Lighting — For 60x60

A 60x60 is where most people start and the cheapest size to complete. Budget roughly 100 to 150 watts of LED, or a 250 watt discharge lamp. The choice is the widest of any tent size here, and that is exactly why this is the size where the difference between wattage and actual coverage catches people out soonest.

Coverage is not the same as wattage

Two 100 watt lamps can serve different areas, and at this size you notice it straight away in the corners. The AC Infinity IONBOARD S22 states 60x60, exactly this tent. The ViparSpectra P600 states 40x40 and is therefore a lamp for a smaller footprint or for raising plants. Several models state no coverage figure at all on their product page; there you go by wattage and shape.

The LED choice

From ViparSpectra there are the P1000 and XS1000 at 100 watts, the more frugal P600 and the heavier XS1500 Pro at 150 watts. From Mars Hydro the FC-1500 EVO and FC-E1500 from the bar series plus the compact TS-600. Alongside them the Spectrabox UFO 100W and the Lux-Helios LED 100W, which states 2.8 µmol/J.

Discharge lamps at this size

Fertraso and Sylvania each supply a 250 watt lamp. They cost less to buy and give off considerably more heat, and in a 60x60 tent that is the difference between needing extra cooling and not. They are also bare lamps, so a reflector goes with them and we do not stock the fitting. For a first build, LED is usually the simpler route here.

Count the height in

A 60x60 is usually not tall either, and above your lamp goes a hanging system, plus a reflector if it is a discharge lamp. What is left after that is what your plant can become. A flat LED fixture you can hang close above the canopy often beats a heavier lamp that needs distance.

Frequently asked questions

Which lamp covers a full 60x60?
Look at the stated coverage on the product page rather than the wattage. Some lamps here are rated for a smaller footprint and work better in propagation or half a tent.

Is a 250 watt HPS too much for this size?
In light terms no, in heat terms often yes. Over 0.36 square metres that heat has to go somewhere, so size your extraction for it before choosing.

Can I use one lamp for growth and bloom?
With LED, almost always. You dim it in the first weeks and bring it up as the plant can take it.