Reflectors + Ballasts + Fluorescent

A reflector for plants puts more of each lamp's light on the canopy, and a matched ballast keeps that lamp running at its rated wattage. Pick air-cooled hoods for sealed rooms, CMH ballasts for 315W lamps, and T5 fixtures for clones and veg.

17 products

Reflectors + Ballasts + Fluorescent

Reflector for Plants: HID Hoods, Ballasts and Fluorescent Fixtures

A reflector for plants pushes a bare lamp's output down onto the canopy instead of the ceiling. This collection pairs those hoods with the ballasts that fire HID and CMH lamps and the T5 fixtures used for clones and veg. Brands include GrowLite, Adjust-A-Wing, Prism Lighting Science, Sun System, SunBlaster and LuxStar. See how a vertical hood performs in our OG Vertical vs Raptor reflector test....

Reflector for plants infographic: air-cooled and open hoods, CMH ballasts and T5 fixtures, lamp wattage and cooling

This is the hub for the parts around an HID or fluorescent lamp. For the full range, browse grow light reflectors and grow light ballasts, or step back to all grow lights.

Types of Reflectors, Ballasts and Fluorescent Lights

Reflectors and Hoods

The GrowLite Karma and OG Vertical take 8 in ducts for air cooling and run 250W to 1000W MH or HPS lamps. The GrowLite HDE is built for 400W to 1000W double ended HPS. Open hoods like the Adjust-A-Wing Enforcer and the Lumenmax 3-pack skip the glass. Pick air-cooled hoods for sealed rooms and open ones where heat can vent.

Ballasts and CMH Kits

The Prism Lighting Science ballast drives one 315W CMH lamp on 120V or 240V. The 945W DigiLamp kit pairs a DE CMH lamp with an EnergyStation ballast that also fires 1000W HPS. Sun System LEC 630 fixtures run two 315W lamps on 347V or 480V service. Digital ballasts run cooler and quieter than magnetic ones, and many can dim. A Hydrofarm plug adapter joins mismatched ballast and reflector plugs.

Fluorescent Fixtures

SunBlaster T5 HO strips come in 3 ft and 4 ft, and the NanoTech 4 ft adds a fitted reflector. The LuxStar 4 ft fixture holds four 6500K tubes at 216W total. Pick T5 for clones, mothers and veg shelves.

How Growers Use These Parts

Match the hood to the lamp first: single ended, double ended or CMH. Air-cool a 1000W lamp with a 650 to 875 CFM fan, as GrowLite advises for the HDE. Mount remote ballasts outside the canopy so their heat stays out of the room.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a ballast do?

A ballast starts an HID lamp with a high ignition voltage, then limits the current so the lamp runs at its rated wattage. Each one is matched to a lamp type. The Prism 315W ballast uses a low-frequency square wave tuned to Philips CDM lamps and will not run HPS or standard MH.

Do LED grow lights need a ballast?

No. LED fixtures carry their own drivers and plug straight into a power cord, so they never need an HID ballast. A ballast is only needed for MH, HPS and CMH lamps. If you switch a room to LED, the reflectors and ballasts here stay with your HID setup.

Do fluorescent grow lights need a ballast?

Yes, but T5 fixtures usually have one built in. SunBlaster strips are self-ballasted, and the LuxStar 4 ft fixture includes a digital ballast and reflector. You plug them in with no separate ballast box. Replacement tubes slot into the same sockets when output fades.