The best indoor smart garden systems and connected indoor garden planters allow you to grow more greenery indoors than ever before. Featuring smart LED lighting, hydroponics, and even wireless connectivity, the best smart garden systems are ready to help you grow you it all in your home with minimal input and maximum results.
| RATING | FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AeroGarden Harvest | 7.8/10 |
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| Click & Grow Smart Garden | 7.8/10 |
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| AeroGarden Bounty Elite | 6.6/10 |
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| AeroGarden Ultra | 9.0/10 |
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 | AeroGarden Extra | 8.8/10 |
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 | Aerogarden Farm | 9.2/10 |
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Having access to your own personal supply of fresh herbs or edible greens in the kitchen is incredible. Unfortunately, up until recently (if you’re anything like us at least), you may have attempted to grow your own plants, herbs, or salads indoors but come up against the usual problems involved with any green-fingered endeavor.
Not enough light, not enough water, not enough time.
However on all of these fronts, things are now rapidly changing, with the latest and greatest indoor smart gardens and smart garden systems are transforming the process of sowing, growing, and enjoying fresh produce, flavorful herbs, and beautiful plants whatever your schedule and no matter where in the world you live.
What this means in practice of course, is that you no longer need to choose between growing delicious/attractive greens and plants and the actual practical considerations of everyday modern living – you can have both.
Whether you live in a small studio apartment with limited window space or a large family home but have no time to care for plants, the best indoor smart gardens have got you covered
Contents
What is an Indoor Smart Garden?
Indoor smart gardens are effectively self-contained, intelligent planters designed to provide optimum levels of water and light to ensure that whether you’re planning to grow herbs, salad, fruit, or flowers, you’ll get the perfect results every time and with minimal manual effort.
Utilizing smart indoor garden technology to monitor and time the provision of everything your plants need to succeed, the best indoor smart gardens take care of the business of growing to ensure that your plants thrive, even when you’re not home to take care of them yourself.
The very best indoor smart gardens also offer WiFi connectivity, allowing you to monitor the vital stats of your plants, track the progress of your harvest, and even adjust the input levels and growth settings remotely.
Gone are the days of finding plant pots (and soil), locating well-lit spots, and remembering to water regularly.
The best indoor smart garden makes growing your own herbs and other plants indoors for food or decoratively easier and smarter than it’s ever been before.
The Best Indoor Smart Garden Systems
We’ve taken a look at the top indoor smart garden and connected growing systems to separate the best from the rest when it comes to perfect home-grown results.
Whatever the budget, growing goals, and feature set you’re looking for, we’ve put together the ultimate list of the best indoor smart gardens to help you get there.
AeroGarden Harvest Wi-Fi
The AeroGarden Harvest is a Wi-Fi enabled indoor smart garden that allows you to effortlessly grow up to 6 plants at a time, all year round.
Perfectly designed for countertop growing and picking, the AeroGarden Harvest is ready to grow fresh vegetables, salad greens, herbs, or flowers whatever the month and however large or small your home.
Setup is simply a case of inserting the included ‘Seed Pods’ into the device, adding water and nutrients and then letting the system take care of itself – no tools required.
Features:
One of the stand out features of the AeroGarden Harvest is the inclusion of in-built Wi-Fi which allows you to manage all of the smart planter’s vital stats from setup through to harvest time through your smartphone or tablet.
Whether telling you when to top up the water or add more nutrients, the companion AeroGarden App is an excellent addition if you’re looking for an indoor smart garden that you can monitor wherever you are.
Growing lights are provided by a full spectrum 20-watt LED system that allows all plants to gain maximum benefit from photosynthesis for optimum growth and a capacity of up to 6 plants means that AeroGarden is quite literally designed to deliver an abundant harvest with minimal input required.
Learn More About the AeroGarden Harvest Wi-Fi HereClick & Grow Indoor Smart Herb Garden Kit
As with many of the best indoor smart gardens, the Click & Grow provides the perfect solution for smart indoor herb and vegetable gardening if you’re limited by both space and time.
Simple to setup and get going (just fill with water and plug in), the Click & Grow smart garden works around a series of plant cartridges which simply plug into the device before you’re ready to go
Easily able to handle plants such as basil, cilantro, sage, and parsley, the Click & Grow smart garden system is even capable of handling heavier hitters such as peppers, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries making it an excellent addition to that spare space on your kitchen counter for grab and go greens.
Features:
At the center of the Click & Grow Smart Garden is what the company calls ‘Smart Soil’, effectively a patented growth-medium which speeds up the growing process and delivers the optimal amount of water, oxygen, and nutrients to ensure your crop grows as efficiently as possible.
The adjustable grow light for the Click & Grow system works on a cycle of 16 hours on and 8 off to ensure your plants get the perfect amount of light for growth at all times courtesy of the smart garden system of lighting and hydration which takes care of the essentials for healthy plants.
Learn More About the Click & Grow Indoor Smart Herb Garden Kit HereAeroGarden Bounty Elite Wi-Fi
Providing growing space for an incredible 9 plants at a time, the Bounty Elite Wi-Fi enabled smart garden is the perfect choice if you’re looking for a solution that can grow a large indoor crop with minimal input required.
Utilizing an advanced hydroponics growing base alongside a full spectrum lighting system means that the Bounty Elite is able to grow a lot of plants quickly and efficiently.
All of this means that you can expect an abundant harvest in around 4-6 weeks of planting, with this inoor smart garden system producing a continual crop for up to 6 months.
Features
As with the other best Wi-Fi enabled indoor smart gardens out there, the Bounty Elite Wi-Fi works alongside a companion app to keep you in the loop with reminders for when to water and add nutrient as well as providing growing tips, direct to your smartphone or tablet.
Lighting for the Bounty Elite comes in the form of a full spectrum 45-watt LED system which is preset to the specific spectrum needed for your plants to succeed.
As with other smart garden systems in this guide, a soil-free design is another key feature of the AeroGarden Bounty Elite and the system’s advanced hydroponics means that all your plants need to flourish is water, air, and light, with the device’s growth system effectively allowing your plants to grow up to 5 times faster than they would in soil.
Learn More About the AeroGarden Bounty Elite Wi-Fi HereAeroGarden Ultra
The AeroGarden Ultra is a 7 plant solution for smart indoor growing that’s simple to setup and grow from.
With the capacity to grow more than half a dozen plants at one time, the AeroGarden Ultra is a real contender if you’re looking to find the best indoor smart garden that offers plenty of room for planting multiple salad leaves, herbs, or any other small kitchen fruits and vegetables autonomously and with minimal headaches.
Features:
An interactive LCD screen control panel is the main interface with the AeroGarden Ultra and handles everything from turning the lights on and off automatically through to reminding you when to add water and nutrients to the system.
As with other AeroGarden smart indoor gardens, the Ultra utilizes an advanced hydroponics system replacing the need for soil with a water only approach to growing. What this means in practice is that you only need to top up the reservoir when it runs low while the system takes care of the rest.
Light for your plants is provided by a 30-watt LED system providing combines white, blue, and red LEDs for a combined super-efficient growth recipe for fast growth, larger yields, and more fruit.
Learn More About the AeroGarden Ultra Here
The Best Smart Indoor Garden Systems by Category
When it comes to deciding how, what, and where to grow in your home, the type of indoor smart garden you pick for the job will ultimately be based on an evaluation of these factors alongside other considerations such as how often you’re at home, what you’re looking to achieve, and even the level of interaction you want to have with the system.
We’ve broken down our pick of the top indoor smart gardens by category to help you find the best option for every situation. Whether you’re looking for a constant supply of fresh vegetables and herbs in the kitchen, live in a small apartment and need a small system that fits the bill, or want a planter with the maximum connected features, we’ll tell you the best solution for the job.
The Best Indoor Smart Garden for Small Spaces
If the space in your home is tight, growing plants can be a challenge at the best of times. The latest indoor smart garden systems go a long way to overcoming the problems of small-space growing, however finding a device that delivers the maximum crop ROI for the space it takes up on your countertop is still a priority.
Basically, if you’re looking for the best smart indoor garden for a small space, you want a system that delivers the highest yield, is simplest to maintain, but still offers the widest range of features for the smallest footprint when it’s set up and in operation.
AeroGarden Classic 6
In our opinion, the AeroGarden Classic 6 offers the best combination of compact form and high performance indoor growing functionality for a smart garden in this price bracket.
Allowing you to grow up to 6 plants at a time, the AeroGarden Classic 6 comes in at a modest 11″ x 16″ making it a good option for most kitchen counters or spare shelf space.
When space is at a premium, it can be a challenge to balance the realities of storage (and growing) space with your overall goals and ambitions when it comes to cultivating fresh produce in your home. If this is something you frequently find yourself dealing with, then the Classic 6 represents one of the best compact smart planters to help you grow a considerable number of plants with minimal room required.
Learn More About the AeroGarden Classic 6 Here
The Best Indoor Smart Garden for Studio Apartments
If you live in a studio apartment, dorm room, or simply want a self-growing smart garden solution that is compact enough to fit on a desk or side table, then a micro smart garden is the way to go.
The criteria here are the same as those that apply for small spaces but with a reduction in the number of plants you’re going to be able to grow using the system (given the drastically reduced growing footprint). With that being said, while the best indoor smart garden systems in this category are be neccesity, small, the level of incredible portability they offer make them an excellent choice if you want a minimal growing footprint and/or are likely to move your plants around frequently.
AeroGarden Sprout
Measuring an incredibly modest 4.5″ x 11″, the Sprout is just about the smallest indoor smart garden you can buy for the money (closely followed by the Click & Grow which comes in at 4.7″ x 11.8″).
With the ability to grow up to 3 plants at a time, the AeroGarden Sprout is the ideal smart garden solution for quick pick herbs or salad leaves in a compact kitchen.
Effectively working in the same way as other indoor smart gardens, the Sprout utilizes a combination of ‘plug and play’ plant pods, hydroponics for watering. and daylight simulating LED lighting to give your plants everything they need to grow without constant attention from you along the way.
The biggest difference between the AeroGarden Sprout and other, larger models within the range is the capacity offered, with a 3 plant max when it comes to growing room. This makes the Sprout a great option if you’re just looking to grow a couple of herbs or small plants but if you’re looking to grow beyond this, consider upsizing (if space allows) to a model such as the Classic 6 which is still compact in size but offers double the capacity.
Learn More About the AeroGarden Sprout HereThe Best Smart Indoor Garden for Growing Large Plants
When it comes to indoor garden systems, it’s important to distinguish at the higher end, the difference between systems which deliver a large yield (see our pick for Best High Yield Indoor Smart Garden below) and those which return potentially less in terms of quantity, while still allowing the growth of larger plants.
If you’re looking for the best indoor garden for growing larger plants such as salad greens or tomatoes, then you need a system which is up to the job.
AeroGarden Extra
The AeroGarden Extra is a smart garden system which has the capacity for growing up to 7 good sized plants at a time and in this respect, it performs very similarly to the AeroGarden Ultra (mentioned earlier in this guide). In actual fact, really the only differentiator between the two models is the inclusion of an LCD screen with the Ultra, whereas the Extra foregoes this feature but comes in at a lower price point as a result.
With this in mind, you’ll want to make a decision regarding whether a visual display is something you’ll need because if so, then the Aerogarden Ultra is the indoor garden of choice if you don’t mind splashing out a few extra bucks.
If however, you just want an automatic indoor smart garden that delivers large plants, then the Extra is our smart grower of choice.
The Aerogarden Extra utilizes a combination of advanced hydroponics alongside a 30-w photosynthesis inducing LED setup to allow you to grow a maximum of 7 plants on the larger side of the kitchen garden scale, meaning this is the ideal solution if you’re looking for a cost-effective smart garden for your countertop.
If you want to go beyond growing herbs or a couple of mid-large size plants, then the Aerogarden Extra is a solid choice for growing larger plants indoors.
The Best High Yield Indoor Smart Garden
If space is less of an issue and you want to grow a bigger crop indoors than most other conventional smart garden systems allow, finding a solution that delivers a higher yield at the expense of taking up a larger footprint is the way to go.
AeroGarden Farm 12-36″ Indoor Smart Garden Systems
The AeroGarden Farm offers the ultimate in indoor smart growing capability, providing enough space to grow an incredible 24 plants at once while also offering Wi-Fi connectivity and a great design that will fit right into most contemporary or traditional homes.
If you’ve got the space in your home, the AeroGarden Farm family of devices are available in three sizes (with the largest coming in at 36″ grow height) and represent the best combination of growing capacity, high crop yield, and smart functionality, allowing you to effectively bring an array of fruits, herbs and vegetables inside, while also taking care of all of the tasks needed to get your produce or plants growing perfectly.
What this means in action of course, is that you’ll be able to basically plant, set, and forget (with the exception of adding water when the connected app reminds you), returning when it’s time to harvest and having access to freshly grown produce for your kitchen.
If you want to get the full home-grown hydroponic experience with minimal hassle and maximum yield, the AeroGarden Farm indoor garden systems are hard to beat, delivering a literal bounty of fresh produce with ease.
Learn More About the 12″ Grow Height AeroGarden Farm Here, the 24″ Grow Height Version Here, and the 36″ Grow Height Version HereThe Best Connected Indoor Smart Garden
Many of the best connected indoor smart gardens provide the ability to connect the device to a smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi through a companion app.
With a smart planter hooked up to your phone, your indoor garden will be able to provide reminders on when to water and add nutrients as well as offering up growing tips and plant care advice from sowing through to harvesting.
AeroGarden Harvest Elite Wi-FiThe Harvest Elite utilizes built-in Wi-Fi connectivity to pair up with the companion AeroGarden app on a connected device. Once paired, the app provides real-time notifications to let you know when it’s time to add more water to your plants.
As an all-rounder, the Harvest Elite provides an excellent combination of functionality, connectivity, and growing capacity (up to 6 plants can be grown at a time).
Available in a variety of colors and with a choice of starter plant packs that allow you to get installed and growing in next to no time at all, the Harvest Elite is a solid choice if you’re looking for a countertop smart garden device that will keep you updated with your growing situation wherever you are.
Learn More About the Harvest Elite Wi-Fi HereFurther Reading
The Best Smart Coffee Makers for the Perfect Connected Cup- The Complete Smart Home Gift Guide – The Best Smart Home Gift Ideas for 2020
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