From hydroponics to mason jar planters, these kits make it easy to grow herbs year-round.
We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. 3d Printer Fan
There are endless ways to incorporate fresh herbs year-round into your recipes, from minty summer cocktails to parsley pesto pasta and spinach-herb polenta. But you don't necessarily need to have a green thumb to grow your own fresh herbs indoors, thanks to the convenience of indoor herb garden kits. Some even allow you to easily grow produce like lettuce, fruit and veggies right in your own kitchen, no matter how big or small your space.
For nearly three years, our kitchen appliance experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute have been researching and testing indoor herb gardens to determine which ones are worth your money, taking into account ease of setup and maintenance, as well as smart features like integrated apps. We also considered factors like capacity, water and lighting timers and the cost of buying compatible seeds and pods.
Scroll on to read our reviews and to learn more about how we chose the best indoor herb gardens, plus everything you should consider before settling on the right option for your home. Consult our guides to the best healthy indoor plants, indoor trees and indoor hanging planters for more unique gardening gifts the plant lover in your life will be excited to receive.
A favorite among our testers, the Aerogarden can grow an abundance of greens in a compact device that fits on a window ledge. The hydroponic garden includes a full-spectrum grow light that's intended to mimic the effects of sunlight. The set includes six herb seed pods, but other herb, veggie and flower pods are available to purchase from the Aerogarden website. You can also choose to use your own seeds, but you will need to buy a Grow Anything Seed Pod Kit in order to do so.
When we tested this unit, we found the plants grew in the recommended time frame listed on the pod and the lights worked on the recommended schedule. No additional soil is required, as it comes with liquid plant nutrients, and there’s an indicator to remind you to fill up the water and add the plant food. We found that it was very easy to set up and appreciated the lighted reminders to add plant food and water. The Aerogarden Harvest claims to grow plants up to six times faster than soil. When we tested it at home, we found that herbs and lettuce grew so fast they needed to be harvested every few days, which makes it great for someone who uses these frequently. Take note, if the plants are left to grow for too long they may start pressing against the lights and burning.
We love that this affordable, plastic garden looks great indoors or outdoors. Each layer is meant to store three 5" plants, and the garden holds 15 plants when all five tiers are stacked vertically. For this one, you won't have to worry about purchasing pricey pods — you're welcome to use any seeds and soil (although you'll need to purchase it separately).
The planter pots are also lightweight, meaning you can move the stackable garden around (depending on your home's sunlight). You will need to water your plants accordingly, but the soil separator is designed to minimize the risk of root rot. If you're looking for a quick, simple solution, online reviewers agree this planter is so easy to assemble. Just note this one doesn't have built-in lights and isn't self watering, so prepare for a bit more manual upkeep.
RELATED: Unique Vertical Garden Ideas for Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
Cute, compact and equipped with a nine-gallon tank, the second edition of the Farmstand grows up to 20 plants without taking up a ton of space.
"It’s super easy to put together," says GH Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab Director Nicole Papantoniou, who loves that this indoor herb garden comes with a smart plug that connects to your phone to customize the light and watering schedule. You're also able to test and adjust the water quality, plus we found that the brand offers a lot of helpful how-to videos.
The best part: The seedlings already arrive sprouted, which gives you a head start on growing. "After just a couple of weeks I was able to start eating lettuce and herbs," adds Papantoniou.
With this large indoor garden, it's possible to grow up to 30 plants at once. According to one tester, the Home Kit 3.0 was easier to assemble than previous models and it has a relatively small footprint for the amount of greens it can grow.
During testing, we found that the lights are quite bright, but are easily controlled via your phone. It's simple to keep the tubes and tank clean, although the job is ideal for two people. The Home Kit 3.o is self-watering and doesn't require any sunlight.
We were impressed to find that the built-in cameras monitor the growth of your plants if you subscribe to the monthly membership. And if you opt for the subscription, you'll receive 10 pods per month. The only downfall? The monthly membership will be an additional charge on top of the already high cost.
RELATED: The Best Gardening Subscription Boxes That Send Seeds and Plants Straight to Your Door
If space is a premium in your home, you might want to try the Smart Garden from Click & Grow. GH Institute Nutrition Lab Director Stefani Sassos, who tested this indoor garden, says that it's "extremely easy to use, especially for someone that doesn't have a green thumb like myself," adding that the compact size made it perfect for a small kitchen counter.
It can hold three pods, making it a good choice for someone living on their own or a small household that doesn’t use a lot of herbs. Take note, Smart Garden's pods must be used with the indoor garden, but the brand has a wide variety available including, herbs, lettuce, chili peppers and more. If you choose to use your own seeds, you must still use the Grow Anything Plant pods, though the brand says they're best optimized for fruiting plants. All pods are available for single purchase or in bundles.
The lamp also has a built-in timer and easy-to-install arm extensions so the lights raise as your plants grow. While it does come with an app, we didn’t find it very useful. "You can learn more about your plant pods on the app, but that’s about it," says Sassos.
RELATED: Charming Small Garden Ideas That Won't Break Your Budget
Not only does this indoor herb garden use red light technology to encourage your plants to flower and fruit, its sleek design is available in three trendy colors (including gold, green, white and black). It's compact enough to fit on the counter, but the height also adjusts to accommodate taller plants.
This style fits five pods, but there's also a 10-pod option in select colors. The system has a 2.5-liter water tank, automatic timer and two different grow modes (one for flowers, one for fruits and veggies). You'll receive grow baskets, domes, grow sponges and rods, but you'll have to purchase seeds separately. Luckily, the grow sponges are easy to replace when you run out — so no expensive maintenance required here.
If you're a master DIYer and green thumb, you may be able to turn a typical mason jar into a garden all by yourself — but this DIY kit makes it much easier to grow herbs. The self-watering system delivers water and nutrients to the plant’s roots, using a process known as wicking. Plus, the vintage-inspired jars double as decor and don't take up much space on the counter or windowsill.
These two mason jars come with basil and parsley, but The Sill has a number of other combinations like Basil + Mint, Basil + Cilantro and Lavender + Rosemary. They're definitely an affordable solution, considering they're designed to be reused.
RELATED: Everything You Need to Grow Basil at Home
A larger version of the Farmstand Nook and the brand's first iteration, the Farmstand Garden is a smart pick for anyone who wants to grow lettuce and herbs. You can choose from over 50 pre-sprouted seedlings each season that are sold on their website. This pick even earned a spot in our most recent Kitchen Gear and Coffee Awards.
When we tested this, we found that the plants grew very quickly. The plants are sent as sprouted seedlings and within two weeks of planting, our tester could harvest enough lettuce to make salads for five people. The Lettuce Grow is also available in 12-, 18-, 30- and 36-plant sizes, so you can choose the amount that fits your needs. You can also use grow your own seedlings but Lettuce Grow advises using hydroponic starters.
This can be used outdoors or indoors with the recommended Glow Rings (sold separately) that attach to the Farmstand. The lights and water reservoir are connected to timers so there’s no need to worry about tending to them daily, though we did find set-up requires a few more steps than other gardens we tried. We also noted that the frequent watering cycle — usually for at least 15 minutes at a time — was fairly noisy.
A bestseller on Amazon, this indoor garden kit holds up to 12 pods at a lower price compared to similar size garden kits. Plus, you can also use your own seeds, unlike other brands that require the use of proprietary pods, but it does call for iDoo's specific sponges which are sold separately.
Based on testing, we love that this has a water-level window so you never have to guess when it needs water and that it has a simple control panel for the lights and fan. It also features an adjustable height LED light panel and a water pump that can turn on and off automatically to circulate the water. Added bonus: It's available in a few different colors and styles, if aesthetics are important to you.
Unlike other indoor herb gardens that require water and light scheduling through an app, the Veritable Smart Indoor Garden works with a preset lighting schedule and water that self-levels from a reservoir, so there’s no need to program it and fuss with an app.
We love the variety of pods offered in addition to herbs such as strawberries, squash blossoms, chiles and more. The different plants can grow together, however, GH analyst Eva Bleyer notes that it did take longer to grow some of the produce like strawberries or chiles, compared to herbs like parsley or basil.
Pods must be purchased from Veritable's website to be compatible with the indoor garden, and we had one pod grow mold while testing. (We have found this does occasionally happen with other herb gardens as well.)
This indoor garden doesn't grow herbs, but it does grows microgreens that are super tasty. When we tested this at home, we grew broccoli, red cabbage and mustard sprouts. There's also the option to grow other sprouts like arugula, kale, radish and bok choy. You can't use your own seeds with this garden, but the growing pads are available on Ingarden's website to buy individually, as a subscription or in bundles.
We found it extremely easy to set up, taking less than five minutes. All you need to do is simply place the microgreen pads in the tray, add water, push the light button and in seven days you'll have microgreens. The kit manages the light at the push of a button so there's no need to fiddle with timers, and it has a water level window to see when water needs to be added.
We also loved the ceramic base that comes in multiple colors that makes it look stylish and sleek on your countertop. Unfortunately, we found that after you harvest the greens, some scrubbing is needed to clean the tray since the roots stick to everything. The wick holders for the microgreens and tray are dishwasher-safe.
This popular planter set has over 2,870 five-star reviews on Amazon. Buyers say that “these are great quality” and adore the farmhouse style of these herb planters. The kit comes with three pots that have drainage holes and a drip tray, but you'll have to purchase seeds and soil on your own. It's small enough so it will fit on a windowsill and can be used to grow flowers or other plants as well.
RELATED: The Best Indoor Flowering Plants to Brighten up Your Home All Year Round
Our testers have spent over 12 months testing indoor gardens in our homes. When we test indoor herb gardens, we assess how easy they are to use, beginning with how simple it is to set one up right out of the box.
We also look at how much space it requires. When applicable, we assess how easy it is to use the growing lights and how easy any connected apps are to use. We also evaluate the overall experience, the variety of pods available and how well the plants grow. Finally, we taste the produce from each of the indoor herb gardens we test to make sure it's flavorful.
For the few picks we were not able to test ourselves, including some highly rated picks on Amazon, we made sure to heavily research and vet those products to ensure they met our criteria and displayed top-performing attributes.
✔️ Capacity: When choosing an indoor herb garden, consider how many herbs you want to grow and whether you'd like to experiment with other greens (like lettuce). Indoor herb gardens can grow as few as three plants to over 30. Keep in mind that the more herbs you want to grow, the bigger the device and the more space it takes up.
✔️ Dimensions: Indoor herb gardens come in a variety of sizes from a three-pot windowsill size to large growing systems that are over 5 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Make sure to check the dimensions of the herb grower to ensure it will fit in your space. ✔️ Variety of herbs/vegetables: Many indoor herb gardens can grow other produce such as lettuce or fruit, so if you want to grow more than just herbs, you may want to opt for a larger device. Also, be sure to check the type of pods available for each garden since some garden kits are only compatible with their own pods. ✔️ Self-watering: Some indoor herb gardens have timers to automatically water according to a schedule, while others require manual watering. If you're the type to forget to water your plants, you'll want to invest in an automatic machine.
✔️ Lighting: Window herb planters are a simple, affordable option, but maybe don't include a grow light — which means, you'll need to consider sunlight conditions in your home. Some herb gardens feature lighting that can manually switch on and off, while others have self-timers that operate according to schedule.
✔️ Buying seeds and pods: Some indoor herb gardens require the use of the brand's seeds or pods and for others, you can buy your own seeds. If the brand requires its own seeds or pods, be sure they have the herbs you want.
This article was originally written by Jamie Kim, a writer specializing in product testing and reviews. It was most recently updated by Alyssa Gautieri, a GH editor who covers all things home, design and gardening.
To research and write this roundup, Jamie and Alyssa worked closely with the following experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute, who each tested at least two indoor herb gardens in their own homes:
Jamie Ueda is a consumer products expert with over 17 years of experience in areas of product development and manufacturing. She has held leading roles at both mid-size consumer goods companies and one of the most notable and largest apparel brands in the world. Jamie has contributed to several of the GH Institute Labs, including Kitchen Appliances, Media and Tech, Textiles and Home Appliances. In her free time she enjoys cooking, traveling, and working out.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
The Best Coffee and Espresso Makers
The 3 Best Carbon Steel Pans
The Best Bread Baking Cloches
How to Clean a Dishwasher
A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
Bi-Voltage Fans 12038 ©2024 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.