The best glass terrariums, compared.
Top pick: Toyvian corked bottle Best value: PYEF CRAFTS terrarium kit – Best value on a different product, at about £24.99, with the jar and the layers included, plants excluded, and 4.4 from 1,024 reviews. Updated 21.10.2026.
A glass terrarium is a small indoor container for a few plants: a geometric house with a metal frame and a swing lid, a corked jar, or a kit that includes the jar and the layers. On amazon.co.uk the photograph often shows plants that are not in the parcel. A wider planter category sits under [terrarium](/hub/houseplants/terrarium). The Royal Horticultural Society splits the climates: sealed glass for small ferns, fittonia, peperomia and moss, and open glass for succulents and cacti. Soldered houses draw leak complaints, so a tray is the practical fix if you water generously. Names such as tempered, borosilicate or reinforced glass are listing claims. UK buyers are decorating a shelf, building a first closed garden, or buying a gift. Quality, for this set, is the centimetre size, a lid you can open and prop, a material the listing actually names, and whether UK reviews describe leaks or plastic panels. The checks, as a checklist rather than a ranked grid, are in the [glass terrarium buying guide](/hub/houseplants/glass-terrarium/sub/glass-terrarium-buying-guide).
A glass terrarium is a small indoor container for a few plants: a geometric house with a metal frame and a swing lid, a corked jar, or a kit that includes the jar and the layers.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What shape do you want?
The Toyvian bottle is titled 15 × 16 cm at £20.29 and 300 g, with a cork lid and a listing line of 5.0 from 1 review. The saved listing has no review text, so that star does not describe fit, leaks or glass thickness. One bullet says airtight jar and another says corked bottle, and neither word is a test. The box is one empty bottle for moss you add yourself, with no soil, plants or tools listed. There is no full length, width and height table, only the size in the title. Next to SUPVOX, which at least has four review texts and a named vent hole, this is a thin file. Buy it only if the titled 15 × 16 cm and a plain cork are enough, and do not treat the single star as evidence of how the bottle behaves.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a titled 15 × 16 cm corked bottle and will judge the glass when it arrives.
Less suitable: You want buyer reports, a named ventilation hole, or the soil and tools included.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the box?
One corked glass bottle. The bullets describe an empty jar for moss you add yourself. Soil, plants and tools are not listed.
Is it airtight?
One bullet says airtight jar and another says corked bottle. Neither word is a test result.
What do buyers say?
The listing line is 5.0 from 1 review. The saved listing contains no review text, so there is nothing further to quote.
The ZOOBAYA greenhouse is listed at 24.6 × 13.5 × 21.8 cm and £32.93, with 4.6 from 161 reviews, the highest star line among the houses in this set. UK reviewers like the mini-greenhouse look, a roof stay that holds the opening while you work, and a hand-sized opening for pebbles and misting. The listing says reinforced glass and offers a refund if you find plastic, yet UK reviews include both glass praise and claims that the panels feel like plastic. The included-components field says plant, while the bullets do not name a live plant. Reviews say it is not watertight and that the roof hatch has gaps. One review says the roof stay broke off after little use. It holds humidity when closed, and reviewers who grow succulents say they leave the roof open. You are paying for the star line and the larger opening, with the material dispute and the leak as the limits.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the larger hinged roof and will check the panels on arrival, leaving the roof open for succulents.
Less suitable: You need an undisputed glass listing, or a base that holds standing water.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the panel definitely glass?
The listing says reinforced glass and offers a refund if you find plastic. UK reviews include both glass praise and claims that the panels are plastic.
Does it come with a lid?
Yes. The bullets describe a lift-off top, and the door-style field says hinged. There is one vent on the specification.
Will it hold a pool of water?
UK reviews say it is not watertight and that the roof hatch has gaps. The listing does not claim a sealed base.
The PYEF CRAFTS kit is a cylinder jar plus soil, moss, activated charcoal, stones and tools at £24.99, sized 11 × 11 × 20 cm with a 1 litre volume field, and the amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 1,024 reviews. The title says without plants, and the components field names shovels, a rake and bamboo tongs plus instructions for the layer order. UK reviewers often treat it as a gift or a first build and praise the packing, while others say the jar is smaller than the picture and sometimes holds only one plant. At least one review describes glass broken in a box the buyer thought had already been returned. The item-weight field prints 0.75 g, which is not a usable mass, so ignore that figure. Self-sustaining is a title claim, not a measured result, and the lid type is not named. In this set it is the best value when you want the layers in one parcel and will buy the plant separately.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a first bottle garden and will choose one or two small plants yourself.
Less suitable: You want a geometric house with a stated door, or the planted garden in the photograph.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the kit include a plant?
No. The title says without plants. The components field lists the jar, soil, moss, activated charcoal, tools and decorative elements.
Does it come with soil?
Yes. The included-components field names terrarium soil, moss and activated charcoal, plus shovels, a rake and bamboo tongs.
How big is the jar?
The specification is 11 × 11 × 20 cm, with a volume field of 1 litre. UK reviews often say that is smaller than the picture.
The Homtone house is a 23 × 14 × 18.5 cm black planter at £29.95, with a swing lid stated at 12 × 9 cm, and the amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 169 reviews. UK reviewers often describe a sturdy little greenhouse for a windowsill, and several mention a support that holds the flap open while you arrange the plants. The listing says tempered glass and a copper frame, which is a claim rather than a lab result, and it says interior decorations are not included. Buyers who trusted the planted photograph report an empty house. The door is the recurring limit: reviews say nursery pots will not pass a 12 × 9 cm opening, so you plant through the lid. There is no watertight claim, and UK reviews include a slight leak when watering is generous, which is why one buyer added a tray. At 1.45 kg it is a shelf piece. In this set it is the top pick when you want a stated door and a review file that still describes glass.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 23 cm house for a windowsill and will plant through a 12 × 9 cm lid, with a tray underneath.
Less suitable: You need a nursery pot to pass the door, or a container that holds a pool of water.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the plants in the photo included?
No. The listing says interior decorations are not included, and UK reviews say the planted picture was empty on arrival.
Will a nursery pot fit through the door?
The swing lid is stated at 12 × 9 cm. UK reviews say that opening is too small for pots.
Does it hold water?
The listing does not say it is watertight. UK reviews include a slight leak when watering, and one buyer put a tray underneath.
The taller ZOOBAYA house is 22.1 × 15 × 25.9 cm, with a volume field of 10.55 litres, at £35.79 and 4.3 from 86 reviews. The included-components line says nothing else arrives with the terrarium. UK reviewers who wanted height say a row of small plants fits on a window ledge, and at least one review mentions humidity for rarer plants. The same file’s main complaint is leaks, sometimes onto a shelf, once soil and plants are in, because the listing does not claim a sealed base. Large in the title still means a few small plants. The latch is called a little flimsy in reviews, and some buyers say the price feels high for the finish. The specific-uses field says indoor, while one bullet also mentions a balcony. It is the tallest house in this set if you water lightly and use a tray.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want extra height for a short row of small plants and will keep water light, with a tray under the house.
Less suitable: You need a dry shelf with no tray, or a lower price than £35.79.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it watertight?
The specification does not say so. UK reviews repeatedly say too much water leaks, including onto a shelf.
Can it be used outdoors?
The specific-uses field says indoor. One bullet also mentions a balcony and outdoors. The reviews describe a windowsill, not a patio.
What arrives in the box?
The included-components field says no components included. You get the terrarium only.
The LIMOR house is 10.9 × 10.9 × 12.4 cm at £29.80, with 3.9 from 21 reviews, a swing lid and a drain hole on the special-features line. The listing claims lead-free soda-lime glass and a brass frame, which remains a listing claim. UK reviewers call it gift-sized and well packed, and one detailed review says the opening can take a miniature planting, while another measured the opening at about 14 × 7 cm and could not fit a standard orchid pot. The roof is too low for a taller cactus in reviews, and water ends up in the drip tray. The base is described as a bit unsteady, and one arrival had poorly finished joins in the banding. The included-components field says Filter, which does not describe a plant. At nearly the Homtone price for a house about half the height, it suits a tiny desk gift rather than a main shelf terrarium.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a tiny white house for a desk or a small gift and will use very short plants.
Less suitable: You want a 23 cm windowsill house, or a container that holds water.
Specifications
Common questions
Are plants included?
The bullets do not list a plant. The included-components field says Filter. The title presents it as a gift terrarium, not a planted one.
Why do reviews say it leaks?
The special-features field says drain hole, and UK reviews describe water leaving the container onto a tray.
How small is it?
The specification is 10.9 × 10.9 × 12.4 cm. UK reviews say the roof is low for a taller cactus and the opening is tight for a pot.
The SUPVOX jar is a round glass container with a vented cork at £18.87, weighing 260 g, with 3.7 from 5 reviews. Centimetres are not in the specification table. The bullets claim thickened heat-resistant borosilicate and a wide mouth, which is a listing claim, not a lab result. Of the four UK texts in the file, buyers mention clear glass, a cork with a centre hole, and cardboard plus polystyrene packing, and one says it was wide enough for moss. The same small sample includes a jar smaller than expected and an empty jar when a finished garden was expected. There is no soldered frame, so it does not share the seam-leak pattern of the houses. With five reviews you cannot treat 3.7 as a settled verdict. It suits a first corked moss jar if you can accept an unstated size.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a corked jar for moss and can order without a stated size in centimetres.
Less suitable: You need centimetres before you pay, or a review file larger than five.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the cork let air in?
The bullets describe a wooden stopper with a ventilation hole. That is a listing claim, not a measured airflow.
Is a finished garden inside?
No. Plants, soil and stones are not listed. One of the five UK reviews expected a planted jar and received an empty one.
Is the glass heat resistant?
The bullets say thickened heat-resistant borosilicate. The listing is the only source for that claim.
The BESTOMZ jar is the lowest price in this set at £13.09, sized 15 × 15 × 13.5 cm and 260 g, with a wood stopper. The saved listing has no customer-review line and no review text, so there is no UK opinion to quote on leaks, glass thickness or how the stopper seats. The bullets describe one clear jar for a mini landscape, moss or flowers. Questions on the page ask about succulents, how to open the cork and how much soil it holds, and the bullets do not answer them. Soil, plants and tools are not named. It is the cheap empty jar when you already plan to add peat-free compost and a plant yourself. It is a weak choice if you wanted stars before you spend even £13.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the cheapest jar with a stated size and will add compost and a plant yourself.
Less suitable: You want UK reviews before you buy, a kit with layers, or a house with a measured door.
Specifications
Common questions
Is it suitable for succulents?
The saved listing asks that question and does not answer it. The bullets only describe a clear jar for a mini landscape, moss or flowers.
What do I receive?
One glass terrarium with a stopper, sized 15 × 15 × 13.5 cm. Soil, plants and tools are not named.
How is it rated?
This saved listing has no customer-review line and no review text, so there is no star line to quote.
Scores use the eight amazon.co.uk listings kept here, the star lines and review notes on those pages, and public UK sources on terrarium care. Shelf prices run from £13.09 to £35.79. This is not a laboratory test. A star rating is not a glass test. The score notes use a 40-point star block, a 25-point review-volume block, up to 18 for listing clarity and up to 12 for value. The weights below scale that split so they sum to 100. The highest score is the top pick. Best value is a different product: the kit that includes the layers.
Star line
42%Stars are the listing rating divided by 5, times 40, then rounded. If the count is under 10, this part is capped at 20. If there is no listing line, this part is 0. Homtone and the PYEF kit are both 4.4. The ZOOBAYA greenhouse is 4.6 from 161, the highest star line among the houses, on a lower overall score because the review notes dispute the panels.
Review volume
26%The volume band is 25 at 1,000 reviews or more, 22 at 150 or more, 18 at 50 or more, 12 at 20 or more, 6 at 5 or more, 3 at 1, and 0 if the line is missing. The PYEF kit has 1,024 reviews. Homtone has 169. BESTOMZ has no customer-review line. Toyvian is 5.0 from 1, with no review text in the file.
Listing clarity
19%Up to 18 points in the score notes for a stated size, a named closure, and an explicit plants-in-the-box line. Points come off when UK reviews dispute the material or describe leaks as the main fault. Homtone states a 12 × 9 cm lid and says decorations are not included. The greenhouse listing says reinforced glass, and UK reviews dispute plastic.
Value
13%Up to 12 points in the score notes against this set’s £13.09–£35.79 band. The cheapest jar is not automatically the best value. The PYEF kit at about £24.99 includes the jar and the layers, with plants excluded, and 4.4 from 1,024 reviews. That is a different job from an empty geometric house, so it does not take the house badge.
Choose the lid and the centimetres before the word large. A geometric house, a corked jar and a kit with layers are not the same purchase, and the plants in the photograph are often not in the parcel.
A glass terrarium, in this houseplant category, is a small indoor container for a few plants. On amazon.co.uk it is usually a geometric house with a metal frame and a swing lid, a corked jar or bottle, or a kit that includes the jar and the layers. UK buyers are decorating a shelf, building a first closed garden, or buying a gift. The photograph often shows plants that are not in the parcel.
The houses in this set are about 11 cm to 26 cm. A 12 × 9 cm door will not take a nursery pot. The taller ZOOBAYA is still a few small plants, at the highest price here, £35.79.
The RHS puts succulents and cacti in open glass, and ferns, fittonia, peperomia and moss in sealed glass. Reviewers who grow succulents in the ZOOBAYA greenhouse say they leave the roof open.
The ZOOBAYA greenhouse is 4.6 from 161 reviews and says reinforced glass. UK reviews still dispute glass versus plastic. Tempered, borosilicate and lead-free are listing claims, not lab results.
A swing roof, a lift-off top, or a cork with or without a hole decides whether you can grow a humid planting or must leave the container open. Homtone’s swing lid can be propped, and the listing states 12 × 9 cm. The ZOOBAYA greenhouse has a hinged roof stay, and succulent growers in the reviews leave that roof open. The taller ZOOBAYA is a lift-off top. SUPVOX names a cork with a ventilation hole.
Read centimetres, not the word large. Homtone is 23 × 14 × 18.5 cm. The ZOOBAYA greenhouse is 24.6 × 13.5 × 21.8 cm. The taller ZOOBAYA is 22.1 × 15 × 25.9 cm, with a 10.55 litre volume field. LIMOR is 10.9 × 10.9 × 12.4 cm, and one review measured the opening at about 14 × 7 cm. The PYEF jar is 11 × 11 × 20 cm, with a 1 litre volume field, and UK reviews often say it is smaller than the picture and sometimes holds one plant. BESTOMZ is 15 × 15 × 13.5 cm.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a house shape around 23 cm, a lid that props, and a tray underneath, and you will not trust the word large. The Homtone house is the top pick: 23 × 14 × 18.5 cm, swing lid stated at 12 × 9 cm, about £29.95, and 4.4 from 169 reviews. You plant through the lid, because nursery pots will not pass that door.
You want the layers in one parcel and you will buy one or two small plants yourself. The PYEF CRAFTS kit is best value at about £24.99: jar, soil, moss, activated charcoal, stones and tools, plants excluded, 11 × 11 × 20 cm, and 4.4 from 1,024 reviews. Match the plant to the lid, and ignore the 0.75 g weight field.
Say on the tag that the plants in the photograph are not included, or add a plant as a second parcel. The LIMOR house is the gift-scale option here: 10.9 × 10.9 × 12.4 cm, a swing lid, about £29.80, and 3.9 from 21 reviews. The roof is low, so keep the plants very short.
The top pick is the Homtone house at about £29.95. It scores 81, the highest here, as a 23 × 14 × 18.5 cm house with a swing lid stated at 12 × 9 cm and 4.4 from 169 reviews. The listing says decorations are not included. UK reviews say the door will not take a nursery pot, and a slight leak is why a tray belongs underneath. Best value is the PYEF CRAFTS kit at about £24.99, a different product, with soil, moss, charcoal, stones and tools in the box, plants excluded, and 4.4 from 1,024 reviews. Skip the Homtone if a nursery pot must pass the door. Skip the kit if you want a geometric house with a stated door.
PYEF CRAFTS terrarium kit
Best value on a different product, at about £24.99, with the jar and the layers included, plants excluded, and 4.4 from 1,024 reviews.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these eight listings were read for this comparison. Page updated 21 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are taken from those listings. We did not run a lab test.
