AeroGarden Bounty Review: Basic, Bounty and Elite Specs

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If you want to buy an AeroGarden Bounty new from the maker right now, the 40 W Bounty is the one you can actually get. On September 26, 2026 AeroGarden's store listed it at $114.98 on sale, list $229.95, in stock. The Bounty Elite was $274.95 and unavailable, and the Bounty Basic's product page was gone. All three are the same size, hold 9 pods and raise the light to 24 inches. What separates them is the light's wattage (30, 40 or 50 W) and the screen and smart features that come with the two dearer models.

The rest of this page covers what each model has, what each one costs from a named seller on a named date, a rough electric bill, how microgreens fit in one, the problems owners have reported, and what the warranty will not cover.

The three 2019 Bounty models side by side

AeroGarden's current Bounty line dates from 2019. Its own printed guides for the Bounty Basic, Bounty and Bounty Elite (each ©2019 AeroGrow) and its product pages give these specifications:

All three bodies measure 34 inches high, 17.25 inches wide and 11.25 inches deep. The Basic's figures come from AeroGarden's own Basic page as captured by the Wayback Machine on October 6, 2025, since the live page no longer exists. Every model has an automated light timer and low-water and plant food alerts.

In plain terms, the Elite adds a brighter light, the touchscreen, Wi-Fi and app control, dimming, a stainless finish and sunrise and sunset lighting over the Basic, according to AeroGarden's spec lists for the Basic and the Elite. It does not add pods or grow height. The middle 40 W Bounty gets the touchscreen, Wi-Fi, app and dimming, but not the stainless finish or the sunrise and sunset lighting. If you do not care about controlling the garden from your phone or a gradual light change in the morning, the 40 W Bounty covers nearly everything the Elite does for less money.

Water capacity is not published for the 2019 models. You may see 1.1 gallons (4.1 liters) quoted for the Bounty. That figure is printed in AeroGarden's Classic Bounty/Bounty Elite guide from February 2018, which covers the older 45 W generation only. The 2019 guides print no volume, and the product pages say only "largest-capacity water bowl." If the number matters to you, measure what your own bowl takes to the fill line the first time you set it up.

Vacation Mode on the Basic is an open question

AeroGarden's Basic spec list says "Vacation Mode: Yes," and AeroGarden answered a Vacation Mode question on the Basic page in July 2024. The 2019 Bounty Basic guide does not mention it, though, and WIRED's July 2025 gallery says the Basic has the 30 W light "and none of the other features," Vacation Mode included. If you travel often and plan to rely on it, buy a model where it is not in doubt, or check the menu on a Basic before you count on it.

What each Bounty costs, from whom, and when

Every price below is one seller's asking price on one date. They were read on September 26, 2026 unless another date is given, and they will move.

The Elite has sat at $274.95 with no sale price in every capture of AeroGarden's store from December 18, 2025 through August 6, 2026. It showed Add to Cart in June 2026 and was unavailable again by August, so it may come back. The Basic sold at $179.95 from at least December 2025 to June 2026, went to a 40% off clearance at $107.97 by August 6, 2026, and its page had disappeared by late September. AeroGarden has not published a discontinuation notice for it, but it is no longer sold new by the maker.

Notice what that means for a Basic from a marketplace seller: the Walmart listing asks more than twice the Basic's last clearance price and more than the 40 W Bounty costs new from AeroGarden today. Check the maker's own store before paying a third party for the cheapest model.

The company's own history explains some of the gaps. AeroGarden said in October 2024 that it would close after the end of that year, and the store was selling again in 2025 under ScottsMiracle-Gro. For where things stand, see whether AeroGarden is still in business, and for prices across the whole range, how much an AeroGarden costs.

What a Bounty adds to your electric bill

AeroGarden does not publish running costs, so the figures below are estimates worked from each model's rated light wattage, the EIA's 2025 US residential average of 17.3 cents per kWh, and a stated number of light hours a day. Swap in your own rate from your electric bill to get your number.

The arithmetic is simple: watts divided by 1,000, times hours a day, times 365, times your rate. The Basic at 15 hours uses 164.25 kWh a year; the Elite uses 273.75. The 8-hour column uses AeroGarden's own statement that Vacation Mode cuts the light to 8 hours a day, which applies to the Basic only if the Basic really has it.

Treat these as a floor. They count the light only, not the pump, and they assume the rated wattage is the actual draw. AeroGarden's own FAQ energy example describes "a Bounty, which is on for 17 hours a day and uses 48 watts," which is 20% above the 40 W Bounty's rated light. AeroGarden does not publish a default light schedule per model; the FAQ says gardens are pre-programmed by model and plant type and that owners can set the timer. WIRED's tester says the Bounty Elite's lights "stay on for about 16 hours." If you want the real figure, a plug-in power meter on your own unit for a week will tell you.

Can you grow microgreens in a Bounty?

Yes, and AeroGarden once sold a kit for exactly that. The Bounty MicroGreens Kit Handy Reference Guide (©2021 AeroGrow, "For AeroGarden Bounty Models") is still on the maker's manuals page. The kit replaced the grow deck and pump tower with an irrigation deck and came with two MicroGreens trays, two domes, AeroFelt growing pads and a SuperFood MicroGreens Mix.

The guide's instructions are worth keeping even if you never find the kit:

• Sow "Usually this is 4 tsp of seeds per Tray side. More is not better!"
• Raise the lights to their highest level.
• Set the pump to 5 minutes on and 25 minutes off.
• Change the water at least weekly.
• Plant food is optional; if you use it, 4 mL at each water change.
• Start snipping after 5 to 7 days.

The kit is not in AeroGarden's accessories catalog as of September 26, 2026. Owners in an August 2026 thread and a May 2026 thread describe it as available only used or as new old stock, so if you want one, expect to hunt for it secondhand.

Without the kit, owners have simply set ordinary trays beside the garden and used its light. One owner with a Bounty Basic, posting in December 2022, ran four trays on paper towels alongside it: "I have four trays going at a time and it works perfectly." The trays were not connected to the pump, and the owner turned them each night because "The Microgreens reach for the light." In a November 2024 thread about trays beside the Bounty, one owner with two Bounty Elites said they had "pretty great success" with microgreens but "They just don't grow enough for me." Each of these is one grower's method and result, not a measure of what every Bounty will do.

That last comment is the practical limit. The Bounty's body is 17.25 by 11.25 inches, about 194 square inches, close to the 200 square inches of a standard 10 by 20 inch tray. That is the outside of the unit, though, not a sowing surface. The deck has 9 pod holes with plastic between them, and nobody has published the area of the kit's trays. If you want real volume of microgreens, a tray under a shop light will out-grow a countertop garden; the countertop units review and growing microgreens in an AeroGarden go further into that trade.

What goes wrong, from people who used one

WIRED's Kat Merck used a press-sample Bounty Elite hands-on for the magazine's 2025 indoor garden gallery, growing a salsa kit of six tomato and three jalapeño pods. The tomatoes germinated first and overtook the peppers. She reports the pump runs about every half hour and is audible only when the water is at 50 percent or less, the lights stay on about 16 hours, and she abandoned the app "after about a week of it repeatedly 'forgetting' my garden." She called Vacation Mode "critical if you're frequently away." It was a use test, with no light or yield measurements, and it did not include microgreens.

Owner reports worth knowing about, each from one person with the model named:

• Pods that do not sprout (Bounty Basic). One Amazon reviewer on Woot's copy of the listing wrote in May 2026 that "only one pre-seeded pod has sprouted," while their own seed in an empty sponge grew. Another, in August 2026, said "only three of 9 pods sprouted." A June 2023 reviewer on AeroGarden's own Basic page reported "6 of the 9 pods sprouted." If a pod stays bare, reseed that position with your own seed rather than waiting on it.
• An LED failure out of warranty (Bounty Elite). WIRED's Omar L. Gallaga wrote in November 2024 that his Bounty Elite developed LED problems and, since it was out of warranty, "the company told me it couldn't repair or replace it."

These are individual reports. AeroGarden publishes no failure rates, so there is no way to say how common any of them is.

What the warranty covers, and what voids it

The current terms are AeroGrow's Limited Warranty for AeroGarden Products, effective September 30, 2025. It covers the garden against defects in materials and workmanship for one year from the date of purchase (date of delivery in California), for the original buyer, when bought from an authorized seller. Seed kits and accessories are not covered. AeroGrow may repair or replace the unit with new or refurbished parts, or refund what you paid. To claim, you need to give notice within the year, describe the defect, and keep the original, unaltered receipt.

The exclusion to read before buying anything to put in it covers "unauthorized modifications or alterations, tampering (including, but not limited to, modifications through the use of unauthorized parts or attachments, such as non-AeroGrow seed pods)." Improper maintenance and use against AeroGrow's instructions are excluded too, as are units from unauthorized sellers and items sold "as is."

That has two practical consequences. First, a Bounty Basic from a marketplace seller may not come with coverage if the seller is not authorized, so ask before you pay. Second, during the first year, use AeroGarden's own pods. If you want to grow your own seed, AeroGarden's Grow Anything kit supplies its own blank sponges and baskets ($21.95 for 9 pods, listed as not available, and $16.95 for 6 or $13.95 for 3, in stock, on September 26, 2026). Third-party sponges are cheaper, but the warranty names non-AeroGrow pods specifically. A third-party microgreens tray is not mentioned either way. More on the seed side in using your own seeds in an AeroGarden.

Which Bounty to buy

For most people shopping today, the 40 W Bounty is the practical choice: it is in stock from AeroGarden at $114.98, it has the touchscreen, Wi-Fi and dimming, and it costs roughly $38 a year to light at 15 hours a day. Buy the Elite if the stainless finish and sunrise and sunset lighting are worth $160 more to you and it comes back in stock. Skip a Basic from a third party at a price above the new 40 W Bounty. If you mainly want microgreens by the tray, a Bounty grows a few servings at a time, and the larger AeroGarden Farm or a plain tray setup will give you more.

Frequently asked questions

Does AeroGarden still support the older 45 W Bounty? Its product manuals page still carries guides for the Classic Bounty and Bounty Elite, including Wi-Fi versions. The store also sells a Trellis for 2019 Bounty models at $17.95 as of September 26, 2026.

How much plant food does a Bounty need? AeroGarden sells its 3 oz Liquid Plant Food, labeled "(1 season)," for $11.99, or a 5-pack for $50.95, as of September 26, 2026. How long a bottle lasts depends on the model, your water use and feeding schedule, so note the date you open one and track it.

Does a 1020 tray fit on a Bounty? Not neatly. The Bounty's outside footprint is 17.25 by 11.25 inches, close to a 10 by 20 inch tray in area, but a 20-inch tray is longer than the unit and the deck has pod holes rather than a flat surface. Set trays beside it, as some owners do, or measure your tray against the unit first.

Sources

Prices, stock and specifications are as the linked pages showed them on 2026-09-26.

• $114.98 on sale, list $229.95, in stock
• Bounty Elite was $274.95 and unavailable
• Bounty Basic
• Bounty
• Bounty Elite
• captured by the Wayback Machine on October 6, 2025
• Elite
• Classic Bounty/Bounty Elite guide
• WIRED's July 2025 gallery
• AeroGarden store data
• Walmart, sold by Quik-Mart
• Woot's copy of the Amazon listing
• December 18, 2025
• August 6, 2026
• December 2025
• June 2026
• close after the end of that year
• EIA's 2025 US residential average of 17.3 cents per kWh
• FAQ energy example
• Bounty MicroGreens Kit Handy Reference Guide
• accessories catalog
• an August 2026 thread
• a May 2026 thread
• posting in December 2022
• a November 2024 thread
• Limited Warranty for AeroGarden Products, effective September 30, 2025
• Grow Anything kit
• product manuals page