. The X2 uses a concentric square design to offer more Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) across the canopy than standard commercial lights provide. The 12-inch Recommended Height Above Canopy (RMH) allows growers to optimize growing space for tiered gardens. The unit features patented Osram Oslon diodes, which have an extended lifespan of more than 75,000 hours.
Purchase options include a digital controller manufactured by Grow Strong Industries. The optional controller allows over 500 functions to be controlled at the same time.
X2 Specs
Feature
Kind X2
Dimensions
39.4” x 39.4” x 4.3”
Footprint (RMH)
4’ x 4’
Weight
40.2 pounds
Total Diodes
384
Maximum Wattage
750 watts
Spectrum
Fully adjustable three-channel
Power Factor
.963@240 volts
Input Voltage
120-277 volts
Efficacy
2.2 μmol/J
Amperage
5.25@120 v / 2.625@240v
RMH
12 inches
Lifetime
>75,000 hours
Warranty
5 years
Price
$1,695
Kind X Series Bar Lights
Bar lights come in handy for reaching within the canopy and at the edges of the main lighting fixtures. With proper placement, bar lights can substantially increase yields. Kind sells bar lights with diodes that concentrate either on the red spectrum or the blue spectrum to focus on either the vegetative or flowering phases.
Kind offers two types of bars lights: the standard X series with 40 and 80 watts and the XD series with 75 and 150 watts. The larger XD150 bar light is only available by special order.
X 40/80 Bar Light Specs
Dimensions
23.75” x 2.6” x 1.7”
47.6” x 2.6” x 1.7”
Spectrum
Vegetative or Flowering
Vegetative or Flowering
Weight
4.5 pounds
8.5 pounds
Total Diodes
108
216
Maximum Wattage
40 watts
80 watts
PPFD Peak- Vegetative
110
146
PPFD Peak- Flowering
128
160
Input Voltage
90-227 volts AC
100-227 volts AC
Amperage
.33@120v / .167@240v
.67@120v / .33@240v
RMH
12 inches
12 inches
Lifetime
>50,000 hours
>50,000 hours
Warranty
Three years
Three years
Price
$169.95
$299.95
XD 75/150 Bar Light Specs
XD75
XD150
Dimensions
47.4” x 3.1” x 2.3”
94.8” x 3.1” x 2.3”
Spectrum
Vegetative or Flower
Vegetative or Flower
Weight
7.5 pounds
14 pounds
Total Diodes
432
864
Maximum Wattage
75 watts
150 watts
PPFD Peak- Vegetative
110
128
PPFD Peak- Flowering
110
128
Input Voltage
100-277 volts AC
100-277 volts AC
Amperage
.625@120v /.313@240v
1.25@120v / .625@240v
RMH
9 inches
9 inches
Lifetime
>50,000 hours
>50,000 hours
Warranty
Three years
Three years
Price
$349.95
$349.95
Warranty, Refunds, and Customer Service
Kind has different warranty and return policies for U.S. and international customers.
The company will repair or replace any product that has defects in materials or workmanship. For the first 90 days, Kind will cover the cost of shipping for returned merchandise. After 90 days, the company will cover up to $50 per light for shipping.
Like most standard policies, the warranty doesn’t cover damage incurred by the consumer or acts of nature.
The company offers a 90-day money-back guarantee for the K3 and K5 series only. The bar lights and X2 commercial unit are not included in the 90-day guarantee. The company allows customers to return bar lights or X2 units within 30 days. However, the company subtracts a $15% restocking fee and shipping charges from the refunded amount.
For logistical reasons, Kind doesn’t cover the shipping costs for returned items from international customers. Instead, the company will assist international customers in finding a repair facility in their own country.
Kind LED has an excellent record for customer service. Kind maintains a rating of 4.3 stars from 168 reviews on Trustpilot.
Conclusion
There can be no doubt that Kind offers some of the best options on the market with regards to efficiency.
If you’re a grower who is currently using HID lights, your new Kind LED lights could save you a bundle in energy costs and quickly pay for themselves, especially if you go with the K3 series. Buyers can also take advantage of Kind’s frequent sales that offer substantial discounts from their regular prices. Buying a Kind light during one of their sales could get you much closer to the cost of “white light” full-spectrum fixtures and may reward you with higher yields and lower electricity bills.
Consumers should keep in mind that Kind’s diodes with targeted-spectrum technology emit pink and blue colors, which some growers refer to as “burple.” The altered light in the grow room could take some getting used to, but the change could be well worth the effort if Kind’s LED lights produce the results they claim.
If you’re still not sure, we suggest that you purchase one of Kind’s smaller K3 lights or bar lights and gauge your results. Every grow room could use an energy efficient grow light.