When it comes to gardening, there is nothing better than growing vegetation and using it for a plethora of healthy and tasty recipes, as well as prepping them for food storage. While a great and rewarding use of personal time, other factors such as space, time, money, location, land, and weather can hinder a person’s ability to truly invest as much as they would like in gardening. In this type of situation, an indoor hydroponic garden may be an ideal solution!
Let’s go over some of our choices for budget hydroponic gardens and why they will get the job done at reasonable cost to the consumer. There may be some higher-cost options provided throughout the article as well, but the majority of these suggestions will be cost-efficient and can help indoor hydroponic gardeners that are on a budget. Read on for more information!
(All prices listed are current as of 2023)
1. Sharper Image Grow Light Garden
First up, we have Sharper Image’s Grow Light Garden.
This indoor hydroponic garden features a built-in LED light, which is perhaps one of this product’s most defining features, or more unique aspects. This means there is no hassle in finding an optimal spot for sunlight, as the built-in LED light provides all the light the plants will need.
It is also smaller in scale, only measuring about 12×5.20×5.10 inches in total. The space within the system may be slightly smaller since the dimensions we listed are focused on the outer layer of the indoor hydroponic gardening system.
Lastly, this is a 2-pod hydroponic garden system with an average rating of 3.8 stars from 48 reviewers on Walmart’s website.
2. Discovery Mindblown Glow Grow
Discovery Mindblown Glow Grow is marketed and tailored more toward children (as it could be the same as Sharper Image’s product) but is accessible to anyone at any age.
Much like Sharper Image’s Grow Light Garden, Discovery’s system is identical in shape and size and provides only 2 pods. However, it is slightly larger in dimension than Sharper Image’s product, as its dimensions are 13.5x13x6.5 inches.
The Discovery Mindblown Glow Grow also features a built-in LED light to enhance accessibility, allowing one to place this wherever in the home without having to worry about the plant receiving enough natural sunlight to grow properly.
As of 2023, it currently costs $54.97, but it typically costs $58.19 on Amazon. The rating for this product is fair, as it has received an overall score of 4.1 out of 5 stars because of 501 ratings.
3. MUFGA 12 Pods Hydroponics Growing System
Staying with a familiar design, the MUFGA Hydroponics Growing System is a 12-pod system, which is 6 times more than both Discovery and Sharper Image’s products, making it accessible for anyone wanting to add a bit more to their system for growth.
The best part is that it currently costs $44.98 currently, but it typically costs $99.99. It is also an Amazon choice product. This means that this Amazon product is highly rated, well-priced, and available to be shipped immediately due to the high demand and popularity of this hydroponic system.
Another advantage is that the dimensions are listed as 14.4x9x4.9 inches, making it shorter but wider than the previous products. As we have said, this is a 12-pod system, so with this in mind, the dimensions create a lot of space, which means each pod will have room to grow well without severely hindering the growth of the other pods.
Keeping with the trend, a built-in LED continues to be featured for maximum convenience as well as a window to inspect the water, as with the previous two products. It also is adjustable in height if need be.
Lastly, not only does this system has a built-in LED light, but it also has an automatic timer for the LED light to use at appropriate times, along with a quieter water pump compared to most other hydroponics garden systems.
The rating for the MUFGA 12-pod Hydroponic Growing System is averaged around 4.4 out of 5 stars. It has received 400 ratings.
4. Ahopegarden Indoor Garden Hydroponic Growing System
Ahopegarden Indoor Garden Hydroponic is so far the cheapest hydroponic garden system we’ve listed at $49.99 on Amazon, and like the previous MUFGA 12-pod Hydroponic System, it is currently on sale, as it normally costs $99.99.
Though it falls short of MUFGA’s product with only 8 pods (4 less than MUFGA’s 12 pods), it compensates for this potential loss with not only an adjustable LED light but with adjustable light modes. The light modes can be changed when you are growing vegetables, flowers, or fruits.
The dimensions for this product are 11×6.5×6 inches, making it similar to MUFGA’s product in space. It has enough space to grow 8 items at once.
Other than the typical window to inspect for water levels, this product continues to garner great ratings with an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars. It has received about 610 ratings.
5. GardenCube Hydroponics Growing System
The GardenCube Hydroponics system currently costs $49.99 (as of 2023), but it typically costs $79.99, which means you should hurry up and purchase this product if you want it before the sale ends. If you miss the sale, you are in luck because Amazon puts this product on sale relatively regularly.
GardenCube has similar functionality and attributes to the Ahopegarden Hydroponic Growing System. This includes having 8 pods available for use and an adjustable LED light. Lastly, the dimensions are similar, as the GardenCube system is 11×6.7×5 inches.
With a decent rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars after being rated 163 times, this system fairs well with others.
Overall, purchasing this indoor hydroponic system will be like purchasing Ahopegarden’s hydroponic system. I would recommend purchasing the Ahopegarden’s since, as we’ve said earlier, its original price is about $20 more than GardenCube, which means you will save money in the long run. However, GardenCube and many other hydroponic systems will get the job done regardless.
6. Ivation 7-Pod Indoor Hydroponics Growing System
The Ivation 7-Pod Indoor Hydroponic system is another excellent choice for enhancing convenience and quality indoor gardening.
This hydroponic system is so far our lowest regarding pod availability. As the name states, this is a 7-pod system, which is significantly lower than MUFGA’s 12-pod system listed earlier.
Despite the fact that there isn’t a lot of room in this hydroponic system, it shouldn’t detract anyone from purchasing it, as it works quite well.
At a set price of $59.99 on Amazon with dimensions of 5.6×13.8×19.7 inches, this may be a perfect indoor hydroponic system for both beginners and experienced users alike.
This system not only features a visual indicator of the water levels, but it also provides a built-in water pump that circulates the water if need be. In addition to this, it provides three options for how long the LED light is emitted: “Normal” (light 14 hours, dark 19 hours), “Enjoy” (light 12 hours, dark 12 hours), “Grow” (light 16 hours, dark 8 hours). The LED light is adjustable in height.
Finally, the overall rating for this system is on the lower end at only 4.2 stars after being rated 276 times. It is good for the most part, however, improvements could be made according to reviewers.
7. Ivation 12-Pod Indoor Hydroponics Growing System
Staying with the Ivation brand, we now have the 12-pod hydroponic growing system version.
Like MUFGA’s system, this product features 12 pods available for use. It currently costs $79.99.
The dimensions for this product are around 15.71×11.89×7.68 inches.
Other than the standard LED light, water level indicator, and pod availability, this hydroponic system also features a water circulator for plants to grow evenly. Also, the appearance of this machine is appealing to the eye with the LED light fixture having a wood-type style on it. It isn’t real wood, but it looks great nonetheless. If you want a hydroponics growing system that looks like it is made out of natural materials, you should purchase this product.
Lastly, the Ivation 12-Pod Hydroponic System has an average rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars after being rated 91 times.
8. QYO Hydroponics Growing System
The QYO Hydroponic Growing System has, by far, the most user ratings with a total of 1,456 ratings. With this large number of pods available, the rating averages 4.2 out of 5 stars, which is very impressive.
This hydroponic system currently costs $69.99, but it typically costs $79.99.
The dimensions of this product are about 7.2×15.7×3.3 inches.
The LED light fixture is adjustable to an incredible max height of 23.8 inches. Not only this, but it professes to use the latest LED light compared to vote traditional LED lights seen on many other hydroponic systems.
Finally, this product is listed as an Amazon choice product.
This is perhaps the best indoor hydroponic system we have come across so far in our journey to find some of the best budgeted indoor hydroponics. It rates well in size, functionality, price, and accessibility.
9. Ivation Herb Indoor Garden Kit
For our last product, we return to Ivation with the Herb Indoor Garden Kit.
Perhaps one of the most distinctive features of this product is that one will notice quickly that this hydroponic system does not look the same as the others listed here in that rather than the LED light being positioned in the center, it now is positioned on one side of the base, creating a “C” shape silhouette due to the base being large in length.
In addition to this new LED light fixture position, it is also adjustable, however, not in the way one may think. Rather than being adjustable vertically, it is adjustable via a pivot function. The LED light can adjust its angle but not its height, which may be a turn-off for some. Despite this, it is a unique take on LED lights for hydroponic systems.
The dimension for this is 16.7×6.2×15.2 inches. Again, the LED light fixture is at a set height and cannot be adjusted vertically, so this is included in the total height.
This is also a 12-pod indoor hydroponic system, making it spacious for any plants to grow.
Finally, this hydroponic system costs $69.99 on Amazon and has an overall rating of 4.3 stars. It has been rated 348 times.
Are They Worth It?
While there are many benefits to growing your own indoor hydroponic garden listed above, it can still be difficult to know whether this is the best option for your situation. However, these worries should be put at ease. Indoor hydroponic gardens are worth the purchase for anyone needing to escape the traditional efforts of gardening, struggling to have a suitable outdoor location to garden, living in an area with less than ideal weather for gardening, and for anyone that is looking to garden on a small budget. Indoor hydroponic gardens are a wonderful option for those struggling with these problems and are likely a solution to many others as well.
These indoor hydroponic systems also provide versatility in what can be grown, such as lettuce, basil, oregano, rosemary, and much more. Many plants can be difficult to grow well while indoors, but the hydroponic garden systems make these plants a real option even for indoor gardeners! This means that gardeners are able to continue their work indoors while remaining cost-effective and still enjoy the freedom of growing the plants that they choose!
Hydroponic gardens can be cheaper than the purchase of well-fertilized soil in many cases. They also pose fewer threats of disease to plants than outdoor gardens, can reap larger harvests, and provide the gardener with better control over the plants and their environment.
Overall, there are many indoor hydroponic garden systems available for you to purchase. While they may seem expensive, they will last for years on end and allow you to grow things that you would normally not be able to grow indoors, which means you will save money in the long run.
