Best Aerogarden for Countertops [Bounty, Harvest & Sprout 2022 Reviews]

Aerogarden hydroponic gardens have come a long way since they first emerged on the market. Today, they dominate a position in the market that they created, and are working hard to ensure they stay on top of things. While a lot of attention has been going to the Aerogarden Farm Family models, it was with the smaller countertop-sized models that they first made their mark and shared their vision of every household using hydroponic gardening to provide fresh food, year-round.

Ok, that might actually be our vision, but the Aerogarden is nevertheless a great way to see it happen. Sometimes, it doesn’t matter how simple or affordable you make a design, people just want to purchase something that is turn-key. They push a button and get the result they expected. And unfortunately, this is an area that hydroponics has failed to really address.

The majority of hydroponic systems out there (and there are tons) involve some degree of DIY involvement. Those that do offer turn-key results are often very large and very expensive. These are usually designed with specific growers of specific profitable crops in mind and are not always suitable for generalist growers.

The beauty of the Aerogarden is that presenting itself as an appliance seems to be at the forefront of its design. These units are sleek and contoured, ready to occupy space on your kitchen counter, and look good doing it. 

Whether you keep it in the kitchen for fresh culinary herbs or you go with flowers and make it a dining room or foyer centerpiece, there are a variety of sizes and styles available to meet your needs.

In case you aren’t familiar with the inner workings of the Aerogarden, we’ve written a helpful post detailing exactly how an Aerogarden works. Below we’ll go in depth on the various table-top units.

Aerogarden Units for Tabletop Growing

Aerogarden offers four distinct product lines that each aims to include a degree of flexible compromise between features and function, the first three of which are designed to fit on any counter, table, or desk. The fourth group, the Farm Family, is a line of stackable, modular Aerogarden farms that are too large by design to occupy most desks or counters. We have covered that system separately in our Aerogarden Farm Reviews writeup.

The easiest distinction between these tiers is their capacity for holding seed pods:

Aerogarden Sprout = 3 seed pods

Aerogarden Harvest = 6 seed pods

Aerogarden Bounty = 9 seed pods

For a thorough breakdown, take a look at our AeroGarden seed pod reviews.

Beyond their seed pod capacity, however, each of these product lines, in turn, offers varying levels of feature integration. 

The Sprout, as an entry-level product, is the exception to this that provides an affordable opportunity to see the Aerogarden in action.

The Harvest and Bounty each come in a Basic and Elite model, with variation in dashboard interfaces and lighting wattage being the biggest differences between them. There are also “360°” models available in each of these that employ a circular design, as opposed to the traditional rectangular one.

Virtually all Aerogarden models will feature the low water alerts and nutrient reminders, while more upscale models will include the Vacation Mode setting. Keep reading to learn about some of the specific models that caught our attention.

AeroGarden Bounty Basic

30w Full-Spectrum Led Lights
24” Overhead Clearance
9 Seed Pod Capacity
High-Resolution Black & White Display
Low Water/Nutrient Alert w/ vacation mode

Overall Dimensions:
Height 34″
Width 17.25″
Depth 11.25″

The digital display of this unit is a minimalist black and white screen reminiscent of early e-readers. It is not a touch screen, nor does it feature any level of wi-fi connectivity. This is preferable to some growers, many of which plan on using the interface very little, if at all. 

The 30w full-spectrum LED grow light is attached to an arm that extends up to 24” vertically from the base, which can accommodate medium-sized plants like cherry hydroponic tomatoes and such. The Bounty Family is essentially a step-down from the Farm Family, considering the lower seed pod capacity, minimal dashboard controls, and the more limited scope overall on setting adjustments to lighting and nutrient delivery.

The Bounty Basic does still provide alerts for low water and nutrients, and offers the largest water reservoir available in similar-sized countertop gardening units. The unit also features a Vacation Mode setting, that will automate everything to keep plants thriving while you’re away.

AeroGarden Bounty

40w Full-Spectrum Led Lights
1-Step Dimming (from full to 30%)
8-24” Overhead Clearance
9 Seed Pod Capacity
High-Resolution LCD Color Display
Low Water/Nutrient Alert w/ vacation mode

Overall Dimensions:
Height 34″
Width 16.5″
Depth 11″

This model is a step-up from the Bounty Basic, and is available in both black and white to better jive with your existing appliances. Aside from a bump up in lighting power, the Bounty also includes more features – including the wi-fi and Alexa connectivity and a more vibrant and intuitive control panel.

Another important feature is the 1-Step dimming, which allows you to reduce the LED light’s intensity from full-power down to 30% at the touch of a button. This can allow you to dim the lights for ambiance or to avoid it becoming bothersome at night, without risking the premature triggering of your plants into their flowering cycle.

Upgrading the LCD screen does more than bring a splash of color, as the visual level indicator can tell growers about the nutrient levels with just a glance. The same interface provides access to Aerogarden’s list of over 140 gardening tips to help ensure your plants grow to thrive, and subtly illustrates the garden’s age and the next scheduled watering. 

With the Aerogarden Bounty, you are starting to see the product that the company originally envisioned all those years ago when they first got started. It not only fits on a kitchen countertop, but looks like it belongs there. 

The combination of effective grow lighting, intuitive interfacing, clean design, and affordable price make the Aerogarden Bounty one of our personal favorite recommendations for new growers.

AeroGarden Bounty Elite

50w Full-Spectrum Led Lights
24” Overhead Clearance
9 Seed Pod Capacity
Full-Color Touchscreen
Low Water/Nutrient Alert
Vacation Mode
Infinite Dimming Grow Lights w/ Sunrise & Sunset Modes
Wi-Fi/Amazon Echo/Smartphone Connectivity

Overall Dimensions:
Height 34″
Width 17.25″
Depth 11.25″

The Bounty Elite brings it all and steals the countertop show in the process. It brings all of the top-tier features like Wi-Fi connectivity and high-resolution touch-screens that are normally reserved for the more expensive Farm Family models, and then packs it all in with the countertop superiority that the Bounty Family has come to represent.

What we mean to say is that the Aerogarden Bounty is the top-of-the-line when it comes to countertop-sized hydroponic garden systems.

You can expect all of the features that come with the Bounty model, along with:

1. Touchscreen dashboard controls

2. Infinite dimming lights

3. Stronger 50w LED grow lighting

Oh, and then they wrapped the Bounty with a slick stainless steel finish that brings a more clean and modern look to any kitchen. All of this, put together, is the Aerogarden Bounty Elite – the pinnacle of countertop hydroponic garden appliances. Does it cost a little more than the basic models? Sure, a little. But keep in mind that it is a one-time investment that will pay for itself over time.

We know…do you really need an Elite model? We can’t say for sure, but we do know that you’re worth it. 

AeroGarden Harvest Elite

20w Full-Spectrum Led Lights
12” Overhead Clearance
6 Seed Pod Capacity
Digital Display and push-buttons
Low Water/Nutrient Alert

Overall Dimensions:
Height 17.4″
Width 10.5″
Depth 6″

The Aerogarden Harvest Elite is, perhaps, a more entry-level option. Contrary to the Bounty Elite,  the Harvest Elite offers a minimal dashboard interface and features list, while retaining a similarly modern aesthetic. The model featured comes with:

⦿ a stainless steel finish 

⦿ an LCD touch panel 

⦿ programmable reminders

⦿ a 20w LED light, extendable out to 12”

Essentially, lowering the bar in every category allows a far more affordable entry-point into Aerogarden’s products. In our opinion, modern features like Wi-Fi connectivity and voice control are what elevate the Aerogarden from being treated like a novelty item to being seen as responsible for bringing new people into hydroponic gardening. Not to mention putting a hydroponic garden on every kitchen counter, potentially.

On the other hand, we mentioned earlier what a stubborn lot gardeners can be. There are cases where minimal features are exactly what people are looking for. They aren’t interested in technology that integrates with devices they don’t own, and the idea of paying hundreds of dollars for it is ridiculous! These people aren’t wrong – we all want what we want, and Aerogarden has tried to find a compromise for everyone. 

The Aerogarden Harvest is just that – a compromise. The 20w LED lights aren’t the most powerful, but they are even more energy-efficient than their stronger counterparts. The 6 seed-pod kit doesn’t offer the full Salad Bar assortment as the larger models, but six plants is honestly still a generous amount to grow within a countertop appliance. 

If you’re looking for an affordable taste of what an Aerogarden can do, consider giving the Harvest Elite a try. While it lacks a few of the features that really bring the Aerogarden experience in its entirety, it proves to be an excellent bargain for anyone that already knows they are uninterested in those features.

AeroGarden Black Sprout

The Aerogarden Sprout is generally considered akin to “dipping a toe in the pool” to see if you’ll like it. This largely due to it being the smallest and most simple model that Aerogarden has on offer.

The Sprout accommodates growing 3 seed pods, which gives it the slimmest profile of all Aerogarden options. This also allows 3 plants to grow up to 10” in height, simultaneously, which are grown hydroponically (entirely in water, with no soil). The 10w LED grow light is full-spectrum and highly energy-efficient, and presents what has to be one of the smallest energy footprints possible in any grow light.

Where the Bounty Family takes it to the next level by packing the features and functionality of the Farm models into a countertop unit, the Sprout is the epitome of the countertop appliance. It is designed to fit seamlessly in any kitchen space as subtly and accommodating as any toaster, blender, or coffeemaker; its principle task is to sustainably provide fresh culinary herbs. Beyond such, bells and whistles only add to the cost and size.

If this utilitarian kind of outlook feels like it makes sense, you might give the Sprout a closer look. It’s not the biggest. It’s not the fanciest. But it will still make sure there’s some fresh parsley on hand whenever you need it. All you have to do is drop in a seed pod and refill the water tank every week or so.

Ultimately, any Aerogarden model will provide you with the ability to hydroponically grow indoors, year-round. On top of that, every unit will fit on virtually any countertop, table, or desk and plug into standard residential outlets. All current Aerogarden models use the best full-spectrum LED grow lights, which means you’ll never have to change a bulb or buy a replacement one. Simply drop in your desired seed pods, adjust the settings to let the unit know what it’s growing, and keep the water tank filled, and you can have tasty picture-worthy plants in a fraction of the time.

Thank you for stopping by to learn more about the Aerogarden countertop gardens. We hope that we were able to help you sort out which of these units might be best for you (or the loved one you have in mind). Until next time, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay gardening!