The 15 Best Indoor Herb Gardens, According to Tests and Reviews

When buying an herb garden—especially one you'll be using inside—there are a few key factors to take into account.

Base: There are so many types of indoor herb gardens out there, but the two most popular utilize one of two bases: hydroponic or soil. One is not better than the other in terms of grow ability, but depending on your preferences, one may be better suited to you than the other. While the former is definitely easier to operate on a daily basis (and is typically mess-free), it uses a lot of electricity and requires a bit more specialized equipment than the more traditional way of growing herbs, which is in soil. Traditional soil doesn't require any special equipment (not even a grow light), so if you literally want to get your hands dirty and flex your green thumb, soil may be your best bet. "Indoor growing system are typically an automated all-in-one growing setup that includes pots, a growing medium, and a lighting solution," explains Diane Kuthy, founder and lead gardening expert at How to Grow Everything. "Most indoor growing systems use hydroponics as the growing medium, but there are a few that include specific soil-less mediums, such as wool or peat cubes." Your options really are endless.

Regular Care and Maintenance: Some of the systems on our list are self-watering and come with a grow light, so you basically just have to program your planter and keep an eye on it before you'll notice a slew of stems popping up. As far as soil-based systems go, you'll need to do a bit more, including monitoring the amount of sunlight and water your plants are receiving.

Herb Capacity: If you are looking to grow a few common herbs you'll be using regularly, you won't need a massive capacity in your garden. Perhaps one or two will work. On the other hand, if you really want to turn your kitchen into an herb garden, make sure your system can fit plenty of pods.

You can grow any—yes, any—herb in an indoor garden. Additionally, feel free to throw succulents and small flowers into the mix for a fresh, eye-catching addition to your home. That said, some are easier to grow and maintain than others, so if you're not exactly a skilled green thumb, we suggest sticking to the easier plants, including basil (which basically grows at the speed of light), chives, and rosemary. "Just about every vegetable, flower, or herb can be grown in an indoor system. The only things that you cannot grow are fruit trees, fruit bushes, and fruit vines (such as blackberries and raspberries)," Kuthy notes.

Once you are a bit more experienced with your garden, feel free to branch out into herbs that require a bit more TLC, like lavender, dill, and coriander. At the end of the day, though, the best herbs to grow in your garden are the ones you'll use the most. If you anticipate struggling to keep them alive, opt for an indoor herb garden that is self-watering (to relieve yourself from the watering duties) and adjusts the level of light depending on the time of day.

Because the main purpose of indoor herb gardens is to grow and protect your plants, it's not super difficult to keep any herb alive, but if you're just getting started and want a fail-proof beginner herb, go with rosemary. This Mediterranean-based green doesn't require much water, so if you forget to give it a drink from time to time, it wont die on you. In fact, if it has just a hair too much water, it will drown and die even faster. "Plants like lettuce, spinach, kale, and Swiss chard do well indoors," Jane Dobbs, gardening team lead at UK-based Allan's Gardeners explains. "Almost any herb can grow indoors, including basil, parsley, cilantro, mint, and thyme. You can grow them all year round, so you're always stocked up on fresh herbs."

Whether or not an indoor herb garden is worth it highly depends on your climate and gardening goals. "For those who live in colder climates, indoor gardening systems enable you to grow year-round regardless of the weather," Kuth says. "Indoor gardening systems are also an intriguing option for people who wish to grow more of their food but may not have land or outdoor space to grow. For these people, an indoor system may be the only viable way to have access to homegrown veggies and herbs." Keep in mind, people who travel regularly and may not have time to grow their own goods can greatly benefit from an indoor herb garden because, if you opt for a self-sustaining one, there's not much work involved. On the other hand, Kuthy notes, "If you have the outdoor space or even a sunny deck to start a simple garden using the traditional method of soil and pots, then the investment in an indoor gardening system may not be entirely worth it. These systems tend to be quite expensive."

Another factor to consider is how frequently you'd be using it. If the answer is all the time, it may be a good investment that will end up paying for itself in your bountiful harvests. Otherwise, if you'll be using it when you feel like every now and then, opt out or snag a cheaper option from our list.

When it comes to picking out the best (and affordable) pieces for any space, Associate Shopping Editor Jessica Cherner has been reviewing furniture, appliances, and home must-haves for nearly eight years, having access to more than a few stylish samples, and working with countless interior designers on what makes a product worthy in the home. Not to mention, she's been on a never-ending quest to decorate her own New York City apartment with a budget and size constraint in mind, so you can trust that she has done her homework to find the best and most beloved pieces on the market.

For this story, Cherner spent hours combing through reviews, ratings, and tapped her fellow editors to find the best indoor herb garden on the market right now for House Beautiful readers. In addition, she tapped two experts to provide further insights on the types of herb gardens to buy and what to look for when buying one. Jane Dobbs has worked as a gardener for the last decade. She also leads the gardening team at UK-based Allan's Gardeners. Diane Kuthy currently manages a five-acre farm in Sandpoint, Idaho, and has more than 10 years of experience growing both indoor and outdoor plants. She also founded How to Grow Everything, a website dedicated to offering helpful gardening guides for beginning gardeners.