Grow Tent Buying Guide: Key Factors to Choose the Best One

Home growing has become increasingly popular among cannabis enthusiasts and cultivators, thanks to the accessibility of modern equipment and evolving legality surrounding this wonderful plant. One of the most critical tools for cultivating high-quality, high-yield cannabis plants (indoors) is the grow tent! 

The best grow tent will provide an indoor environment that allows growers to optimize light, temperature, and humidity, all while while keeping your grow discreet, organized, and operational all year round. But with so many options on the market, it could be overwhelming to buy an ideal grow tent. There are many different grow tent sizes, shapes, materials, styles and layouts—there's a lot to consider. 

But don’t worry– this buying guide will help you navigate through all the options and find the perfect grow tent for your needs.

Things to Consider When You Buy a Grow Tent

There are some things you will need to think about when selecting the best grow tent, to make sure it fits your needs appropriately. 

1. Size

Available space

Do you have unlimited amount of space to grow as many plants as you'd like? Or are you limited to a spare room or closet? Luckily, Hey abby's smart grow tent kit has 13% more grow space than traditional tents, which can increase your yield by up to 8%.

Legal Restrictions

Most states now allow for anyone over the age of 21 to cultivate a certain number of plants, per residential address or resident. Some states even allow medical patients, with an approved recommendation, to grow a significantly larger number of plants. However, this will vary by each state.

Goals of Growing

Are you aiming for production-level yields with the largest harvest possible? This often means a more closely packed footprint and more plants. Or, are you going for a more personal, "craft" approach, focusing on growing the highest quality flower possible? This usually calls for lower plant count but more space per plant. Or maybe you’re looking for a happy medium between the two?

Method of Cultivation

Different growing styles will require different equipment and components, which can take up some of your available grow space. For example, if you plan on using soil in pots with saucers to catch runoff, you'll have more floor space for plants. However, if you're using an RDWC system, some of that space will be taken up by the system's components. Hey abby GrowMate grow tent kit is compatible with both hydro and soil growing methods.

2. Material

Today, most grow tents are made of polyester fabric, lined with Mylar for light reflection. Polyester is the most commonly used for its low production cost, durability, tear resistance, and flexibility. However, over time, ployesters can show wear, especially in high-traffic or heavily-used areas. 

Canvas, while less commonly used due to its higher price, is an excellent alternative. Although it's more expensive than polyester, it's extremely strong and resistant to wear and tear. It's much thicker, and has a denser weaved fabric than other options, offering improved insulation and light blockage. Canvas is an excellent choice for long-term use or heavy-duty applications.

3. Weight Limit

The weight limit of a grow tent is usually determined by the material used in the frame construction (e.g. steel, aluminum, plastic) and affects how much equipment (e.g., lights, fans, carbon filters) you can safely hang inside the tent. 

Steel frames are the strongest, and can typically support heavier loads—some can hold up to 200lbs! However, they're also the heaviest and most expensive frame material available. 

Aluminum frames are lighter than steel, but also less robust. Aluminum is the most popular frame material, because it offers good support while remaining affordable! Still, aluminum is the most popular choice because it strikes a good balance between support and affordability, typically holding around 40–75 lbs.  

Plastic frames are the weakest but the cheapest option. They usually have a weight limit of about 20 lbs, making them ideal for lightweight, minimalist setups.

Where to Buy the Best Grow Tent

It's pretty clear cut: if you're looking for the highest yield, most space, and easiest setup, the answer is the Hey abby GrowMate! 

This 4x4 complete smart grow tent is suitable for 2-6 plants (4 is recommended), made of durable, high-quality materials, and offers 13% more grow space, which means more yield! The GowMate light uses the high-powered Samsung diodes, which deliver more than enough light intensity and perfect spectrum for high-yielding, top-quality harvests. Plus, the light and air exchange system are controlled by a very user-friendly controller right attached on the grow tent.

These components come together to create the most integrated, automated at-home growing solution available on the market. The GrowMate allows growers to stop worrying about setup, equipment management, programming, task scheduling, and all the time-consuming work throughout the grow cycle. That’s time and energy better spent where it matters—caring for your plants. This next-gen grow tent kit gives growers their freedom back, so they can focus on what really counts. Make growing fun again with this best grow tent!

Grow Tent vs Grow Box: How to Choose

If you are trying to determine which is the appropriate solution, you first need to determine what your needs are: 

How much do you consume monthly?

This will determine how many plants you will need to grow. Grow boxes are only ideal for a single plant, yielding an average of 4oz of dried buds every 3 months, while grow tents can accommodate multiple plants, producing pounds of yield.

How much space do you have?

If you don't have a spare room to put a tent in, a Hey abby grow box is a perfect fit—taking up less than 4 square feet.

How experienced of a grower are you?

In my opionion, it's better to start small, to learn the basics and understand how the palnt grows before expanding. Jumping into a larger scale means more work and higher costs, if your harvests aren't worth the time and money spent on resources. The exception? Hey abby GrowMate. This smart 4x4 grow tent delivers step-by-step instructions to you. If you feel confident as a beginner, and want to grow more plants, consider buying this grow tent!

How hands on do you want to be?

If you're looking for a more automated, less attentive growing option, go with the a Hey abby grow box. It's less work and offers more of a hands-off approach than a grow tent is able to. 

How to Set up a Grow Tent

Traditional grow tent

Setting up a traditional grow tent isn't as simple and straightforward as one would think. Ideally, you're creating a controlled environment for cultivating cannabis at home. The tricky part is putting it all together, and getting it to be "controlled." 

Obviously, you will need some materials to get started. Setting up a traditional tent can be a 2-person job, so ask a friend to help! You'll need:

• Grow tent
• Grow light (grow LEDs are highly recommended for efficiency and low heat)
• Ventilation system (inline fan, carbon filter, and ducting)
• Oscillating fan
• Timer
• Controller/timer for light
• Thermometer/hygrometer
• Humidifier
• Growing medium (soil, coco coir, or hydroponics) with appropriate containers
• Runoff catch
• Heater
• Air conditioner
• Dehumidifier
• Feeding pump
• Hose

The best eay to start is to find the best location for your grow tent—somewhere discreet, temperature-stable, and with access to electricity, avoiding direct sun for half of the day.

Assemble your grow tent according to the instructions. Make sure the frame is sturdy and the fabric fits tightly around the corners, and it's pulled tightly along the panels. 

Hang your grow light from the tent’s ceiling supports (most have 2 or 4 crossbars to use) and position it in the center for even coverage!

Then you will set up the ventilation system. Connect the carbon filter to one end of the ducting, and make sure the inline fan connects to the other end. Secure them near the top of the tent, usually above the light, for proper heat control ventilation (heat rises). Connect the oscillating fan inside to circulate air evenly throughout the plants.

Finally, add your thermometer or hygrometer to monitor temperature and humidity levels. Make sure its level with the canopy and not in a shaded or "dead" area without frequent air movement.

Once everything is in place, plug your devices into timers or controllers to maintain consistent light and airflow cycles, and a hopefully consistent environment.

Hey abby GrowMate complete grow tent kit has refined and expited this process tremendously. First off, the GrowMate can be set up by 1 person in just about 15 minutes, as opposed to a traditional grow tent kit that taked nearly 10x longer and needs 2 sets of hands to complete. With the GrowMate system, the light and ventilation system are connected together, and all the components connect to one automated controller. It removes the wires, cables, and connections running though a tent, and offers a much cleaner, more streamlined and tidy grow space... And growing in general! If you're looking to buy the best grow tent for yourself, don't miss out!

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