Every item on this page was hand-picked by a House Beautiful editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
Even the most temperamental plants will thrive.
While everyone should have plants (they don't just add color and life to your space; plenty of them can actually purify the air, too), not everyone is destined to be a good plant parent. For anyone who may fall into that camp, worry not, as there is a solution: self-watering planters, which, as their name implies, require little to no effort. For most of the options on our list, a couple of which we actually tested, all you have to do is fill a water reservoir every few weeks and place the planter in a decently lit area. Literally, that's it.
We also chatted with a plant expert—Wesleaf owner Weslie Etienne Pierre, who offers plenty of advice for using self-watering planters, including cautioning against the "set it and forget it" mindset. "If you're not a plant person and you're using a self-watering pot, you're gonna think that every time that thing is empty, it's time to refill it," she says. "That's not the case for plants like succulents and snake plants that do want that long period of drought." According to Pierre, the number-one plant killer is over-watering, and self-watering planters may contribute to that, so she suggests, "It's really, really important that you truly understand the needs of the plant prior to putting it in that type of pot and follow the consistent regimen that plant requires."
That said, shop our very easy-to-program self-watering planters, which do all of the heavy lifting for you.
Available in black, terracotta (pictured), and white, this AllModern planter is almost too easy to use. All you need to do is fill the base with water (there's a max fill line that tells you when to shop) and pop the planter (complete with your favorite greenery) on top. The highly absorbent ropes will deliver the perfect amount of water to your plant, depending on how dry the soil is. The best part? It's handmade using durable ceramic.
| Dimensions | 4.25" W x 4.25" D x 5" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Ceramic |
The whole point of a self-watering planter is that it's easy to use. The watering mechanism on this budget planter is easy to access. A clip-on attachment fills the reservoir from the bottom, and the hollow legs allow moisture to flow into your plant's soil while maintaining air circulation for its roots. Breathability and practicality make this a pretty powerful planter.
| Dimensions | 8" W x 8" D x 7.25" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Polypropylene plastic |
Leave it to West Elm to design the most midcentury-looking self-watering planter (a concept that definitely did not exist in the post-War years). This bright blue one is our favorite, especially when paired next to the red metal lamp (sadly, it is not available anymore, but this one is still on offer!), and it is giving us serious Piet Mondrian vibes. Plus, unlike some of the other options on our list, this one is equal parts opaque and transparent, so you can see the magic happening without sacrificing style.
| Dimensions | 7.5" D x 8.7" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Powder-coated steel base and glass |
There's something kind of intriguing about a transparent self-watering planter because you can literally see the magic happening in front of you. You'll know when the soil is a little too dry, a little too wet, or a little too low. However, because this glass planter is self-watering, there's not a whole lot you, the plant parent, need to do. The culprit responsible for keeping your plants perfectly hydrated? A rope, which sucks up water from the base and delivers it to the soil when it's feeling a bit too dry.
| Dimensions | 5.5 L x W 6" D x 5" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Glass |
This gorgeous planter is made from mouth-blown glass in a two-toned clear and olive green color. It uses a cotton water cord that slowly draws up moisture from a reservoir, making it both simple to use and beautiful to display. Fill the inner pot with soil and your moisture-loving plant of choice, and let nature do the rest.
| Dimensions | Small: 6.5" Diam. x 7.5" H Large: 10.5" Diam. x 13.5" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Mouth-blown glass |
This high-tech indoor plant system could be a great fit for the extra dedicated plant parent (and the high-maintenance plant babies). It's tall, sleek, and great for growing vegetables that need height but lack outdoor space. A built-in water pump sets water flowing through the columns a few times daily, but the water schedule is completely customizable to your plants' needs. It also pairs with an app that keeps track of the water levels and humidity, so it's as easy to use as possible.
| Dimensions | 24” W x 12” D x 64” H |
|---|---|
| Material | UV-stabilized, recyclable, BPA-free columns |
For trailing, larger plants that you want to take up vertical real estate, like ferns, try one of hanging planters. You won't have to get up on a ladder every day to keep them hydrated. The clear plastic adds some texture with its ridges, but also allows you to see the water levels without needing to dig through soil. Even better: it comes with two planters for under $20!
| Dimensions | 6.5" L x 6.5" W x 6.5" H |
|---|---|
| Material | PET Plastic |
House Beautiful gardening contributor and longtime plant lover Arricca Elin SanSone highly recommends this planter for gardeners who need to move their plants around. The sturdy casters on this garden bed make shifting it around on a patio much easier. There's a two-gallon water reservoir and a perforated aeration screen that promotes airflow, so you'll avoid drowning your plants' roots.
| Dimensions | 24" W x 20" D x 11" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Plastic |
This compact planter is perfect for urban gardening, where you're more likely to have a fire escape or balcony than a back patio. The water fill point is easy to access at the top of the garden bed. For even more ease, a level indicator will let you know exactly when to refill the reservoir. When it gets colder and you want to move your plants indoors, use the included drip tray to prevent mess.
| Dimensions | 29.5" W x 18.9" D x 19.7" H |
|---|---|
| Material | High-density polyethylene |
For senior gardeners who can't spend long hours bent over their favorite plants, raised garden beds are a great alternative to planting in rows. SanSone loves this pick for anyone who has back pain or knee issues, as the bed is at hip height to minimize time spent hunched over. Reviewers say it's easy to assemble. One shopper wrote: "I like these so well I have four of them and I bought one for my sister-in-law for her birthday. They're the perfect height no bending down. It has a nice shelf at the bottom to put pots and things on. They were also very easy to assemble."
| Dimensions | 35.23" L x 15.5" W x 14.14" H |
|---|---|
| Material | UV-protected resin |
Self-watering pots are supposed to be simple to use, and this one from West Elm lives up to that effective and easy design. Fill up the saucer at the spout, and sit back and watch your plants thrive as they slowly soak up the water through the cast stone planter. For colder climates or gardening in the winter, the pot is frost-proof to protect your plants.
| Dimensions | 1 quart: 8.25" W x 9.25" D x 8" H 3 gallon: 12.25" W x 13.5"D x 15.5" H 5 gallon: 14.25" W x 15.25" D x 18" H |
|---|---|
| Material | Cast stone |
Here are a few features to keep an eye on while you shop:
Irrigation system: Self-watering planters work by transferring water from a reservoir that you fill to the soil of the plant. Some use a cotton cord to transfer the water from a saucer or tank, while others are made of a porous material like terracotta that allows the plant to absorb moisture through its walls. The filling mechanism must be accessible to make filling the reservoir easy to do; otherwise, what should be a lower-maintenance option becomes a royal pain.
Size: The depth and size of the planter matter not only for its soil capacity but also for the size of the water reservoir. SanSone says the bigger the reservoir, the better. The planter will take as much water as it needs at once; all you need to do is keep it full. You also won't have to worry about refilling it as frequently.
Placement: Some self-watering pots work well outdoors. The material of the planter makes a difference, though. The moisture in a ceramic planter will evaporate faster, making it not as smart a pick for outdoor planters in direct sun exposure. SanSone prefers to use plastic self-watering planters outdoors to avoid this issue. Pierre cautions that outdoor planters will be exposed to the elements so that rainy days could lead to overfilling. "If it's a self-watering pot, that means the reservoir is in an enclosed situation, so water will never come out of it," she says.
Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao's pathos plant in a self-watering Umbra planter.
As many of you loyal House Beautiful readers probably already know at this point, we love to experience, use, and live with the products we recommend, and these self-watering planters are no exception. We asked contributing writer and gardening expert Arricca Elin SanSone to share her go-to planters for inclusion. For the remaining self-watering planters, the ones we didn't get to test, we used our trusty system that always works when recommending putting shopping guides together: We started with a general search, from there, we chose the most attractive options, and lastly, we weeded out the weaker picks based on the customer reviews. All of the options we didn't touch directly are backed by plenty of positive reviews and a five-star rating.
Liao's spider plant is thriving in a MoMa self-watering planter.
Self-watering pots should be used for plants that love moisture and damp soil. If they need to be watered all the time and don't like to dry out in between waterings, it's a safe bet. Pierre recommends plants such as dracaena or peace lilies. Vegetables that are "heavy drinkers," as SanSone puts it, will also likely thrive in a self-watering planter. Shallow-rooted vegetables like peppers enjoy steady amounts of water and don't do well with an inconsistent rain schedule, making them a great fit. SanSone has also seen success growing tomatoes in self-watering garden beds, but points out that self-watering planters don't often have a big enough reservoir those deep-rooted vegetables require.
At House Beautiful, we are experts in gardening and plant care, whether it's assisting readers with finding the right indoor plants or sharing expert-curated tips to building the garden of their dreams. We've covered plenty of plant accessories, such as indoor growing systems, so it was only fitting that we find another way to make gardening easier for our readers.
To understand how best to use self-watering planters and pots, we consulted gardening experts Weslie Etienne Pierre and Arricca Elin SanSone. SanSone, a longtime House Beautiful gardening contributor, has been using self-watering planters for about 15 years. She's seen how they work on everything from turnips to tomatoes. Pierre is a plant stylist and designer and the owner of Wesleaf Designs and Decor, where she advises clients on using self-watering planters everywhere, from office spaces to vacation homes.
How to Stop Crabgrass From Taking Over Your Yard
THIS Is the Best Time to Plant Grass Seed
All 24 Birth Flowers And Their Meanings
25 Beautiful Plants That Thrive in the Shade
