DARKSTAR Air Cooled Reflector - 5-Inch - Vent Grow Light Heat Straight Out of Your Space
Best for: growers running an HID grow light who need to get rid of the heat it generates instead of letting it build up in the room or tent.
Our thoughts
An air-cooled reflector is one of those unglamorous bits of kit that quietly solves a real problem: HID lamps put out serious heat, and without a way to duct it out, that heat ends up in your grow space instead. The DARKSTAR does the job without fuss, at a price that makes sense next to the bigger reflector brands.
The DARKSTAR Air Cooled Reflector is a 5-inch hood designed to house an HID grow lamp while letting you duct the heat it generates straight out of your grow room or tent, rather than leaving it to build up around your plants. It has ducting collars sized for 5-inch (125mm) ducting, so you can connect it to an inline extractor fan using standard flexible ducting and duct clips.
Because the lamp sits inside a sealed glass-fronted or open reflective housing depending on the model, air is drawn or pushed through the hood itself rather than through the open grow space, which is what gives an air-cooled reflector a real edge over a standard open reflector when you're running a high-wattage HID in a tent or small room.
How it compares
Air-cooled reflectors are a mature, well-established product category with a few recognisable names.
- Adjust-A-Wings reflectors are a well-regarded premium option, often air-cooled or convection-cooled depending on the model, and sit at a higher price point.
- Yield Lab produces a similar range of 5-inch and 6-inch air-cooled reflectors aimed at the same budget-to-mid-range market as the DARKSTAR.
- SunSystem hoods are another common comparison point for growers shopping this category.
The DARKSTAR sits in the value end of this market: a functional, ducted air-cooled hood without the premium price tag of the higher-end reflector brands.
Usage guidance
Set it up as part of your grow room's extraction chain, not as a standalone item.
Ducting
Connect the reflector's 5-inch ducting collar to your inline extractor fan using flexible ducting, secured at both ends with duct clips to stop the connection working loose.
Fan placement
Run your extractor fan so it pulls air through the hood and out of the space via your ducting run, keeping the airflow path as short and straight as practical to maintain good extraction.
Positioning
Hang the reflector so it's adjustable in height as your plants grow, keeping enough clearance to avoid heat stress or light burn on the canopy below.
Cable and glass care
Handle the lamp holder and any glass panel carefully during installation, and check ducting connections periodically as they can loosen with vibration from the fan.
Technical specifications
- Type: Air-cooled HID reflector hood
- Ducting size: 5-inch (125mm) collars
- Brand: DARKSTAR
- Cooling method: Ducted air extraction through the hood
- Compatible lamps: HID grow lamps (HPS/MH) sized to fit a 5-inch air-cooled hood
- Installation: Hangs via adjustable rope ratchets or hanging kit (sold separately if not included)
- Recommended fan pairing: Inline extractor fan sized to match the 5-inch ducting
Who this is for
- Growers running an HID lamp in a tent or small room who need to keep ambient heat under control
- Anyone upgrading from an open reflector that's been letting heat build up around the canopy
- Budget-conscious growers who want a functional air-cooled hood without paying for a premium brand
Our take
The DARKSTAR does the core job an air-cooled reflector needs to do, get lamp heat out of your grow space via ducting, without the extras or price tag of the premium brands. It's a sensible choice if your priority is heat control on a budget rather than chasing the last percentage point of reflectivity.
Does exactly what it should, day in, day out. At a price that makes sense for anyone setting up or upgrading a light in a tent.
