Buyer's Guide
How To Select The Best Cannabis Grow Tent
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Picking a grow tent could seem like such an easy one….you fall in love with the first one you come across. Soon enough, you realize that you just threw your money away on a tent with poor support and other features.
What about a grow tent makes it good or bad? At the fore front of deciding what grow tent to purchase is your growing needs, your budget and the features you might be looking for
Join us for an in-depth dive into the world of grow tents. At the end of this article, you should be able to know which one best suits you!
What is a Grow Tent?
Most basically, grow tents are fabric wrapped around a metal pole frame. This fabric is usually coated on the inside with reflective material so as to maximize on the light available for the plants growing inside. Grow tents differ from grow boxes in that they are more versatile and easier to transport.
Grow tents are quickly gaining popularity over both grow rooms, and grow boxes.
Are grow tents worth it?
Absolutely yes!
Using a grow tent allows you to control your growing environment indoors which enables you to get the results you are aiming for. When seeking to provide the optimum environment for your cannabis plants, a confined space is the first factor to put in place, and that is what a grow tent gives you. After that you can consider other factors like lighting, temperature, growing media, nutrients, system, and ventilation.
Features of a Good Grow Tent
Some features of a grow tent are absolutely vital. Here is what you should look out for at a bare minimum:
- Heat and Rip Resistance: Your tent should be able to withstand both handling, and high heat if necessary.
- Fabric Density and Strength: In order to be rip resistant, your grow tent’s fabric should be dense. “Denier” is the term that typically measures fabric density. While standard grow tents could measure between 120D-600D, dense ones could go up to 1680D.
As a general rule of thumb, purchase the strongest fabric you can afford. This will go a long way in maintaining the integrity of your grow tent, locking out pests, airborne spores, and diseases, and also keeps in all that precious light.
- Quality Reflective Material: Diamond-patterned mylar, is the most commonly used reflective material. You should ideally look for material that gets close to 100% reflectivity. If your tent has poor reflective material, it will tend to crack and tear with bending of the fabric over time. This is why it’s important to purchase a tent that has reflective mylar well bonded to its canvas fabric.
- No Gapping in the Fabric: You should ensure that your grow tent does not seep out light. From the fabric, to overlapping Velcro flaps designed to seal off edges and corners, and last but not least proper zip draws, the light integrity of your grow tent is key.
- Zipper Durability: Because of the heavy usage of zippers on grow tents, you should ensure the ones on the grow tent you purchase are of the highest quality. They should both be easy to use, and durable. A small, hard to close zipper will soon snag and get damaged, so ensure that the zipper on your tent is of a good, comfortable size. They should also not be a point for light to leak out.
- Corner Construction: The best grow tents have interlocking snap pieces at the corners of their poles. This not only secures the poles, it also provides a strong framework that can withstand movement and other conditions.
- Frame and Pole Strength: It usually best to pick metal over plastic poles, and steel over any other metal. A mechanism that snaps is also preferable to one that rotates. In a nutshell, ensure the structure of your grow tent is sound and sturdy.
- Number of Ventilation, Exhaust, and Cord Ports: Ensure that the ports of your grow tent are intelligently designed. Ensure that your grow tent has ventilation ports, which ae basically Velcro secured flaps that can be lifted for ventilation, exhaust ports for more heavy duty ventilation, and cord ports that will save you from running extension cords.
Some Extra Features to Look For:
- Flood Tray- Flood trays are a good feature to have as a precaution to spilt nutrient solutions or other system fails, especially in hydroponic growing. Placed at the bottom of the grow tent, and fastened to its poles, flood trays can hold an impressive amount of liquids.
- Viewing Windows- Viewing ports are very handy in assisting you observe your crops without interfering with their environment. Usually secured with Velcro to prevent light leakage when not being used, they allow you to observe your plants without interfering with them, which is important to keep additives such as CO2 in as opening the tent would allow them to escape.
- Tool Pockets- Though not a very prominent feature, this is a very handy feature that allows you to safely store important items such as thermometers, humidity meters, PPM’s, pH checkers etc. They could also be used to store nutrients, clippers, journals, and other farm accessories.
- Net Trellis- Some manufactures will give you a bonus net trellis, which you can use to support your plants or maintain a height canopy. While not a make or break feature, it is certainly nice to have.
The Top Grow Tent Brands
- Gorilla Grow Tents
Started by growers who became frustrated by the quality of the grow tents available to them then, this company that started in 2011 has risen to become a grow tent giant. Their aim was to make a grow tent that was height adjustable, strong, thick, and durable…and as we will see later they largely succeeded.
A good number of commercial growers use products made by Gorilla, and they are also included in various popular “complete growing systems” which you can purchase online.
- Secret Jardin
This is a company that has been around for quite a while and enjoys brand recognition almost globally. Their grow tents are quite light proof with 95% reflective Mylar. However, in recent times, completion from other competing brands is proving to be brutal.
- Apollo Horticulture
Though they started off making hydroponic products, Apollo Horticulture has recently successfully ventured into making grow tents. They tents are often of good quality with a favorable price tag. Though not top of the range with every conceivable feature, they score highly where it matters most, zippers, fabric, and frame. They even recently upgraded their corners from plastic ones, to metal interlocking corners, which is a huge durability win.
The best grow tents 2023
We will list for you the best grow tent by size, both for best quality, and best value. For reference:
- Best Overall: Means the absolute best you can buy, money not being an obstacle.
Best Value: The best value you can hope to find on a “budget”.
| Size | Best Overall | Best Value |
| 2×2 | Gorilla LITE 2×2.5×5’7 | Quictent 2x2x4’7 |
| 2×4 | Gorilla 2x4x6’11 | Apollo 2x4x5 |
| 3×3 | Gorilla 3x3x6’11 | Apollo 3x3x6 |
| 4×4 | Gorilla 4x4x6’11 | Apollo 4x4x6’8 |
| 4×8 | Gorilla 4x8x6’11 | iPower 4x8x6’8 |
| 5×5 | Gorilla 5x5x6’11 | Apollo 5x5x6’8 |
Which is the best hydroponic grow tent?
We will have to say, the best grow tent is the 2×2 Grow Tent by Gorilla; however, because it is out of the price range of many growers, the other natural winner is another Gorilla grow tent.
The Gorilla LITE 2′ x 2.5′ x 5’7″ scores points for being the cheapest in the Gorilla range, while still having a ton of features that are hard to find at the price range it offers. Although it uses fabric with a density that is quite low, it incorporates a PVE binding technique that increases durability. It is also taller than most tents purchased at this price range and could even be extended an extra foot is a separate height kit is purchased.
This is the most affordable grow tent offered by Gorilla, though it comes with most of the bells and whistles not found in other grow tents of the same price range such as a flood mat, tool pocket, and construction that is high-quality.
In a nutshell:
- The Gorilla LITE 2′ x 2.5′ x 5’7 will give you great features at an affordable price.
- If you are looking for the highest quality available, Upgrade to The standard Gorilla 2×2.
- If your target is a good tent at the cheapest amount, Quictent is the direction in which you want to head. Though it is not as solidly built as higher-end tents, you still get loads of value, especially with its 600D fabric density. It also comes with interlocking steel poles, which is very rare at this price point. What you might need to be careful with are its zippers, as they might snag.
Grow Tent FAQ
Q: What is the best grow light for a 4X4 grow tent?
Ideally, a 4×4 tent would require an LED equivalent that is at least 500-1200 watts (which is dependent on the number of plants), as well as one that takes into consideration heat dissipation.
Q: What is the best temperature for a grow tent?
Temperatures requirements vary with each stage of the plant cycle. In the vegetative phase, temperatures of between 68-77°F (20-25°C) are ideal while they could go up to 82°F (28°C) in the flowering stage.
Q: What is the best size grow tent?
While the size of your grow tent is dictated with the number of plants you want to grow and how tall and wide you anticipate your plants to grow, in a very general sense, the ideal size for “a hobbyist cannabis grower” would be a 4’x2′ grow tents , and 4’x4′ grow tents for the more experienced ones. This is enough space for good yields and it also allows the fitting of common grow lights, which ensures optimal yields.
Q: What is the best heater for a grow tent?
The Lasko 754200 Ceramic Portable Space Heater is ideal because it allows you to choose between heat options, as well as fan only. You can also adjust temperatures to 11 different settings, and it will not overheat your space, even if left unmonitored.
Q: What is the best way to clean a grow tent?
After every grow cycle, in order to get rid of bacteria, pathogens, mildew and insects and their eggs, a thorough cleaning needs to take place. First, take apart everything and thoroughly clean each component with warm water and soap, and then disinfect with either Clorox or water, 3% hydrogen peroxide, or other grow room cleaners available in the market. Ensure to properly clean vents and filters, saucers, pots, and hydroponic systems, as well as the canvas itself. After everything has been hosed down and rinsed thoroughly, ensure that it is completely dry before putting it back together.
Q: What is the best humidity for a grow tent?
Like temperature, humidity differs at each stage, and for different kinds of cannabis plants. In summary, the ideal humidity is:
- Clones: 70%
- Vegetative: 40-60%
- Flowering: 40-50%
- Final weeks of flowering: 40-45%
Q: The best dehumidifier for a grow tent?
The Seavon Electric dehumidifier is a great choice for a grow tent. It measures 6.5 x 5.3 x 11.5″, its size is 30 pints, has a 9 ounce capacity, and covers up to 80 sq ft.
Q: What is the best fan for a grow tent?
A number of factors should be taken into consideration when selecting the best fan. A good fan choice is the AC Infinity CLOUDLINE T6, Quiet 6” Inline Duct Fan. Its features are:
- It is compatible with both carbon filters, and 6-inch duct.
- Features in 351 CFM airflow, which allows it to work efficiently with a majority of grow tents.
- Comes with an easy to use intelligent controller; on a single screen, you can monitor and adjust the speed of your fan, using the 10 different options provided.
- Displays the humidity, and temperature of your grow room.
- Its timer allows you to set a specific count of day and night hours in your grow tent, which is crucial for optimum growth.
Q: What is the best thermometer for grow tent?
The “ThermoPro TP50 Hygrometer Indoor Thermometer” doubles up as both a thermometer and hygrometer. It delivers precise, and professional readings as well as noting daily highs and lows of your grow environment. It gives reading in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, and is very portable.
Q: What is the best place to put your thermometer in your grow tent?
There is not one exact spot that will capture your temperature correctly. To sort this out, either purchase 2-3 affordable thermometers or thermo hygrometers which you can then place near the base, roots, and canopy. This will give you the correct reading at each of these points. Alternatively, rotate the location of your thermometer either daily, or bi-daily to ensure you have all your bases covered.
Q: Who makes the best quality grow tents?
Gorilla Grow Tents
Q: Are gorilla grow tents worth it?
For the most part, yes. However, if budget is a real concern, one can still get relatively good quality for less.
How do I deal with odor?
If your cannabis plant is letting off too much of a strong smell, you could either use a filtration system such as a carbon filter or deodorizing gel like the Ona Gel.
Final Thoughts: Deciding on a Grow Tent
We hope that by now you should be able to tell what to look for in a quality grow tent. Other factors you need to take into consideration are the size of your growing operation, if you need additional features, and the lights you intend to use With this information, you are now equipped to make a wise decision on the grow tent that’s ideal for you Happy growing!
