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As someone who has tried everything from cold plunges to mushroom powders in pursuit of wellness, I can honestly say few things have stuck like our Gardyn Studio. This smart indoor garden system has become a beautiful and functional part of our home–and not surprisingly, a daily source of joy for my kids.
The Gardyn Studio is a vertical hydroponic garden that lets you grow up to 30 plants– including herbs, leafy greens, fruiting veggies, and even flowers (we have one sunflower budding today!) with zero soil and minimal effort. It’s compact, app-connected, and designed so thoughtfully that it feels like a piece of Scandinavian furniture and blends into the rest of the plants I’ve used to warm up our modern home. And yes, it works: within just a couple of weeks, we had fresh basil sprouting. Unlike my fairly sad outdoor planter, weeks later, we were already harvesting lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries!
I’m a true Reddit snooper and will always use it as a reference point to see if products are legit. And I’m happy to report that Reddit is full of rave reviews for Gardyn’s ease and reliability. Now I get it. It's a wellness trend I get behind. And it’s added so much joy throughout our home, and has become a family activity in its own right. My kids are obsessed with checking in on our Gardyn’s progress. Anytime I can get them excited about veggies…I take it as a personal win.
We like
- Gorgeous, furniture-like design (we have the white oak version)
- Grows up to 30 fresh plants without soil
- Surprisingly low maintenance
- Great for kids–fun and educational
- App-controlled with smart alerts (via “Kelby” the plant assistant) - intuitive UX
- Reduces grocery trips and food waste
We don't like
- Water tank needs manual refills (every 5–7 days depending on season)
- Subscription for plant food + seed pods adds to the long-term cost
- Initial investment is steep (but pays off over time)
- App notifications can get a little overzealous (I turned them off, so I just remember to look once a week or so)
- Takes up some space, but still *very* compact for what it does
An Indoor Garden That Grows With You
Gardyn isn’t the first indoor garden we’ve tried, it’s just the first one we’ve loved. It fits seamlessly into our living room, thanks to the minimal, modern frame and soft grow lights that are more calming than clinical.
The real magic? You don’t need to know anything about plants. The Gardyn app (and its fabulous AI assistant Kelby) tells you when to water, when to prune, and even when to harvest. My five-year-old now considers himself a “farmer” and insists on picking our daily greens.
Gardyn also offers a subscription membership, which delivers new seed pods, nutrients, and ongoing support. We’ve stuck with it because it keeps the harvest cycle going and removes all guesswork. I also love that I can switch up what I grow depending on the seasons. I’ve only harvested for spring so far, but I absolutely cannot wait to see what harvest it brings in the fall.
What Can You Grow With Gardyn?
The variety is impressive. We started with butter lettuce, basil, kale, cherry tomatoes, and strawberries–and they’ve all flourished. The Gardyn site features over 50 plant varieties, and I read about how easy it is to experiment with new crops seasonally.
During a recent family trip, we forgot to refill the water tank. This led to one small hiccup. We came home to a very sad-looking tower. The greens had grown, but they were extremely wilted. But within just a few days of TLC, almost everything bounced back–resilient and thriving. Unreal!
Is The Gardyn Studio Worth It?
Let’s talk about price. At $499 for 16 plants, the Gardyn Studio isn’t cheap. But the cost is offset by what you save in groceries, food waste, and those random “I bought everything in sight” farmer’s market hauls. As a parent, it's also hard to quantify the value of having your kids excited about eating arugula.
From a design and functionality perspective, it’s unmatched. And among all the indoor smart gardens on the market, Gardyn consistently ranks highest across Reddit threads, gardening forums, and editorial reviews alike. And though the design itself looks rather simple, the veggies grow in like art pieces. I enjoyed my daily inspections, where I look at the intricate leaves with my kids – stunned by the quick progress.
If you’ve ever dreamed of a low-maintenance way to grow your own food, without a backyard or a green thumb, this is the solution. It's sustainable, smart, and seriously satisfying.
Final Verdict: A Smart Garden That Actually Works
The Gardyn Studio has turned us into accidental gardeners–and I mean that in the best way. It’s rare that something tech-driven feels this soulful, but watching our plants bloom (and become lunch) has become a grounding part of our family’s routine.
Whether you’re growing for sustainability, wellness, or just because fresh basil tastes better, this is one of those investments that genuinely pays off.
Shop the Gardyn Studio here
