Best Grow Lights For Pothos

If your Pothos isn’t near a decent window, it’s not getting enough light.

A grow light fixes that. And if you want my recommendation without wading through seventeen options and a spreadsheet of PAR values: get the Sansi 600W LED grow light and be done with it.

I’ve tried others, but this is the best mix of cheap and effective. Is it aesthetic? No. But none of the good ones are.

Do Pothos Do Well Under Grow Lights?

Yes — better than you might expect.

Pothos respond well to artificial light as long as it covers the right spectrum. Under a decent grow light on a timer, they grow at the same rate as they would near a good window.

Leaf size stays consistent, variegation holds, and your watering schedule stays predictable. It’s not a compromise; it’s just light from a different source.

Do Pothos Really Need A Grow Light?

Not always. If your Pothos is sitting close to a decent window and growing well, you don’t need one. A grow light is a solution to a specific problem — not a requirement for every Pothos owner.

You need one if:

• Your Pothos is more than a few metres from a window
• You live somewhere with dark winters (🙋‍♀️)
• New leaves are consistently smaller than older ones
• Soil stays wet for weeks despite not watering much
• You want consistent growth year-round without reshuffling plants seasonally

There is a perpetual myth that Pothos only need low light and whilst they can survive it, they won’t reach their full potential (I’m talking BIG leaves with splits, a la variegated Monstera)

What Colour Grow Light Is Best For Pothos?

Full spectrum. That’s it. Full spectrum lights cover the wavelengths plants actually use for photosynthesis — both the blue end (which drives leafy growth) and the red end (which drives overall plant development).

Avoid anything that only emits purple or pink light. It works, but it looks awful, and full spectrum lights do the job better anyway. The Sansi 600W LED is full spectrum, which is one of the main reasons I recommend it.

A little nugget of info from me to you – the purple diodes are the cheapest ones to produce. That’s why they’re in so many grow lights.

Why I Use The Sansi 600W LED

The Sansi 600W LED — specifically the 4-head version — is what I actually use.

The 4-head design means you can angle each arm independently, which is useful if you’re lighting more than one plant or trying to get coverage across a shelf.

It’s full spectrum, it’s straightforward to set up, and it doesn’t make your home look like a grow op.

I’ve tried a fancy, professional set up but I really appreciate having something that just clips onto to shelving unit. It has a built in timer, so I just turned it on, and it does its thing all by itself.

I have the time on 8 hours per day as it’s summer. It’s in a north-facing room, but it’s not big and is verrry bright yellow so the light gets bounced around.

How Long Should My Pothos Be Under A Grow Light?

12 to 14 hours a day. This mimics a decent summer day and gives your plant enough light to grow properly without overdoing it.

You can adjust this if your plant is getting some sun already.

Use a plug-in timer. Plants need a dark period — running a grow light around the clock isn’t better, it’s worse. A timer costs almost nothing and means you never have to think about it again.

Can Pothos Handle Direct Grow Light?

Yes. Unlike direct sun through glass, grow lights don’t produce the intensity that causes leaf scorch – not that it’s usually a problem. Pothos can handle a LOT of light.

You can position the Sansi fairly close to your plant — around 30 to 60cm — without worrying about burning the leaves. If you notice any bleaching, just move it slightly further away.

Frequently Asked Questions