These Are the Best Indoor Garden Systems, According to Our Tests (2024)

What We Tested

The best indoor garden we tested was the Aerogarden Bounty Basic. As a hydroponic system with smart features, we found that it’s designed for convenience. The touchscreen control panel displays the garden’s vitals, such as how many days planted and the water level. It also reminds you to water and fertilize. For those who travel, this device even has a vacation mode that you can set for when you’re away.

Setting up the physical garden was straightforward, as the instruction manual included helpful diagrams and the kit came with everything we needed to complete setup. However, setting up the controls and timers was a little confusing. But after a bit of trial and error, we were able to set it up successfully, and we think the initial hassle is worth the added usability down the line.

The garden has a large water reservoir which means you don’t need to frequently refill the basin. We found that the spacious grow deck and an optional trellis attachment provided plants plenty of room, and the adjustable height of the grow light makes it easy to accommodate your plants’ growth. The garden’s 30 watt LED grow lights mimics sunlight and helps the plants grow quickly. You can also use the automatic timer to ensure the lights turn on and off on the right schedule.

We were impressed by how quickly and healthily our herbs grew in this garden. We were also impressed with the quality of the system, which felt sturdy and required virtually no maintenance. As a bonus, this garden includes a Gourmet Herbs Seed Pod Kit and liquid fertilizer so you can start planting your garden immediately.

We also liked that the AeroGarden systems don’t just sell herbs. You can also purchase from over 70 seed kits, including vegetables such as tomatoes and bell peppers, various lettuces and kale, and flowers.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 17.25 x 34 x 11.25 inches | Plant Capacity: Nine | Light Type: 30 watt LED | Programmable: Yes

The inbloom Hydroponics Growing system is an affordable and low-risk way to experiment with gardening indoors, even for those who have a black thumb. The hydroponic system stands out due to its low price and the manufacturer’s commitment to being environmentally friendly: it’s made with sustainable materials, including recycled and bio-based plastics.

This system only took 10 minutes to set up before we were ready to start growing. It comes with clear instructions and everything you need to get started, including hydroponic seed kit pods, fertilizer, and soil.

The indoor garden includes LED bulbs that increase the red light output by 20%, which helps encourage plants to flower and fruit. It took just one week for our basil leaves to sprout, and by the end of the testing period all our plants were thriving.

Throughout testing, we especially loved the automatic watering system, which kept the water circulating and prevented the system from getting moldy. We found that the the water tank only needed to be refilled every few days.

In addition to being easy to use, we found this pick attractive enough to display in our living areas: we even received a few compliments on its appearance. Keep in mind, this system only grows five plants at a time, so your crop will be smaller than other picks we tested. However, we still thought this system was a great value for the money.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 6.4 x 11.2 x 6.1 inches | Plant Capacity: Five | Light Type: LED | Programmable: No

If you want to splurge, we recommend the upgraded version of our Best Overall pick, the stainless steel Aerogarden Bounty Elite. This model has a luxurious approach to indoor gardening, with a high-quality feel and design. The smart hydroponic garden is compatible with Wi-Fi and Amazon Alexa, and can be controlled with the AeroGarden. This system is ideal if you want the convenience and taste of fresh herbs, but don’t want to have to put in time or effort as the system does everything for you.

The garden has an enlarged water tank so you don’t need to frequently refill it. We only had to refill the water once during the six week testing period. The 50 watt adjustable LED grow light helps your plants grow five times more quickly than an outdoor garden. However, the powerful light did have a drawback, in that we thought it was too bright to have in a small living space. The adjustable height grow lamp means you can keep your plants in the system even as they grow taller.

The automatic timer ensures the lights turn on and off at exactly the right time, and the digital screen displays your garden's vital statistics and gives you reminders for when to add water and plant food. Plus, a vacation mode keeps your plants healthy while you're out of town. We especially loved the day counter and water meter, as we didn’t have to keep track of the gardening tasks ourselves.

After six weeks of testing, all our plants were grown, alive, and thriving.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 6 x 16 x 8 inches | Plant Capacity: Nine | Light Type: 50 watt LED | Programmable: Yes

If you’re looking for an indoor garden to keep nearby while you cook, we think the AeroGarden Harvest Elite is a great pick. It has spots for six plants, the perfect size for an herb garden. Most pods grew within the estimated time range, though there were a few laggers. We thought the price was reasonable, especially considering how expensive herbs at the grocery store are. If you cook regularly with herbs, this garden pays for itself fairly quickly.

Like other AeroGarden models, this device uses smart technology to help you garden, including a programmable timer and vacation mode. We liked the automation of the garden and the minimal effort required to garden. The self watering system and reminders to water and fertilize were helpful. Besides adding in water and fertilizer as the unit requested and pruning plants that were growing too big, we didn’t do much to get a tasty harvest.

One issue we noticed is that the lower leaves on our plants in this garden had a tendency to wither. Though there could be several reasons for this, we were disappointed as this meant our harvest was smaller. And like the other AeroGarden systems we tested, the grow light in this garden would be a little too bright in a small space. However, the brightness of the lights may be why these gardens are so successful.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 10.5 x 17.4 x 6.25 inches | Plant Capacity: Six plants | Light Type: LED | Programmable: Yes

The Amazing Creation system is our choice for the best vertical indoor garden. The garden consists of five stackable pots made out of durable and weather resistant material, allowing this pick to be used indoors or outdoors.

The system was easy to set up as the pots fit neatly on top of each other. The pots are large and their clover-like shape made it easy to plant three different plants per pot. Each pot has soil separators on its bottom to encourage adequate airflow through the soil, which helps minimize the risk of mold and rot.

However, we were disappointed when it was time to water. Though the manufacturer says the stackable planter is designed to have a trickle down watering system, we found that the system was ineffective and each plant needed to be watered individually.

Since this kit doesn’t come with seeds, you’ll need to purchase your own. When buying seeds, Neveln advises, “it's always best to purchase seeds from reputable seed companies who rigorously test their seed viability.” Over time, seeds lose the ability to grow so it’s important to buy seeds that will be able to sprout.

Product Details: System Type: Soil | Dimensions: 12.5 x 24 x 12.5 inches | Plant Capacity: Up to 15 | Light Type: None | Programmable: No

This miniature hydroponic system’s small size allows it to easily integrate into your home, even if you live in a studio apartment. It was extremely easy to set up and maintain and the small size makes it a great starter indoor garden. The grow light is adjustable so you can raise it as needed. It was easy to add water, and there’s an indicator when water is running low.

Though this is not a smart garden, it does have an auto light cycle of 16 hours on and 8 hours off so you don’t need to worry about manually turning it on and off every day. The Click & Grow does have an associated app, but we thought that the app wasn’t very helpful: it consists of basic gardening tips that you could easily find online.

We noticed great plant growth using this system. Fertilizer and basil seeds are included with the garden, and the basil tasted delicious when it was harvested. If you want to expand your harvest, you can choose from over 50 plant pods, including cilantro, basil, lavender, wild strawberries, thyme, and chili peppers.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.3 x 4.7 inches | Plant Capacity: Three plants | Light Type: LED | Programmable: No

For gardening novices, we recommend the iDoo Garden. We found it was easy to use and we were impressed at how quickly all the seeds sprouted and the rapid growth of the plants. And even though this hydroponic system comes at a lower price point, it feels sturdy and doesn’t look cheap.

This garden features a large three liter water tank, full spectrum LED grow lights that can be changed between “Vegetable” and “Fruit” modes, a quiet water circulation system, and an auto light cycle. A water circulation system helps deliver oxygen to the roots.

There are several small design details that we thought were a nice touch, such as the handles on each side of the water tank, which make the garden easy to move. In addition, the extendable grow light rod is detachable, so you can pull it out to more easily clean the water tank. There’s also a clear portion of the water tank that shows the water levels so you’ll know when to refill.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 7.56 x 7.83 x 12.48 inches | Plant Capacity: Eight | Light Type: Full spectrum LED | Programmable: No

The ingarden Microgreens Growing Kit fits neatly into virtually any space in the home and is beautifully designed.This modern and minimalist garden has a ceramic tank and grow deck and looks good enough to be the centerpiece of your kitchen. The pad design for the seeds keeps everything clean and free of spilled soil.

The microgreens sprouted shockingly quickly, within 24 hours of being planted. This was the fastest germination rate we saw out of all the gardens we tested. The device has automatic grow lights with self-timers—all you need to do is push the power button and it does the rest itself. The system self waters by wicking water from the tank upwards, not with a pump, so the garden operates silently.

The biggest flaw with this system were the seed pads. We appreciated that the seed pads had the seeds and nutrients embedded within. However, many of the sprouts became caught up in parts of the nutrient webbing that didn't break away as designed, leaving a web over some of the sprouts that never completely disappeared and likely stunted their growth. Another small gripe was that the manufacturer sells multiple varieties of microgreens, but the included seed pads weren’t labeled with the variety.

Product Details: System Type: Seed pads | Dimensions: 16.5 x 5 x 10.3 inches | Plant Capacity: Three | Light Type: LED | Programmable: No

The LettuceGrow Farmstand is best for someone who wants to grow more than herbs. Since the garden is so large (standing nearly four feet high), be mindful that it may not be the best choice for a small apartment and that assembly is more complicated than smaller models. It also requires access to two outlets to run the lights and pump and it’s helpful to have a nearby water source to refill the garden as needed.

Though assembly was a tad complicated and the setup instructions were difficult to follow, once established, the farmstand was relatively low maintenance. This is partly due to its large size, according to Failla. “The larger the system, the larger the water reservoir, the less you need to mess with it,” she says. “You usually just need to add nutrients to the water once a week.”

LettuceGrow has proprietary seedlings that you can purchase for $3 at the time of publish. While novice gardeners may appreciate that the plants are already established, we did notice that these plugs are a bit more expensive than what you would find at a local garden center, especially considering their small size. However, the plants grown in this system grew well and tasted delicious.

In addition to receiving high remarks in our tests, Failla is also a loyal user of this indoor gardener. “I've left my LettuceGrow system for multiple weeks and didn't even fertilize and came back to a bounty of veggies and herbs,” she says.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 22 x 44 x 22 inches | Plant Capacity: 12 | Light Type: LED | Programmable: No

The Rise Gardens system offered one of the quickest germination rates of all the gardens tested, as the seeds sprouted less than two days after planting. This was at least five days quicker than many of the other gardens we tested.

The Rise Gardens’ blonde wood frame and a white grow light and water tank give it a sleek look that will work in any space. The setup for this garden was easy for a smart garden and the app worked perfectly. We just had to put the tray in place, add water, plug it in, and start the seedlings. Everything we needed came with the garden.

The smart features of the garden included the self watering system, grow lights, timers, and an app. All settings are controllable from the app, though the automatic watering system ran without having to do anything other than plug it in. The app sent reminders to change water and fertilize throughout our testing period, which was helpful.

The system came with eight seed pods and six weeks' worth of two different fertilizers and a pH balancer the manufacturer recommends adding every time you refill the water tank. Though online the manufacturer advertises that this system can grow 12 plants simultaneously, since the seed pod tray only has eight slots, we didn’t think that was realistic.

Product Details: System Type: Hydroponic | Dimensions: 18 x 16 x 11 inches | Plant Capacity: 12 | Light Type: LED | Programmable: Yes

For those who still want to get their hands dirty, the soil-based Spade to Fork garden is a great pick. In contrast to hydroponic systems, this garden is not a machine but a kit with pots, soil, and seeds. This garden is manufactured by a family-owned and operated farm and each kit comes with certified organic basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, and thyme seeds.

The included peat pots are compostable and biodegradable, however they were a bit flimsy and we damaged one while filling it with the soil disc. The included soil discs are composed of a rich potting soil. You use them by placing them in the pot and pouring warm water on the disc to activate it. As a bonus, the kit also has five wood-burned plant markers and a growing guide.

The set up was easy and our plants sprouted successfully. However, there was a lot of maintenance required, including watering daily. We forgot to water for one day and the cilantro plant began to noticeably wilt. Due to the daily work required, we think this kit wouldn’t be the best fit for a beginner gardener. We were also disappointed to see that plant growth stalled after a few weeks. However, this could be due to our gardening skills and not the kit.

Product Details: System Type: Soil | Dimensions: Not applicable | Plant Capacity: Five | Light Type: None | Programmable: No