The Gear Index · updated July 2026
The 108 things that actually grow weed.
The staple gear of home cannabis cultivation — indoor and outdoor, budget to premium. No hype, no fake wattage, no scams. Filter to your setup and build your cart with confidence.
Community-consensus picks, not paid placements. We list products by tier instead of price so the list stays honest — always check the current model and reviews before you buy.
Grow Lights
9 picksThe yield-maker. 30–40 real watts per square foot of canopy.
Spider Farmer SF1000 (100W)
$The default first light for a 2x2 — Samsung diodes, dimmable.
indoorMars Hydro TS1000 (150W)
$Budget classic; runs a 2x2 to 2.5x2.5 honestly.
indoorSpider Farmer SF2000 (200W)
$$The 2x4 workhorse; bar-adjacent board layout.
indoorMars Hydro FC-E3000 (300W)
$$Bar-style spread for even 3x3 coverage.
indoorAC Infinity IONBOARD S24 (240W)
$$Integrates with their controller ecosystem.
indoorAC Infinity IONFRAME EVO4 (300W)
$$$Bar light with app dimming/scheduling built in.
indoorHLG 260W XL QB Kit
$$$US-built kit; the quantum-board original, buy-once quality.
indoorVivosun VS1000 (100W)
$Frequent-sale alternative to the SF1000.
indoorPhotontek X2 250W PRO
$$$High-efficiency bar fixture for serious 2x4/3x3 runs.
indoor
Tents & Space
7 picksCheap tents are fine — spend the savings on the light.
AC Infinity CLOUDLAB 422 (2x2)
$$Thick poles, quality zippers; the premium small tent.
indoorAC Infinity CLOUDLAB 642 (2x4)
$$The sweet-spot size for 2 plants.
indoorVivosun 2x4x60 tent
$The budget default; millions grown in these.
indoorMars Hydro 4x4 tent
$Solid value at the 4-plant size.
indoorSpider Farmer 2x2 tent
$Often bundled with the SF1000 at a discount.
indoorGorilla Grow Tent 4x4
$$$Tank-grade canvas + height extension kits.
indoorAC Infinity CLOUDLAB 899 (4x8)
$$$When one tent becomes a perpetual harvest setup.
indoor
Airflow & Climate
10 picksMove air out, keep air moving inside, and watch the numbers.
AC Infinity CLOUDLINE T4 (4")
$$The exhaust fan — quiet EC motor, thermostat control.
indoorAC Infinity CLOUDLINE T6 (6")
$$For 4x4s and hot attics/basements.
indoorAC Infinity Controller 69 PRO
$$Runs fans/lights/humidifier off temp+RH targets automatically.
indoorAC Infinity 4" carbon filter
$Australian charcoal; kills smell for a full grow+.
indoorPhresh Filter 4"
$$The long-running premium scrubber.
indoor6" clip-on fan (x2)
$Gentle leaf dance 24/7 — buy two, aim above and below canopy.
indoorVivosun 6" oscillating tent fan
$Pole-mount oscillation for bigger tents.
indoorLevoit 6L humidifier
$Seedling/veg RH; top-fill, runs days.
indoorhOmeLabs 22-pint dehumidifier
$$Late-flower insurance — WNY summers demand one.
indoorInkbird ITC-308 outlet thermostat
$Cheap automation for heaters/heat mats.
indoor
Media & Containers
10 picksThe root zone: soil or coco, and fabric over plastic.
Premier Pro-Mix HP
$$The peat+perlite canvas for amended/living mixes.
indooroutdoorFox Farm Ocean Forest
$$Hot out of the bag — feeds ~4 weeks; skip for seedlings.
indooroutdoorFox Farm Happy Frog
$Milder FF; good seedling and transplant soil.
indooroutdoorBuild A Soil 3.0 (Coots mix)
$$$The living-soil gold standard, shipped.
indooroutdoorCanna Coco brick / bag
$Buffered coco that made the 70/30 mix famous.
indoorMother Earth perlite (#3)
$Aeration for everything; 20–30% of any mix.
indooroutdoorVivosun 5-gal fabric pots (5-pack)
$Air-pruned roots; nearly impossible to overwater badly.
indooroutdoorRain Science grow bags
$$Mesh bags loved by coco growers for dry-back speed.
indoorSmart Pot 15–30 gal
$$Outdoor beds that move — deck, patio, backyard.
outdoor1020 trays + inserts
$Seed starting and clone staging.
indoor
Organic Amendments
12 picksThe Soil Lab shopping list — the recipes' actual ingredients.
Gaia Green All Purpose 4-4-4
$The veg half of the Canucks system.
indooroutdoorGaia Green Power Bloom 2-8-4
$The flower half; top-dress at day 30 of bloom.
indooroutdoorWiggle Worm castings 15lb
$The microbe engine of every recipe on this site.
indooroutdoorXtreme Gardening Mykos
$Mycorrhizae at every transplant — roots' best friend.
indooroutdoorXtreme Gardening Azos
$N-fixing bacteria; pairs with Mykos.
indooroutdoorDown To Earth kelp meal
$K + micros + growth hormones; in every veganic mix.
indooroutdoorDown To Earth alfalfa meal
$Plant-based N with triacontanol kick.
indooroutdoorDown To Earth neem seed meal
$Feeds soil AND suppresses gnats/mites.
indooroutdoorDown To Earth crab meal
$Chitin feeds the micro-herd; the guano-stack staple.
indooroutdoorDown To Earth fish bone meal
$Bloom phosphorus, organic-style.
indooroutdoorBuildASoil basalt rock dust
$Trace minerals; veganic and no-till staple.
indooroutdoorEspoma garden gypsum + dolomite lime
$Ca/Mg/S and pH buffering for peat mixes.
indooroutdoor
Bottled & Salt Nutrients
8 picksFor coco/hydro runs or anyone skipping amended soil.
Jack's 321 (Part A+B+Epsom)
$Absurdly cheap per gallon; the salt-feed community default.
indooroutdoorGeneral Hydroponics Flora Trio
$$The 30-year classic 3-part.
indoorFox Farm Trio (Grow Big/Tiger/Big Bloom)
$$Soil-friendly bottles; follow at half strength.
indooroutdoorBotanicare Cal-Mag Plus
$THE fix for LED-era rusty-spot hunger, esp. in coco.
indoorSilica supplement (Armor Si / mono-silicic)
$$Stronger stems and better heat resilience.
indooroutdoorReal Growers Recharge
$$Microbe shot that revives tired root zones.
indooroutdoorMegaCrop one-part
$One scoop simplicity for salt feeders.
indoorEmerald Harvest Cali Pro A/B
$$$Premium 2-part for dialed rooms.
indoor
Water & pH
8 picksA $15 pen prevents 80% of 'mystery' problems.
Apera PH20 pH pen
$$Accurate, calibratable, survives years — the upgrade pick.
indooroutdoorVivosun pH pen + buffer packets
$The functional budget pen; calibrate monthly.
indooroutdoorGH pH Up/Down kit
$A bottle lasts a year of adjustments.
indooroutdoorTDS/EC pen (HM Digital or Apera)
$Know your feed strength and runoff.
indoor2-gal watering can w/ fine rose
$Gentle showers, no crater-blasting seedlings.
indooroutdoor1-gal pump sprayer
$Foliar feeds and IPM applications.
indooroutdoorRO Buddie 50GPD RO system
$$For hard-water homes; add Cal-Mag back.
indoorAir pump + stone + 5-gal bucket
$Bubble compost teas and de-chlorinate tap water.
indooroutdoor
Meters & Monitoring
7 picksThe problems happen at 4 a.m. — log everything.
Govee WiFi hygrometer (2-pack)
$Phone alerts + min/max history; canopy and lung room.
indoor60x jeweler's loupe
$The trichome harvest-timing tool. Non-negotiable.
indooroutdoorUSB microscope (Plugable/Carson)
$Trichome close-ups + pest ID on a big screen.
indooroutdoorInfrared temp gun
$Leaf-surface temps — the number VPD actually cares about.
indoorPhotone app + diffuser cap
$Phone PPFD readings close enough for home grows.
indoorBN-LINK mechanical timers (2-pack)
$Lights on schedule, zero thinking.
indoorSoil moisture meter (3-in-1)
$Rough but useful for beds; indoors, lift the pot instead.
outdoor
Pest & Disease (IPM)
9 picksTreat the day you find them — every bug compounds weekly.
Yellow sticky traps (20-pack)
$Early-warning radar from day one, not a cure.
indooroutdoorMosquito Bits (BTI)
$Fungus gnat larvae killer; safe through flower.
indooroutdoorCaptain Jack's Deadbug (spinosad)
$Thrips/caterpillars; veg + early flower only.
indooroutdoorSafer insecticidal soap
$Contact killer for soft-bodied pests; veg use.
indooroutdoorLost Coast Plant Therapy
$$Gentle mite/PM suppression the community swears by.
indooroutdoorMilStop / potassium bicarbonate
$$Powdery mildew on leaves; early flower ok, never on buds.
indooroutdoorPredatory mites (P. persimilis)
$$The only spider-mite play left in late flower.
indoorDiatomaceous earth (food grade)
$Soil-surface crawler barrier; reapply after rain.
outdoorSluggo (iron phosphate)
$Slugs/snails on outdoor seedlings, pet-safe.
outdoor
Training & Propagation
9 picksTen dollars of ties outperforms $100 of gadgets.
Soft plant ties (twist roll)
$The whole LST toolkit, honestly.
indooroutdoorPlant yoyos (8-pack)
$Support heavy late-flower colas.
indooroutdoorTrellis netting 4x8
$SCROG screens and outdoor support.
indooroutdoorFiskars micro-tip snips
$Clean cuts for topping and defoliation.
indooroutdoorClonex rooting gel
$The cloning standard since forever.
indoorRapid Rooter plugs (50)
$Seeds and clones both root happily in these.
indoorHeat mat + Inkbird thermostat
$Germination and winter clones; thermostat is mandatory.
indoorHumidity dome + 1020 tray
$Clone humidity without a misting schedule.
indoorPlant labels + garden pencil
$Future-you forgets which pheno is which. Always.
indooroutdoor
Harvest, Dry & Cure
9 picksA month of patience here decides the final quality.
Hanging mesh drying rack
$Collapsible tiers; dry whole branches, not trays, when possible.
indooroutdoorChikamasa B-500SRF scissors
$$The trim-room legend; fingers thank you after hour two.
indooroutdoorHarvest More Trim Bin
$$Catch every gram of kief while you trim.
indooroutdoorWide-mouth mason jars (qt, 12)
$The classic cure vessel.
indooroutdoorGrove Bags TerpLoc (qt/gal)
$$Cure without burping — the modern alternative growers love.
indooroutdoorBoveda 62% packs (12-pack)
$Locks jars at perfect cure RH; rescues over-dried bud.
indooroutdoorCaliber IV mini hygrometers (x4)
$One in each jar removes all guesswork.
indooroutdoorAWS 0.01g pocket scale
$Track dry weights and portions.
indooroutdoorCVault stainless container
$$$Long-term storage with built-in Boveda holder.
indooroutdoor
Outdoor & Season Extension
10 picksWNY reality: late frosts, humid Augusts, and hungry critters.
30-gal fabric beds
$Big roots, big plants, still movable before storms.
outdoorNeptune's Harvest fish + seaweed
$The outdoor organic feed workhorse.
outdoorOrganza bud bags / insect netting
$Caterpillar + bird defense in flower.
outdoorFloating row cover (frost blanket)
$May and late-September WNY nights forgive nothing.
outdoor30% shade cloth
$July heat-wave protection for potted plants.
outdoorTomato cages / heavy stakes
$Wind is the outdoor trainer you didn't hire.
outdoorStraw mulch bale
$Moisture retention + soil-life blanket.
outdoorHoop greenhouse kit (portable)
$$Stretches the WNY season on both ends.
outdoorPhysical critter fence ring
$$Deer and rabbits love your veg stage more than you do.
outdoorRain gauge
$Know when nature already watered for you.
outdoor