Best plant pot: Stylish, affordable pots for your houseplants and herbs
Give your plants the care they deserve with this roundup of the best plant pots for all manner of species
With all of the aesthetic and psychological benefits that plants can bring into our lives, it’s only right that we house them in the best plant pots we can find. According to a variety of scientific sources, the advantages of keeping plants in your home can include reduced stress levels, improved concentration, better levels of air quality and enhanced feelings of wellbeing and satisfaction.
While you don’t need a fancy designer pot to get these effects from your plant pets, it’s rewarding to fit them out with planters that tie in with your home’s decor. It’s not just about the decorative aspect, though. Plant pots can also serve to protect your plants and, in the case of self-watering planters, help them to stay healthy and grow at a steady rate.
The trouble is, there are thousands of plant pots to choose from. What’s more, different species of plants have different needs, so it’s not simply a case of buying the first plastic pot you see. In this guide, we’ll run through some of the factors you need to consider when buying a plant pot before highlighting the best plant pots you can buy for your personal jungle.
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How to choose the best plant pot for you
What are the different kinds of plant pots?
As you’ll have noticed when browsing online or walking around your local homeware shop, plant pots come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Note that we aren’t talking about nursery pots (aka growing pots) here, which are the thin plastic pots that plants come in when you first buy them, but the pot in which they’ll live long-term in your home.
Decorative pots: If you want to make your new plant purchase look even prettier, you’ll want to keep it in a decorative pot. These are sold in many places and are infinitely varied. A decorative pot can be made from ceramic, concrete, stone, plastic, wood or even metal. The more premium the material and the bigger the pot, the more it will cost.
Hanging pots: These are essentially the same as decorative pots, but are suspended from the ceiling or from a hook or rail fitted to the wall. Pleasing to the eye, hanging pots also make more effective use of your living space – they’re extremely handy once all your shelves and tables are already full of plants.
Self-watering planters: Some pots contain a reservoir for water at their base, which is drawn up by the plant at a consistent rate over time. The sub-irrigation systems of these self-watering planters prevent accidental overwatering (the chief killer of houseplants) and also often include visual cues to let you know when it’s time for a top-up.
Should my pot have drainage holes?
If your plant is still in a nursery pot, you don’t need drainage holes on the larger decorative pot – the nursery pot already has them. However, if you’re putting a plant “naked” into a pot, without an interior growing pot, then you’ll want drainage holes to prevent the plant from becoming waterlogged. If the pot does have drainage holes, remember that you’ll want to place a drip saucer underneath.
Is it best to leave my plant in a nursery pot, then?
Ideally, your houseplant will always be growing inside a plastic nursery pot, sitting inside the larger decorative pot. Every now and again, you may have to repot it into a larger nursery pot to stop it from becoming root bound, but you can put it back into a decorative pot when you’re done. Rocks or bark chips can be used to cover any gaps if you can’t stand the sight of the plastic pot within.
How much should I spend on a plant pot?
A nice decorative plant pot will typically cost at least £10, but it also depends on the material and the size. Self-watering planters are naturally a little more expensive due to their sub-irrigation systems. We’ve found that you can get good ones from around £25 and up. Of course, if you want a real showpiece decorative pot for your living room, you may end up spending closer to £100, especially if it’s made of a glazed ceramic or stone.
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The best plant pots to buy in 2022
1. Lechuza Pila Color Stick: The best self-watering planter
Price: £35 | Buy now from Lechuza
With its self-watering planters, German brand Lechuza is on a mission to save growers time and money. Time, because you don’t have to constantly monitor your plants’ moisture levels. Money, because your plants are far less likely to die from under- or overwatering. The modern and attractive Pila Color Stick is one of Lechuza’s most well-rounded planters, with slots for four growing pots and an efficient irrigation system that wicks up water out of its base reservoir as and when the plants need it. A handy water level indicator tells you when the reservoir needs topping up. Due to the size of the pot openings (12cm diameter), we found that Pila is best used for herbs and seedlings.
Key details – Suitable for: Indoors and outdoors; Materials: Plastic; Opening diameter: 4 x 12cm openings; Internal depth: 16.6cm
2. Patch Fractured Pot: The most stylish glazed ceramic pot
Price: From £16 | Buy now from Patch
Plant delivery specialist Patch has a huge range of pots to pair with its fabulous range of houseplants, including this luxurious line of hand-crafted fractured clay planters. Starting at only £16 for the 13cm pot and running up to £75 for the massive 29cm option, there’s a size for practically any houseplant in your green menagerie, from a young fern to a five-foot monstera.
These hand-pressed clay pots are coated in layer upon layer of glaze – you can choose from either blue or green – to achieve their colourful swirling finish and grainy texture. The process also ensures that every single pot looks unique. There aren’t any drainage holes in these ceramic pots, so Patch recommends that you always keep your houseplant within a nursery pot inside the decorative fractured pot.
Key details – Suitable for: Indoors; Materials: Ceramic; Opening diameter: 13cm, 16cm, 19cm or 29cm; Internal depth: 13cm, 16cm, 19cm or 29cm
3. John Lewis Cylinder Ribbed Planter: The best minimalist plant pot
Price: £30 | Buy now from John Lewis
If you’re after a plant pot that will look good in any home, in any room, then this Cylinder Ribbed Planter from John Lewis is the one for you. Made from ceramic and sitting on a separate concrete base, the subtly textured design and neutral white on grey colour scheme will blend with any decor. Sometimes, simple really is better. And yet, despite its simplicity, it manages to look elegant at the same time. It comes in a lovely box, and will make the perfect housewarming gift or birthday present for the plant obsessive in your life.
Key details – Suitable for: Indoors; Materials: Ceramic, concrete; Opening diameter: 16cm; Internal depth: 14cm
4. Lechuza x Playmobil Ojo: The best plant pot for kids
Price: £30 | Buy now from Amazon
This collaboration between Lechuza and Playmobil is arguably the best pot you can buy when introducing your child to the joys of the houseplant. Not only does it look like a cute and colourful Playmobil head, it also has a self-watering mechanism. Holding one plant in its 12cm opening, this Lechuza pot can top up the plant’s moisture levels automatically by drawing up water using its sub-irrigation system. But how will your child know when the reservoir at the base of the plant needs more water? That’s easy: when the Playmobil head’s eyes are blue, the reservoir is full – as the water drains, so does the colour of the eyes.
Key details – Suitable for: Indoors; Materials: Plastic; Opening diameter: 12cm; Internal depth: 10cm
