Grow Tents — Grow Tents

A grow tent is essentially three things: lightproof fabric, a frame that can carry your lamp and extraction, and enough ports to connect it all tidily. Where tents genuinely differ is fabric thickness, frame load rating and height. That last one is the most often overlooked and the hardest to fix afterwards.

Why height is the measurement you forget

You choose a tent on floor area, because everything else is calculated from it. But what you can fit inside depends on what is left after deductions: a hanging system goes at the top, the lamp below it, and the lamp needs distance to the canopy. What remains after that is your plant. Tents with the same footprint can differ by tens of centimetres there, so read the height before choosing on size.

The brands and how they differ

Secret Jardin has the widest range, with the Dark Street and the more affordable Hydro Shoot from 40 to 150, the Dark Room 150 as the tallest version and the low Dark Propagator for cuttings. AC Infinity supplies the CLOUDLAB series, solidly built and pairing with their own climate equipment. Garden Highpro has the Probox Basic from 60 to 120 plus the Probox Propagator. Alongside them Homebox Ambient, the Dark Box DB series and the affordable Ferna Home Grow Box.

The frame carries more than you think

A lamp hangs off the frame, and with a carbon filter beside it that is quickly tens of kilos. So the tent's stated load rating is not a footnote: a heavy filter on a frame not designed for it pulls the whole structure out of true. Check that rating before choosing your extraction, not after.

Pick the floor area first

Everything else follows from it: your lamp's wattage, your extraction diameter, your pot size. If you already know how much space you have, filter by footprint straight away. Torn between one size and the next, take the larger: a tent that is too roomy can be used half full, a tent that is too small cannot.

Frequently asked questions

What height do I need?
Add up what hangs above your plant: hanging system, lamp, and the distance the lamp needs to the canopy. What is left is your plant height. In a low tent, a flat LED fixture that can hang close makes the difference.

How much can a tent frame carry?
It varies widely and is stated with the tent. Add your filter, lamp and fan together before choosing.

Tent or cabinet?
A tent folds away and moves; a cabinet stays put, insulates better and damps more noise. Choose on where the thing has to stand.

Which size for how many plants?
That depends more on how you grow than on the tent. Choose on floor area and allow for the room you need to reach in yourself.