$100 on Amazon 
The Best Indoor Smart Garden for Most People
Click & Grow Smart Garden 3
View Details $221 on Amazon 
A smart garden perfect for herbs and salad greens
Aerogarden Bounty Elite
View Details $150 on Amazon 
The best smart garden for microgreens
Ingarden
View Details $239 on Amazon 
The most stylish indoor gardens
Smart Grow House
View Details $639 at Rise Gardens 
The best smart garden furniture
Rise Single Hydroponic Garden
View Details $26 on Amazon
Another Microgreen Option
Chef's Microgreens Growers
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Get outside and start gardening. If you love gardening but don't have the time, resources, or space to maintain an outdoor garden, consider an indoor plant pod. They're easy to maintain and can be used in apartments. Plus, indoor garden systems usually require very little light (some even have built-in LEDs) and very little watering. You can grow your own herbs, vegetables, flowers, and more. Click & Grow is the best indoor garden system we've tested, but there are plenty of other indoor garden systems to suit your space, style, and budget.
Most pod gardens, such as the Aerogarden Bounty Elite and Click & Grow Smart Garden 3, are very easy to use. Plus, most models are small and lightweight, so you can move them around your home. Larger indoor garden units, such as the Lettuce Grow Farmstand and RiseGarden, take up more space but can grow 36 plants at a time. There are also indoor garden options that are specifically designed to grow microgreens, or that prioritize style and simplicity over complex mechanisms and mobile app integration. Many of these garden system options also come with seeds.
To find the best smart gardens for 2024, we tested several indoor growing systems.
Best indoor smart gardens for 2024
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I've tried out this unit and it's the perfect size smart garden for growing delicious herbs like basil, mint, chives, salad greens, and more. With self-contained seed pods, LED grow lights, and a water tank that only needs to be refilled every 2-3 weeks, it couldn't be easier to operate. For those who aren't too keen on gardening, it's the perfect beginner indoor herb garden.
The Click & Grow Smart Garden 3 comes with three basil pods, but you can purchase any number of salad, fruit, and vegetable seed pods from the website for about $3 each. Because this indoor garden system only holds three plants, it's a little small for growing too many vegetables, so we recommend sticking to herbs and lettuce. However, if your gardening goals are more aesthetic, there are plenty of flower pods available, too.
Click & Grow has a few larger models available, all of which function similarly, including the Smart Garden 9, which holds nine seed pods, and the multi-level Smart Garden 27, which holds, you guessed it, 27 seed pods.
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The AeroGarden Bounty Elite Artisan is a relatively compact indoor gardening system that, right out of the box, lets you grow nine different plants from a wide selection of options, from fresh herbs to tomatoes, peppers and flowers.
As your plants grow, so does the adjustable LED light stand, up to a height of 24 inches. Includes plant fertilizer and an optional trellis system designed to accommodate plants like tomatoes that need support as they grow.
I'm currently growing nine lavender plants in my indoor garden, and the AeroGarden has made the process incredibly easy so far. The instructions clearly walk you through the initial setup, and the display alerts you when your plants need feeding.
Whereas the Click & Grow system has a water storage tank that draws water up into the soil pods, the AeroGarden uses a pump to circulate the moisture. Luckily, the pump isn't too noisy – it just makes a gentle dripping noise.
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Nutritionists might tell you that microgreens are an underutilized source of nutrition. What's more, they're pretty easy to grow at home. Ingarden is a new, smart garden designed to do just that, and it's compact enough to fit on a windowsill (to help the plants grow) or bookshelf.
The Ingarden is a completely soil-free grower that draws water up into three seed pads that sit atop a reservoir. An LED grow light under the handle runs on a timer to keep your microgreens growing. And they grow fast: Seeds sprout within a few days, and in about a week you'll have fully grown microgreens like mustard, radishes, and broccoli that you can sprinkle on salads, sandwiches, sauces, and soups.
What we love most about Ingarden is its simple, sleek design, made entirely of ceramic and metal, with no plastic. Compact, clean, and easy to use, it's the perfect smart garden for anyone stepping up to the top of their indoor gardening game.
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The Smart Growhouse is on the more basic side of the indoor gardens on this list, but we like its stylish brass exterior. It doesn't hold seed pods or auto-water like the others, so you'll have to take care of that yourself, but it does come with full-spectrum LED lights that run on a timer for optimal growth. This means you can display your indoor garden anywhere in your home, not just near a window.
Admittedly, the $239 price tag is steep given the low-tech nature of this indoor garden, but if the classic copper finish complements your motif, it might be worth the extra cost.
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If you're looking for a stylish indoor garden that blends naturally into your living space, the Rise Single Smart Hydroponic Garden is the way to go. This automated watering system is fully hydroponic, with no need to deal with soil pods. It comes with a 5-gallon water tank and LED grow lights, all controlled and monitored through an integrated mobile app. Water levels, light settings, and nutrient levels all have built-in sensors that report information to keep your plants growing smoothly.
The Single Smart Indoor Garden can hold up to 36 plants, and you can add levels to increase germination capacity and create a steady supply of fresh herbs, leafy greens, flowers, and even tomatoes. This germinating seedling for hydroponic systems sells for $12 in a pack of four.
In my opinion, what sets Rise apart the most is its sturdy, thick steel and solid wood design that makes it look like a modern piece of furniture. Rise Garden can be placed behind a sofa or against a wall as a chic bookshelf, end table or indoor garden.
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I have personally used this indoor/outdoor farm stand and can say it is well designed and easy to operate. The lettuce grow farm stand works by pumping nutrient-mixed water up through the base and allowing it to flow down to the seed pods packed into the wall. I used it indoors for a few weeks without lights and while some sprouts grew well, many withered. Introducing the LED ring light makes a huge difference. (In fact, I had to cut back on my grow lights as the plants grew so quickly.) Both the water pump and the LED light ring run on timers, so very little weekly maintenance is required.
It's worth mentioning that the watering system emits a moderate sound like a Zen fountain for about 15 minutes every few hours. It was a bit annoying at first, but I quickly got used to it and now find it relaxing. Also, the frame gets heavy when filled with water, so it's not something you'll want to move around often. It's bulky, but it adds vibrancy and atmosphere to any room once the greenery starts to bloom. Still, it may not be suitable for smaller homes or apartments.
Prices start at $973 for a small indoor farm stand that holds 18 seedlings, but you can add tiers to increase capacity up to 36. Optional ring lights are $200 for the basic two-ring package and $100 for each additional ring. Starter seedlings are also included, and it's recommended that you replace them every few months.
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This little container is specially designed for microgreens, which are perfect for garnishing soups, salads, and other fancy recipes. It's always nice to have a little greenery on your kitchen counter, and this container takes up very little space. The Microgreen Garden Kit includes a planter, soil, and seeds for your first plant, all for under $30.
Unlike the Ingarden, this model doesn’t have an LED light, so you’ll need to place it in direct sunlight most of the time.
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This is another hydroponic system, but it's definitely better for smaller spaces. Gardyn's upright growing system can grow up to 30 plants, but it takes up just 2 square feet of space. Individual sprouts are watered by a tank and pump that circulates the water on a timer. Built-in LED lights (also on a timer) encourage great photosynthesis. The Gardyn system is self-monitoring with sensors and an actual camera, so there's not much work to do aside from cleaning the tank and refilling the water once a month.
Though it's priced at $849, Gardyn is extremely efficient. Just ask CNET's Bridget Carey, who recently put Gardyn to the test at length and has had success growing fresh herbs, tomatoes, and tons of salad greens. Read her full review of the Gardyn Smart Hydroponic Indoor Garden to find out everything you need to know.
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