10 Best Indoor Herb Gardens 2022 – Top Indoor Herb Growing Kits

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This article was updated in November 2022 to ensure all picks previously tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab were in stock.


An indoor herb garden allows you to enjoy fresh herbs year-round without needing an outdoor gardening space to grow them. In addition, some can also grow other plants like lettuces, fruits, flowers, vegetables and more. A good indoor garden should grow fresh tasty produce and be easy to use even for those without a green thumb. They might even inspire you to try a new recipe, like lemony garlic and herb pork tenderloin or parsley pesto pasta.

The experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab tested indoor herb garden kits at home for over a year. We evaluated ease of use, smart features such as connected apps and how well the plants grew overall. We also had consumer testers try some as well. We also noted if the herb gardens required the brand’s own seeds or seedlings, or if you can plant your own. (Spoiler alert: In most cases, they require using pods provided by the brand.) Our top picks include ones we’ve tested or those highly rated and reviewed.

Our top picks:

You can read more about how we evaluate indoor herb gardens — plus everything you need to know to shop for your perfect indoor herb garden — at the end of this guide.

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1

Best Overall Indoor Herb Garden Kit

AeroGarden

Harvest Elite Herb Garden

Capacity Six plants
Dimensions 6″ x 10.5″ x 17.4″
Requires brands seeds/pods Yes, or use of a seed pod kit
2

Best Value Indoor Herb Garden Kit

iDOO

Indoor Herb Garden Kit

Capacity 12 plants
Dimensions 10.2″ x 13.8″ x 11.3″
Requires brands seeds/pods Requires brands sponge pods but you can use your own seeds
3

Best Small Indoor Herb Garden Kit

Click and Grow

The Smart Garden 3

Capacity Three plants
Dimensions 12″ x 4.75″ x 8.25″
Requires brands seeds/pods Yes, or use of their pod kit
4

Best Dual-Light Indoor Herb Garden Kit

Click and Grow

The Smart Garden 9

Capacity Nine plants
Dimensions 24″ x 7.25″ x 15.75″
Requires brands seeds/pods Yes, or use of their pod kit
5

Easiest to Use Indoor Herb Garden

Veritable

Smart Indoor Garden

Capacity Four plants
Dimensions 13.0″ x 7.3″ x 15.0″
Requires brands seeds/pods Yes
6

Best Organic Indoor Herb Garden Kit

Hapinest

Organic Indoor Herb Garden Starter Kit

Capacity 5 plants
Dimensions n/a
Requires brands seeds/pods No
7

Best Indoor Herb Garden Kit for Beginners

Planters’ Choice

Nine-Herb Window Garden

Capacity Nine plants
Dimensions 4″ x 4″ x 4″ (per pot)
Requires brands seeds/pods No
8

Best Indoor Herb Garden Planters

Barnyard Designs

Herb Pot Planter Set with Tray

Capacity Three plants
Dimensions 4.25″ x 4″ (per pot), 12.5″ x 4″ (tray)
Requires brands seeds/pods No
9

Best Indoor Herb Garden for Lettuce

Lettuce Grow

The Farmstand Garden

Capacity Up to 24 plants
Dimensions 4’10” x 1’10” (for the 24-plant size)
Requires brands seeds/pods No, but hydroponic starters are required to use your own seeds
10

Best Indoor Garden for Microgreens

ingarden

Superfood Microgreens Indoor Growing Kit

Capacity Three microgreen pads
Dimensions 15.35” x 5.9” x 7.88”
Requires brands seeds/pods Yes

How we test indoor herb garden kits

We’ve spent over 12 months testing indoor gardens in our homes. When we test indoor herb gardens, we assess the ease of use beginning with how easy it is to set 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.

What to look for when shopping for the best indoor herb garden

✔️ Capacity: When choosing an indoor herb garden, consider how many herbs you want to grow. 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 window sill 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.

✔️ Water and lighting timers: Some indoor herb gardens have timers to automatically water and turn on lights according to a schedule, while others require manual watering and switching lights on and off. If you’re the type to forget to water your plants, you’ll want to invest in an automatic machine.

✔️ Buying seeds and pods: Some brands of indoor 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.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

This article was written and tested by Jamie Kim. She’s a freelance writer specializing in product testing and reviews. For this story, she worked with the following Good Housekeeping Institute experts, who each tested at least two indoor herb gardens in their homes.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab, where she’s constantly testing new kitchen products and food items that come her way. She’s a trained cook and published recipe developer. She has a grand diplome in classic culinary arts from the former French Culinary Institute and a certificate in culinary nutrition from the former Natural Gourmet Institute, now both known as the Institute of Culinary Education.

Eva Bleyer is the reviews analyst in the Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab where she tests and writes about kitchen appliances, gear, culinary products and more. She graduated from New York University with a B.S. in food studies, nutrition and public health and is a trained chef from the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Stefani Sassos is a registered dietitian and the Deputy Director of the Nutrition Lab overseeing all nutrition content and testing. She is an avid home cook and a meal prep expert.

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