Using grow tents to grow planys is one of the fastest ways to get up and running without having to build out a complete grow room. You can put together a grow tent in a matter of a few minutes, where as building out a dedicated grow space could take you days. With the possibility of getting many years use out of a single grow tent, plus the cost savings long term, coupled with the ability to take the tent down at any time, it's no wonder indoor grow tents are selling at a rapid pace. There really is no need to alter your home permanently anymore when you can get similar results when using a tent.

Top Features To Look For In A Grow Tent

The number one thing you want to look for when shopping for grow tents is that the tent is totally blacked out, and no light leaks into the tent. If light does leak this can throw off your flowering plants and possibly make them herm or even reveg. Cheap grow tents are known for doing this. Light leaks at the zippers, and seems. When you buy a cheap grow tent you will eventually be breaking out some black duct style tape to light proof it. It's inevitable with cheaper tents.

Accessory ports are another thing to really take into consideration when purchasing an indoor grow tent. The accessory ports will allow you to exchange air in and out of the tent, and also add heat or ac. The accessory ports are typically a sock style port that is adjustable from 4” up to 8”. Some brands of portable grow rooms will have a single sized accessory port, and this needs to be factored in when purchasing your other equipment, or re-purposing equipment you already have.

One of the things we see commonly in cheap amazon grow tents is that they are not rated to hold the weight of most of the equipment needed to grow your plants. If you are using traditional lights, an inline fan, and a carbon filter this can easily add up to 100 pounds or more. The super cheap amazon grow tents just won't hold up to this much weight long term. Imagine your tent collapsing when the lights are on, and your entire house burning down? You may have saved a couple of hundred bucks, but in the long run it's always better to just go with quality gear.

Making sure your newly purchased grow tent has a warranty that the Company actually stands behind seems like a no-brainer, but for anyone who has used them for any length of time, you will know this is invaluable. For example, Gorilla Grow Tents offers a 1 year warranty on normal defects, and breakage.

Paying a little extra for peace of mind is way better than getting midway into your first run with your cheap amazon grow tent and the zipper breaks off, and you are completely screwed.

The sizing of your portable grow room is one of the most important things. Firstly make sure that the height of the tent you purchase will work with your ceiling height. Nothing sucks worse then setting up your new tent and it won't fit because you have a ceiling fan hanging from your ceiling. Also depending on the type of light you are using, the height may be an issue do to light intensity roasting your plants. If your tent height is to low, and your lights are to close to your plants, you may completely roast your plants. This is lesser of an issue when you are using tents for veg or adjustable LED Grow Lights.

If you are trying to fit trays into your tent you need to make sure you buy a tent that is specifically built to hold the standard size trays. Some tents end up being a few inches short of fitting flood trays, and it's better to know this before buy your tent and get it home to set it up. If you are buying one of the newer style veg tents that are multi-level you want to factor in how tall your plants are able to veg before the hit your lights. Depending on your grow style you may have to adjust how tall you are growing your plants and not veg for as long.

Regardless of what your local laws say, most people do not want their neighbors knowing what they are doing. It can open you up to a break in and theft. That's why odor control in your grow tent is important. Using a basic inline fan with an appropriately sized carbon filter can make it so that your neighbors, and house guests can't smell what you have growing in the other room. Make sure to match your carbon filter with the right amount of CFM from your inline fan. Also the cheaper carbon filters that are light weight will not filter all of the smell out when you are deep into flower. The heavier the filter, the more carbon, the more it will filter. When you buy a carbon filter that is sized right with the right amount of carbon, you shouldn't smell anything, but filtered air coming form your exhaust.

Being that a tent is an enclosed space proper ventilation is key. You can end up with to high of temps, and humidity that makes you fight PM constantly. Proper air flow is key to keeping your plants happy, and growing healthy. If you are trying to run off of the VPD chart, then the added use of humidifiers, or dehumidifiers may be necessary depending on your local environment. Constant air flow is a good idea in your tent to ensure your plants have a stable environment to grow in. This can easily be achieved with an inline fan, and speed controller. For very little money you can dial in your tent environment and crush yields.

Cleaning your tent is an important part of keeping a healthy environment for your plants. Regular maintenance can cut down on pest and mold issues. Unfortunately the industry tends to gravitate toward using bleach as a cleaner. For a better natural alternative we prefer to us orange oil to clean our grow rooms and tents. When you spray it there are no issues with it hurting your lungs, skin, or eyes. It smells super good, and cleans pretty much anything. It will kill pests, their eggs, and mold. You do need to remember to not spray it on your plants as it will kill them because of how acidic it is. A good cleaning between cycles with orange oil, with smaller spot cleaning during your grow cycle, will help to cut down the possibility of any issues arising from pests and mold.

There seems to be a lot to consider when buying a new grow tent, but with a little time and consideration you can be sure to pick a tent that you are happy with for many years to come. That is until you realize you want to grow more plants, and need more room to grow. :)