Best Smart Indoor Gardens for 2024

The AeroGarden Bounty Elite Artisan is a relatively compact indoor gardening system that, right out of the box, can accommodate nine plants of your choice. Options range from fresh herbs to tomatoes, peppers and flowers.

As your plants grow, the adjustable LED light stand can grow with them, up to 24 inches tall. Plant food is included, as is an optional trellis system, designed to accommodate tomatoes and other plants that need support as they grow.

I am currently in the early stages of growing nine lavender plants in the indoor garden, but AeroGarden has made the process incredibly easy so far. The instructions clearly walk you through the initial setup, and the display alerts you when you need to add more plant food.

While the Click & Grow system uses a reservoir and pumps water up into the soil pods, the AeroGarden uses a pump to circulate moisture. Thankfully, the pump sounds like a gentle trickle rather than something distracting.

A nutritionist might tell you microgreens are a hugely underutilized source of nutrition. As a bonus, they are quite easy to grow at home. Ingarden is a new, sleek, smart garden that does just that and is compact enough to fit on your windowsill (to help plants grow) or bookshelf.

The Ingarden is completely soilless, but draws water into three seed pads that sit above a reservoir. LED grow lights under the handle work on a timer and keep the microgreens growing — and they grow fast. You’ll have sprouts in a few days and mature microgreens like mustard, radishes, and broccoli in about a week to sprinkle on salads and sandwiches and in sauces and soups.

My favorite thing about the Ingarden is the simple sleek design made of only ceramic and metal and no plastic. Compact, clean and easy to use, it is the perfect smart garden for someone who wants to dip their toe into the best indoor garden game.

The Smart Growhouse is one of the more basic indoor gardens on this list, but we love it for its stylish brass exterior. It doesn’t have seed pods or self-watering like some others, so you’ll have to take care of that part yourself, but it does have full-spectrum LED lights that run on a timer for optimal growth. That means you can display your indoor gardens anywhere in your home, not just by a window.

Granted, the $239 price tag is steep considering the low-tech nature of this indoor garden. If the classic copper finish can enhance your motif, it might be worth the extra price.

If you’re looking for a stylish indoor garden that fits effortlessly into your living space, the Rise Single smart hydroponic garden is a great choice. This self-watering system is completely hydroponic, meaning you don’t have to deal with soil pods. It comes with a 5-gallon water tank and LED grow lights, all of which are controlled and monitored via an integrated mobile app. The water levels, light settings, and nutrient levels all have built-in sensors that relay information to keep everything running smoothly.

The Single smart indoor garden holds up to 36 plants and you can add levels to increase sprouting capacity for a constant supply of fresh herbs, vegetables, flowers and even tomatoes. Sprouted seedlings for this hydroponic system come in packs of four for $12.

What sets Rise apart from others, in my opinion, is its sturdy, heavy steel and solid wood design, which makes it look like a modern piece of furniture. The Rise Garden can be placed behind a sofa or against a wall to serve as a chic bookshelf or side table, but also as an indoor garden.

I have personally used this indoor/outdoor farmstand and can tell you that it is well designed and easy to operate. The Lettuce Grow Farmstand works by pumping water mixed with nutrients up from the base, over seed pods that are tucked into the walls. I have been running it indoors for a few weeks and without lights and while some shoots thrived, many died. Enter LED ring lights, which make a huge difference. (I’ve actually had to scale back the grow lights because the plants are growing too fast.) Both the water pump and LED light rings are on timers, so there’s almost no weekly maintenance required.

It’s worth noting that the watering system makes a moderate amount of noise — similar to one of those Zen water fountains — for about 15 minutes every few hours. It was a little annoying at first, but I quickly adapted and now find it relaxing. The frame is also heavy when you fill it with water, so it’s not something you’ll want to move around often. It’s also bulky, but once the greenery starts to bloom, it’ll add a ton of life and ambiance to any room. It’s still probably not great for a small home or apartment.

Prices start at $973 for the small indoor Farmstand, which holds 18 shoots, but you can add tiers and increase the capacity to as much as 36 shoots. The optional ring lights cost $200 for the base two-ring package and $100 for each additional ring. Starter seedlings are included and it is recommended to replace them every few months.

This little guy is specifically designed for microgreens, which are great for garnishing soups, salads, and other fancy recipes. It’s always nice to have a touch of green on the counter, and this unit won’t take up much space. The microgreens garden kit includes the planter, soil, and seeds for your first round of plants, all for under $30.

Unlike the Ingarden, this model does not have LED lighting, so you will mainly have to place it in direct sunlight.

This is another hydroponic system, but one that’s definitely better suited for smaller spaces. The Gardyn upright grow system holds up to 30 plants but takes up just 2 square feet. Individual shoots are watered via a tank and pump, which circulates water on a timer. Built-in LED lights — also on a timer — activate that sweet, sweet photosynthesis. The Gardyn system monitors itself with sensors and real cameras, so you don’t have to do much work other than clean and refill the tank every month or so.

Despite its hefty price tag — $849, plus sprouts — the Gardyn is very efficient. Just ask CNET’s Bridget Carey, who recently put the Gardyn through its paces and had success growing fresh herbs, tomatoes, and lots of lettuce. Read her full review of the Gardyn smart hydroponic indoor garden for everything you need to know.