Shop Lights vs. Grow Lights for Starting Seeds

Wondering if those cheap shop lights from the hardware store can really grow your plants? Or if you actually need to spend more on full-spectrum grow lights? I tested both myself this spring, and this article shares my findings 🙂

I’ll walk through the differences between the lights, what approach works best, and how to get the most out of your indoor seed-starting setup while spending less money!

Shop lights vs. full-spectrum grow lights

To understand how to use these two different types of lights effectively, you must first understand the difference between the types of light they emit.

Shop lights are fluorescent or LED fixtures meant for workshops and garages. They’re inexpensive, easy to find, and super tempting when you’re just starting seeds indoors. They typically put out cool or neutral white light—great for visibility, but not always ideal for plant growth.

Full-spectrum grow lights are designed to mimic natural sunlight, including both blue and red wavelengths that plants need for photosynthesis, especially during different growth stages. That means they support not just sprouting, but also healthy leaf growth, root development, and even flowering and fruiting—depending on the plant. They are often purple (blue + red!), but they can also be more natural “sunlight-like” colors.

What you can use shop lights for

For starting seeds, especially leafy greens and herbs, a good quality shop light can totally work. Just keep it a few inches above the plants and run it for 14–16 hours a day.

But here’s the catch—shop lights work best only when they are used very early on. Once your seedlings develop their first true leaves, it’s time to start thinking about bringing in full-spectrum grow lights. I find that my seedlings are usually fine under shop lights until they have a couple sets of true leaves beyond their cotyledons (the first set of leaves that sprout).

That’s because shop lights lack the full red spectrum, which is crucial for robust vegetative growth and flowering. You’ll see slower growth, weaker stems, and leggier plants if you keep your seedlings under shop lights for too long.

When to opt for full-spectrum grow lights

If you’re growing plants to maturity indoors and not transitioning them outdoors after the danger of frost has passed, a full-spectrum grow light is 100% worth the investment. These lights are built for the job, giving your plants the right light intensity and color spectrum for healthy development from sprouting to harvest.

Full-spectrum grow lights are more expensive up front, but they’re more efficient, last longer, and can save your plants from struggling later. Think of it like this: shop lights are great for starting your plants off strong. But if you’re in it for the long haul—growing indoors year-round or starting heavy feeders like tomatoes—you’ll want that full-spectrum support.

My seed-starting expirement

I started seeds using both shop lights and full-spectrum grow lights this year. All of my seedlings grew beautifully under both types of lights. However, I did have to keep a closer eye on the shop lights and their distance from the plants. The lights get hot, and I didn’t want to burn the plants!

To be totally honest, I can’t tell a difference between the seeds I started under shop lights and the ones I started using a full-spectrum light. So if you’re just getting started with growing from seed and want to spend money on something…I’d recommend putting it toward a heat mat and saving some $$ by using a shop light instead of a grow light!

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