Which Indoor Gardening System Is Worth the Price? We Tried Them All

We Tried 11 of the Most Popular Indoor Gardening Systems Featured in this article I'm a lifelong plant person. Even though I’ve spent many years in apartments or living situations where a full garden isn’t feasible, I’ve always tried to grow something , whether it’s a single basil plant on a windowsill, a Topsy-Turvy tomato , or a few basil sprigs in an old-school AeroGarden . Several years ago, I moved to a house on a quarter-acre lot on the outer edge of town, where residential development rubs up against undeveloped wildland. “My gardening dreams are finally coming true!” I thought. It only took three seasons of hard clay soil, deer, and persistent rabbits to disabuse me of the notion that outdoor gardening was ever going to happen for me. My gardening endeavors had to be moved indoors. I’ve had various tiny LED planter setups since then, but the latest large-scale indoor vertical gardens have had me intrigued. The ability to grow 20, 30, or even 40 veggies and fresh herbs, year-round, in a space smaller than a bookshelf? Sign me up! These gardens are definitely an investment in both time and maintenance, and they're all different in terms of what they can offer. The Gardyn Home 4.0 ($899) , for example, offers total success with no green thumb required if you pay for a subscription, while the Rise 3 ($1,499) offers insanely high potential yields. How can you be sure which is the best indoor garden for your specific lifestyle? We tried some of the more popular systems on the market right now for two to four months each to see which ones are worth the money and hassle. Check out our other home tech buying guides for people who like living organisms, like the Best Kitchen Composters , Best Smart Bird Feeders , and Best Automatic Litter Boxes . Updated December 2025: We've added AeroGarden's Bounty and Harvest Lite models and a seed starter from LetPot, amended some long-term testing info, and ensured up-to-date links and prices. FAQs What Are Hydroponics? In the simplest terms, hydroponic gardening means to grow plants without roots in soil. Sometimes the plants are suspended in water, like in the Rise or Gardyn; sometimes they're in pods attached to a wick, like in the Click & Grow; and sometimes they have water sprayed or misted on their roots, like in the Lettuce Grow and Plantaform. Usually this is in concert with an artificial light source, either indoors or in an outdoor enclosure. What Are the Benefits of Hydroponics? In addition to the obvious plus of cleaner produce without mud, dirt, or synthetic pesticides, hydroponic systems use much less water than conventional growing methods, since all the water used is either recirculated or taken up by the plants. Some farmers also say they get higher yields from hydroponic systems, as the variables of weather, light, and nutrients are far easier to control. And, because of these variables, farmers are also able to grow varieties...

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