Every grow light box now has the word "smart" on it somewhere. So does my toaster, apparently, and it still burns the bread.

So let's cut through it. Spider Farmer has GGS. Mars Hydro has iConnect. They sound like rivals, but they're actually doing quite different jobs.

Here's the short answer, then we'll get into the detail.

GGS is a whole-tent system. It runs your fans, reads your temperature and humidity, and can look after your light too.

iConnect is a small plug-in stick that puts your Mars Hydro light on your phone. That's it. It's a light remote, and a very good one, but it won't touch your fans.

What is Spider Farmer GGS?

GGS stands for Grow Genius System. The guys at Spider Farmer tell us it's an environment control ecosystem, which is a mouthful, but it's fair.

At the middle sits the GGS Controller. A sensor hangs in the tent and tells it the temperature and humidity. The controller then turns your inline fan and clip fan up or down to hit the targets you set.

Everything plugs together with RJ12 leads, the same little clip-in cables as an old landline phone. You set it up once in the free Spider Farmer app over Bluetooth, then it runs on your 2.4GHz Wi-Fi.

Things it can do:

• Show temperature, humidity and VPD live on your phone, with history
• Run fans automatically from those readings
• Set schedules and sunrise and sunset dimming for compatible lights
• Switch ordinary plug-in kit like a heater, using a GGS AC5 power strip

Which lights work with it? The guys at Spider Farmer tell us the GGS Controller handles their SF, SE and G series lights. The exceptions are the SF1000D, SF300 and SF600, so check the model before you buy. The lights connect through the GGS 2-in-1 light and fan adapter, which comes in the controller kit.

There's no subscription, and there's no website or desktop version. It lives on your phone.

Shop the Spider Farmer GGS Grow Tent Climate Controller Kit

Shop the Spider Farmer GGS AC5 Power Strip with Smart Control

What is Mars Hydro iConnect?

iConnect is a little USB-style stick that plugs into the dimmer box on a compatible Mars Hydro light. The light powers it, so there's nothing else to plug in.

Once it's in, the MarsPro app lets you dim the light, set on and off times and check it's actually running while you're at work. You can also group lights, which is handy if you've got a veg tent and a flower tent going at once.

What it won't do is run your fans. Mars Hydro is clear on this. iConnect is for LED grow lights only.

For the climate side, Mars Hydro has a separate box called iControl. That one works with Mars Hydro's RJ12 kit, including the iFresh fans, and it's what you'll find in our Mars Hydro smart ventilation kits.

Shop the Mars Hydro iConnect USB Stick

Shop the Mars Hydro iControl Smart Grow Room Controller

So which is better?

That's a bit like asking whether a satnav is better than a car. One is the whole thing, the other makes one part of it cleverer.

The fair fight is GGS against iConnect plus iControl. Put that way, they're much closer.

Pick GGS if:

• You want one app running the light, fans and climate
• You're starting from scratch and want it all to match
• You like graphs. You will check them at 2am. Everyone does.

Pick iConnect if:

• You already own a Mars Hydro light and just want it on your phone
• Your fans are fine as they are
• You want the cheapest possible way into app control

Pick iConnect plus iControl if:

• You're a Mars Hydro household and want the full climate side as well

What about the smart grow kits?

This is where most people end up, and for good reason. A smart kit gives you a tent, a light, a fan, a filter and the controller, all matched and all talking to each other.

Our Spider Farmer smart kits come with the GGS controller in the fan box. The SF1000 kit is a lovely first tent. The SE3000 kit is the one for people who already know they're going to get hooked.

Shop the Spider Farmer SF1000 Smart Grow Tent Kit

Shop the Spider Farmer SE3000 Smart Grow Tent Kit

Our Mars Hydro smart kits pair an FC-E bar light with iFresh ventilation and Mars Hydro's own smart control.

Shop the Mars Hydro FC-E1500 Smart Grow Tent Kit

Shop the Mars Hydro FC-E3000 Smart Grow Tent Kit

Browse the whole range:

Browse Grow Kits

Can I add smart control later?

Yes, and this is the bit people don't realise.

If you've got a Mars Hydro light with a dimmer box, the iConnect stick slots straight in. Most of our Mars Hydro lights are sold as "Manual Control" or "iConnect Bluetooth Control", and the iConnect version simply comes with the stick.

Shop the Mars Hydro TS1000 LED Grow Light

Shop the Mars Hydro FC-E3000 LED Grow Light iConnect Edition

With Spider Farmer, the easy upgrade is a GGS fan. The 4" smart ventilation kit gives you the fan, the filter and the controller in one box, and you can bring your light into the system afterwards.

Shop the Spider Farmer 4" Smart Ventilation Kit with GGS Controller

One warning. The two systems don't talk to each other. A Spider Farmer controller won't run a Mars Hydro fan, and the other way round. Pick a side for the gadgets, even if you mix brands elsewhere.

Does smart control save money?

A little, and not really in the way you'd think.

The light uses what it uses. A 300W bar light on a 12/12 flowering day costs less than a can of Red Bull a day to run, whether you switch it on with your thumb or your phone. Here's the sum: 300W for 12 hours is 3.6kWh, and at 26.32p per kWh that's about 95p a day.

Where smart control earns its keep is the fans. Instead of roaring at full speed all day, they idle along and only spin up when the tent gets warm or damp. That's quieter, it's a bit cheaper, and your neighbours never hear a thing.

The bigger saving is crops. A tent that's held at the right humidity is far less likely to grow mould. That's the real reason to bother.

Our honest verdict

If you're buying a new setup today and want it to look after itself, GGS is the more complete system, and Spider Farmer's smart kits are the easiest way in.

If you love your Mars Hydro light and just want it on your phone, iConnect is cheap, simple and does exactly what it says. Add iControl if you want the fans looked after too.

Neither is a gimmick. Both will make you a slightly smug grower, which is no bad thing.

Still not sure? Drop us a message with your tent size and what you've already got, and we'll tell you straight.

Browse Spider Farmer

Browse Mars Hydro