Grow Your Favorite Herbs and Greens With the Best Indoor Smart Gardens

I've tried this very unit, and it's a perfectly sized smart garden for growing essential herbs like basil, mint and chives and salad greens. It couldn't be simpler to operate, with self-contained seed pods, LED grow lights and a water tank that needs filling only every two or three weeks. A perfect starter herb garden for someone with a not-so-green thumb, so much so that I've given it a CNET Editors’ Choice award.

This Click & Grow Smart Garden 3 comes with three basil pods, but you can buy salad greens, fruit and vegetable seed pods from the website for about $3 each. With room for just three plants, this particular garden is a little small to grow much in the way of vegetables, so it's best to stick to herbs and lettuce. There are loads of flower pods; however, if your gardening goals are more aesthetic.

There are several larger Click & Grow models, all of which function in the same way. These include the Smart Garden 9, which can hold nine seed pods, and the multilevel Smart Garden 27, which holds, you guessed it, 27 seed pods.

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 hold hydroponic seed pods or self-water like some of the others, so you'll have to manage that part on your own, but there are full-spectrum LED lights that operate on a timer for optimal growth. That means you can display the garden anywhere in the house and not just near a window.

Admittedly, the $249 price tag is hefty considering the low-tech nature of this indoor garden. But if the classic copper finish could enhance your space, it might be worth the extra money. 

If you're looking for a stylish indoor garden that blends effortlessly into your living space, the Rise Single smart hydroponic garden is a good pick. This self-watering garden is completely hydroponic, meaning there are no soil pods to handle. It comes with a 5-gallon water tank and LED grow lights, all of which are controlled and monitored through an integrated mobile app. The water levels, light settings and nutrient levels all have built-in sensors that report back information to keep things humming. 

The Single smart garden houses up to 36 plants, and you can add levels to increase the shoot capacity for a steady supply of fresh herbs, greens, flowers and even tomatoes. Sprouted seedlings come in packs of four for $12. 

What really separates Rise from others, in my view, is the sturdy heavy-gauge steel and solid wood design that makes it look very much like a modern piece of furniture. The Rise Garden can be placed behind a couch or against a wall to serve as a chic bookshelf or end table, as well as a garden.

I recently moved to New York from Puerto Rico, and one of the things I missed the most was growing produce in my backyard. I wanted something that would allow me to grow a variety of things, but not occupy too much space because, frankly, I just don't have too much to spare. The Gardyn Studio (the smaller sister of the Gardyn Home, which is also on this list) makes me feel like a plant whisperer without doing too much legwork to keep the plants alive. The setup was quick and straightforward, taking around 30 minutes (unboxing, setting up the system, and planting the yCubes -- Gardyn's preseeded pods). Once it was set up in my dining area and in the app, it practically ran on its own. It waters itself, adjusts the grow lights and sends me notifications if my attention is needed.

What stands out about this device is its sleek and compact design. Even though it's larger than a countertop garden, the vertical design allows me to grow more without occupying too much real estate in my home. It holds up to 16 pods, so while it's small, you still get a good amount of greens. Being able to snip basil, lettuce, or fresh flowers felt like a small connection with my love for gardening, especially during the winter months when produce isn't at its best. Because of these features, I decided to give it a CNET Editors’ Choice award.

While this device is really convenient, the watering system makes a subtle noise when watering for about 5 minutes a day. Your plants also need around 12 to 16 hours of light. Since the system comes with a built-in LED lighting system, you don't need to position it near a window. However, if you live in a studio or plan to place it near your bedroom, the lighting may disrupt your sleep, so you'll need to schedule it around your preferences.

The Gardyn Studio and Gardyn Studio 2 are virtually identical devices, with the exception of a few upgrades in the latest model. Most notably, Studio 2 has no-clean columns, an upgraded HD camera and sunrise-sunset lighting modes. I find the extra $100 worth the no-clean columns alone. But if you're looking to save money, the Studio is still a great option.

I've personally used this indoor/outdoor farmstand and can tell you it's well-designed and easy to operate. The Lettuce Grow Farmstand works by pumping water mixed with nutrients up from the base so that it cascades over the seed pods that are stuffed into the walls. I had this going for a few weeks indoors and without lights and while some shoots did fine, many died. Enter the LED ring lights, which made an enormous difference. (I've actually had to cut back on the grow lights because things are growing too quickly.) Both the water pump and LED light rings operate on timers, so there's almost no weekly maintenance required.

CNET Wellness writer Giselle Castro-Sloboda also tested a Lettuce Grow Farmstand and vouches for its ease of use. "I've been using this indoor garden for several months now, and I love how I can have greens and herbs easily accessible in my kitchen." She adds that the app makes it simple to maintain as well. "To make sure my plants are watered daily, I set up a timer on the Lettuce Grow app, and I know exactly when it goes on and off throughout the day."

It's worth mentioning that the watering system makes a moderate amount of noise -- akin to one of those Zen water fountains -- for about 15 minutes every few hours. It was mildly irritating at first, but I quickly adjusted, and now I find it relaxing. The frame is also heavy once you fill it with water, so it's not something to be moved often. It's bulky, too, but when the greenery starts to bloom, it adds a ton of life and atmosphere to any room. That said, it's still probably not great for a tiny home or apartment. 

Pricing starts at $574 for the small indoor Farmstand, which holds 20 shoots. The optional ring lights are $200 for the basic two-ring package and $100 for each additional ring. Starter seedlings are included, and it's recommended that you replace them every few months.

This little guy is designed especially for microgreens, which are great for garnishing soups, salads and other fancy recipes. It's always nice to have a pop of green on the kitchen counter, and this gadget doesn't take up much space at all. The microgreens garden kit consists of the planter, soil and seeds for your first round of plants, all for under $35.

Unlike the Ingarden, this model has no LED lights, so you'll have to keep it in direct sunlight most of the time. 

This is another hydroponic garden option, but one that is decidedly better suited for a small space. The Gardyn upright grow system houses as many as 30 plants but takes up just 2 square feet. Individual shoots are watered via the tank and pump, which circulates water on a timer. Built-in LED lights -- also on a timer -- trigger that sweet, sweet photosynthesis. The Gardyn system self-monitors with sensors and actual cameras, so you don't have a ton of work to do other than cleaning and refilling the tank every month or so.

While it does carry a hefty price tag -- $899 -- the Gardyn is very efficient. Just ask CNET's own Bridget Carey, who recently took the Gardyn for a lengthy test drive and had success growing herbs, tomatoes, and lots and lots of salad greens. Read her full review of the Gardyn smart hydroponic indoor garden for everything you could possibly want to know.

For fresh herbs within arm's reach, this charming trio of self-watering planters is ideal. The amber glass planters look lovely on a counter or in a windowsill, and the tinted glass hides a lot of the mucky stuff that’s bound to develop in the water below.

The $99 set comes with three planters, each with an herb pod of your choosing, along with a plant fuel drop to supercharge your basil, mint or parsley. I love it so much that I gave it a CNET Editors’ Choice award. For an extra $50, you can add an LED grow light; however, I had better luck exposing my planters to natural sunlight in my kitchen’s window box.