Gardyn Home or Gardyn Studio: which size fits your household?

Choose Gardyn Home if you are feeding three or more people, cook most nights or want room for fruiting crops alongside your greens. Choose Gardyn Studio if you live alone or as a couple, have a smaller space, or want a steady daily salad without a large harvest to keep up with. Both are floor-standing Hybriponic™ gardens that run the same app and the same Kelby features, so the real decision is size and output.

Key takeaways

• Gardyn Home 4 grows 30 plants in about 2 sq ft and up to 10 lbs of produce a month, enough to feed a family of four.
• Gardyn Studio 2 grows 16 plants in about 1.4 sq ft, sized for daily salads for two.
• Weekly care is similar on both: top off the tank, harvest, and follow Kelby’s tasks in the app.
• Memberships are per device. Gardyn Home plans include 10 yCube credits a month and Gardyn Studio plans include 5.
• Not sure yet? The Which Gardyn is right for you quiz asks a few questions and points you to a model.

How do Gardyn Home and Gardyn Studio compare side by side?

Gardyn Home has nearly twice the plant slots of Gardyn Studio, in a footprint only a little larger. Here is how the two current models line up.

Both models are floor-standing towers with full-spectrum LED grow lights, Smart Watering and the Gardyn app. You can read more about each on the Gardyn Home page and the Gardyn Studio page.

How many plants does your household actually need?

Start with how many people eat salad or cook with fresh herbs each day, then match that to Gardyn’s own sizing: Studio for daily salads for two, Home for three or four people. USDA MyPlate guidance, as summarized by New Mexico State University Extension, counts 2 cups of raw leafy greens as 1 cup from the vegetable group, and most adults are advised to eat 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, so a daily salad habit uses a steady volume of leaves. For a closer look at what each slot gives you, see how much one plant really produces.

The table matches common household types to a model and a starting mix of plants.

For one person

Gardyn Studio is the natural fit for one person. Sixteen slots cover a daily salad plus a handful of herbs, and a smaller harvest means less produce waiting in the fridge. Fill most slots with greens such as Butterhead lettuce and Arugula, and save a few for the herbs you reach for most. Recipes sized for small households are in our guide to cooking for one or two.

For a couple

A couple who mainly wants salad greens and herbs is well served by Gardyn Studio, which Gardyn sizes for daily salads for two. If you both cook most nights, want weekly salads plus herbs for every meal, or plan to grow tomatoes or peppers, Gardyn Home gives you the extra columns to do both without giving up your greens. To keep nothing going to waste, harvest outer leaves from several plants at once and plant what you actually eat each week.

For a family of four or more

Gardyn Home is sized to feed a family of four. Families of five or more who want to stop buying bagged salad can add a second Gardyn later; one app account controls several Gardyns, and each one carries its own membership. Our family meal planning guide shows how to plan crops around a busy week.

Home or Studio for someone who cooks every night?

Gardyn Home is the better choice for nightly cooks, because 30 slots leave room for greens, a full herb rotation and fruiting crops at the same time. On Gardyn Studio, every fruiting plant takes a slot that would otherwise grow salad, so variety is tighter.

Fruiting plants such as Cherry Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers belong in the center high-light zone, and they take longer than greens to reach harvest, since they must grow, flower and produce fruit first; the help center explains how to know when to harvest your plants. Vining crops need support from the Gardyn Trellis, which fits both models. Most fruiting plants ask for more hands-on care because they need hand pollination (moving pollen between flowers yourself, since there are no bees indoors) and pruning, so they reward a little more attention; the help center explains what each care level rating means.

Which Gardyn fits a small apartment?

Gardyn Studio was designed for small spaces such as studio apartments, and it stands in about 1.4 sq ft of floor. Gardyn Home needs about 2 sq ft, so it also fits many apartments if you have a spare corner.

Either model needs a standard 110V outlet, an indoor spot and a 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network. No window is needed, since the built-in grow lights supply all the light, and no water line is needed, since you fill the tank by hand with tap water. Setting the Gardyn against a wall and attaching the two included safety straps is recommended, especially with young children or pets. More ideas for tight layouts are in our apartment indoor gardening guide and small space gardening tips.

Are the grow lights too bright for a living room?

The lights run 14 to 16 hours a day at full brightness, so you can shift the schedule in the app to suit when you are home and asleep. Gardyn Studio 2 adds Sunrise/Sunset lighting that mimics nature. The help center article on understanding the lighting schedule walks through the settings.

Is it noisy?

Gardyn is quiet. The main sound is water flowing in the columns during watering cycles, which by default run 3 times a day for about 5 minutes each.

Which is easier for a first-time grower?

Both models are built for first-time growers and take about the same weekly care, so the size that fits your household is the right place to start. The lights and watering run automatically, and Kelby says when to top up the tank, add plant food, pollinate and harvest.

A typical week on either model means topping off the tank (keep it at least half full), adding HydroBoost, harvesting, and checking Kelby’s tasks. Gardyn Home simply has more plants to harvest. A solo beginner often finds Gardyn Studio a comfortable start, because 16 plants are easy to keep on top of. Start with lettuces, leafy greens and most herbs, which sprout fast and regrow quickly after harvest. Our indoor gardening for beginners guide sets expectations before you buy.

Most customers assemble either model in under 30 minutes with no tools, and it arrives with pre-seeded yCubes so growing can start the same day. For model-specific setup, see Discover Your Gardyn Home 4 or Meet your Gardyn Studio in the help center.

Home or Studio for a retired couple or someone living alone?

Gardyn Studio suits many gardeners 55 and over who live alone or as a couple and mainly want greens and herbs, since Gardyn sizes it for daily salads for two. If you are a lifelong gardener who wants tomatoes, peppers and herbs through the winter, Gardyn Home gives you room for a fuller indoor garden.

Both towers stand on the floor, so plants sit at a comfortable working height with no kneeling. Kelby’s reminders are a useful memory aid for top-offs and harvests, and members can turn on Vacation Mode for trips of 5 to 14 days. Our guide to indoor gardening for seniors covers more for this stage of life.

What changed with Gardyn Studio 2 and Gardyn Home 4?

Gardyn Studio 2 differs from Gardyn Studio 1 in three ways: easy-clean columns with airtight seals, a higher-resolution camera with a wider view, and a Sunrise/Sunset lighting mode. You can read the announcement in Gardyn launches Studio 2.

Gardyn Home 4 columns add seals between column modules that block light and help prevent salt deposits and internal algae, and these seals prevent nearly all internal growth. On Gardyn Studio 2, easy-clean columns with airtight seals do a similar job. Gardyn Home 4 columns also fit Gardyn Home 3. Gardyn Studio and Gardyn Home columns are not interchangeable, because their back connections differ.

Choosing your next Gardyn or a second one?

Every new Gardyn Home 4 and Gardyn Studio 2 arrives with the current column design, a free plant starter set, a 3-year warranty and a 30-day free membership trial, so starting new gives you the full experience from day one.

If you already grow with a Gardyn and are choosing your next one, the same sizing applies: move up to Gardyn Home for more variety, or add Gardyn Studio as a second garden for herbs and greens. Each Gardyn needs its own membership, and one account controls both.

How do memberships differ between Home and Studio?

A membership adds the same features on either model; the difference is the monthly yCube credits. Gardyn Home plans include 10 credits a month and Gardyn Studio plans include 5. Unused credits roll over while the membership is active, up to 30 banked credits for Gardyn Home and 16 for Gardyn Studio. The help center explains how plant credits work.

Membership also adds Kelby’s monitoring, alerts and guidance, free shipping on one yCube order a month, member pricing on extra plants, members-only plants, Vacation Mode, Ask Kelby and timelapse videos. After your first harvest, those alerts and monthly credits keep new plants coming as older ones finish. A membership is not required: without one, you can still use the app, set light and water schedules and check the water level. See the Gardyn membership page for current Home and Studio plans.

One-year or two-year for a beginner?

Monthly plans can be paused for 1 to 3 months, while 1-year and 2-year plans can’t be paused. A prepaid membership starts when the Gardyn first connects to Wi-Fi, so no paid time is lost before setup. If you expect to move or travel for long stretches, weigh that flexibility when you pick a plan length.

Which one makes the better gift?

Match the gift to the household: Gardyn Studio for someone living alone, a couple or an apartment, and Gardyn Home for a family or a keen cook. To send one, enter the recipient’s address at checkout and share the order number so they can activate a prepaid membership; the help center covers how to gift a Gardyn and its membership.

Ready to choose?

If you are still between sizes, take the Gardyn comparison quiz, visit the Gardyn Home page, or read 5 reasons you’ll love Gardyn Studio. When you are ready, shop Gardyn Home 4 for a household of three or four, or Gardyn Studio 2 for one or two.

Frequently asked questions

Will a Gardyn Studio give two people enough greens?

For most couples, yes. Gardyn sizes Gardyn Studio for daily salads for two. Fill most of its 16 slots with lettuces and leafy greens, harvest outer leaves weekly, and keep a few slots for herbs. If you also want tomatoes or peppers, Gardyn Home leaves more room for them.

Can I start with one Gardyn and add another later?

Yes. One Gardyn app account can control several Gardyns, and you switch between them from the top bar of the Home screen. Each Gardyn needs its own membership, so a Home and a Studio together would carry two. A second Gardyn can be either model.

Do Gardyn Home and Gardyn Studio use the same columns?

No. Gardyn Studio and Gardyn Home columns are not compatible because their back connection structures differ. Within the Home line, Gardyn Home 4 columns fit Gardyn Home 3, and add seals that block light and help prevent internal algae and salt deposits. Both models grow plants in yCubes.

Is Gardyn Studio 2 worth choosing over Gardyn Studio 1?

Gardyn Studio 2 is the current model and adds three upgrades: easy-clean columns with airtight seals, a higher-resolution camera with a wider view for Kelby, and a Sunrise/Sunset lighting mode. If you are buying today, Gardyn Studio 2 is the model sold new, with a 3-year warranty.

Which Gardyn works for a classroom of 25 students?

Gardyn Home gives a class more plants to observe and harvest, while several Studios let small groups each care for their own garden. The school gardens page covers curriculum ideas and lets you build a quote for your classroom, and Gardyn’s tips for securing a grant for Gardyn in your classroom help with funding.

How much space does a Gardyn Studio need in a kitchen?

Gardyn Studio stands in about 1.4 sq ft of floor space and needs a standard 110V outlet and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. It does not need a window. Place it against a wall and attach the two included safety straps, especially in a home with young children or pets.

Which yCubes suit a small household?

Fast, cut-and-come-again greens and herbs give small households the steadiest harvest. Start with lettuces, leafy greens and herbs from the Plant Book, such as Romaine, Basil and Kale, harvest them from the outside in, and add fruiting crops once you have a rhythm.