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Indoor Hydroponic Garden Systems

faint image of a gardyn with the title "guide to hydroponic garden systems"
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Indoor hydroponic garden systems are a game-changer for the DIY enthusiast who is interested in gardening. These kits allow you to grow plants year-round with minimal maintenance, taking the guess-work out of growing your own veggies, herbs, and flowers. You don’t need soil or a bright space in your house – everything is included in a space-saving little (or big) kit.

I got my first hydroponic system years ago and absolutely loved it – I primarily grew mint and basil as I found those were the herbs I used the most and could keep alive in the same garden (they have similar growth rates and heights).

Now that I’ve become outdoor garden obsessed this year, I thought I’d try my hand at the indoor hydroponic gardens again. I’ve now tested out some of the latest and greatest so you don’t have to! You can choose the one that’s best for you.

Table of Contents

Note: Some links in this post may contain affiliate links, which means at no cost to you, I may earn a commission.

timelapse of plants growing in a gardyn 4.0 hydroponic system

What is an indoor hydroponic garden system?

An indoor hydroponic garden is a soil-less garden that allows you to grow plants indoors. You simply grow plants within water and add nutrients. Additionally, they often feature built-in LED lighting to ensure plants receive adequate light, mimicking natural sunlight regardless of the weather outside. These systems allow you to grow fresh veggies, herbs, fruit, and flowers indoor year-round!

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hands pruning lettuce on a gardyn system with the title "guide to hydroponic garden systems, find the right one for you"

Best Gardens for Each Need

To make it easy to choose the best indoor hydroponic garden for you, I’ve compiled the short list of the best ones based on each category. You can read more below about each system if you want the full details of the ones I’ve tested.

Gardyn 4.0 Hydroponics Growing System & Vertical Garden Planter | Indoor Smart Garden| Includes 30 Non-GMO Indoor Plants, Herbs & Vegetables & LED Grow Lights for Your Home Indoor Gardening System
Gardyn 4.0 Hydroponics Growing System & Vertical Garden Planter | Indoor Smart Garden| Includes 30 Non-GMO Indoor Plants, Herbs & Vegetables & LED Grow Lights for Your Home Indoor Gardening System
URUQ Hydroponics Growing System Indoor Garden 12 Pods Indoor Gardening System with Remote Control LED Grow Light Height Adjustable Quiet Plants Germination Kit - Gardening Gifts for Women Black
URUQ Hydroponics Growing System Indoor Garden 12 Pods Indoor Gardening System with Remote Control LED Grow Light Height Adjustable Quiet Plants Germination Kit - Gardening Gifts for Women Black
Hydroponics Growing System kit with Trellis,Smart Hydroponic Gardening System with LED Grow Light, Indoor Hydroponic Herb Grow Kit for Short Tomato,Pepper,Cucumber (6200LC)
Hydroponics Growing System kit with Trellis,Smart Hydroponic Gardening System with LED Grow Light, Indoor Hydroponic Herb Grow Kit for Short Tomato,Pepper,Cucumber (6200LC)
Click and Grow Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit 9 Plant Pods Included (3 Parsley, 3 Thyme, 3 Basil) | Easier than Hydroponics Growing System | Automated Quiet Technology with Grow Lights |Navy Blue
Click and Grow Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit 9 Plant Pods Included (3 Parsley, 3 Thyme, 3 Basil) | Easier than Hydroponics Growing System | Automated Quiet Technology with Grow Lights |Navy Blue

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Reviews of Each Hydroponic Garden

Gardyn Home Kit 4.0

Buy from Gardyn

The Gardyn Home Kit 4.0 is the ultimate indoor hydroponic garden and is my favorite from the list. It is by far the largest garden kit so if you want to go all-out and grow nearly a full produce aisle in your home, then this is your kit! It only takes up 2 square feet of space on the ground, but it takes advantage of the vertical space at roughly 5 feet tall. It even comes with 2 cameras that monitor your plants’ growth and will automatically create time lapse videos for you (I’ve had a lot of fun with this)!

While this kit is also the most expensive, by a significant amount, you do get 30 days free of their app, Kelby, which keeps an eye on your plants and uses AI to let you know when to harvest, add nutrients, add water, or if there are any issues.

I don’t think I could justify the price for myself, but now that I have one, it is absolutely the best kit out there.

timelapse of the top camera watching plants grow in a gardyn 4.0

Buy from Gardyn

KEY FEATURES

  • Number of Pods: 30
  • Max Light Height: N/A
  • Air Pump: Yes
  • Seeds Included?: Yes, choose from 3 collections: culinary, herbalist, and decor (mine was the culinary collection)
  • Water Level Meter: No (monitored in-app)
  • Nutrients: Included
  • Special Features: AI-powered growth monitoring, app control

PROS

  • Number of Plants – It can grow the most plants – up to 30
  • Video Monitoring – It comes with cameras to monitor your plants’ growth and automatically create time lapse videos
  • Small Floor Space – It takes up similar amount of floor space, but can grow much more than other systems
  • Cool Looking with Plants – With plants fully growing, it can look like a living wall

CONS

  • Price – It’s the most expensive system
  • Features Cost Extra – The advertised AI can be misleading. The AI functionality, Kelby, is only included with their membership which is around $30 per month (though it does give you roughly $20 in store credit each month + free shipping to get new plants)
  • Unattractive without Plants – Before there are plants growing on it, the garden is aesthetically unappealing as it effectively looks like 3 large PVC pipes
Buy from Gardyn

URUQ 12-Pod System with Remote

Buy on Amazon

The URUQ 12-Pod hydroponics growing system with remote is an incredible value as it grows a lot, has a simple design, and comes with the necessary nutrients. Although it doesn’t come with seeds, it does come with nutrients and an adjustable light up to 21 inches.

uruq hydropnic system with remote, showing a few sprouted seedlings

Buy on Amazon

KEY FEATURES

  • Number of Pods: 12
  • Max Light Height: Up to 21 inches
  • Air Pump: Yes
  • Seeds Included?: No
  • Water Level Meter: Yes (front of the tank)
  • Nutrients: Included, 2 separate bottles
  • Special Features: Touch screen removable remote

PROS

  • Number of Plants – It can grow up to 12 plants
  • Height – It has one of the tallest light heights at up to 21 inches
  • Easy to Read Water-Level – The water level is the one of the easiest to read as you can see the amount of water in the tank
  • Remote – The removable remote is great to be able to easily make adjustments – for example most of my gardens is set up on a wire rack, making it difficult to press buttons on the top of the machine, but I can easily grab the remote of this one and then place it back when I’m finished.

CONS

  • No Seeds – It doesn’t come with seeds so those need to be purchased separately. I personally have really been liking Seed Needs, New Hill Farms, and Botanical Interests for seeds
  • Mix Nutrients – While it comes with nutrients, you need to add your own water and mix it. It is also two separate bottles that you need to add.
Buy on Amazon

eSuperegrow Indoor Hydroponic Garden

Buy on Amazon

The eSuperegrow indoor hydroponic garden system is designed specifically for plants that require trellising. So if you want to grow items such as flowering vines, cucumbers, or small pumpkins, squashes, and other fruiting vines then this is definitely the one you want to consider.a

eSuperegrow Hydroponic System with cucumber plants sprouting

Buy on Amazon

KEY FEATURES

  • Number of Pods: 2
  • Max Light Height: 28 inches
  • Air Pump: Yes
  • Seeds Included?: No
  • Water Level Meter: Yes
  • Nutrients: Included
  • Special Features: Trellis

PROS

  • Height – It’s the tallest with a height of 28 inches
  • Trellis – It includes a trellis to help support vining plants
  • Funnel – It comes with a funnel to easily refill the water tank. I don’t know how this is the only system I’ve seen with a funnel, but oh my goodness is it helpful!
  • Water Level Meter – Easy Read WaIt has an easy to read water level meter

CONS

  • Number of Plants – It only grows 2 plants
  • Growing Medium – It uses LECA (small clay balls) as the grow medium so small seeds can drop through them and get lost
  • Short Power Cord – The power cord connects to the light instead of the base so as you raise the light, the cord gets more taught. This is additionally problematic as the cord is extremely short to begin with (it’s the only system I have that requires its own extension cord)
  • No Seeds – It doesn’t come with seeds so those need to be purchased separately. I personally have really been liking Seed Needs, New Hill Farms, and Botanical Interests for seeds
Buy on Amazon

Click and Grow Smart Garden 9

Buy on Click and Grow

The Click and Grow Smart Garden 9 is ideal for those looking for a sleek design. It’s on the larger side as it’s wide, but more narrow than most of the gardens. It can hold 9 pods that are spaced nice and far apart, ensuring they all get enough light. You can choose from their beautiful color selection (the one I chose was part of their limited edition collection – sage).

Use coupon code ABCRAFTY for 10% your Click and Grow purchase!

click and grow 9 limited edition with seeds sprouting

Buy on Click and Grow

KEY FEATURES

  • Number of Pods: 9
  • Max Light Height: Fixed at 12 inches
  • Air Pump: No
  • Seeds Included?: Yes (3 thyme, 3 basil, 3 parsley)
  • Water Level Meter: Yes, but difficult to read
  • Nutrients: None, not needed
  • Special Features: Wicking Technology

PROS

  • Design – Sleek Design
  • Pre-Seeded Pods – It comes with pre-seeded pods

CONS

  • Water Level Difficult to Read – While it has a water level meter, it’s difficult to understand it. When it’s “full” it’s supposed to be flush with the top of the base, but because it’s rounded it’s difficult to know when that is. I find myself pushing the meter down to watch it bob back up and use that as a reference for the water level.
  • Price – It’s expensive for not having nutrients or an air pump
  • No Air Pump – It doesn’t have an air pump so it works by gradually wicking water from the basin to the plants, similar to my Modern Sprout Terra Cotta Bonsai Kit
  • No Nutrients – It doesn’t come with any nutrients, which I find very difficult to understand. I asked the team and the assured me the nutrients are within the seed pods. While that might be the case, for long term plant health you would need to continue to add nutrients as the plants use them up.
  • Height – The height of the lights cannot be moved
Buy on Click and Grow

You May Also Like...

AeroGarden Harvest Elite

Buy on Amazon

AeroGarden’s Harvest Elite is the classic (and possibly original?) hydroponic garden. It at least set the concept on the map. This was my first hydroponic system so it’s what I learned on, discovering what I do and don’t like in a hydroponic kit. If you’re looking for a name-brand item or to give as a gift, this is a solid choice.

Buy on Amazon

KEY FEATURES

  • Number of Pods: 6
  • Max Light Height: Up to 12 inches
  • Air Pump: Yes
  • Seeds Included?: Yes, choose from 4 mixes or a “grow anything” set
  • Water Level Meter: No (but can use the click screen)
  • Nutrients: Included
  • Special Features: Digital Display

PROS

  • Durable – It uses mostly metal parts and a thick rubber handle.
  • Alignment Lines – There are lines on the mechanism to help easily line the button image and backing.
  • Comes with a Circle Punch – The fact that it comes with a punch is great, but it can start to hurt your hand after a while.
  • Comes with a Template CD – This is a unique benefit as it lets you easily design your buttons to make sure they fit the machine.

CONS

  • Price – I would consider this a more high-end button maker since the price is on the high end.
Buy on Amazon

LetPot LPH-SE Indoor Hydroponic Garden

Buy on Amazon

The LetPot LPH-SE stands out with its Wi-Fi connectivity and app integration, making it easier to monitor your garden remotely.  It also has a spacious 12-pod design and my favorite easy to read water level meter with clear min and max lines.

letpot indoor hydroponic growing system with seedling covers

Buy on Amazon

KEY FEATURES

  • Number of Pods: 12
  • Max Light Height: Up to 20 inches
  • Air Pump: Yes
  • Seeds Included?: No
  • Water Level Meter: Yes
  • Nutrients: Included, 2 separate bottles
  • Special Features: Wi-Fi connectivity, app integration

PROS

  • Number of Plants – It can grow up to 12 plants
  • Height – It has one of the tallest light heights at up to 20 inches
  • Water Level Meter – The water level is my favorite as it’s a simple design with clear min and max water lines
  • App – It includes an app that monitors the lights and water level.

CONS

  • No Seeds – It doesn’t come with seeds so those need to be purchased separately. I personally have really been liking Seed Needs, New Hill Farms, and Botanical Interests for seeds
  • Mix Nutrients – While it comes with nutrients, you need to add your own water and mix it. It is also two separate bottles that you need to add.
Buy on Amazon

Where to Get Seeds for your Indoor Hydroponic Garden

Not all indoor hydroponic garden systems come with pre-seeded pods. Or you may have specifically chosen a kit so you can use your own seeds. If you’re in one of these situations, here are a few recommendations for where I get my seeds for better variety than what you can get at the big box stores:

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