Grow Tent Reviews Wanted
- Thread starter TorturedSoul
- Start date
vapegeek420
New Member
Bought an "Idaodan" off Amazon for my first grow and I'm wicked disappointed.
The welds are shotty and the fabric is falling apart at the hems since taking it out of the box...little, tiny fibers finer than human hair. I already know the buds will have some tent in them
Will be getting a better tent for my second run
The welds are shotty and the fabric is falling apart at the hems since taking it out of the box...little, tiny fibers finer than human hair. I already know the buds will have some tent in them
Will be getting a better tent for my second run
- Thread starter
- #123
YIKES! I'd have repacked that, glued the box shut like you never opened it, wrote "Refused" on it, and called the UPS guy to come back for it, lol.
I have a Grocell brand purchased off EBay here in Australia.
It is my first setup, but I am impressed, having looked around before I bought it.
The thickness of the fabric is very good, it has a removable splash base and enough holes to bring in air or cords without issue.
The watering system was part 2 of the setup purchase. Came with all you see and a small air pump and water pump. The water pump was replaced with a fish tank pump after my brother dropped it .
I also upgraded (using extras from my fish tank gear) to a bigger air pump and a long air stone that runs almost the length of the tub.
Also got a second tub to make water/nutrient change easier.
It is my first setup, but I am impressed, having looked around before I bought it.
The thickness of the fabric is very good, it has a removable splash base and enough holes to bring in air or cords without issue.
The watering system was part 2 of the setup purchase. Came with all you see and a small air pump and water pump. The water pump was replaced with a fish tank pump after my brother dropped it .
I also upgraded (using extras from my fish tank gear) to a bigger air pump and a long air stone that runs almost the length of the tub.
Also got a second tub to make water/nutrient change easier.
kelticBlue
Well-Known Member
Hi All thread bump 
I am just about to set up a new tent I am thinking of getting the gorilla shorty 225 at 2 ft by 2.5 ft. They seem to cost just more than 200usd. A pretty penny but thicker fabric and better built seems to give good reviews of grow tents. Most reviews I see are sponsored but the more expensive tents seem to hold their own. and get better reviews.
The question becomes, do I stick with the more expensive, I see cheaper tents like an Oshion 2 by 2 by 4ft. Or a Coolgrows the same size both of these are around 50usd.
I am concerned with being able to mount the filter and fan inside, I worry a cheaper tent might not hold the weight as well. Or last as long.
If the gorilla 2 b 2.5 was 1.5 by 2.5.... I would have already bought it. I need to measure the corner it is going in again. I am leaning toward spending the money and getting the better tent.
I wonder if thicker material would stabilize the inner environment.? probably not much.
I am just about to set up a new tent I am thinking of getting the gorilla shorty 225 at 2 ft by 2.5 ft. They seem to cost just more than 200usd. A pretty penny but thicker fabric and better built seems to give good reviews of grow tents. Most reviews I see are sponsored but the more expensive tents seem to hold their own. and get better reviews.
The question becomes, do I stick with the more expensive, I see cheaper tents like an Oshion 2 by 2 by 4ft. Or a Coolgrows the same size both of these are around 50usd.
I am concerned with being able to mount the filter and fan inside, I worry a cheaper tent might not hold the weight as well. Or last as long.
If the gorilla 2 b 2.5 was 1.5 by 2.5.... I would have already bought it. I need to measure the corner it is going in again. I am leaning toward spending the money and getting the better tent.
I wonder if thicker material would stabilize the inner environment.? probably not much.
Hi Keltic.Hi All thread bump
I am just about to set up a new tent I am thinking of getting the gorilla shorty 225 at 2 ft by 2.5 ft. They seem to cost just more than 200usd. A pretty penny but thicker fabric and better built seems to give good reviews of grow tents. Most reviews I see are sponsored but the more expensive tents seem to hold their own. and get better reviews.
The question becomes, do I stick with the more expensive, I see cheaper tents like an Oshion 2 by 2 by 4ft. Or a Coolgrows the same size both of these are around 50usd.
I am concerned with being able to mount the filter and fan inside, I worry a cheaper tent might not hold the weight as well. Or last as long.
If the gorilla 2 b 2.5 was 1.5 by 2.5.... I would have already bought it. I need to measure the corner it is going in again. I am leaning toward spending the money and getting the better tent.
I wonder if thicker material would stabilize the inner environment.? probably not much.
I have a Gorilla 2 x 4 and I love it. It handles all of my equipment nicely. It's really built well. I did a lot of trolling reviews and ended up picking this one. Well worth the money IMO. When I'm ready to go bigger, I'll go with Gorilla again.
Cheers!
LG
Edited to add more info:
I have been using mine for over a year now. I took it down for a couple of months and reassembled it with no trouble.
There are some pin hole light leaks around the zipper in a couple of spots. Nothing significant. You will likely get those with any tent.
The zippers are well made. I am in and out of the tent a couple of times a day
kelticBlue
Well-Known Member
LG
thanks so much. Great review. I like.
I still have a couple of weeks to sort it out.
Cheers
thanks so much. Great review. I like.
I still have a couple of weeks to sort it out.
Cheers
Berulakide
Well-Known Member
I have a 4x6 fusion hut, only the 600 not 1680d. It works awesome, aLeo has no light leaks. Been using it over a year and still just like new. It is holding up 2 led panels, 2 diy cobs, 2 light wires with you splitters and screw ins, a vortex s-line 6 inch fan and a I power carbon filter as well so the oscilating fan.
I purchased a Mars Hydro 27" x 27" x 63".
Pros
Its built really well for its price, but there are some drawbacks from some other more expensive tents.
The material isn't the heaviest but seems to be durable.
Removable floor pan.
The poles have spring-loaded locking pins so the frame stays together. BIG PLUS
The frame flexes some but is quite strong.
There are three crossbars at the top (one low, two high). Most tents have these, but it's nice to have them never the less.
The zippers and corners seem to be built really well.
It comes with a pouch for holding some items inside the tent or outside.
It has quite a 2 6-inch vent ports which are a double cinch (one inside, one outside). one port on the left, one on the right. One 8 inch port through the top, which is also a double cinch.
Two power ports one at the top in the back, and one at the bottom in the back, also double cinch.
Three rectangular vents at the bottom. One on each side, and one at the back.
One viewing window on the door. I don't really use it, but it is there.
Cons
The first issue I really have with the tent, the door is held back with the tie strap instead of a clip device.
The floor pan is also tied in. It also would be better with some kind of quick attach system.
There is only one door, but it is a small tent.
The vents are not light tight if you open them, but there are not many tents with light proof opening vents.
The clips on the pouch are quite hard to get off the ring that you clipped to. This isn't a really a problem but is an aggravation. I actually modified mine by trimming the end of the latch so the ring would clear easier.
No storage bag. This was a big bummer for me. I don't plan to grow year round, so I will pack the tent up when I'm not using it. I am currently looking for a storage solution for this.
Not what I would call 100% light tight (velcro and a few places at the zipper due to the curve), there are a few pin holes you can see in a dark room with a bright LED inside. But I do not think this is a real problem. No plant ever sees total darkness. But you will have to be aware to not put it in a room that gets very bright during the day if you're growing photoperiod strains.
Now the things to be considered before buying this tent.
Height- This is not a bad tent if you are in soil, and using an LED. But HPS or CMH may be too close and too hot for its size. You also don't really want to run any large hydro buckets in it either. With only 63 inches in height, you need to be as close to the floor as you can get unless you are only growing dwarf strains, or doing some real heavy LST/HST.
Size- ok, let's be real. Two plants which are compact or small are fine. One medium plant is really about all she can handle unless you are doing a SOG maybe SCROG.
I plan to stick with auto-flowering plants for now, but it would be a great mother tent. It would also be a good tent for someone looking to grow one photoperiod plant.
Pros
Its built really well for its price, but there are some drawbacks from some other more expensive tents.
The material isn't the heaviest but seems to be durable.
Removable floor pan.
The poles have spring-loaded locking pins so the frame stays together. BIG PLUS
The frame flexes some but is quite strong.
There are three crossbars at the top (one low, two high). Most tents have these, but it's nice to have them never the less.
The zippers and corners seem to be built really well.
It comes with a pouch for holding some items inside the tent or outside.
It has quite a 2 6-inch vent ports which are a double cinch (one inside, one outside). one port on the left, one on the right. One 8 inch port through the top, which is also a double cinch.
Two power ports one at the top in the back, and one at the bottom in the back, also double cinch.
Three rectangular vents at the bottom. One on each side, and one at the back.
One viewing window on the door. I don't really use it, but it is there.
Cons
The first issue I really have with the tent, the door is held back with the tie strap instead of a clip device.
The floor pan is also tied in. It also would be better with some kind of quick attach system.
There is only one door, but it is a small tent.
The vents are not light tight if you open them, but there are not many tents with light proof opening vents.
The clips on the pouch are quite hard to get off the ring that you clipped to. This isn't a really a problem but is an aggravation. I actually modified mine by trimming the end of the latch so the ring would clear easier.
No storage bag. This was a big bummer for me. I don't plan to grow year round, so I will pack the tent up when I'm not using it. I am currently looking for a storage solution for this.
Not what I would call 100% light tight (velcro and a few places at the zipper due to the curve), there are a few pin holes you can see in a dark room with a bright LED inside. But I do not think this is a real problem. No plant ever sees total darkness. But you will have to be aware to not put it in a room that gets very bright during the day if you're growing photoperiod strains.
Now the things to be considered before buying this tent.
Height- This is not a bad tent if you are in soil, and using an LED. But HPS or CMH may be too close and too hot for its size. You also don't really want to run any large hydro buckets in it either. With only 63 inches in height, you need to be as close to the floor as you can get unless you are only growing dwarf strains, or doing some real heavy LST/HST.
Size- ok, let's be real. Two plants which are compact or small are fine. One medium plant is really about all she can handle unless you are doing a SOG maybe SCROG.
I plan to stick with auto-flowering plants for now, but it would be a great mother tent. It would also be a good tent for someone looking to grow one photoperiod plant.
kelticBlue
Well-Known Member
Here is a little update, I got the Gorilla Shorty 2 x 2.5. Nice tent, more expensive but has the look to last. The zippers are smooth as can be. I did a little photo journal of my set up. I randomly took pictures as I was setting it up. It is a long one, sry.
See if I can post it here:
See if I can post it here:
Got busy with a little tent assembly today, took about 45 min, not growing yet. . . I still need to do the fan filter assembly and hang a route it all up. Then get the earthbox going with my LOS.
I did take a few pictures along the way this morning.
Nice tent solid feel, thick walls, and good zippers. One complaint! The center zipper zipps up from floor to ceiling. I duunooo? it feels weird and it not as easy to align as any of the other zippers, which were all pretty easy zip.
On with the show!
Tent Assembly and Un-boxing:
A pretty stealth box. I am legal but I dont want neighbors or building management to know.
The gorilla sticker has that brown tape over it, I like.
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Here we have the un-boxing, well packed and in good shape after its cross country drive.
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Hey where did she come from, she was in the other room but I could not resist
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All the canvas parts out of box
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Some tent poles
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The floor laid out waiting for the support poles and base assembly
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And here the base and support poles in place.
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Putting the tent top on next, careful in the corners, work easy a little on each corner at a time.
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Bring the walls up and align the zipper in the rear of the tent the zipper is slightly out of alignment here. I worked it over and started with the zipper pull on the top zipped the back to the left first then the right with the other zipper pull.
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Work the zipper carefully around the corners, have the larger tongue on the inside and work the zipper careful of the little tongue behind the lower part of the zipper.
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Smooth the corners on the inside taking time in the corners as you zip.
Here is a lower inner corner.
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Pretty much done Here is the upper supports.
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And an outside look --- Checking the temps and environment on the top outside of the new tent
It is a Gorilla shorty 2 x 2.5. I have it without the extension at 4 feet 11 inches. I could use the extension but i am installing shelves above the tent to store growing accessories. Just gotta see how it is gonna play out. I may remove one of the shelves and extend the tent upward.
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One more of a hungry cat.
could not resist again.
Great review! Cute kitty!
kelticBlue
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
pretty happy with the tent so far. Very thick material feels good. I have been in and out of it many times today. Feels good easy to use.
parnelli
Well-Known Member
I'm about to buy a 4x4 grow tent (600D). Been looking at the number of options out there for sale (Vivosun, Apollo, Mars Hydro). It sure seems that these tents are all designed the same (snap together, metal poles and corners, liquid tray, tool pockets, ...) and appear to made by the same company, likely in China. It sure looks like at about the $100US price point it doesn't matter which one a person gets. Am I off-base here?
- Thread starter
- #134
I've had the same idea for a while (and in general). There seems to be a bit less in the way of... protection of design in that part of the world.
And, to be fair, this is a relatively simple product we're discussing; there are so many (likely) ways to design a basic soft-sided "box" intended for the growing of plants. One, check. One or more (or, perhaps, zero) viewing ports (aka "windows") which may or may not have clear plastic or fine-mesh insect screen material, a number of small round cord/accessory ports with some sort of rudimentary light-blocking mechanism (typically a drawstring type arrangement), a number of larger ports (often of two or more different sizes) for fan/ventilation options, (typically) three rectangular passive intake vents with covers (often attached via velcro), positioned low on the sides lacking a door, et cetera. Most seem to include some sort of (rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible/foldable drip tray).
A grow tent might be of obviously(?) thicker and/or more durable material. It might include some sort of option for extending the height, either directly or via an add-on extension. Presumably, all grow tents will be reasonably light-tight unless designed to display the gardener's plants (and even those often make provision for a dark period), although there seems to be some variance here (that I would consider to be a quality-control issue, as all general-purpose grow tents ought to be light-tight). The vast majority of them have a silvery reflective interior wall/ceiling/floor material, and are rectangular in area (a square is a type of rectangle).
There are some differences. Homebox is one manufacturer that offers grow tents with a white interior wall material. There may be other companies that do, although this seems to be pretty rare; grow tents that had white interior walls all but vanished from the market some years ago after some companies' grow tents ended up killing a lot of plants due to poor interior wall material choices. Somewhat less rare - but still uncommon - is the grow tent that is non-rectangular in area. Again, Homebox is one brand that offers this.
And, to be fair, this is a relatively simple product we're discussing; there are so many (likely) ways to design a basic soft-sided "box" intended for the growing of plants. One, check. One or more (or, perhaps, zero) viewing ports (aka "windows") which may or may not have clear plastic or fine-mesh insect screen material, a number of small round cord/accessory ports with some sort of rudimentary light-blocking mechanism (typically a drawstring type arrangement), a number of larger ports (often of two or more different sizes) for fan/ventilation options, (typically) three rectangular passive intake vents with covers (often attached via velcro), positioned low on the sides lacking a door, et cetera. Most seem to include some sort of (rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible/foldable drip tray).
A grow tent might be of obviously(?) thicker and/or more durable material. It might include some sort of option for extending the height, either directly or via an add-on extension. Presumably, all grow tents will be reasonably light-tight unless designed to display the gardener's plants (and even those often make provision for a dark period), although there seems to be some variance here (that I would consider to be a quality-control issue, as all general-purpose grow tents ought to be light-tight). The vast majority of them have a silvery reflective interior wall/ceiling/floor material, and are rectangular in area (a square is a type of rectangle).
There are some differences. Homebox is one manufacturer that offers grow tents with a white interior wall material. There may be other companies that do, although this seems to be pretty rare; grow tents that had white interior walls all but vanished from the market some years ago after some companies' grow tents ended up killing a lot of plants due to poor interior wall material choices. Somewhat less rare - but still uncommon - is the grow tent that is non-rectangular in area. Again, Homebox is one brand that offers this.
parnelli
Well-Known Member
Thanks TS; from looking at data on reflectivity I've seen that flat white gives the highest level of reflectivity compared to other colors/reflective surfaces. Appreciate the heads-up on Homebox - I'll take a look.