Grow tents are an important part of any hydroponic system. However, do you know how much weight they can actually hold?
Generally speaking, an average grow tent can hold between 100 lbs and 150 lbs of weight. This weight capacity can vary, however, depending on the grow tent brand that you have and the thickness and materials of the poles used to manufacture the grow tent.
This is a critical question every newbie grower would ask, as the weight of the growing lights, ventilation fans and dehumidifiers in the grow tent can add up quickly. I know that there is an instilled fear inside every new grower that grow tent will collapse once we start hanging the 16 lbs grow light.
We have all been there. However, there is no longer a need to worry about this aspect as I am going to give you the ultimate guide on grow tent’s weight capacity.
Weight Capacity of Different Grow Tent Brands
I have gone the extra mile for you and gathered all of the data below.
This is a detailed guide to the most well-known grow tent brands in the market and all of their maximum weight capacity.
| Grow Tent Brands | Grow Tent Weight Capacity |
|---|---|
| Gorilla Grow Tent | 300 lbs |
| Yield Lab Grow Tent | 170 lbs |
| VIVOSUN Grow Tent | 150 lbs |
| AC-Infinity Grow Tent | 150 lbs |
| Spider-Farmer Grow Tent | 150 lbs |
| Ultra-Yield Grow Tent | 125 lbs |
| Mars-Hydro Grow tent | 110 lbs |
| IPOW Grow Tent | 100 lbs |
You need to bear in mind that the previously mentioned weight capacity is the average maximum weight a grow tent brand could handle. The actual weight capacity of every grow tent depends on its size.
Of course, a 2ft x 2ft would not hold up as much weight as a 4ft x8ft could. As the grow tent size increase, its frame-supporting structure increase as well, providing a higher maximum weight capacity. However, the previous table will help you get a rough estimate of the average weight capacity for every brand.
Factors that affect the weight capacity of a grow tent
There are several key factors that will significantly impact the weight capacity of a grow tent.
- Grow Tent Pole Diameter
- Grow Tent Frame Design
- Grow tent Pole Material
Grow Tent Pole Diameter And Material
In order for a grow tent to withstand a high-weight load such as that of hanging a set of HPS grow lights, it must have a sturdy pole frame to provide sufficient support.
Imagine hanging a 50 lb set of grow light units in a grow tent with a cheap plastic frame and watching it collapse in front of your eyes. It is probably one of many nightmares every grow tent owner has.
Below are the grow tent pole diameter and materials used by well-known brands in the industry.
| Grow Tent Brands | Grow Tent Pole Material | Grow Tent Pole Diameter |
|---|---|---|
| AC-Infinity Grow Tent | Metal | 22mm |
| Ultra Yield Grow Tent | Metal | 22mm |
| Gorilla Grow Tent | Metal | 19mm |
| Spider-Farmer Grow Tent | Metal | 19mm |
| IPOW | Metal | 18mm |
| Yield Lab Grow Tent | Metal | 18mm |
| Mars-Hydro Grow Tent | Metal | 16mm |
| VIVOSUN Grow Tent | Metal | 16mm |
Another critical aspect that determines whether a grow tent will hold weight sufficiently or not is the pole connectors on the corners of the grow tent.
I want you to think of frame connectors as the single piece of the puzzle that holds your grow tent firmly together.
Cheap grow tents with extremely low-quality connectors are flooding the market nowadays.
So, you need to pick up connectors that are made of metal with sufficient diameter and thickness.
Metal frame connectors with a push-button design provide the grow tent with the highest support to maximize its weight capacity.
Push button connector design keeps all of the frame poles together and reduces the probability of a bar slipping and resulting in the whole grow tent collapse.
How to Test the Weight Limit of a Grow Tent
If you’re planning to use your grow tent for something that requires a lot of weight, such as a hydroponic system, it’s important to make sure your tent can handle it.
To test the weight limit of your grow tent, follow the next brief steps.
- Select a level and stable spot for your grow tent.
- Make sure that all connectors and poles are tightly fastened.
- Find the weight of the grow tent that the manufacturer specifies.
- Divide the total weight into four portions.
- Hang 25% of the total weight limit onto the grow tent frame and observe for two hours.
- If no bending or cracking in the grow tent frame occurs after two hours, add 25% more weight and observe.
- Repeat the process till you reach the desired weight.
Tips for Strengthening the Weight Limits of Grow Tents
If you’re looking to increase the weight capacity of your grow tent, there are a couple of tricks that you might use that will provide extra support so that you can hang your heavy grow lights without having any worries.
Use A Grow Tent Hanging Bar
A hanging bar is a super important accessory for any grow tent. The hanging bar act as a support pole that provides you with a more secure hanging anchor for any grow tent electrical appliance.
It’s amazing how applying little tricks could significantly impact your growing journey, I applied another set of SIMPLE BUT EFFECTIVE tips that allowed me to insulate my grow tent you can check it out.
The best thing about it is that it does not require any extra work. You just purchase it and rest both bar ends on the frame poles.
Use House Ceiling
There is no better way to secure your extra heavy grow lights than hanging them from the ceiling instead of the grow tent. By doing so, you transfer all of the weight load away from the frame poles to the ceiling.
All that you need is a ceiling hook that is well-positioned above your grow tent. You can hang the grow lights or any other type of heavy appliances from the ceiling hook by using a steel chain that goes all the way down inside the grow tent.
Grow Tent Extra Poles
In this method, we are going to use one thick metal pole to reinforce each side of the grow tent with extra support.
The used metal pole must be equal to or thicker than the rest of the frame poles. Each side of the grow tent will need one extra pole fixed in the middle between every two vertical poles. You can fix the extra pole to the main frame with heavy-duty duct tape.
Conclusion
It’s important to know how much weight a grow tent can actually hold. Generally speaking, an average grow tent can hold between 100 and 150 pounds of weight, while more heavy-duty grow tents can hold up to 300 pounds of weight.
Additionally, there are several factors that can affect the weight capacity of a grow tent, such as the pole diameter of the tent, the type of tent poles used, and the design of the frame connectors.
Finally, if you’re looking to increase the weight capacity of your grow tent, make sure you’re using the appropriate tent poles, using external ceiling support, and using extra poles to support the structure.
Now that you know how much weight can a grow tent hold, you can make sure you’re using the right type of tent for your hydroponic system. That’s it for today, you can hover and continue reading our content on indoor and outdoor gardening.