According to the National Gardening Association (NGA), 35 percent of American households grow food either at home or in a community garden.
Having fresh vegetables and herbs on the table all-year-round isn’t the only benefit — homegrown vegetables often taste better than supermarket stuff.
If you’re interested in growing your own food but lack space and time, a mini greenhouse might just be the thing you need.
Here’s my review of the best mini greenhouses you can use in your own home.
Best Mini Greenhouses in the Market
1. Outsunny 39" Aluminum Vented Cold Frame Mini Greenhouse Kit
With clear plastic panels, this mini greenhouse allows you to maximize the available sunlight for your plants, while the adjustable roof lets you easily control the ventilation.
I love this greenhouse for two reasons: One, it fits almost anywhere and two, it retains excellent heat — which makes it perfect for early sprouting and growing late in the season.
This Outsunny greenhouse has a durable aluminum frame and rust-resistant hardware so you don’t have to worry about the elements — I know from my own experience that it’s going to last.
Pros
Cons
- Versatile
- Aesthetic design
- Great heat retention
- Easy access to plants
- Takes time to assemble
2. Outsunny 5.9’ L x 3.0’ W x 3.0’ H Portable Mini Greenhouse - 2 Large Zipper Doors Garden Planter
This spacious greenhouse can fit all your plants together and pamper them all year round.
Two large zippered front doors provide superb air circulation and give you easy access to your plants.
The way I see people use this greenhouse is to fit it over existing plants, flowerbeds, even small shrubs that need protection in winter.
Due to its generous height, I find that this one is perfect for my tomato plants.
Pros
Cons
- Spacious
- Quality steel tubing
- Excellent ventilation
- UV-resistant PE covering
- Needs to be buried for stability
3. Outsunny 51" Aluminum Vented Cold Frame Mini Greenhouse Kit
The greenhouse is made of durable reinforced plastic that holds heat great, allowing you to extend your growing season late into the fall.
I recommend it to my friends who live in apartments — it fits almost any balcony, while the roof flaps keep out curious city birds.
The only issue I had was the manual. As parts were not labeled it took me a while to put everything together.
Pros
Cons
- Easy access to plants
- Rust-resistant hardware
- Suitable for cold-weather
- UV 30+ resistance
- Parts are not labeled
4. AMERLIFE Mini Walk-in Greenhouse Indoor Outdoor 3 Tier 8 Shelves
This walk-in greenhouse gives me generous headspace so I can easily check on my plants, while the shelves allow me to organize my herbs, veggies, and flowers.
The greenhouse has a lightweight steel frame and comes with four wind ropes and hooks, so you can easily anchor it for extra stability. This makes it ideal for windy days but also for people with pets.
However, the lightweight steel frame comes at a price, as it only supports light trays and planters.
Pros
Cons
- Walk-in design
- Tiered shelves
- No written manual
- Shelves hold 33 lbs max
5. AMERLIFE 4 Tier Mini Greenhouse
I bought this greenhouse for my mother’s balcony to replace the one I made myself.
The UV-resistant cover makes this greenhouse perfect for drafty corridors and balconies, while the multilevel design gives you minimum footprint and maximum planting space.
Mom uses this greenhouse for her succulent collection and says she especially likes the roll-up door — she can water and mist her babies without any fuss while having them protected from rain and high winds.
However, plastic fittings need some work right out of the box and if you use it outdoors you may want to secure it against the wind.
Pros
Cons
- Suitable for balconies and decks
- Perfect for cutting propagation
- Sub-quality plastic fittings
- Not as stable without wind ropes
6. Tingyuan Pop up Greenhouse Mini Greenhouse
This miniature greenhouse with PVC cover is great for keeping individual plants, like peppers, warm on cold nights.
Remove it from the carrier and it pops into shape, so you don’t need to bother with assembly.
The problem with small greenhouses like this is that it gets very hot inside unless you keep the door open.
Pros
Cons
- No assembly needed
- Easy to store away
- Mostly for individual plants
- Gets too hot unless vented
7. Flower House PlantHouse 2 Pop-Up Plant House
Pop this plant house open and your flowers and veggies are ready for the cold season. When you’re done using it, just fold the greenhouse in its carrying case.
This feature also makes this mini greenhouse easy to clean. Just hose them with a low-pressure sprayer and mild dish soap.
Still, due to its size, this unit will only be able to accommodate one plant. I also had an issue with a zipper. Good thing it was taken care of by the seller.
Pros
Cons
- Self-deploys
- Portable
- Limited space for plants
- Flimsy zipper
8. Mini Pop up Greenhouse Small Indoor Outdoor Gardening
Apart from using it to protect individual plants, I found that this mini greenhouse maintains high humidity levels, which is perfect for seed sprouting.
These are also very affordable so instead of pitching a larger greenhouse in your yard, you just plant a couple of these and neither wind nor frost can harm your plants.
Unfortunately, affordable means that the cover feels flimsy at the touch, and again the door zipper didn’t hold out for long.
Pros
Cons
- Ideal for growing indoors
- Easy to use
- Not so durable
- Flimsy zipper
9. Ohuhu Mini Greenhouse
I’m a big fan of shelved greenhouses as I like to keep my plants organized: flowers on top, herbs in the middle, and vegetables on the two lower floors.
People often use these tiered greenhouses as green displays on porches or at the corner of the garden.
In bad weather, just zip down the heavy-duty front cover and your plant babies will be safe behind a tough PU cover.
On the downside, this greenhouse could use a set of wind ropes. Shelves may come apart unless you secure them with zip ties, especially if a few plastic joints break on you.
Pros
Cons
- Waterproof
- UV resistant
- Not very stable
- Shelves need zip ties
- Questionable quality control
10. Nova Microdermabrasion Mini Greenhouse
The multilevel construction of these greenhouses allows you to diversify your plants and keep them organized.
This particular greenhouse is ideal if you want to green up your patio, deck, pr balcony with annuals, as it takes little space and provides a splendid display.
Although advertised as rust-proof, the frame rusted quickly so I had to take it outside where I saw another problem — even a light breeze would knock it down.
Pros
Cons
- Versatile design
- Weather-resistant cover
- Minor material defects
- Lacks stability
- Poles might rust
11. FDW Greenhouse for Outdoors Plastic Mini Greenhouse Kit
This walk-in portable greenhouse is perfect if you have plenty of space and want to enjoy every comfort of growing your own food.
For extra stability, you can anchor this greenhouse with four wind ropes and ground spikes that come with the kit.
Unfortunately, quality control could be better with this one. The product looks and feels cheap and despite the size, you can only use it for young plants and light trays.
Pros
Cons
- Walk-in design
- Free shipping
- Not suitable for heavy plants
- Feels flimsy out of the box
- PVC cover cracks after 2 years
12. Gosunny 4-Anchors Include Walk in Greenhouse
With a total of 12 wired shelves available, this greenhouse will hold many planting trays.
The roll-up door and generous middle section give you enough space to water your plants, even those at the lowest level.
However, the plastic cover isn’t very durable and the whole unit needs more weight to stand against the wind. If you have heavier planters, you may want to leave them on the ground level.
Pros
Cons
- Walk-in design
- Has lots of shelves
- Not suitable for heavy plants
- The cover may rip in windy weather
- Needs bricks for stability
13. Quictent 71" WX 36" D X 36" H Portable Cloche Mini Greenhouse
Since there’s no built-in base or shelves, you’re not limited by the shelves’ carrying capacity — you can bring many large plants inside.
The way I arrange them is to line the tallest plants under the center roofline, and the others in front.
This greenhouse comes without anchor ropes so I had to bury the frame to make it more stable. Also, the cover isn’t UV-resistant as it already cracked on the corners.
Pros
Cons
- Plenty of useful space
- Can accommodate large plants
- Plastic cover deteriorates in the harsh sun
- Needs to be buried for stability
- No anchor ropes
14. Home-Complete Mini Greenhouse-4-Tier
This 4-tiered greenhouse has wheels so you can easily roll it inside in cold weather or use it without the PVC shroud in summer.
If you prefer to have it fixed in one place, just remove the wheels and you’re all set.
However, I discovered that the wheels are useless when I fill the racks. The plastic cover has also ripped open on several spots, so durability and this product don’t stand together.
Pros
Cons
- Easy to set up
- Free delivery
- Hard to use wheels when fully loaded
- Low-quality cover
- Gets very hot in direct sun
15. Educational Insights GreenThumb Greenhouse
This mini greenhouse is also good if you’re looking to extend your growing season or keep a beautiful floral display on your porch.
The plastic cover is fully transparent and aesthetically more pleasing than some other mesh options — keep this in mind if you’re looking for a decorative mini greenhouse.
Contrary to what the manufacturer says, however, the frame rusted after just a few weeks. I also had to reinforce the shelves with zip ties.
Pros
Cons
- Snug cover fit
- Transparent plastic cover
- The frame is prone to rusting
- Seams need zip tie reinforcement
- Limited space
16. Quictent Greenhouse Mini Walk-in 3 Tiers 6 Shelves
This walk-in mini greenhouse will shield your plants from rain and gusts of wind, and provides you with easy access for watering and picking.
However, the cover doesn’t go all the way down so pests may sneak in. The frame is also flimsy and several joints cracked while I was putting it together.
That aside, I still needed to use zip ties to makes the shelves hold.
Pros
Cons
- Easy access for watering
- Not the best quality frame
- Shelves need zip ties
- Not secure on the bottom
- Flimsy plastic joints
17. Best Choice Products 4-Tier 27x19x63-inch Mini Greenhouse
The 4 shelves are more than enough for seedlings and herbs, but I also find the bottom shelf useful for storing my gardening tools and spare pots.
Unfortunately, this greenhouse doesn’t stand up to its name. Definitely not the best choice, as it was difficult to put together, and even complete needed support on the sides. The cover fits loosely which not only looks bad but lets warm air escape.
Pros
Cons
- Has a lot of useful shelves
- Light duty shelves
- Loose-fitting cover
- Tricky to set up
- Needs external support
Read More:
What Is A Mini Greenhouse?
A mini greenhouse is an umbrella term for greenhouses that includes a wide variety of designs, from those that can fit a whole person who’s standing, to those that are small enough for tabletop use.
Mini greenhouses that are commercially sold are typically made of metal frames, have optional shelves, and have a PU or PE plastic cover that zips open on one side.
One main reason (to have a greenhouse) is to be able to ‘winter’ your plants. Even in the most temperate zone you risk frost and freeze on winter nights and a well-insulated greenhouse is ideal to save those favorite plants
— Kyle Barnette, Executive Director of the Charleston Horticultural Society
Most gardeners use them to start seedlings earlier or extend their growing season late into the fall. People also find them ideal for protecting their flowerbeds or individual plants against strong wind and pests.
Uses of A Mini Greenhouse
While tabletop greenhouses are perfect for protecting your collection of succulents and cacti in the cold season, multi-tiered and walk-in greenhouses cover a wide variety of uses, from seed starting to cutting propagation and growing edibles.
However, the smaller size of mini greenhouses doesn’t mean they need less maintenance. Heat and humidity can build up rapidly in these small units, so you either need to monitor the humidity levels or keep your greenhouse ventilated whenever possible.
My Recommended Mini Greenhouse
If you’re looking for one greenhouse that offers a full package, you should seriously consider the Outsunny 39″ Aluminum Vented Cold Frame Mini Greenhouse Kit.
The first thing I like about it is the solid design. The greenhouse looks and feels stable. No need for you to fumble with zip ties or ropes.
Also, every single part fits perfectly — nothing cracked or ripped here. When I shut the roof panels in the evening, I know my peppers and herbs are safe and pests can go and try elsewhere.
I love the roof panels for another reason: they open all the way up, allowing me to pluck the choicest leaves and quickly inspect what’s going on inside.
Whether you’re looking to germinate flower seedlings or start a mini garden of edibles, I’d recommend you go for the Outsunny 39” Kit.
