Which CleanLight Is Right for Your Grow: Hobby, Pro or Air?
Choose the CleanLight Pro for a grow room, any tent from 3×3 ft, or several tents. The CleanLight Hobby is only for a single small tent with a handful of plants. Add the CleanLight Air to any indoor space where powdery mildew or bud rot keeps coming back. The Hobby and Pro treat the plants; the Air treats the room's air. Most serious growers run a Pro plus an Air.
TL;DR
- Two jobs, two kinds of unit: handheld units (Hobby, Pro) treat the canopy, the Air lowers airborne spore load.
- Hobby: only a single small tent (2×2 ft / 60×60 cm), a handful of plants. One third of the Pro's output.
- Pro: the recommended unit. Grow rooms, tents from 3×3 ft, multiple tents, perpetual grows, light-rail mounting. A 36W lamp, more than three times the Hobby's 11W.
- Air: wall-mounted, runs continuously, rated for rooms up to 100 m³ (3,500 cu ft).
- Start with the unit that matches your space today; you can add the other later.
At a glance
| CleanLight Hobby | CleanLight Pro | CleanLight Air | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Handheld | Handheld | Wall-mounted, continuous |
| What it treats | Plant surfaces | Plant surfaces | Room air |
| Lamp | 11W UV-C | 36W UV-C | 60W UV-C |
| Coverage | One small tent, a handful of plants | Tents from 3×3 ft, rooms, multiple tents (recommended) | Rooms up to 100 m³ / 3,500 cu ft |
| How you use it | Daily sweep, roughly 3× the time per plant | Daily sweep, seconds per plant | Mount and leave running |
| Lamp life | 8,000 h, replace every 2 years | 9,000 h, replace every 2 years | 9,000 h, replace every 12 months continuous |
| Current price | see product page | see product page | see product page |
Pick by your grow
Home grower, one small tent (2x2)
A single 2×2 ft tent with a few plants is the only case where the CleanLight Hobby is enough. From 3×3 ft, or as soon as the canopy fills out in flower, the daily pass with an 11 W lamp becomes slow; the CleanLight Pro is the better buy from the start. If mildew keeps returning in a sealed tent with recirculated air, add the Air later.
Dedicated grow room, 5x5 or larger, or several tents
Go straight to the CleanLight Pro. Its 36W lamp has more than three times the power of the Hobby's 11W, so each plant takes less time and a thirty-plant room stays a daily routine instead of a chore. Many growers mount it on a light rail for hands-free coverage.
Perpetual or commercial grow, licensed facility
Pro plus Air, and often more than one of each. The Pro handles the canopy (the SFU trials that found up to 86% less powdery mildew used the Pro), the Air runs in the background in every room where spores circulate: flower rooms, veg, the dry room, the trim room. Grow shops can apply for the wholesale program. Licensed producers can request a quote for a commercial installation at cleanlightmmj.com.
Mother plants, clones, propagation
Pro, moved a little faster and at a slightly greater distance. A separate Hobby for the clone shelf is only worth it if you never plan to treat a flowering canopy with it. If the nursery is a separate room, an Air there stops clean clones from carrying spores into flower.
Post-harvest: drying and curing rooms
Air. Nothing should be sprayed in a dry room, and airborne mold spores are the main risk while buds hang. One Air covers up to 100 m³.
Outdoor and greenhouse growers
Pro, because outdoor plants are large and you need coverage speed. The Air is for enclosed spaces and is not the tool for an open greenhouse.
Why growers run a handheld unit and an Air together
A handheld pass removes what is on the plant today. The room's air keeps delivering new spores tomorrow. That is why powdery mildew "keeps coming back" for growers who treat the canopy correctly. The Air pulls room air through a High Air Flow filter and past a germicidal UV-C lamp, continuously, so the spore load that lands on your plants stays low. Handheld plus Air covers both angles: on the plant and in the air.
A simple rule. One small tent: Hobby. Everything else: Pro. Any enclosed indoor space where mildew or bud rot has shown up before: add the Air. Shop CleanLight units
Starter Kits
Every unit is also available as a Starter Kit that bundles the unit with its replacement lamp (and, for the Air, the replacement filter), for less than the parts cost separately. If you plan to run the unit daily through a full cycle, the kit is the practical choice. See the Starter Kits.
Frequently asked questions
Can I start with one unit and add the other later?
Yes. Most growers start with a handheld unit and add the Air when they see mildew returning, or start with the Air in a room that has a history of outbreaks and add a handheld unit for flower.
Is the Pro overkill for a small tent?
No. Dose depends on distance and sweep speed, so in a small tent you simply move a little faster. The Pro is the better buy in every case except a single 2×2 tent that will never grow into a room. If in doubt, choose the Pro.
Does the Air replace daily treatment of the plants?
No. The Air lowers spore load in the air; it does not treat spores already on leaves and buds. For active powdery mildew or bud rot you still need a handheld pass.
What is the difference between the Hobby and Pro lamps?
Both are 254 nm UV-C lamps in a parabolic reflector. The Pro runs a 36W lamp, the Hobby an 11W lamp. Same method, more power.
Do I need 120V or 230V?
120V for the US and Canada, 230V for Europe and most other regions. Choose the variant on the product page.
How often do I replace the lamp?
Handheld units: every two years regardless of hours, because UV-C output fades before the lamp fails. Air: every 12 months with continuous use. Replacement lamps and filters are in the Replacement Products collection.
One more thing
Do not size the unit for the grow you have in week one of veg. Size it for week six of flower, when the canopy is dense, every plant needs a pass, and you are tired. That is the day the right unit earns its price.