The Best Indoor Gardens, According To Our Testing

Best Overall

inbloom Hydroponics Growing System

View On Amazon $40

The InBloom Smart Garden is our top recommendation because it comes at a great price and it’s beginner-friendly, so it is easy to use regardless of skill level. We loved that it had a self-watering system with consistent water flow, so we never had issues with molding.

It also comes with LED grow lights that turn on and off by themselves. The lights featured 20% more red light, which causes plants to grow faster and yield more harvests. The kit comes with seven types of seeds: basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, mint, cilantro, and dill.

We found the instructions to be self-explanatory and had no issues setting up the system. All of our seeds sprouted (some as soon as a week after planting) and became healthy plants. Just keep in mind that it takes time because you have to soak the coco coir soil pods for two hours in water before planting the seeds in them.

The kit comes with everything you need including seeds, grow baskets, plant foods, labels, and humidity domes. It required minimal effort when it came to watering, and we only needed it to refill the tank every few days as the plants grew. After six months, the garden continues to work great for herbs like basil and mint, although cilantro seemed to struggle a bit more than others.

It can hold five pods, which is compact and ideal for those living in apartments or with limited space. (This may not be the best pick if you need to feed a family.) The cherry on top was that the planter was so chic, and we got many compliments from others who glimpsed it sitting on our sink.

Growing System: Hydroponic | Growing Options: Herbs, fruits, flowers, vegetables | Size: 6.3-17.3 inches tall | Capacity: Up to 5 plants

Best Budget

Spade to Fork Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

View On Amazon $30 View On Grove.co View On Uncommon Goods $27

Fancy having a thriving herb garden year-round? The Spade To Fork Culinary Herb Seed Kit makes it possible to grow and harvest herbs for salads, casseroles, and more from your kitchen countertop.

The set features USDA organic seeds and soil discs as well as plant markers and five compostable peat pots for planting. You can grow five kinds of herbs: Italian basil, cilantro, parsley, sage, and thyme. 

Although you don’t have to have any gardening experience, you do need to carve some time out each day to make sure the plants have enough water and sunlight. To help, it comes with a growing guide and has a video to watch so you know how to take care of them properly.

We recommend they go on a sunny spot in your home like a windowsill to get optimal light. Our seeds sprouted in two weeks—roughly the same time. But, they didn’t grow at the same rate, so we couldn’t harvest them all at once. We noticed that the pots were not all that durable and could break if waterlogged. 

Growing System: Soil-based | Growing Options: Herbs | Size: Five 6-inch peat pots | Capacity: Up to 5 plants

Best for Beginners

Click & Grow The Smart Garden 3

View On Amazon $100 View On Nordstrom $100 View On Williams-Sonoma $100

The Smart Garden 3 is easy enough for anyone to set up and maintain—even if you’ve never grown a garden, herb, or houseplant in your life. This indoor garden kit is about a foot wide and can fit on any tabletop in your home.

It comes with LED lights that turn on and off in a 16-hour cycle to mimic natural light and a self-watering kit that lets you know when to add more water to the tank. If your kitchen is dark or doesn’t have a window, this kit is ideal for those low-light environments. 

It comes with three basil seed pods, but you do have the option to buy more later. You can grow over 70 types of plants and herbs including strawberries, basil, lavender, thyme, and more. We loved how easy it was to grow herbs: all seeds sprouted within a week, and in less than a month we had healthy plants.

Even though it is not a smart garden kit, it does come with an app. But, we didn’t find the app to be useful because we still had to adjust settings manually on the planter. Also, it would have been nice if the kit came with a variety of plants, not just basil. 

On the upside, the basil that was harvested was absolutely delicious (especially in our lasagna). It was well worth the money and we would definitely buy this as a gift for family and friends who want a starter garden kit. This kit is available in three colors: white, gray, and beige.

Growing System: Hydroponic | Growing Options: Herbs, flowers, vegetables, fruits | Size: 11.8 x 8-18.5 x 4.7 inches | Capacity: Up to 3 plants

Best for Herbs

AeroGarden Harvest Elite

View On Amazon $117 View On Aerogarden.com

Having fresh herbs on hand elevates your cooking and can save money at the grocery store, both of which are great reasons to consider the AeroGarden Harvest Elite. You’re able to grow up to six different types of herbs without soil and with way less maintenance than growing herbs outdoors.

The kit features Genovese basil, curly parsley, dill, thyme, Thai basil, and mint seed pods, which you can drop directly in the planter to start growing. It also comes with a humidity dome to control temperatures and offer the best conditions for germination.

We found this indoor garden kit easy to maintain thanks to its self-watering system that continuously waters the plants, as well as its automatic grow lamp. You can adjust the grow lamp’s height up to 12 inches to accommodate growing herbs. It comes with a water level sensor, which alerts you when the water tank is low, and a timer that reminds you when to give your plants plant food. (A bottle of plant food is included.)  

Each herb came with an estimated sprouting time range, which was accurate as we saw that most of them sprouted within the time allocated. The exception to this was parsley, which sprouted a week later.

Overall, we were pleased with how healthy the plants turned out. Besides a few withering leaves, they grew well and looked robust.  However, we found the grow lights too bright, and might be hard to find a place for it that won’t be disturbing to others.

Growing System: Hydroponic | Growing Options: Herbs, vegetables | Size: 10.5 x 17.4 x 6.3 inches | Capacity: Up to 6 plants

Best for Vegetables

AeroGarden Bounty Basic Indoor Gardening

View On Amazon $180 View On Wayfair $231 View On Aerogarden.com

An indoor garden could be a great option for those who want to have fresh vegetables handy for cooking and preparing meals. With the AeroGarden Bounty Basic, you can have a mini vegetable garden in your kitchen without pesky issues like bugs or lack of sunlight to worry about. And since the planter is hydroponic, you don’t have to deal with having dirt on your floor or under your fingernails.

It comes with a 20-watt LED light with a timer that turns it on and off at sunrise and sunset, simulating natural sunlight.  The AeroGarden will notify you when it’s time to water and fertilize it, plus has a vacation mode which keeps your plant healthy when you’re not home. 

You can grow up to nine plants at a time, so you can grow all your salad vegetable faves. But if you prefer more variety, you can buy other herb, veggie, and flower seed kits separately. Seedlings can grow up to 2 feet tall in this planter which gives you plenty to harvest from. 

While it didn’t take us long to set it up, getting a hang of the grow light system was confusing, so we had to spend extra time learning how to set it up. It is also expensive, but justifies its cost with its many advanced features.

Growing System: Hydroponic | Growing Options: Herbs, flowers, vegetables | Size: 17.3 x 34 x 11.3 inches | Capacity: Up to 9 plants

Best Smart

AeroGarden Bounty Elite

View On Amazon $260 View On Wayfair $305 View On Aerogarden.com

With the AeroGarden Bounty Elite, you’ll quickly realize that having an indoor garden does not have to be difficult. In fact, it can be downright effortless, especially because this garden system takes care of its water and light requirements by itself.

It works with Wi-Fi and is compatible with Alexa, so you can monitor the garden’s growth right from your phone. It also has a touchscreen on the front that shows important info such as water level, plant types, and how long they’ve been planted. You don’t need any soil, as the seeds are in seed pods and only need water to grow. There is also a vacation mode which rations the water over an extended period so your plants will still thrive even when you’re not there. Whether you grow herbs, vegetables, or flowers it is entirely up to you—the kit holds up to nine different plants. 

It features a strong 50-watt grow lamp which can be adjusted up to 24 inches in height for growing most veggies and herbs. It also comes with a self-watering system with a large water bowl that doesn’t need to be refilled often.

The garden system itself is large and holds up to nine plants. It was much bigger than we expected and would be better on a table or countertop rather than a window sill. We were pleased that within a month, all the herbs we grew were green and healthy. Final assessment? We loved that we didn’t have to do a lot of work to have fresh herbs all year long.

Growing System: Hydroponic | Growing Options: Herbs, vegetables, flowers | Size: 17.3 x 34 x 11.3 inches | Capacity: Up to 9 plants

Best Vertical

Amazing Creation Stackable Vertical Garden

View On Amazon $40 View On Walmart $52

For those who have a sunny spot in their home to grow fruits, veggies, and herbs, go back to basics with this stackable planter. The planter can be used inside and outside and comes with plastic pots that you can put on top of each other.

It consists of five planting pots in terracotta and off-white, each holding up to 15 plants. When fully assembled, the planter is around 2 feet tall. It is not a complete garden kit and does not come with potting soil or seeds. The planter comes with soil separators that you can put beneath each tier to help circulate air. Plus, there are drainage holes at the bottom of the pots to let water drip down to the pots below. 

Unless you’re ready to dedicate time to water the plants and ensure they get enough light, this might not be the best option if you’re new to gardening. 

Growing System: Soil-based | Growing Options: Herbs, vegetables, microgreens, flowers | Size: 12.5 x 24 x 4 inches | Capacity: Up to 15 plants

Best Small

iDoo Hydroponics Growing System

View On Amazon $70 View On Walmart $70 View On Sears.com

Small and compact, the iDoo Hydroponics Growing System Kit is a way to grow your favorite garden greens if you don’t have much space. This planter is ideal for those with small kitchens and living in apartments. Despite it being small in diameter, you can grow up to eight seedlings in the planter, plus its height is adjustable, allowing plants to grow up to 15 inches. You can grow eight plants at a time, including veggies, fruits, herbs, and flowers.

This is not a smart option and comes with no app to control the lights and timers. But it comes with everything else such as a hydroponic system and automatic grow lights that turn on and off based on a 16-hour growing cycle.

Most seeds sprouted in 10 days, with fruits taking the longest to sprout at two weeks. It's also reasonably priced, so it’s a good option for those who are just learning about gardening. The instructions can be confusing, so just be prepared to take it step by step so you won’t get overwhelmed. And note that you’ll need to purchase seeds separately.

Growing System: Hydroponic | Growing Options: Herbs, vegetables, fruits, flowers | Size: 10.8 x 10.2-20.5 x 6.5 inches | Capacity: Up to 8 plants