If the AeroGarden Farm is the Rolls Royce of countertop gardens, the iDOO Hydroponic Garden is the Honda Civic. Reliable, affordable, and still gets you from point A to Point B.
Is the system perfect, no, but for the price of the system, it’s not going to let you down. In addition to all the normal features that come with countertop gardens, it has a unique interface and simple design that will leave you happy, satisfied, and (let’s not sugarcoat it) kind of addicted.
While Amazon carries several different types of IDOOs, for purposes of this review, we’ll be looking at the 12 Pod iDOO Indoor Hydroponic Garden. Read on to see what I liked and what I didn’t like about growing in the iDOO.
Unboxing the iDOO
What I Liked: unboxing the system was, well, unboxing. There’s not too much to share other than that the box was well packaged and included everything that was promised.
What I Didn’t Like: if there is to be one improve here, I would have loved to have been surprised with some bumper stickers and swag. But hey, it is what it is and the product was in there. I call that a win!
Setting up the iDOO
What I Liked: setting up the iDOO Hydroponics Growing System was pretty straightforward and easy to do. In addition to the main components of the system — to include the reservoir, light, and pump — it came with grow sponges, plastic humidity hats (aka grow domes), nutrients, and some plastic labels.
- The top light had an adjustable knob that made it easy to set up and position.
- Nutrients were included with the system and the nutrient instructions were decent.
What I Didn’t Like: while setting up the system was pretty easy and straightforward, the system didn’t feel quite as sturdy as I had hoped (but maybe that’s just me being a little too nitpicky).
- I didn’t use directions, but much like the Amazon reviews, I can confirm that they’re not very good.
- A piece of tape on the pump needed to be removed that wasn’t identified in the directions.
- Felt a little more flimsy than I had originally anticipated (but largely still met expectations).
iDOO Hydroponic System Features
What I Liked: there’s a lot to like about the iDOO Hydroponics Growing System. It’s easy to operate, has a unique interface, and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect. But mainly, and most importantly, its features are pretty comparable with other countertop gardens that are far more expensive.
- Buttons can be tapped with your finger to turn off and on.
- Two LED grow light selections: vegetable and fruit.
- Includes a window to check the water level.
- Adjustable light with a tightening knob on the back.
- Automatic fan and pump (both quiet) that turn on/off every 30 minutes.
What I Didn’t Like: there were a few things I didn’t like, but for the price of the unit, most of these were fairly inconsequential. The main improve being that only 6 “hole covers” were included when there are 12 holes overall.
- Only includes 6 caps to cover the unused holes.
- A little difficult to see the water level.
- Reservoir plug is on the back which makes it difficult to monitor for leaks.
- The 12 holes are a little too close together (even when not utilizing all of them).
Starting Seeds in the iDOO
The Good: starting seeds in the iDOO Hydroponics Growing System was pretty easy to do and didn’t give me a lot of fuss. I sowed three seeds for every one grow sponge and I successfully sprouted on every attempt.
- Seed/Seedling directions are included on a separate cutout.
- The seedlings never became too “leggy” as the light can be lowered down to the plants.
The Bad: the main thing I had trouble with was the little plastic caps (aka grow domes) that went over the grow sponges. For whatever reason, mine just wouldn’t fit correctly when the “stickers” were stuck on, so the grow domes never got as humid as I wanted them to (eventually just stopped using the stickers).
- Seeds aren’t included with the system.
- The directions aren’t very good and could be more specific on certain things.
- The plastic humidity hats (grow domes) wouldn’t fit correctly over the sponges when the stickers were on them.
Growing in the iDOO
The Good: growing in the iDOO Hydroponics Growing System was pretty exciting and fun to watch. Within just a few weeks, I had some pretty impressive plants that were happy, healthy, and loving life. Every plant (minus the ones that got too big) eventually made it to maturity.
- The plants did pretty well with the nutrients that came with the system.
- Replacing the water was easy and manageable.
- The system successfully grew every plant that I tried.
- The variety of plants I was able to grow was pretty extensive.
The Bad: no matter what plant I attempted to grow, and regardless of where I put it, there were a few spots/holes that lagged behind the others. BLUF, the system just wasn’t consistent in terms of growing uniformly. On one attempt, the back left hole did the best. On the next attempt, the back left hole performed the worst.
- There just wasn’t a lot of consistency with the grow rates of my plants (but then again, that’s somewhat normal for countertop gardens).
- The grow sponges weren’t very good and the plants had trouble anchoring into them.
- Once the plants got big, they started to lean over (had to tape down the sides of the net cups).
- As stated above, although there are 12 holes, it’s very difficult to actually grow 12 plants at once after they start getting big (which is indeed how it’s advertised).
What I Was Able to Grow with the iDOO
Plants That Worked: for my first grow, I put spinach, basil, cherry tomatoes, and cilantro in the system just to experiment (filled all 12 holes). And, as expected, while all of them did pretty well, the basil performed the best. It was fast, easy to grow, and lasted forever. I also had some success growing bok choy on my second attempt.
Plants That Didn’t Work: The ones that I had the most trouble with were the tomato plants. As heavy drinkers with big root systems, I was having to replace the water almost every other day. Additionally, the variety I was growing was just too big for the system (however, I’ve heard that the AeroGarden Red Heirloom Cherry Tomato Seed Kit fares a little better as the plants only grow 12-18” tall).
The Final Verdict
Expectations: while I knew the iDOO Indoor Garden wasn’t going to be perfect, I still had some high expectations. Based off the long list of Amazon reviews and the overall look of the system, I expected it to be efficient, responsive, and well put together. However, I will admit, with the price being so low, I half expected to be wrong.
Reality: overall, I’d say the system was a great buy and my expectations were exceeded. It’s no AeroGarden Bounty Elite, but at the end of the day, it’ll still grow the same stuff (and at half the price). Not only is it clean looking, but it’s functional, intuitive, and easy, making it an excellent choice for hydroponic enthusiasts and/or those just trying to get their feet wet.
Quick Note: For purposes of this review, I followed the directions exactly and only used products/materials that came with the package.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is iDOO?
iDOO is a health and wellness business that offers an array of different products. iDOO sells several iDOO Hydroponic Growing Systems (7 pod, 12 pod, and 20 pod), air beds, scales, and camera systems.
Was the iDOO Difficult to Clean?
So far, cleaning has been pretty easy. All I’ve had to do is empty the water, remove the plants, and gently scrub in and around the system with a wet, clean rag.
Did the Pump Ever Clog?
While I did read some reviews on Amazon that highlighted pump problems, I never encountered them while I was growing (even with tomato roots). My pump worked just fine and stayed clear of debris.
Can You Use Nutrients that Aren’t Included?
Absolutely! If you’re not finding success with the nutrients that came with the system, I’d recommend trying something else. Try reading our Hydroponics Nutrients Guide to learn more.
Did You Ever Have to Adjust the Water (pH, EC, etc.)?
No. Because I was reviewing the product against the iDOO directions, and the directions never alluded to pH, EC, or anything else, I refrained from tampering with the water. However, it’s good practice to continually check your water quality as you grow. To learn more, try giving our Hydroponics Water Quality Guide a read.