Disclaimer: This has been refreshed in July 2023 with the latest inputs.
AeroGarden is a major vendor of smart indoor home gardens. The brand offers indoor gardens in different models. AeroGarden Harvest is a series of 6-pod smart gardens with multiple variants. Here, we would like to have a look at the line-up in our take on AeroGarden Harvest Elite vs. Slim.
As you can see, both Harvest Elite and Harvest Elite Slim are 6-pod indoor gardening systems. The key difference between them is their size. As its name implies, the Harvest Elite Slim is somewhat slimmer and so is rather ideal for your tight interior spaces.
Besides these two variants, the Harvest series also comprises a handful of other models.
The Harvest Original, Harvest Slim, Harvest Elite 360, Harvest XL, and Harvest 360 are some of the notable models. Anyway, in this article, I would like to have a detailed look at Harvest Elite and Harvest Elite Slim countertop home gardens.
THE MODELS COMPARED AT A GLANCE
AeroGarden Harvest Elite
AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim
AeroGarden Harvest Elite Vs Slim
As you know, AeroGarden Harvest is a series of 6-pod gardens with a lot of smarter features, and they are equipped with a completely automated indoor gardening system with the help of LED grow lights. You can lift the light bar up to a height of 12 inches to let the plants grow up flourishingly.
These AeroGarden indoor gardening systems are ideal for growing a variety of plants like green leaves, herbs, and veggies. Working on the advanced hydroponic gardening system, you can grow plants in a specified time period and relish fresh homegrown veggies and leaves.
AeroGarden Harvest Elite Garden System
Harvest Elite is an incredible piece of the indoor gardening system. Available in a stainless-steel finish, it is a stylish solution for your indoor gardening efforts. It can grow your plants five times faster than soil, thanks to the fully-automated, hydroponic gardening system.
The included growing light is a 20-watt LED unit that can offer full-spectrum lighting to let your plants thrive very richly. You can adjust the height of the light bar and raise it up to 12 inches as the plants grow. Check out the product and its latest price at the link below.
You get the device with a number of smart features, including a digital display to remind you of the time for refilling water and pouring in nutrients. You can completely monitor the function of the indoor garden on the screen.
The garden is fine for growing a variety of plants like herbs, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, and more. It has a size of 17.4 x 10.5 x 6 inches, and you get it in multiple shades like platinum, white, and steel.
AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim Garden System
This is the same indoor gardening system, but as the name suggests, it is a bit thinner and takes up about 30% less space. With a size of 11.7–17.5 x 15 x 5 inches, Elite Slim will take up only a smaller room in your indoor space, so it comes out to be a perfect choice for a congested interior.
But you get a 6-pod, highly advanced, and fully automated gardening system with a stainless-steel finish. It also comes in a variety of shades, and it features a digital display, an adjustable LED light bar, and more. Check out the product at the link below.
The Elite Slim also features a 20-watt LED light on its adjustable light hood.
It can offer the full spectrum of sunlight to your plants, helping them grow five times faster than in soil or with outdoor gardening. The automated hydroponic system can deliver the best nutrients and water to plants for their quick and lavish growth.
The built-in digital display can bring you notifications about its operation in real-time. It is indeed a fine choice to grow a variety of plants, herbs, veggies, and more in the comfort of your home.
What to Buy?
Except for the size, there is no difference between the two indoor gardens.
They have everything the same, including pod capacity, price, finish, LED light, color options, and more. But Elite Slim has a relatively smaller footprint than its regular variant. They both come at the same price, and you get the same hydroponic system in both.
Aerogarden Harvest Elite and Harvest Elite Slim: What’s the Difference?Are you considering getting an AeroGarden but can’t decide between the AeroGarden Harvest Elite and Harvest Elite Slim? Whether you are a budding home gardener or a seasoned pro, this guide will help you make an informed decision about which model is best for your needs. AeroGardens are indoor garden systems that use advanced hydroponic technology to grow plants in any indoor environment. These units let users grow greens and veggies even in the deepest corner of the home, regardless of space or climate constraints. The AeroGarden Harvest Elite and AeroGarden Harvest Elite Slim are two popular models that offer great features depending on what kind of gardening experience you want to enjoy. The main difference between these two models, as said above, is their footprint size; the AeroGarden Harvest Elite is a bit larger than the Harvest Elite Slim. The smaller footprint of the latter doesn’t mean it is made with a compromise on the size of water reservoirs or growing areas. AeroGarden made the Harvest Elite Slim look beautiful by keeping the same size as its regular version. It has a sleek design and a small footprint. The smaller footprint of the Harvest Elite Slim makes it ideal for those who need an easy-to-use, compact system that fits into small spaces. |
Aerogarden Harvest Vs Harvest Elite
Are you looking to see how AeroGarden Harvest is different from Harvest Elite?
Simply put, the Harvest, the cheapest of the series, has a matte body, while its Elite upgrade, as you know, is made of premium stainless steel.
Moreover, the former features only push-button switches, while its advanced Elite variant, with the same size and other properties, has also got an LCD. Check out AeroGarden Harvest below.
In terms of size, both the Harvest and the Harvest Elite are the same, and both are designed to grow up to six plants. The main advantage of the Harvest is that you can buy it for around $20 less than its metallic variant.
Often Asked Questions
What is the Purpose of AeroGarden?
AeroGarden is a smart and standalone hydroponic gardening system by a firm called AeroGrow International Inc. The brand offers countertop-friendly gardening solutions in different series, like Sprout, Bounty, Harvest, and Farm.
The hydroponic gardening systems are perfect for growing different types of plants like fruits, vegetables, and greens inside your home without the trouble of overwatering and underwatering, thanks to their state-of-the-art smart gardening system.
How Long Do Plants Stay in an AeroGarden Smart Home Garden?
There is no specific period for growing plants in AeroGarden.
You can keep it as a smart planter on your kitchen countertop or even on your office desk and grow a variety of plants without any of the troubles of regular gardening.
Being a fully automated and smart home gardening system, it can grow your fruits, vegetables, and greens without daily watering or sunlight.
The built-in LED grow lights will provide the plants with the lighting they need to grow, and the liquid nutrients can feed their roots in order to deliver the best yields, starting in four to six weeks.
The brand offers pre-seeded pods for your home garden.
You can just insert them into the prepared spots and add water and liquid nutrients to get them growing.
The seeds will germinate in 7 to 14 days, and once fully grown, you can keep harvesting for up to six months or more.
What Are the Disadvantages of AeroGarden?
An AeroGarden has a small room for the plants to root and grow.
Though it’s a hydroponics system, it doesn’t look like a great choice for root vegetables.
But the large AeroGarden Farm models are fine for root vegetables.
Moreover, the AeroGardens are a bit expensive.
The initial investment for buying the gardening system is a bit expensive, but you can keep growing a variety of plants for a longer time in the comfort of your home, for sure.
Does AeroGarden Need Sunlight?
No, an AeroGarden doesn’t need sunlight to grow plants. One of the main attractions of this cutting-edge countertop gardening system is its built-in LED grow lights.
The LED grow lights appear on the adjustable light poles, which, as per the model of the AeroGarden, you can lift up to different heights to make sure your plants underneath get enough light.
These grow lights are more than enough to nurture the plants and let the leaves smoothly undergo the process of photosynthesis, making indoor gardening a reality even in the darkest corner of your indoor space.
Can I Grow My Own Seeds in an AeroGarden?
Yes, you can plant any seeds in the AeroGarden seed pod kits and grow them in an AeroGarden.
As you might know, the brand already offers different varieties of seeds, but if you have your own greens, no worries; you can grow them in the seed kits.
Does AeroGarden Use Soil?
No. AeroGarden is a hydroponic smart garden, which means the medium for growing is water, not soil. So it requires no soil to grow plants, as in the traditional style of farming.
What’s the Best Aerogarden?
AeroGarden has smart hydroponic gardens in many variants under three main families: Sprout, Harvest, and Bounty. The Harvest series looks to be the most popular, as it is a mid-size, 6-pod planter.
My recommendation for the question of which AeroGarden is the best is the AeroGarden Harvest, which seems to be the base model of the series and costs only below $100.
It has met my purpose of growing greens like a charm. It has helped me produce a lot of homegrown and healthy greens like kale and spinach to add to my diet. This model has many other variants, like the Harvest Elite, Elite Slim, Slite 360, and more.
Final Thoughts
That has been our take on AeroGarden Harvest Elite and Slim smart home gardens.
AeroGarden offers a number of other variants in the Harvest family, which include Harvest Elite, Harvest 360, Elite 360, and more. Of course, they all have little differences between them, but you have a handful of incredible products to choose from within the brand.

Vahid Vee is a full-time blogger who is highly passionate about home gardening and green products for households. As an incredible researcher and observer of smart home gardening systems and solutions, he is really excited to share with you the latest trends, fresh products, and other developments in the market. #Contact – veevahid@gmail.com – LinkedIn