Hello! In this article, I want to tell and show you how I used the Aerogarden Harvest hydroponic system. I will describe in detail my whole experience from unboxing to harvesting.
I will also rate this device in ten major categories and calculate an average rating. I’m doing all this so that you can better understand what the Aerogarden Harvest is and whether it’s worth buying.
My Aerogarden Harvest
My rating of the Aerogarden Harvest
| Criteria | Rating |
|---|---|
| Technology | 9 |
| Efficiency | 10 |
| Quality | 10 |
| User experience | 9 |
| Impact on comfort | 9 |
| Ease of maintenance | 9 |
| Customer support | 9 |
| Operating Costs | 8 |
| Proprietary | 10 |
| Price | 6 |
| Total | 89 |
According to my reviews, Aerogarden Harvest scored 89 points out of a possible 100. This was possible because the system is really good.
The average rating is 8.9/10, which is a really high number. Below I will tell you in detail how I evaluated the device in each category.
Technology
AeroGarden is the leader in indoor hydroponics. Their devices are distinguished by their efficiency and quality. The Harvest has inherited all these features.
The first thing I want to highlight here is the grow deck. It consists of two parts. A pump takes the water into the inside of the grow deck and then the water flows through channels to each seed pod. The result is a much better supply of nutrient solution to the roots even if the water in the bowl is low.
Also due to the design of the growing deck, the oxygenation of the nutrient solution is increased. This improves plant health.
This device is equipped with a water level sensor and a plant food reminder. These are actually very useful features that are rarely found on devices of this level.
The maximum grow height is 11.2 inches (28.5 cm) which is enough for growing herbs and leafy greens. Some competitors, however, offer a higher grow height.
The bowl size is 2.5 liters. This is a good value for a device like this. But again, some competitors have larger bowls.
Aerogarden Harvest has 6 free spots and this is a realistic number of plants you can grow in it. At the same time, competitors offer 8 or more spots, but the holes are too close and it’s not realistic to grow that many plants.
A minor drawback is that Harvest does not have Wi-Fi/App. Personally, I don’t really care because I don’t usually use it, but the iDOO 8Pods, for example, has Wi-Fi/App.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 9/10 for technology.
Efficiency
As for the efficiency of the Aerogarden Harvest, the first thing I want to draw your attention to are the LEDs. Their power is 20 watts and they generate almost 40,000 lux of light at the lowest position. Some competitors even with more powerful LEDs provide only 20,000 lux of light.
As a result, the plants in the Aerogarden Harvest grow noticeably faster.
In addition, this system has a much better water distribution system. This also has a positive effect on yields and plant health.
The last thing to mention here is nutrition. The Aerogarden Harvest comes with a bottle of plant food and it is very effective. I’ve even noticed that the plant food is a little over-concentrated and one cap is enough for growing herbs instead of two as the manufacturer recommends.
The high efficiency is the reason why I put Aerogarden Harvest on my list of best hydroponic systems.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 10/10 for efficiency.
Quality
The quality of Aerogarden Harvest materials is remarkable. In fact, I have rarely seen hydroponics made of such high-quality plastic. The grow deck has a light gray color and is glossy. This reflects the light toward the plants.
The body and all parts are securely fastened and nothing is loose. All the bolts are securely fastened and nothing rattles.
The pump is quite large and has a fine filter. All of this indicates that the pump should last quite a long time.
Aerogarden claims that its LEDs can last 4 years and that’s actually great. You can also buy the pump, the light hood, and other parts separately if you need them.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 10/10 for quality.
User experience
I personally enjoyed using the Aerogarden Harvest. It is very easy to assemble and run.
The control panel has three buttons and the operation of the system is intuitive. The lights work for 15 hours and 9 hours off. All this is turned on and off automatically, but you can turn the light off at any time if it bothers you.
The sponges are preseeded and that is a definite plus. Also, the net pots sit tightly in place and the plants don’t lie on their sides even when they reach a large size.
The hole for pouring water is very large and easy to use.
A minor drawback is that the water sensor is triggered when the bowl is less than half full. I wish that the sensor was triggered a little earlier, but in general, this is not a problem because I can easily check the water level just by opening the lid.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 9/10 for user experience.
Impact on comfort
The first thing that affects the comfort in such systems is the noise from the pump and other parts. Harvest is a very quiet hydroponics system.
I measured the noise level with my noise meter and was surprised that it doesn’t exceed 35 dBA. That’s actually a great value.
The second thing that matters here is the light. The Harvest has bright LEDs which makes some users feel uncomfortable. However, the light from it does not bother me. I set the device below my eye level and there is no problem.
The Aerogarden Harvest does not have a light-dimming feature like the more expensive models from this company do. However, dimming the light reduces the efficiency of the system.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 9/10 for impact on comfort.
Ease of maintenance
Maintaining the Aerogarden Harvest is very easy. All I had to do was refill the water from time to time and add plant food when the green light on the control panel flashes.
Aerogarden recommends changing the water in the Harvest once a month. However, I have noticed that it is better to do it once every 15 days. The plants look healthier as a result.
To change the water and clean the system all I have to do is unplug the pump and remove the grow deck. Next, I need to move the bowl to the sink and drain the water.
At the same time, to clean the iDOO 12 for example, it has to be disassembled almost completely.
The fill hole on the grow deck is quite large and very convenient to work with.
A small disadvantage of the Aerogarden Harvest is that the grow deck consists of two parts. Because of this algae can grow in it or roots can get inside. To clean it I need to put in some extra effort.
At the same time, such a design of the grow deck improves the efficiency of this system. So there is a double-edged sword here.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 9/10 for ease of maintenance.
Customer support
Aerogarden has excellent customer service. They have a chat room on their website for contacting an expert. I used it and got an answer relatively quickly.
There is also a contact form on the Contact Us page. From my experience, you can get a response from them pretty quickly.
There are quite a few groups on social media dedicated to Aerogarden hydroponic systems, including the official ones. You can get good advice from users there.
I give Aerogarden Harvest a 9/10 for customer support.
Operating costs
You can find various figures online about how much spending Aerogarden Harvest generates. However, I want to show you how much money I spent in one month and what I got as a result.
| Electricity | 9.9 kWh | $1.76 |
| Grow sponges | 5 Pcs | $1.2 |
| Plant food | 30 ml | $0.69 |
| Total cost | $3.65 |
Here I’ve calculated the cost of the five original sponges I used to grow five different herbs. This also included the cost of 30 milliliters of plant food that I used in a month of growing.
All of these things come with the hydroponic system, but I added them to the cost because after a while I would have to buy them anyway.
I spent a total of $3.65 for 30 days. As a result, I was able to grow two bushes of dill, two bushes of Thai basil, and one bush of Genovese basil.
Seems to me, my costs to get this crop are not big at all. Besides, there are cheaper grow sponges and plant food on the market. If I used alternatives, the costs were even lower.
Because of the overpriced consumables, I give Harvest not the highest rating in this category.
I give Aerogarden Harvest an 8/10 for operating costs.
Proprietary
The widespread popularity of Aerogarden models has led to many manufacturers of various consumables. You can find different alternative sponges for the Aerogarden Harvest online at a very good price. Of course, they are not all the same quality, but still.
Here are some sponge alternatives:
| Brand | Price for one sponge |
|---|---|
| Aerogarden | $0.24 |
| Urban Leaf | $0.30 |
| Park Seed | $0.18 |
Next are the growing baskets. You can easily find alternatives to the original Aerogarden growing baskets. In fact, this is a great advantage because other brands of hydroponic systems often do not have alternatives to the growing baskets.
You can also use stickers from other manufacturers. You can buy them even cheaper than the original ones.
Plant food from Aerogarden is relatively inexpensive, but you can find an alternative here as well.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 10/10 for proprietary.
Price
All Aerogarden models are quite expensive and Harvest is no exception. I can’t call it cheap, in fact, it is one of the most expensive devices of its kind.
But here I must say that the high price is due to the best quality and high efficiency. If you want a quality product, you can buy the Aerogarden Harvest on the manufacturer’s website:
Even though the company often makes promotions and discounts, the price of the device is still higher than the competition. For this reason, I give Harvest a low score in this category.
I give the Aerogarden Harvest a 6/10 for price.
Recommended For
From my experience, the Aerogarden Harvest is best suited for beginners who appreciate quality and reliability. At the same time they are not tight on a budget and can afford a slightly more expensive purchase.
The size of this hydroponic system allows you to grow herbs and leafy greens. You can also grow some vegetables here, but overall Aerogarden Harvest is entry-level hydroponics.
If you want to get a large crop of vegetables, then you need to look towards larger devices.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Unique water distribution system | Price |
| High efficiency | No Wi-Fi/App |
| Efficient LEDs | No covers for unused holes |
| Low operating costs | Grow height |
| Reliable pump | |
| Water level sensor | |
| Plant food reminder | |
| Large fill hole | |
| Many alternatives of consumables |
Alternatives
| Product Feature | Aerogarden Harvest | IDOO 8Pods WiFi | LetPot 5Pods | GardenCube 8 Pods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size (HxWxD) | 17.3″x10.4″x5.6″ (44×26.5×14.3cm) | 19.5″x13.8″x5.2″ (49.5x35x13.2cm) | 16.3″x8.7″x5.3″ (41.4x22x13.4cm) | 21″x11″x6.7″ (53.3×27.9x17cm) |
| Number of pods | 6 | 8 | 5 | 8 |
| LED power | 20 W | 22 W | 12 W | 24 W |
| Wi-Fi/App | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Tank capacity | 2.5 L | 4 L | 1.5 L | 3 L |
| Max grow height | 11″ (28 cm) | 13.6″ (34.5cm) | 15″ (38cm) | 16″ (40cm) |
| Min grow height | 4.7″ (12 cm) | 3.7″ (9.3cm) | 4.3″ (10.9cm) | 8″ (20.3cm) |
| Touchscreen | No | No | No | No |
| Low Water Reminder | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Nutrient Reminder | Yes | No | No | No |
| Seed pods | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Plant food | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $89.95 | $59.99 | $68.00 | $65.99 |
Conclusion
The Aerogarden Harvest is a great device for its money. Not once have I regretted that I bought it, in fact it is a real pleasure to use it.
As you can see from the table above, there are many offers on the market for a more attractive price. However, these devices are not comparable in quality and efficiency with the Aerogarden Harvest.
I wish you a bountiful harvest and all the best!