The Best Portable Grow Rooms
The rise in grow tent popularity over the last ten years has been tremendous. Given the numerous advantages grow tents offer over traditional outdoor growing its not hard to tell why. While this rise in popularity has been great for the overall hobby, its success has spawned numerous companies selling shoddy and inferior products with the hope of deceiving unassuming customers.
Given that finding the best grow tents can be tough, we’ve put together this resource – a one-stop, all-inclusive guide to help you find grow tents that will optimize your yield and fit your requirements. This will not only save you hours of research time, but you can be rest assured that these have only made it onto our list after thorough personal testing and discussion with other grow tent users. So without further ado, let’s find out which of these amazing grow tents made the list.
Primary Advantages of Using Grow Tent
It may be easy to assume that portable grow rooms are basic. These days they are much more due to the rise in technology and growth in knowledge in the grow sector.
- Ease & Simplicity
- Odor Control
- Climate Control
- Security & Discretion
- Pest Control
Ease & Simplicity
Today’s self-contained grow tents are simple and easy to use. Shipped straight to your door and assembled in hours, a grow tent offers its users a lightproof, waterproof, tailored vegetative environment, that while being tough and durable is easily dismantled and stored away when not needed. Once set-up, daily timers control the lights (and even watering), allowing you to relax knowing that everything is taken care of.
Climate Control
One of the most powerful advantages offered by grow tents is the ability to control all aspects of the climate inside. Through the use of lights, a fan, and the grow tents vents, the indoor environment can by easily controlled and altered to fit a grower’s specific needs. This equals optimized year-round growing, equating to higher yields, with absolutely no fear of the outside elements and their associated problems (heat waves, cold snaps, wind damage, floods etc.)
Odor Control
The ability to control odor cannot be overstated. With outdoor growing there is always a risk that neighbors, guests, or someone nearby may smell your plants. Thankfully this problem is easily solved with a grow tent. By confining your plants to a high quality grow tent odors are locked inside, and any air that is vented is rendered completely odorless by a standard carbon air filter.
Pest Control
The significantly increased ability to keep out unwanted pests is one of the most obvious advantages of indoor grow tents. With filtered air intakes, the risk of unwanted pests are extremely low allowing you to grow your plants organically, free of pesticides and herbicides, which are know to negatively affect the taste of produce. In contrast, bugs and insect infestations in out-door growing environments can wipe out months of hard work in a matter of days, and the can persist for months after.
Security & Discretion
If your plants are deemed valuable, ensuring they cannot be accessed by others is important. Grow tents afford their owners the ability to prevent unwanted interest as they can moved, placed in a locked room, and even be locked themselves. This can be invaluable for any owner.
The Top 4 Portable Grow Rooms
All told, any of these would be great buys. Much of it comes down to personal preference and your individual needs and requirements. Like most products, you can pick up a really, really nice grow tent if you’re willing to spend the cash, but that being said there are some standout products in all price ranges.
Gorilla
- Secret Jardin
- Apollo
- Grow Lab
Gorilla
A recent entry into the grow tent market, Gorilla Grow Tents have quickly risen through the ranks to become a top contender for the title of best grow tent. Started in 2011 by a group of California growers, designers and engineers, the brand has grown considerably since its genesis, propelled by its reputation for high quality products.
Secret Jardin
Reliable, cost-effective, quality, consistent results…….these are words that come to mind when we here at Grow Tents Buyer Guide think of the grow tents produced by Secret Jardin. Definitively one of the best brands on the market today, backed by years of success in the indoor growing community, these tents will provide the beginner growing, advanced hobbyist and even professionals with product they can be proud of.
Whether you are a professional or hobbyist, Secret Jardin grow tents should be high on your list of preferred choices. In terms of light tightness, frame integrity, ventilation/port layout, and general overall design and quality they are hard to beat (except maybe by Gorilla).
While it isn’t the cheapest grow tent, pound-for-pound these tents offer one of the best values on the market today and because of this we have awarded them one of our top spots on our list of best grow tents.
Apollo
For its combination of price and quality, Apollo grow tents have made its way on to our list. Based out of California, Apollo have been in the indoor growing space for a number of years and, in addition to providing grow tents, offer a range of other indoor growing equipment including light kits, bulbs, ballasts etc.
When we here at Grow Tents Buyers Guide think of Apollo we think of form and function. In testing, Apollo grow tents provided good results across all of our test metrics (link) and while they didn’t obtain the best results in any one category they did provide very strong and consistent results. Their light tightness was good and their frame and zippers were able to stand up to repeated use. In terms of ventilation and duct placement, Apollo’s knowledge of indoor lighting clearly shone through (no pun intended), as the number of ducts and their placement was optimized to meet the cooling requirements of the hot lights these tents so often employ.
Considering their very reasonable pricing, Apollo offers a strong value proposition for anyone looking to get into indoor growing. As such, we have blessed them with a spot on our list of top 4 best grow tents.
Grow Lab
Headquartered in Germany, Glow Lab has been manufacturing grow tents successfully for years. Given there a German company it goes without saying that they have engineered the hell out of their tents.
Having been able to use this products in over a number of different grows, I can tell you that the Germans have once again earned their reputation. The GrowLab is well made, no doubt about it. The frame is sturdy, made of steel and powder coated to prevent rust.
The fabric is thick and durable and the zippers move with extreme ease. While smooth zippers are normally a cause for concern given they equate to light leakage, GrowLab has cleverly fixed this with overlapping fabric flaps both externally and internally. While we did still notice some light leakage coming from the bottom zipper, this is ultimately a minor defect as the flap can simply be taped down.
While the price of Grow Lab’s grow rooms may be viewed as a bit high, what your getting for that price should not be understated. Taking into account the quality of its products we have no choice but to give it a spot our list of grow tents.
Gorilla Portable Grow Rooms Review
Synonymous with high quality and attention to detail, Gorilla is the professional growers choice…or at least it should be. Utilizing a fabric that’s 3-5x thicker than anything else we have seen or tested, a solid steel frame capable of holding 250+ pounds, and industry leading light tightness (matched only by Secret Jardin) these tents are built to last. Conceived, designed and built by growers for growers, these tents bring together the best designs, materials and technologies, to make the ultimate indoor vegetative environment.
So what’s the catch? While, like most things, if you want the best you need to pay top dollar. Gorilla is no different. That being said, its our experience that paying a bit more now for a high grow tent will be much cheaper in the long run than buying one of the many cheap low quality tents on the market which are plagued with problems and will undoubtedly affect your crop and yield.
All-told, we have to give two thumbs up to Gorilla Grow Tents. Their tents were some of the best we tested and we highly recommend them for any professional or anyone looking to move up a level and take indoor growing a bit more seriously.
Pros:
- Thickest Fabric On the Market
- Easy to put together which is a bonus
- Unlike cheaper tents, the biggest pro point is that these tents are built to last
Cons:
- Price
- Recent Reviewers Complain about zipper issues
- Pre-Fitted Holes May Not Be Convenient
Portable Grow Room FAQs
Everything you want to know about buying the best possible grow tent for your home.
What size room do I need?
You must be willing to dedicate at least one full size room in your house or apartment to becoming a grow room. Example: An average size bedroom is approximately 10ftx10ft.
How many lights will I need?
There are many factors that determine how many lights to use, such as overall size of the entire house or apartment, room dimensions, and location.
How do I know this is safe?
Owning an indoor grow room is perfectly safe and legal. Thousands of indoor gardeners grow tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce year round.
How much does it cost?
Depends on the size of the grow room and what’s needed. For a completely finished, sealed 10×10 grow room with new equipment installed and ready to go, you should be prepared to spend anywhere from $1,000-2,000. Larger projects can be more.
Not Convinced?
Other Key Benefits Of Portable Grow Rooms
Some more reasons why you should be considering investing in a grow room.
- Flexibility: Portable grow houses can be easily moved to different locations or rearranged within a space, providing flexibility in terms of where you can grow your plants.
- Increased control over growing conditions: Portable grow houses can provide a controlled environment for your plants, allowing you to regulate temperature, humidity, and lighting to optimize growth.
- Protection from pests and diseases: Portable grow houses can provide a barrier between your plants and pests and diseases that may be present in the outside environment.
- Year-round growing: Portable grow houses can allow you to grow plants year-round, regardless of the weather or seasons.
- Increased efficiency: Portable grow houses can allow you to make the most of your available space, as you can stack multiple layers of plants or use vertical space more efficiently.
- Cost savings: Portable grow houses can help you save money on energy costs, as you can use natural light or energy-efficient lighting to grow your plants.
- Increased yield: Portable grow houses can allow you to increase the yield of your plants by optimizing growing conditions and providing a protected environment.
- Improved taste and quality: Portable grow houses can allow you to grow fresher, higher-quality produce that has a better taste and texture.
- Increased food security: Portable grow houses can provide a source of fresh, nutritious produce even in times of uncertainty or shortages.
- Educational opportunities: Portable grow houses can provide an opportunity for children and adults to learn about plant growth and sustainability.
What is the difference between a portable grow room and a portable grow house:
A portable grow room is a self-contained space that is specifically designed for growing plants indoors. It is typically smaller in size than a portable grow house and is intended for use in a home or small business. A portable grow room can be used to grow a variety of plants, including vegetables, herbs, and flowers.
A portable grow house, on the other hand, is a larger structure that is designed for growing plants outdoors. It is typically made from a sturdy, weather-resistant material, such as plastic or metal, and is designed to provide a controlled environment for plants to grow. A portable grow house can be used to grow a variety of plants, including vegetables, herbs, and flowers. It is often used in commercial settings, such as greenhouses or farms, but can also be used by individuals for personal use.
Overall, the main difference between a portable grow room and a portable grow house is the size and intended use of the structure. A portable grow room is smaller and intended for indoor use, while a portable grow house is larger and intended for outdoor use. Both can provide a controlled environment for growing plants, but a portable grow house may offer more space and flexibility for larger-scale growing.
There are a few key factors to consider before buying a portable grow room:
- Size: Consider the size of the grow room and whether it will fit in the space you have available. You’ll also want to consider the size of the plants you’ll be growing and how much space they will need.
- Lighting: Lighting is a key factor in plant growth, so you’ll want to consider the type and intensity of lighting you’ll need for your plants. You may also want to consider energy-efficient lighting options.
- Ventilation: Proper ventilation is essential for maintaining a healthy growing environment. Look for a portable grow room with good ventilation and air circulation.
- Temperature and humidity control: Plants have specific temperature and humidity requirements, so you’ll want to look for a grow room that allows you to control these factors.
- Materials and construction: Look for a portable grow room that is made from durable, high-quality materials and has a sturdy construction.
- Ease of use: Consider how easy it will be to set up and use the grow room. You may want to look for a grow room with features such as automated temperature and humidity control, timer-controlled lighting, and easy-to-use vents.
- Price: Consider your budget and look for a grow room that fits your needs and price range.