Adding a terrarium to your home is a great way to create a calm and relaxing atmosphere without covering every available surface with pots and soil. When looking at creating your own little ecosystem, you’ll want to make sure you have the right container to keep all the plants inside healthy and happy while also fitting in with your home's décor.
You can use many different things as a terrarium container, from closed jars with lids to open glass bowls, but with their rising popularity on Instagram and other social media, there are a number of specially designed and often unusual containers making their way onto sites like Amazon and eBay. So, we thought we’d take you through the best options online!
Image | 1 ![]() Olympia | 2 ![]() NCYP | 3 ![]() NCYP | 4 ![]() Ivolador | 5 ![]() NCYP | 6 ![]() MornBee | 7 ![]() Ecosides | 8 ![]() Justyou | 9 ![]() Upstore | 10 ![]() NCYP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Biscotti Jar With Lid | Glass Geometric Terrarium | Geometric Terrarium Box With Lid | Wall Hanging Glass Terrarium | Pentagon Geometric Terrarium | Large Clear Fish Bowl | Metal Wall Planters | Glass Kitchen Storage Jars | Round Sealed Glass Bottle | Vintage Style Geometric Terrarium |
Features | The Overall Best Terrarium With an Airtight Seal, Great for Closed Ecosystems | A Unique Design With Plenty of Space for Taller Plants, Succulents and Cacti | A Simple and Classic Design, Perfect for a Desk or Windowsill | A Beautiful Pair of Mounted Vases to Hang From a Wall or Hook | A Geometric Design With a Copper Frame Available in a Variety of Different Colours | Striking Yet Subtle Elegant Glass Bowls With a Large Angled Opening | Extremely Sturdy, Fun Circular Planters for Displaying Your Terrarium | A DIY Packet of Three On-Trend Jars for the Price of One | An Affordable, Attractive Jar That’s an Ideal Way for Beginners to Get Started | A Miniature Victorian Greenhouse With a Swinging Lid, Perfect for Quirky Homes |
Price | £31.81 | £33.06 | £24.68 | £20.83 | £28.99 | £19.88 | £29.99 | £16.91 | £13.75 | £39.98 |
Open or Closed | Closed | Open | Both (additional materials needed for closed) | Open | Open | Open | Open | Closed | Closed | Both (additional materials needed for closed) |
Materials | Glass | Sodium calcium glass, copper frame | Sodium calcium glass, copper frame | Silicon heat resistant glass | Sodium calcium glass, copper frame | Glass | Glass, iron frames | Glass | Glass | Glass, brass frame |
Frame | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Wall Mountable | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Dimensions | 21 x 29.9 x 21 cm | 16.5 x 25.3 x 14.5 cm | 17 x 10 x 12 cm | 12.7 x 5.1 x 13.5 cm | 17.5 x 15 x 17.5 cm | 21.3 x 17 x 16.3 cm | 15 x 5 cm, 20 x 5 cm, 30 x 5 cm | 12.5 x 9 x 9 cm | 10.5 x 5.5 cm | 25 x 13.5 x 20 cm |
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Terrariums are small ecosystems made up of plants, soil, charcoal, pebbles and any other decorative features you wish to include. Depending on the type of plants inside, they can be closed ecosystems with a self-nourishing water cycle or open to showcase your prized succulents and ferns from every angle.
Think of a terrarium like a miniature greenhouse able to house plants that may not otherwise survive in the cold British weather, with the bonus of allowing you to display them around your home in a diorama of your choosing. They come in many different shapes and sizes so the overall design is down to you!
Before making any purchases for your new terrarium, you need to decide whether you would prefer an open or closed option. There are many advantages and disadvantages to each, and it's important you match up the species of plants to the right kind of terrarium to ensure proper care.
Closed terrariums are ideal if you want something low maintenance. They provide indirect sunlight through the glass and only require minimum airflow, although you will need to open the lid for around 20 minutes per month to allow a little more air inside. They require three layers of drainage: soil, charcoal and rocks. This option is great for plants that thrive in moist environments, such as ferns.
Open terrariums are great for providing maximum light to the plants and circulating more air. They will need an additional layer of drainage, with pebbles on top of the normal layers of soil, charcoal and rocks. The open-air environment is ideal for plants such as cacti and aloe which thrive in these conditions!
Pick an ideal species with our Best Air Purifying House Plants!
Any clear materials are suitable for the walls of a terrarium, but you’ll find that most decorative designs will be made of glass. While plastic containers are suitable for creating either an open or closed ecosystem, they don’t create the most aesthetically pleasing terrarium, so glass is always preferable.
You’ll want to stick to clear glass as well to ensure that your plants receive as much light as possible. It’s also important that you’re able to see inside clearly, as that’s the whole point of going through the effort of creating your own terrarium!
Decorate your home with our Best Plant Stands!
Don’t forget about the frame when choosing a terrarium container and, while there are no real structural concerns regarding which material you opt for, the right frame can really highlight the type of design you’re going for. A copper or gold trim can really make the container itself stand out, but a more subtle choice will let the plants be the star of the show.
Although the frames can add an extra embellishment to your new centrepiece, you may prefer a more classic look. As mentioned above, clear class ensures the plants get the most light and recieve optimal conditions to grow. If you prefer the stripped back look, we're sure the added light will help your plants grow into showstoppers all on their own!
Get everything you need with our Best Terrarium Kits!
It may be worth thinking about opting for a wall-mounted container if you’re short on surface space, or just as a unique way of brightening up a room. While they’re not the best options for closed ecosystems, there are many plants that look beautiful overflowing from the top of a terrarium, hanging down from above.
Hanging containers work best for smaller terrariums and many people choose to dot two or three around a wall. You’ll want to make sure that they get enough light and take care not to overload them with too much soil or water.
This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.
GM581
£31.81
Open or Closed | Closed |
---|---|
Materials | Glass |
Frame | No |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 21 x 29.9 x 21 cm |
£33.06
Open or Closed | Open |
---|---|
Materials | Sodium calcium glass, copper frame |
Frame | Yes |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 16.5 x 25.3 x 14.5 cm |
£24.68
Open or Closed | Both (additional materials needed for closed) |
---|---|
Materials | Sodium calcium glass, copper frame |
Frame | Yes |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 17 x 10 x 12 cm |
Set of 2
£20.83
Open or Closed | Open |
---|---|
Materials | Silicon heat resistant glass |
Frame | No |
Wall Mountable | Yes |
Dimensions | 12.7 x 5.1 x 13.5 cm |
£28.99
Open or Closed | Open |
---|---|
Materials | Sodium calcium glass, copper frame |
Frame | Yes |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 17.5 x 15 x 17.5 cm |
£19.88
Open or Closed | Open |
---|---|
Materials | Glass |
Frame | No |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 21.3 x 17 x 16.3 cm |
Set of 3
£29.99
Open or Closed | Open |
---|---|
Materials | Glass, iron frames |
Frame | Yes |
Wall Mountable | Yes |
Dimensions | 15 x 5 cm, 20 x 5 cm, 30 x 5 cm |
Set of 3
£16.91
Open or Closed | Closed |
---|---|
Materials | Glass |
Frame | No |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 12.5 x 9 x 9 cm |
£13.75
Open or Closed | Closed |
---|---|
Materials | Glass |
Frame | No |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 10.5 x 5.5 cm |
£39.98
Open or Closed | Both (additional materials needed for closed) |
---|---|
Materials | Glass, brass frame |
Frame | Yes |
Wall Mountable | No |
Dimensions | 25 x 13.5 x 20 cm |
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