By Luke Sumpter


It doesn’t take much to keep your cannabis plants alive. They have a handful of demands, including high-quality nutrients and water. But of all their essential needs, light ranks at the top of the list. Your plants depend on light to conduct photosynthesis—the creation of sugars to fuel important physiological processes such as respiration and the creation of cell walls. Whereas outdoor cannabis plants have the luxury of direct sunlight, indoor plants rely on artificial sources.

Modern grow lights are powerful pieces of kit. With a huge range of LED, HPS, CFL, HID, and LEC options available, cultivators are spoilt for choice. But no matter how powerful your lights are, not every photon emitted from your purchase will reach your plants. Much of this precious light shoots off sideways and misses the canopy altogether—unless you utilise reflective surfaces. These shiny materials help to redirect light back to where you want it. Below, you’ll discover the most effective reflective grow room wall materials, and how to use them in your space.

What Are Reflective Grow Tent Materials?

Reflective materials are exactly as they sound; they help to bounce light off the walls back toward your cannabis plants.

The light positioned above your canopy doesn't beam photons down in a linear fashion. Instead, it emits light in a cone-like shape. The light in the middle portion of the cone hits the leaves and buds of your cannabis plant, but waves of light in the periphery hit the floor and walls to the side of your specimens. When this leaky light hits an absorbent surface, it goes to waste. However, you can harness the power of reflective materials to bounce this light back into the centre of the growing space, where it will help to fuel photosynthesis, growth, and bud development.

  • Why Are Reflective Materials Important for Growing Cannabis?

Reflective materials help growers make the most of their light source. In fact, cultivators can achieve up to 30% more light exposure by lining the walls of their growing space. For those working with compact setups, a smaller tent with Mylar lining ensures efficient light distribution without requiring additional reflective materials. This doesn’t require any more electricity or additional lights; it’s simply the result of optimising a resource that you already have at your disposal. More light means more energy and improved growth, meaning you can expect to see your plants grow faster and produce superior yields.

What Are Reflective Grow Tent Materials?

Reflective Materials for Growing Weed Indoors

Now you know the impressive benefits of light reflection, but what’s the best reflective grow tent material? There are plenty of materials out there that will bounce light back onto your plants, but some are much more effective than others. But don’t get too carried away with efficacy. Growers with a limited budget can utilise slightly less-reflective surfaces that still do a great job of distributing light to where you want it.

Here are some of our top suggestions for different budgets.

  • Aluminium Foil (55–60% Reflectivity)

Aluminium foil ranks as a fairly cheap option, especially if you only need to cover a small surface area. But cutting costs here comes at a “price”. This option has a reflectivity of 60% at best, which pales in comparison to some other materials. With that said, it will recover over half of the light that would otherwise absorb into the walls of your growing space.

You can cover your autumns in aluminium foil using various types of tape or adhesive sprays. However, you need to exercise care when covering your surfaces to prevent tearing the foil and creating crinkles. Also, it might not look like it, but the dull side of foil does a better job of reflecting light than the shiny side—keep this in mind when putting it up.

Pros Cons
Cheap Delicate
Easy to instal Creases and tears easily
- Low reflectivity
Aluminium Foil (55–60% Reflectivity)
  • Emergency Blanket (60–70% Reflectivity)

When putting together your growing space, you probably didn’t consider browsing survival equipment for handy pieces of kit. Emergency blankets help to keep injured hikers alive and kicking by trapping up to 90% of their body heat. However, they also work quite well at bouncing light onto your cannabis plants.

These blankets are made of Mylar (more on that material later) and reflect up to 70% of light, making them more effective than aluminium foil for this purpose. You can also pick up a few emergency blankets without breaking the bank; they don’t cost much and cover a surface area of roughly 210 × 130cm (this varies among products). You can instal these using tape along the edges, or simply use double-sided adhesive strips in the corners.

Pros Cons
Cheap Delicate and can tear easily
Good reflectivity Creases easily, making it uneven
Good for temporary growing spaces -
Emergency Blanket (60–70% Reflectivity)
  • White Paint/Sheeting (80–90% Reflectivity)

Most grow tents come kitted-out with a reflective lining, but some cultivators prefer growing in open rooms. If that sounds like you, then you should consider painting the walls white. Whereas black paint absorbs light, white paint does a great job of reflecting it.

Sticking a roller into a tray of paint and slathering your walls will save you time and money; it doesn’t involve any technical DIY skills. You can also pick up a can of paint for fairly cheap and save the rest for whenever you next need it (you might even have some lying around in your shed). A reflectivity of up to 90% also means the vast majority of lost light will bounce back toward your cannabis plants.

Pros Cons
Easy to apply Fairly expensive if you need to cover a large surface area
Good for long-term growing spaces -
Great reflectivity -
White Paint/Sheeting (80–90% Reflectivity)
  • Panda Film (85–95% Reflectivity)

Panda film ranks as one of the best reflective materials. Many growers cover their grow rooms and greenhouses with this handy material. As the name of the product suggests, it’s black on one side and white on the other; it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you should position the white side facing away from the wall.

You can easily duct tape panda film onto walls, or use a staple gun to attach it to the inside of a grow tent. Panda film sells for roughly £20/€24 for a 20 × 2m roll.

Pros Cons
Highly reflective Relatively expensive
Popular among cannabis growers -
Smooth surface with minimal creases -
Panda Film (85–95% Reflectivity)
  • Orca Film (90–95% Reflectivity)

As well as being named after a black and white mammal, orca film shares a similar appearance with panda film. However, orca film offers some advantages that panda film doesn’t. This sheeting features white plastic microfibres that are more effective at reflecting and scattering light. This trait also makes orca film more durable and less likely to tear.

It’s also super easy to clean and mould resistant, so you won’t run into any smelly surprises. The downside? It can easily break the bank. Expect to dish out around £80/€96 for a 10 × 1.4m roll of the stuff.

Pros Cons
Highly reflective Expensive
Mould-resistant -
Specialised microfibres -
Orca Film (90–95% Reflectivity)
  • Mylar (90–95% Reflectivity)

Most grow tents are lined with Mylar—and for good reason. This material reflects up to 95% of the light that hits it. Outside of grow tents, you can also purchase sheets of Mylar to line the walls of a grow room or greenhouse. Mylar doesn’t cost very much either. You’ll only have to shell out around £8/€10 for a 5 × 1.4m roll. This works out quite cheap, and it's easier than buying a bundle of emergency blankets.

However, Mylar is a light and fairly delicate material, so it rips and creases quite easily. Again, it only takes a bit of tape or adhesive spray to cover your walls and doors with this reflective material.

Pros Cons
Cheap Delicate
Easy to instal Creases easily
Highly reflective -
Mylar (90–95% Reflectivity)

Tips for Using the Best Reflective Materials

You know the benefits of using reflective materials in your growing space, and you’re aware of the available options at hand. Now it’s time to learn a few tips and tricks. Grab the material of your choice, and use the knowledge below to put it to proper use.

  • Avoid Creases and Bubbles

Instal your reflective material as neatly as possible, and try to make it sit flush against the wall or side of your grow tent. Creases and bubbles create dips and ridges in reflective material that can cause issues. First of all, these irregularities can direct too much light to a particular spot. As well as leaving some areas of the canopy deprived of reflected light, it can cause “hot spots” and burn portions of your plant. Creases and bubbles can also cause light to shoot off at extreme angles, such as toward the floor and ceiling, meaning you're wasting precious resources.

  • Cover Walls, Doors, and Openings

Don’t just focus on the walls in your growing room. Plenty of light can also hit the doors. Place a layer of reflective material over your doors to make the most of the otherwise wasted light. You should also consider small, irregular corners that trap light. Place a sheet of material over the entire opening, instead of the surfaces within the corner, to reflect the most light back as possible.

  • Check Your Work With a Light Meter

Light meters (or lux meters) are a handy tool in the arsenal of any indoor grower. These devices measure lux, a unit that indicates the amount of light that hits a particular spot (equal to one lumen per square metre). By taking lux meter readings around your canopy before and after installing reflective materials, you’ll see first-hand how much of a difference they make.

There’s no point in installing fresh and clean reflective materials if you don’t look after them. They’ll soon become coated in dust and grime, which will change the colour of the surface and reduce the amount of light that bounces off. Wipe down your surfaces with diluted hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol to prevent mould and bacteria from building up, and to optimise their reflective capacity. Just remember; be very careful with delicate material, such as foil, to avoid having to patch it up.

Do You Need to Add Reflective Material to a Grow Tent?

Most growing tents come lined with Mylar, meaning you won’t have to go through any additional effort. However, there are different types of growing tents available, offering varying levels of light reflection, ventilation, and durability to suit different setups and budgets.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: