Best 1000w Double Ended (DE) Bulb & Lamp Comparison Review & Test Including: Philips, Gavita, Ushio, Hortilux, and More.
Hey everyone, Nate from Growers House here. Today we’re running our next comparison: the best double-ended 1000W HPS lamp test. We’re doing this because Hortilux recently came to market with a new 1000W DE HPS lamp, and we wanted to see how it stacks up against the most popular players in the industry.
So we pulled together eight different 1000W DE HPS bulbs and tested them under the same equipment to keep it fair. Let’s look at the spectrum, then jump into the intensity data (PAR/PPFD) so you can see which 1000W DE lamps actually delivered the most usable light.
Spectra of the Best 1000W DE Lamps
Here are the spectrum results for the best 1000W DE lamp test. When you compare the spectra of these different grow bulbs, you’ll notice they overlap extremely well. The differences are mostly minor intensity changes at specific wavelengths, not major shifts in the overall spectral shape.
That makes sense because most HPS lamps share a similar chemical makeup (sodium plus trace elements). So no surprise here—the spectrum isn’t where the big separation happens. The real story is in total output across the canopy.
How We Tested: PAR/PPFD Mapping Over a 3’ x 3’ Footprint
Here’s the test setup. We placed each lamp over the same 3 ft x 3 ft footprint, because we wanted enough measurement points to get a statistically meaningful picture of the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) each bulb produces. PAR is the intensity from 400 to 700 nm, which is the range plants use most effectively for photosynthesis.
We took readings across the full 3’ x 3’ area and then used that grid to calculate totals and comparisons. If you’re doing your own checks at home or in a commercial grow room, a reliable Light Meter (PAR meter) makes it much easier to validate what your lighting is actually delivering at canopy level.
Best Metric to Compare Lamps: “Sum of All PAR Over 3’ x 3’”
When you’re trying to figure out which lamp truly did best, the number we focused on most was the “Sum of all PAR over the 3’ x 3’ footprint”. That’s simply taking every measured point in the grid and adding them together. The bulb with the highest total delivered the most overall usable light in this setup.
In this test, the best-performing 1000W DE lamp was the Philips Green Power 1000W DE HPS. (If you want to look it up quickly, here’s a site search for it: Philips Green Power 1000W DE HPS.)
Our hypothesis going in was that Philips would probably do best. We’ve heard similar results from other lighting manufacturers running higher-end testing (like goniophotometers), and there’s been a lot of talk about Philips’ ignition technology being a real advantage in 1000W DE HID performance.
Results: Top Performers Were Extremely Close
We recorded a total PAR sum of 18,852 for the top performer. What’s interesting is how tight the top group was. Four lamps performed very well, and they were all within about 1.5% of each other—so we’re not talking about drastic differences up top. I’d consider all four of these bulbs strong choices if output is your priority.
| Top Tier 1000W DE HPS Lamps | How They Landed in This Test |
|---|---|
| Philips Green Power / Green Master Power 1000W DE HPS | Highest total PAR sum over 3’ x 3’ (recorded total: 18,852). |
| Gavita Pro Plus 1000W DE HPS | Top-tier output, within ~1.5% of the leader. (Find Gavita Pro Plus DE options) |
| Ushio DE Enhanced Performance Pro-Plus 1000W | Top-tier output, within ~1.5% of the leader. (Find Ushio DE Pro-Plus options) |
| Genesis 1000W DE HPS | Also in the top group, very close to the leader. (Find Genesis 1000W DE options) |
Outside the Top Four: Value Pick and a Notable Miss
Now, jumping into the lamps that didn’t land in the top four: one we were really hoping would be up there was the new Hortilux 1000W DE lamp. In this first DE iteration, it didn’t quite make the top tier. (If you want to see what’s available, here’s a quick search: Hortilux 1000W DE HPS.)
If you’re looking at output vs. budget, the Nanolux MaxPar DE HPS 1000W stood out as a strong “bang for your buck” option. It came in just behind the first four, while costing about two-thirds the price of most lamps on the chart. (See Nanolux MaxPar DE options.)
Conclusions: Why a 7.4% Output Gap Matters in Hydroponics
One more note that really matters for hydroponic growers: the difference between the best lamp and the worst lamp in this test was about 7.4%. That’s big enough to be meaningful in crop yield—especially in commercial runs where small percentage gains add up fast.
So, final thoughts: based on this 1000W DE HPS comparison, differences in lamp quality aren’t just marketing. There are real performance differences in double-ended HPS bulb output. Think about your priorities—maximum output vs. budget—but if you’re growing high-value crops and want the most overall light on your canopy, the Philips 1000W DE delivered the highest total PAR in our setup.