The Best Timer for Grow Lights – 6 Top Choices

Not every climate or region is conducive to growing certain kinds of plants. If you have dramatic changes in season, outdoor plants may only be viable for part of the year. Or, if you want to grow something that wasn’t made for your climate, you may have to use indoor gardens to support those plants at all.

But ensuring those plants get the right amount of light can be tricky. Usually, you’ll need LED grow lights, and they need to be turned on and off at the right times. While you can handle that process manually, it is a cumbersome way to keep your indoor garden healthy. Luckily, if you find the best timer for grow lights based on your needs, it gets a whole lot simpler.

Why You Need a Timer for Your Grow Lights

If you want to garden indoors, making sure your plants get the right amount of light is essential. Otherwise, your plants will fail to reach their full potential, so you won’t get the same yields you would achieve with proper lighting.

By getting a timer for grow lights, you can automate the process of providing your garden the right amount of light. No more having to remember to switch them on and off yourself. Instead, the process is automatic.

To put it plainly, timers for grow lights simplify your life. When you use one of these handy devices, you don’t have to worry about whether your plants are getting enough light at the right times. The timer does all of the hard work for you. And, if you are going to be away from home for a few days, they are even more important for keeping your indoor garden in great shape.

The Top 6 Timers for Grow Lights

Every grow light timer comes with a unique set of benefits and drawbacks. By understanding what the best timers for grow lights have to offer, you can select the one that is right for you. Here are six amazing options.

1. Century 7 Day Heavy Duty Digital Programmable Timer

If you have two grow lights that need to be on the same schedule, the Century 7 Day Heavy Duty Digital Programmable Timeris a great option. You can set up as many as eight separate programs and, thanks to the convenient battery, this timer for grow lights will remember your settings even after a power outage. This timer grow light control box also comes with convenient presets, allowing you to get started without having to create a custom schedule.

You can update this grow light timer for Daylight Savings with the push of a button. Plus, you can attach this timer to regular lights and use Vacation Mode, allowing the device to turn your lights on and off at random intervals to make it seem like someone is home.

Setting the grow light timer up only takes a few minutes, thanks to the simple button and digital screen. You also have a lot of options, including everything from following the same schedule daily to having a different program for every day of the week.

Considering how affordable this one is, it easily qualifies as one of the best timers for grow lights around.

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2. Century 24-Hour Plug-in Mechanical Timer

If you need a simple, single outlet timer for a grow light, the Century 24-Hour Plug-in Mechanical Timer is worth considering. It is incredibly affordable and easy to set up. In fact, most people can get it up and running in just a minute or two.

This grow light timer uses mechanical buttons to set the times. For many people, this is more convenient than mechanical timers that rely on removable pins, as those can be lost. The buttons are integrated into the device, so you don’t have to worry about misplacing pins at all.

Getting started is a breeze too. You just adjust the dial to set the current time and then depress all of the buttons between the on and off time. After that, flip the switch to “Timer,” and you are all set.

Each button represents a 15-minute interval, giving you more control over your grow light’s schedule. Plus, you can schedule multiple on and off cycles in a 24-hour period.

It is important to note that, since this is a mechanical timer, it does produce a slight sound as the clock advances. Additionally, this timer repeats every 24 hours, so you can’t set up different schedules for different days without adjusting the timer manually.

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3. Urban Farmer Weekly 7-Day Programmable Dual Outlet Digital Timer

Another timer for grow lights that can support a different schedule for every day of the week, the Urban Farmer Weekly 7-Day Programmable Dual Outlet Digital Timeris perfect for indoor gardeners who need a substantial amount of control. You can set up your schedule down to the minute, giving you exceptional precision. Plus, this timer box for grow rooms has dual, simultaneously controlled outlets, allowing you to use two lights and one timer. You can also set it to “random,” allowing it to look like someone is home while you are on vacation.

The setup process is fairly quick, with most users being able to get up and running in just a few minutes. The buttons are clear, and the digital screen is easy to read, ensuring you can see exactly what you are doing as you set up the schedule.

The biggest drawback of this timer is the price. While it is a robust timer and has a respectable number of features, it is more expensive than some similar models offered by other companies. For the cost, it would be nice if the outlets worked independently, but that isn’t the way this timer for grow lights is designed.

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4. iPower 24-Hour Plug-in Mechanical Electric Outlet Timer

If you just need to control one light, the iPower 24-Hour Plug-in Mechanical Electric Outlet Timer might fit the bill. This mechanical grow light timer does not use removable pins, so you don’t have to worry about losing pieces. Instead, the pins are depressed to set the schedule, so everything remains intact.

The entire setup process can be completed in as little as two minutes too. All you have to do is set the time using the dial, depress the pins to note when you want the light to be on and this timer for grow lights will do all of the heavy lifting.

As an added bonus, this grow light timer is also very inexpensive, making it a cost-effective option for indoor gardeners on a budget. However, it doesn’t have as many features as some of the digital timers. For example, you can’t set up different schedules for different days. Also, as the timer advances, it can make a little bit of noise, so it might not be ideal for anyone with incredibly keen ears who notices every little sound.

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5. VIVOSUN 7 Day Programmable Digital Timer Switch with 2 Outlets

If you don’t want to deal with a hefty timer box for grow lights, this plugin variant might be a suitable alternative. The VIVOSUN 7 Day Programmable Digital Timer Switch with 2 Outlets plugs into a regular outlet and provides two outlets, giving you all of the capabilities of a robust timer in a compact design.

Setting up this timer for your grow light is a cinch. It works on a standard 24-hour cycle, allowing you to select an on/off time based on your plant’s needs. You can then set up a 7-day pattern however you want with intervals down to 1 minute. You just use the buttons on the control to get started, and most people can finish the setup process in just a minute or two.

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6. Century 8 Outlet Surge Protector with Mechanical Timer

If you need to keep several grow lights on the same schedule, the Century 8 Outlet Surge Protector with Mechanical Timer is a solid choice. This timer box for grow rooms has four outlets that are controlled by a single mechanical timer, ensuring all of them work seamlessly together to support your indoor garden.

Plus, you get an additional four always-on outlets. This allows you to use those other outlets for other purposes, giving you more options for your space.

Setting up the timer only takes a few minutes. After selecting the current time, you push down all of the pins in accordance with your ideal schedule. Since the pins are depressed and not removed, you also don’t have to worry about losing any pieces.

As an added bonus, this timer for grow lights is also a surge protector. All of the outlets, including those on the timer and those that aren’t, are protected against unexpected power surges, keeping your devices safe at all times.

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