4.5% of the total photon flux of our lights is in the 320-400nm UV-A range. Because UV light is more energetic than PAR light, 6.6% of the total light energy produced by our lights is in the UV range.

Some competing grow light companies claim to have UV light in their spectrum, and they are technically correct- a few stray UV photons are created by almost every lighting technology. A typical HPS bulb has about 0.05% of its total photon flux in the UV range, and even incandescent light bulbs have about 0.2% of their total photons in UV.

LEDs typically have a tight spectral peak around the wavelength they are designed for, but even so, they can produce occasional UV photons. 450nm blue LEDs, in particular, can produce around 0.05% UV photons- one out of 2,000 photons they create is in the UV range. These blue LEDs coated with phosphor are the basis for "white", or so-called "full-spectrum", LEDs, which are often marketed as having "no harmful UV". With less than 0.1% UV photons, we would agree with these marketing claims, as the level of UV is insignificant.

However, some LED grow light sellers advertise their lights as providing UV light based on this insignificant "leakage" from the blue or white LEDs. Without quantifying how much UV their light produces, it is difficult to know whether or not it is just a trivial, "accidental" amount of UV.

One of our LED grow light competitors even advertises "exclusive UV technology"- but they don't include any LED diodes that target the UV wavelength range. The UV photon flux of their light is less than 0.06% of their fixture's total photon flux, a trivial amount; even less than incandescent light bulbs! By including actual UV diodes, our PhytoMAX-2 LED grow lights provide 75 times more UV light than their "exclusive technology".