Maxibright Varidrive 720w LED Grow Light - Foldable LED With Adjustable Ballast Output
Best for: Growers who want a single fixture that can run at multiple wattages, from a smaller 240w setting up to a full 720w boost, using one adjustable ballast.
Our thoughts
The separate ballast is what makes this one different - instead of a fixed-output fixture, you get a dial that steps between roughly 240W, 400W, 600W and a 720W boost setting. That's genuinely useful if your plant count or room size changes between grows, since you're not locked into one wattage for the life of the light.
The Maxibright Varidrive 720w LED Grow Light is a foldable, 6-rail LED fixture paired with a separate Varidrive digital ballast, which drives the LED and lets you step its output between four settings rather than running at a single fixed wattage. The ballast can be mounted directly onto the LED unit for a compact setup, or connected remotely using an optional 10-metre extension lead if you'd rather keep it out of the tent entirely.
Running at its full 720W boost setting, the fixture is rated to deliver uniform coverage across a 1.5m x 1.5m grow area, with a fixture efficacy of around 2.62 µmol per joule. It folds flat for transport and installation, uses high-efficiency diodes, and is rated for a 50,000-hour lifespan with a 3-year manufacturer's warranty. This model is purchase-to-order, so extended lead times apply.
How it compares
Remote-ballast LEDs like this sit in a different category to fixed-driver fixtures such as Maxibright's own Juno range, trading a bit of simplicity for adjustable output.
- Against the Maxibright Juno LED 720w Pro, which runs at a fixed 720W with an onboard driver, the Varidrive's separate ballast gives you selectable wattage steps, at the cost of an extra component to mount or cable up.
- Compared with Lumatek's ballast-driven LED systems, which use a similar separate-driver approach, the Varidrive's fold-flat fixture is straightforward to fit into a standard tent.
- Against fixed-output fixtures generally, the ability to step down to around 240W or 400W makes this a more flexible option if you run smaller plant counts at some points in your grow cycle.
You're paying for flexibility here - one fixture that can be dialled down for a smaller run or pushed to full boost for a packed tent, rather than buying a separate light for each scenario.
Usage guidance
The variable ballast is the main thing to get familiar with when setting this fixture up.
Ballast placement
Mount the ballast directly to the LED unit for the simplest setup, or use the optional 10-metre extension lead to keep the ballast outside the tent if you're short on space or want to manage heat separately.
Choosing an output setting
Use a lower setting (around 240W or 400W) for smaller plant counts or vegetative growth, and step up to 600W or the full 720W boost as canopy size and flowering demands increase.
Folding and hanging
Unfold the fixture fully before hanging, using rope ratchets from your tent's roof bars, and route the ballast cable so it isn't under tension.
Temperature management
Running at higher settings puts more heat into the tent, so keep an eye on canopy temperature and adjust your extraction fan speed accordingly as you increase the ballast setting.
Technical specifications
- Power draw: up to 720W (boost setting)
- Ballast output steps: approximately 240W / 400W / 600W / 720W boost
- Design: 6-rail, foldable LED fixture with separate digital ballast
- Ballast connection: direct-mount or remote, up to 10m extension (optional)
- Optimised coverage: 1.5m x 1.5m
- Fixture efficacy: approximately 2.62 µmol/J
- Lifespan: 50,000 hours
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: £239.99 (purchase to order, extended lead time)
Who this is for
- Growers who want to run different wattages across different grows without buying multiple lights
- Anyone who'd prefer to keep a ballast out of the tent, using the remote extension option
- Growers covering a 1.5m x 1.5m space who want boost-mode output when needed
- Buyers happy to plan around a purchase-to-order lead time
Best suited to a 1.5m x 1.5m tent where flexible wattage across the grow cycle is useful.
Our take
The adjustable ballast is a genuinely practical feature if your grow setup changes from cycle to cycle, and the fold-flat fixture keeps installation simple despite the extra component.
If flexible output at 1.5m square coverage is what you're after, this is worth a look. Just factor in the purchase-to-order lead time.
