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The Gardyn Studio is a small hydroponic system by the makers of the Gardyn Home. While the Gardyn Home grows up to 30 plants in just 2 square feet, the Studio grows 16 plants in just 1.4 square feet. Designed for smaller spaces, I found this system to be less overwhelming and easier to care for than the Gardyn Home (which I have also tested).
Gardyn is a company that exclusively makes hydroponic systems designed for home use. Dedicated to rethinking the future of food, Gardyn’s founder was inspired by a desire to make the delicious produce of fresh local markets available to everyone.
After testing the Gardyn Studio in my home for four months, I recommend this product because of its convenient size, simple maintenance, and huge variety of plants it can grow.
The Gardyn Studio: At a Glance
Rating: 4.5/5
Mini Gardyn
| Gardyn Studio Specs | |
| Size | 17″ W x 12″ D x 54″ H |
| Number of Plants | 16 |
| Harvest Ready | Depends on plant |
| Weight | 14 pounds |
Testing the Gardyn Studio
I tested the Gardyn Studio in a spare bedroom at home for about four months. Although this particular space doesn’t get much natural light, direct sunlight isn’t needed, thanks to Gardyn’s LED lights. Four months was plenty of time for the 16 plants that came with the system to grow and harvest.
The Gardyn Studio is small enough to fit just about anywhere. I tested it against a wall in a room, but it could easily go in a corner, a kitchen, or any space where 1.4 square feet would fit. When testing the product, I was specifically evaluating:
- How easy the system was to set up
- How well the plants grew
- Whether the plants had problems growing in the smaller system
- If the single light bar provided enough light for all the plants
- Weekly maintenance of the system
- The cost of maintaining the system
- The variety of plants that grew well in the system
| What I Like | What I Don’t Like |
| Manageable number of plants | Light for the power box is bright |
| Modern design features | Plants can block water hole |
| Simple setup |
How Easy was the Gardyn Studio to Set Up?
Setup of The Gardyn Studio was straightforward and simple. Everything comes in one box, and assembly requires attaching the vertical white columns and lights to the top (or lid) of the tank, then setting the top onto the base. The base holds 4 gallons of water, which is one gallon less than the slightly larger Gardyn Home. Four gallons is plenty of water for the 16 plants that this unit can grow.
The Studio arrives with 16 starter seed cubes. The system includes yPods, which are tubes that fit into the vertical columns and hold the seed cubes, called yCubes, at the ideal angle to receive light, air, and water. To complete the setup, I needed to fill the tank, then place the yCubes into the yPods and pop the yPods into the open spaces on the columns. This does require referencing Gardyn’s yCube Placement Guide, where Gardyn specifies where to place each yCube based on the light requirements of the plant seeds inside the cube.
After completing the installation, I set the system up on the Gardyn app, which only took a few minutes. Once the system is connected to the app, I was able to set up the light and watering schedules. Wi-Fi is needed for the lights and self-watering system to work, and it’s worth noting that the system requires 2.5 GHz -band Wi-Fi; it will not work with 5GHz.
The Gardyn app is free to download and use, and it’s free to register the Studio, but Gardyn does offer a monthly membership. For $25 a month (or $249 a year), the membership provides 5 plant credits a month with free shipping, plus 60% off all plants and plant food.
How Well is the Gardyn Studio Designed?
The Gardyn Studio’s design is similar to the larger Gardyn Home, with a few key differences. Instead of two light poles, there’s only one. The Studio has only two columns for plants instead of three. These changes allow this smaller version to grow 16 plants in just 1.4 square feet of space.
Despite being on the smaller size, the Gardyn Studio grows plants well. Even when plants reached full size, I had minimal issues with the plants touching the light, which is a common issue in hydroponic systems. This issue can further be minimized with regular harvesting and pruning of plants.
While I did have some plants fighting for space in the system, this wasn’t much of a problem, especially after I realized I could strategically place the plants. For example, I put a full head of lettuce that needed more space next to a celery plant, which didn’t require quite as much room.
One issue I did experience was plants growing large enough to block the access hole where I needed to top off the tank every week or two. Another minor problem is that the light from the power box was brighter than the one on my Gardyn Home, so when the lights were turned off, there was still a glow from the power box. This wouldn’t be a problem in a living room or kitchen, but could be an annoyance in a sleeping space.
I liked that the system had a single power cord for both the water and lights, which was easy to tuck behind the system and give the Gardyn a neat appearance.
Features of the Gardyn include:
- A high-resolution camera that monitors plant growth and provides updates for harvesting and pruning via the app
- Compostable yCube materials (made of tapioca-based plastic)
- Plant food and 16 plants included
- 2-year warranty
Is the Size of the Gardyn Studio Beneficial?
I found the size of the Gardyn Studio to be very convenient. It’s not only shorter than the Gardyn Home (standing at 4 feet 6 inches, compared to 5 feet), but it also takes up less floor space (1 foot 5 inches as opposed to 2 feet). Since it has everything it needs to grow—including light—there’s no need to place it by a window or somewhere where it would get natural light.
The Gardyn Studio can be placed nearly anywhere. The light bar is certainly quite bright when it’s on, which prevented me from putting it in areas where the light could be overwhelming or annoying, and it shouldn’t be placed in areas where the temperature swings too far: Ideally, the location should remain between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Gardyn should never be placed outdoors. The compact size makes it easy to find a location even in smaller homes.
Evaluating the Quality of the Gardyn Studio
The Gardyn Studio’s columns, yPods, pod caps, and water tank are made of food-grade, FDA-compliant ABS plastic. The lights are made of aluminum and the tank lid is made of hevea wood, also known as rubberwood, a type of hardwood tree in the maple family.
During testing, the unit seemed durable and I did not have any problems with instability. As long as the Wi-Fi was working, the lights came on reliably and the system watered according to schedule.
I did not have reason to move the Gardyn Studio during testing, but Gardyn offers an optional dolly for purchase, which makes the system easier to move from room to room.
The Gardyn grew several different types of plants well, including lettuces, flowers, and herbs. Although I have tested growing larger plants like peppers and tomatoes in the Gardyn Home, I did not test these varieties in the Gardyn Studio.
Is the Gardyn Studio Worth the Price?
The Gardyn Studio retails for $499 but is currently on sale on Gardyn for $399.20. While this is more expensive than some hydroponic systems, it’s much larger than many home hydroponic systems on the market. Since it yields up to 5 pounds of produce per month, it definitely helps cut grocery costs, particularly for small families. In my opinion, the Gardyn Studio is worth the price.
Another positive is that the Gardyn is very low maintenance. I did have a membership, which allowed me to collect or use plant credits every month to replenish my system as I used up plants. However, I also bought my own mineral wool cubes to use in Gardyn’s yCubes, which allowed me to use my own seeds to grow in the system and save money.
Buy the Gardyn Studio on:
Product Comparisons
| Lettuce Grow See our review. | Gardyn 3.0 See our review. | HeyAbbySee our review. | AeroGarden BountySee our review. | AeroGarden HarvestSee our review. | |
| Number of Plants | 36 | 30 | 1 | 9 | 6 |
| Size | 79 inches high, 22 inches in diameter | 64 inches high by 12 inches deep by 24 inches wide | 48 inches high by 15.75 inches deep by 15.75 inches wide | 34 inches high by 17.25 inches wide by 11.25 inches deep | 17.4 inches high by 10.5 inches wide by 6 inches deep |
| Harvest Ready | 2 weeks | 4-5 weeks | Varies | 4-6 weeks | 4-6 weeks |
So, is the Gardyn Studio right for you?
The Gardyn Studio is right for you if you have a small household (one or two people) and want to grow fresh produce at home. This hydroponic system makes it simple to grow fresh produce at home and is low maintenance. I also found the Gardyn Studio to be less overwhelming to maintain than the Gardyn Home (which grows 30 plants), so it’s an excellent place for beginners in hydroponic systems to learn and grow.
For those with larger households looking for a bigger system right off the bat, the Gardyn 3.0 or Lettuce Grow Farmstand might be a better pick.
Meet the Tester
Jenn Ryan is a writer and sustainability enthusiast who has been writing for BobVila.com since 2020. An organic gardener since 2015, Jenn writes about eco-friendly and sustainable solutions and products for BobVila.com as well as numerous other publications, including Popular Mechanics. She takes a detailed approach to reviewing products and considers the value they add for the money as well as the materials used for sustainability and overall eco-friendliness.
