The 11 Best Planters of 2024

Best Overall

O ECOPOTS BY TPC Gray Premium Sustainable Plastic Planter with Saucer

$29 at Home Depot

Our best planter pick comes from Ecopots with its clean, simple lines. This planter comes in a wide array of colors and is hand-finished, giving each pot a unique appearance.

Also a perk: This planter—which can be used inside or outdoors—comes with a 10-year warranty, and is designed to be frost- and UV-resistant, as well as sturdy enough not to break if it drops or tips over. This indoor-outdoor quality makes it particularly ideal if you have plants that need to come inside during winter.

Each planter comes with a matching saucer and a drainage hole (so water won’t pool up at the bottom of the pot) as well as a removable rubber stopper. We also love that it's a sustainable choice, made with recycled plastic.

_{Dimensions: 10 inches x 10 inches x 9.75 inches | Material: Plastic, mineral composite | Placement: Indoors and outdoors | Capacity: 3 gallons}

Best Value

IKEA BRUNBÄR

$8 at Ikea

Go ahead and put your plant directly in this classic terracotta pot from Ikea. You can skip the plastic liner, thanks to the drain hole and saucer. Those two elements, along with the simple, classic design, are what make this planter such a good value at less than $8. 

We also like that it’s made using terracotta. This is a common material for planters due to its porous nature, which allows it to absorb water. While the manufacturer intends these pots to be used exclusively outdoors, there’s no reason not to use them inside (and in fact, some of the smaller sizes might look particularly nice lined up on a windowsill).

While terracotta is fragile and could break during shipping, this is an overall sturdy and durable pot, and a great choice if you’re looking to grow an outdoor container garden. 

_{Dimensions: 5.5 x 10.25 x 10.25 inches | Material: Terracotta | Placement: Outdoor | Capacity: Not specified}

Best Splurge

Williams Sonoma Cedar Elevated Raised Garden with Steel Trellis

$400 at Williams-Sonoma

Perfect for flower or vegetable container gardens, this raised bed is made from steel, rustproof aluminum, and cedar, and comes with a removable polyester liner as well. One bonus to these materials: steel is a sturdy and durable metal, while cedar can help repel insects.

Take advantage of a handy shelf on the bottom of this planter to store a watering can, trowel, and any other gardening tools. You’ll need to assemble this yourself, but the only tool you’ll need is a screwdriver. One note to keep in mind: You’ll want to apply a wood sealer to the wood when you first get this garden and then reapply seasonally.

Thanks to casters at the bottom, you can easily wheel this trellis around; just lock the casters when you’ve wheeled to your destination. While this is a pricier option, we love that this raised garden bed is on wheels, and think it’s ideal for both small outdoor spaces and bigger patios where you want to include some plants or flowers. 

_{Dimensions: 40 x 18 x 62 inches | Material: Aluminium, Steel, Cedar Wood | Placement: Outdoor | Capacity: 3.25 cubic feet}

Best Outdoor

Kante Tall Outdoor Planter

$62 at Amazon $62 at Home Depot $62 at Lowe's

For outside, this tall planter—available in many sizes and colors—is a great option. Made from a mix of concrete and fiberglass, it’s sturdy enough to stand up to the outdoor elements, while having an elegant appearance. It’s made with a drainage system, as well as a stopper, to avoid root rot. 

This large-scale planter has a modern appeal, with simple lines and a smooth surface. In the right space (think: modern design or industrial loft) these planters could work indoors. But we think these planters are best suited for front door plants or placement in other outdoor spaces. For the durability of the planter, along with its size, it’s priced reasonably, too. 

_{Dimensions: 24 x 15.7 x 18.1 inches | Material: Fiberglass, Concrete | Placement: Outdoor | Capacity: Not specified}

Best Indoor

Fox & Fern Fiberstone Pot

$45 at Amazon

Here is a sweet and simple planter that’s perfect for indoors. You can choose from several sizes, along with a few different neutral colors. You can also purchase a “family” of the planters, getting one in each size for a given color. These indoor planters will work well in most home design aesthetics, but particularly a modern or contemporary space. 

They’re thoughtfully designed, and made with ceramic. “For indoor plants, I prefer ceramic containers, but only if they are lightweight enough to move easily,” Janney says. And these are lightweight, at under 4 pounds for the 10-inch size. They also come with a removable plug for the drainage hole, so that water won’t pool up, damaging the roots and overall health of your plant. Best of all, these planters come with a lifetime warranty, in case of any damage or issues. 

_{Dimensions: 8 x 8 x 7.09 inches | Material: Ceramic | Placement: Indoors | Capacity: 5.8 liters}

Best Self-Watering

Bloem Medium Self Watering Planter with Drainage Holes

$13 at Home Depot $11 at Lowe's $8 at farmandfleet.com

Figuring out the right amount of water for plants is tricky. While it’s more art than science, self-watering planters can help you get this right. Plus, they’re a big help if you’re short on time or travel frequently. We love that these self-watering planters from Bloem can be used indoors or outdoors, and that they’re available in various colors. 

Each pot comes with a self-watering disk, which helps store water to use later as needed. But keep in mind that, unlike some other self-watering planters, there’s no water indicator. The bottom of the planter is sealed, so you won’t have to worry about water trickling out onto your furniture or floors. That said, if you do want to place these planters outside, the manufacturer recommends drilling into the optional drainage holes at the bottom, so that rainstorms won’t leave water pooled up around your plant’s roots.  

These planters have a budget-friendly price, and we love the many options when it comes to sizes and colors, so while these have a bit of a plastic-like appearance, and aren’t the most visually appealing, we think these lightweight planters are a great option for anyone seeking a self-watering pot. 

_{Dimensions: 6 x 11 x 8.5 inches | Material: Plastic resin | Placement: Indoors or outdoors | Capacity: 3 gallons}

Best for Herb Gardens

Holton Metal Pot Planter

$25 at Wayfair

Grow herbs on your kitchen windowsill and you’ll never need to worry about running out of basil when you’re making pasta sauce. While indoor herb gardens, complete with hydroponics, are a great option, you can also opt to simply place your preferred herbs in small pots, or grow them from seed. That’s where this decorative option from Gracie Oaks comes in—it includes three small pots along with a tray with the word “herbs” emblazoned on the side. It’s available in a wide array of colors.  

The pots are made from metal, and come with one-fourth-inch drain holes so water won’t collect, harming the roots. And, thanks to the metal tray, the water won’t wind up making a mess. This set can be used either indoors or outdoors. 

_{Dimensions: 4.25 x 4 inches per pot | Material: Metal | Placement: Indoors or Outdoors | Capacity: Not specified}

Best Wall-Mounted

Magdalena Metal Planter

$52 at Wayfair

To make the most of your vertical space, you can display your favorite plants using wall-mounted planters. This one, from Etta Avenue, is available in eye-catching metallics or white. These planters come in a set of three, with a small, medium, and larger size. You can set them up so they’re all on the same wall, or scatter them throughout your home. 

They’re made from iron, with hangers on the back so that you can easily install them. Another thoughtful touch: glued-on safety pads to prevent marks on your walls.  You will need to provide screws and anchors, as they are not included.

We recommend looking carefully at the sizes and measuring to make sure the sizes are a good fit for your space. 

_{Dimensions: 5.5 x 6x 7 inches; 7 x 8 x 5.5 inches; 9 x 10 x 9 inches | Material: Metal | Placement: Indoors | Capacity: 3 gallons}

Best Hanging

Serenehuman Macrame Hanging Planters

View on Amazon

Hanging planters are also an excellent way to utilize your space. This set of two is very charming, with handwoven macrame ropes, hooks, and pots that are made from polypropylene and designed to resemble texturized stone. We love that these hanging basics are suitable for use both indoors and outdoors. Plus, each pot comes with a water tray in the bottom of the pot, which will help ward off root rot and also means that you can water plants less frequently. 

Any cascading plant—such as string of pearls or pothos—will look gorgeous in this planter. While these planters are quite lightweight (weighing in at just a smidge over a pound each), they’re also quite sturdy, and can stand up to the elements outdoors. 

_{Dimensions: 10 x 4.4  x 5.4 inches | Material: Polypropylene (PP), Stone | Placement: Indoor and Outdoor | Capacity: Not listed}

Best for Large Plants

West Elm Cecilia Ficonstone Planter

$159 at West Elm

This elegant planter from West Elm is available in a variety of sizes—and colors, too. The extra large size has a diameter of 27 inches, and is more than two feet tall. What stands out about this planter is that it has a beautiful pattern of both vertical and horizontal lines. It’s made from fiberstone, and is suitable for use either indoors or outdoors. 

Choose your spot wisely: The extra-large size of this planter weighs in at 82 pounds, and won’t be easy to move around once it’s filled with soil and a plant.  Given that weight, you can count on this planter being sturdy and staying in place, regardless of wind or other weather. 

Think of this planter as mainly a decorative option, complete with a beautiful pattern and four color options. If you’re using it for a fake plant, you’ll be all set. But if you’re planning to house a live Monstera or other giant plant within this planter, you’ll need to use a plastic liner, since this pot does not include drainage holes. 

_{Dimensions: From 18.1 x 14.9 inches | Material: Fiberstone | Placement: Indoor or outdoor | Capacity: Not specified}

Best for Vegetables

Mr. Stacky Stackable Vertical Garden

$37 at Amazon $33 at Home Depot

Here’s a great space-saving planter for growing vegetables: it fits 20 plants in a single square foot, making it perfect for a sunny spot on a deck or patio, or even potentially in a corner of your kitchen. 

The design of this planter is ingenious: as you water the topmost pot, the liquid will flow downward, resulting in each pot getting the right amount of water. Plus, it’s designed so that you can break up the five layers so that you have one three-layer planter, and one two-layer planter. Placement is also versatile with this planter, which can rest on the floor or be hung up. 

It’s very simple to assemble the planter when it arrives in the box. Once you fill it up with soil (and your plants of course), you’ll find that it’s quite sturdy and durable. That is, you can leave it outside, and won’t have to be concerned about wind or rain knocking it over. 

This feels more like a functional planter than one designed for looks. It’s made from plastic, and isn’t the most attractive option on this list—and even blooming plants or flourishing vegetables don’t entirely cover up the planter itself. All in all, this is a budget-friendly option offering a great way to grow a lot of vegetables, particularly for people with limited space. 

_{Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 28 inches | Material: Plastic | Placement: Outdoor | Capacity: 24 quarts}