Top 10 Smart Plant Sensors in 2027
The ThirdReality Smart Soil Moisture Sensor Gen2 is the best smart plant sensor: Zigbee 3.0, one AA battery and $14.99. The Ecowitt WH51 ($17.99) is #2 and the Ecowitt WH52, which adds soil temperature and EC, is #3.
At a glance
| # | Pick | Connectivity | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ThirdReality Smart Soil Moisture Sensor Gen2 | Zigbee 3.0, Zigbee hub required | Houseplants and beds in a Zigbee smart home |
| 2 | Ecowitt WH51 Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor | Radio link to an Ecowitt Wi-Fi gateway (sold separately) | Cheap multi-pot or multi-bed monitoring (up to 16 per gateway) |
| 3 | Ecowitt WH52 3-in-1 Soil Sensor | Radio link to a gateway or console (required) | Gardeners who want soil temperature and salt (EC) readings too |
| 4 | Ecowitt WH51L Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor | Radio link to a gateway or console, up to 300 ft (100 m) in open areas | Greenhouses and raised beds where the probe is on a cable |
| 5 | RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter WiFi Hub Kit | Wi-Fi via RainPoint hub (2.4 GHz only), plus standalone display | Indoor plants with phone alerts and a display on the meter |
| 6 | RainPoint Bluetooth Soil Moisture & Temp Meter | Bluetooth, works with the RainPoint Bluetooth hub and water timer | Linking a plant sensor to a RainPoint water timer |
| 7 | RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter HWG023 | Wi-Fi, needs a HWG023 or HWG040 hub (sold separately) | A rugged meter for indoor and outdoor pots |
| 8 | Holman ECHO Bluetooth Plant Sensor | Bluetooth 5.0, 50 m or more; Wi-Fi version via gateway hub | Garden beds in Australia with an app-guided setup |
| 9 | Ledvance SMART+ WiFi Soil Moisture Sensor | Radio link to the SMART+ irrigation controller (2.4 GHz Wi-Fi network) | Pairing with a SMART+ irrigation controller |
| 10 | Dragino SE01-LB LoRaWAN Soil Moisture & EC Sensor | LoRaWAN 1.0.3 Class A, Bluetooth 5.1 for setup | Large gardens and fields on a LoRaWAN network |
Pick by what you want
The ranking
ThirdReality Smart Soil Moisture Sensor Gen2
The ThirdReality Gen2 is a $14.99 Zigbee 3.0 soil moisture sensor with a capacitive probe and one AA battery that lasts about 3 years in typical use. It works with Home Assistant (ZHA and Z2M), Hubitat, SmartThings and Homey.
Ecowitt WH51 Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor
The Ecowitt WH51 reads soil moisture from 0% to 100% on one AA battery, with an IP66 rating. It costs $17.99 and one Ecowitt gateway supports up to 16 of them.
Ecowitt WH52 3-in-1 Soil Sensor
The Ecowitt WH52 measures soil moisture, soil temperature and electrical conductivity on one AA battery, with an IP66 rating, for $27.99.
Ecowitt WH51L Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor
The Ecowitt WH51L reads soil moisture to ±5% on a 1 m or 5 m cable, shows it on an LCD and reaches up to 300 ft (100 m) in open areas; it starts at $39.99.
RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter WiFi Hub Kit
The RainPoint WiFi Hub Kit updates soil moisture every minute, shows it on the meter and sends low and high alerts by app push and email through a 2.4 GHz hub. It is $42.99.
RainPoint Bluetooth Soil Moisture & Temp Meter
The RainPoint Bluetooth Soil Moisture & Temp Meter reads soil moisture and air temperature and works with the RainPoint Bluetooth hub and water timer. It is $49.99.
RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter HWG023
The RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter HWG023 has ±5% accuracy, an IP54 rating and custom low and high alerts, and needs a HWG023 or HWG040 hub. It is $56.99.
Holman ECHO Bluetooth Plant Sensor
The Holman ECHO uses Bluetooth 5.0 with a range of 50 m or more, reads soil moisture and temperature (3 to 50 °C) on 3 AAA batteries, and is rated IP54. Holman does not publish a price on its page.
Ledvance SMART+ WiFi Soil Moisture Sensor
The Ledvance SMART+ WiFi Soil Moisture Sensor reads soil moisture and soil temperature, runs on 3 AAA batteries for over 6 months per watering season, and is rated IP67. It works only with the SMART+ irrigation controller, and no price is published.
Dragino SE01-LB LoRaWAN Soil Moisture & EC Sensor
The Dragino SE01-LB uses LoRaWAN 1.0.3 Class A with Bluetooth 5.1 for setup, reads moisture, temperature and conductivity, and runs up to 5 years on an 8500 mAh battery in an IP66 case. No price is published.
How we ranked these
Questions people ask
What is the best smart plant sensor?
The ThirdReality Smart Soil Moisture Sensor Gen2: a Zigbee 3.0 sensor on one AA battery, $14.99, that works with Home Assistant, Hubitat, SmartThings and Homey.
Which smart plant sensor is cheapest?
The ThirdReality Gen2 at $14.99; the Ecowitt WH51 is $17.99 but needs a gateway.
Which sensor also measures soil temperature and conductivity?
The Ecowitt WH52 measures soil moisture, soil temperature and electrical conductivity for $27.99.
Do these sensors need a hub?
Most do: the ThirdReality needs a Zigbee hub, the Ecowitt sensors need a gateway or console, and the RainPoint HWG023 meter needs a HWG023 or HWG040 hub.
Published price (USD) at a glance
Official sites
- ThirdReality Smart Soil Moisture Sensor Gen2 · thirdreality.com
- Ecowitt WH51 Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor · shop.ecowitt.com
- Ecowitt WH52 3-in-1 Soil Sensor · shop.ecowitt.com
- Ecowitt WH51L Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor · shop.ecowitt.com
- RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter WiFi Hub Kit · rainpointonline.com
- RainPoint Bluetooth Soil Moisture & Temp Meter · rainpointonline.com
- RainPoint Smart Soil Moisture Meter HWG023 · rainpointonline.com
- Holman ECHO Bluetooth Plant Sensor · holmanindustries.com.au
- Ledvance SMART+ WiFi Soil Moisture Sensor · ledvance.com
- Dragino SE01-LB LoRaWAN Soil Moisture & EC Sensor · dragino.com
Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.