10 Self-Watering Planters That Are Easy to Use and Look Good

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Keeping up with the varied watering schedule of your plant babies can be a lot. You don't want to drown one or dehydrate the other, and a few days out of town can be worrisome for more needy plants. A self-watering feature then, is a great way to establish consistency. The best self-watering planters will alleviate a lot of your worries, whether you go with a raised garden bed or a simple flower pot. However, before you buy one, make sure you understand the ins and outs of how they work.

Weslie Etienne Pierre, owner of Wesleaf, cautions 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," Pierre says. "That's not the case for plants like succulents and snake plants that do want that long period of drought." Overwatering is a common issue that plant owners have when using self-watering planters, says Pierre. Contrary to popular belief, however, overwatering refers not the amount of water you give a plant but how often you give it. "The number-one killer of plants is overwatering," she says. "Self-watering planters increase the likelihood of that happening, so 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."

Once you're confident about the ease and use of self-watering planters, it's time to shop! Whether the pot uses a cotton wick to draw up moisture or relies on the porosity of terracotta or stone to let in water, the best self-watering planters on the market can be purchased below.

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Self Watering + Self Aerating Round Plant Pot

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.

Balcony Glass Self-Watering Planter

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.

Self-Watering Wet Pot Planter

"I was looking for a cute self-watering planter and ended up buying this MoMA one. My spider plant absolutely loves this pot and has been thriving in it," Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao says. How this planter works: To use it, simply fill up the outer glass reservoir, and your plant will absorb the water slowly with the porosity of the terracotta walls. "It's easy to use and clean, plus I like watching the water levels decrease throughout the week as my plant drinks up the H20."

Self-Watering Tabletop Planter

The balancing act of two pots meets this burgundy colorway to make this planter so gorgeous to look at and place on your table. Not only does it use a sub-irrigation insert that draws up water from below, it has aeration stones that promote root health. The stylish planter is made from ceramic material, that'll dry out faster in sun exposure, so it's a better fit for indoor plants that you want to have on display.

Home Kit 4.0

For the extra dedicated plant parent (and the high-maintenance plant babies), this high-tech indoor plant system could be a great fit. It's tall but sleek, and great for growing vegetables that need height but don't have the outdoor space. A built-in water pump sets water flowing through the columns a few times a day, but the water schedule is completely customizable to what your plants need. It also pairs with an app that keeps track of the water levels and humidity, so it's as easy to use as possible.

Self-Watering Hanging Planters

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!

City Picker Raised Bed

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 water reservoir with a two gallon capacity and a perforated aeration screen that promotes airflow, so you'll avoid drowning your plants' roots.

Self-Watering Urban Garden Planter

For urban gardening, where you're more likely to have a fire escape or balcony than a back patio, this compact planter is perfect. The fill point for the water is easy to access at the top of the garden bed. For even more ease, there's a level indicator that will let you know exactly when to refill the reservoir. When it gets colder and you want to move your plants indoors, simply use the included drip tray to prevent mess.

Urban Bloomer Raised Garden Bed with Self Watering Planter

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."

The Simple Self-Watering Pot

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.

What to Look for When Buying Self-Watering Planters

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 matters 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 one time, and 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 also be exposed to the elements, so 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.

What Should You Plant in a 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.

Why Trust House Beautiful?

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 as well as the owner of Wesleaf Designs and Decor, where she advises clients on how to use self-watering planters everywhere from office spaces to vacation homes.

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