Growing cannabis for personal use is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding hobbies around. However, growing cannabis is about more than just seeds and soil, and most people don’t have an ideal setup for outdoor grow. That’s where cannabis grows tents come in.
Read on, as we cover everything you’ll need to know about cannabis grow tents, so you can successfully cultivate your plants.
Grow Tent Basics
Grow tents are temporary installations that house plants and growing equipment. A grow tent is composed of a frame, typically made from metal, and a thick fabric wrapped around the frame to create a box. The fabric’s inside is made from a reflective material reflecting light towards your plants to increase photosynthesis.
Grow tents allow you to control your growing environment and the variables that affect your grow. Using a grow tent or other controlled environment is critical if you want to cultivate happy, healthy plants and maximize your yields.
Best Grow Tents
Now that you have a bit more knowledge about the equipment you’ll need for your first grow, let’s take a closer look at the top five best grow tents available today. We covered each of them in greater detail in our Five Best Grow Tents and Kits guide, and you can check them out at the links below.
- #1 Vivosun – Best Value Tent
- #2 Gorilla Grow – Customizable Height
- #3 Mars Hydro – Most Affordable
- #4 BudBox – Best Photosynthetic Active Radiation
- #5 Topolite – Lightest Weight
Key Features of a Quality Grow Tents
Before you head out and purchase a grow tent, you’ll want to consider the most crucial features and characteristics. Once you know what to look for, it will be much easier for you to choose an ideal tent for your next grow.
Highly Reflective Inner Shell
The inside of a grow tent is made from a reflective material that prevents light from diffusing away from your plants. Reflective materials send the light back to the plants, which encourages photosynthesis and helps your plants reach their potential.
Mylar is the most popular material for the inner shell of a grow light. This material is often embossed with diamond, square, or circle patterns, which increases reflectivity. Always look for a tent that provides 95% reflectivity or higher.
Heavy-Duty Zippers
Zippers experience more wear and tear than any other component of a grow tent. Since the exterior shell is made to the exact size of the frame, the zippers also put up with lots of stress from the fabric stretching over the frame.
Always look for a grow tent with heavy-duty zippers that can stand up to regular opening and closing. The teeth should also be tightly spaced to prevent light leaks.
Conveniently Located Ports
All grow tents feature ports for ventilation, exhaust, and electrical cords. Most tents feature at least two ports per tent, and larger tents often feature four or more. Consider the ports’ location and how well they’ll work with the setup you have planned.
The ports should also have heavy-duty closures so they can be closed off when they aren’t in use. The internal flaps should secure with velcro or heavy zippers to prevent light leaks when they aren’t in use.
Window
A viewing window is a handy feature you’ll find on many of the best grow tents. Windows provide you with a birds-eye look into your growth without having to open the door and stress the zippers.
Windows are especially important if you use CO2 in your grow, as you’ll be able to check in on your grow without allowing all the CO2 buildup inside your tent to leak out.
Shell Density
The exterior shell of a grow tent is usually made from nylon, but not all shells are created equally. Inexpensive grow tents usually have thin nylon shells that can easily rip or tear. Thin shells can also allow light and smell to leak out from your tent, and they’re more likely to allow outside contaminants into the tent.
Denier is the measurement for fabric density. Look for grow tents with a high-denier exterior shell that measures 600D or higher. The higher the denier, the thicker and denser the fabric will be.
Frame Construction
Another critical component of quality grow tents is the frame. Most frames are made from tubular steel or aluminum, and either material is durable and long-lasting. But, frames are only as good as their weakest components, and too many manufacturers employ cheap plastic corners that are prone to breakage.
Look for tents that offer heavy-duty corners. Corners that feature locking buttons are best, as they allow you to easily move your grow tent without worrying about it coming apart or becoming damaged.
