Blog

Mar 27, 2025

The 7 Best Seed-Starting Trays Our Editors Recommend

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. A successful garden starts here. In This Article Better Homes & Gardens Healthy

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

A successful garden starts here.

In This Article

Better Homes & Gardens

Healthy seedlings are the bread and butter of a successful, thriving garden. While you can grow your seeds in any container, or directly in the ground, utilizing a seed-starting tray can give you more control over conditions like humidity and hydration. Because germination often begins indoors, seed-starting trays also make it easier to manage your seedlings in smaller spaces.

Katie Russo, content operations manager at Bootstrap Farmer, offers some advice on what to look for when shopping for a seed-starting tray. “Look for reusability, food-safe materials, and good drainage to ensure healthy seedling growth and long-term use,” she says.

The best seed-starting trays provide a number of benefits, like conserving space and giving you more control over the conditions your seedlings are exposed to. However, not all seed-starting trays are made the same, with some offering different materials, uses, and reusability.

While researching seed-starting trays, we considered factors such as durability, ease of use, and the size of the cells as well as the trays themselves.

The MIXC seed starter kit includes an adjustable humidity dome that supports a variety of seeds.

The lids on these seed trays don’t lock into place, so you may need to secure them if placing the trays outside.

The MIXC seed-starter tray kit is a great option for new and experienced gardeners alike, providing everything you need to get started. This kit comes not only with 10 seed-starting trays, each which has 12 cells, but also a base tray, humidity dome, and even labels to keep track of your seedlings.

Along with enough room for dozens of different seeds, the seed trays themselves can be removed from the base tray, which can be used alone. This provides two different means of planting for germination that fits the needs of your plants.

The included humidity dome is adjustable, allowing you to control the amount of moisture for your seedlings. This can be useful if the seeds you plan on planting are particular about humidity.

It’s important to note, however, that the lids don’t snap or lockdown. While this is okay for indoor use, if you have pets or plan on placing these trays outdoors, you may need to find a way to secure the lids.

Product Details: Size: 10 trays with 12 cells each | Cell Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 2 inches | Material: Plastic | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: Base trays, humidity domes, plant labels

These trays provide 720 cells across 120 small trays.

Because they’re made of thinner plastic, you may not be able to reuse these trays.

The Industry Standard Grower’s Supply kit includes 120 seed-starting trays. Each tray is made of a thin, lightweight plastic with six cells each for a total of 720 cells.

This allows you to start hundreds of seedlings at once—or, have a supply of trays to use each season if you’re only interested in germinating a few plants. Plus, the included plant labels make keeping up with your seed types a breeze.

Although the thin plastic does make it easier to carry and store these trays, it does make them less durable than some other options. This makes these trays more susceptible to damage during use, and you may not be able to reuse them.

However, along with being lightweight, this plastic allows for greater flexibility of the cells themselves, which can help when you’re removing the germinated seedlings for transplant.

Product Details: Size: 120 trays with six cells each | Cell Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 2.25 inches | Material: Plastic | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: Plant labels

his kit’s self-watering mat reduces the risk of overwatering your seedlings, promoting healthier germination.

Setup for this kit can take longer than traditional seed starting trays.

Different plants require different amounts of water, and too little or too much water can make the difference in how well your seeds germinate. The Burpee self-watering tray not only removes the hassle of daily watering but also reduces the risk of overwatering your seedlings.

The self-watering mat delivers water directly to the roots of each plant through the drainage holes. This kit also includes several accessories to help start your seeds, including growing pellets and a planting diagram.

One thing to keep in mind with the Burpee self-watering seed starter tray is that it can take more time to set up than traditional trays. You need to prepare the growing pellets before planting, and you may need to adjust the pellets as they expand for best use. This can be more time consuming compared to traditional trays you fill with seed-starting mix.

Product Details: Size: Two trays with 36 cells each | Cell Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 2 inches | Material: Plastic | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: Base tray, humidity dome, self-watering mat, growing pellets, soil mixer, plant markers, and planting diagram

This seed tray uses food-grade silicone that flexes for easy removal when it's time to transplant.

It doesn’t come with a humidity cover or dome.

Roots are the lifeline of your plants, and the roots of young seedlings can be fragile. Because of this, moving your seedlings from the seed tray to outside or to a pot can be tricky.

The Burpee SuperSeed starting tray targets this problem with a flexible bottom that can be used to gently pop out the seedlings for easy removal. Along with being flexible, this silicone starting seed tray is also dishwasher safe so you can easily clean it to reuse for multiple seasons.

While the Burpee SuperSeed tray doesn’t include a dome or lid to maintain humidity, each cell does have drainage holes. This ensures soil aeration and drainage for proper seed germination. Each cell in this seed starting tray measures 2 x 2 inches, with a depth of 2 inches as well.

We love the fact that this tray has alphanumeric labeling, as well as an included planting diagram. This helps keep track of what you’ve planted in the tray without the need for additional labels or markers.

Product Details: Size: One tray with 16 cells | Cell Dimensions: 2 x 2 x 2 inches | Material: Silicone | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: Planting diagram

This small seed-starting tray includes a water reservoir and capillary mat for self-watering.

Although this kit includes the needed trays and dome, it doesn’t come with any additional accessories.

Seed-starting trays don’t have to clutter your space. With small trays like the Gardener’s Supply Company GrowEase trays, you can germinate your seedlings in your window sill or on shelves with grow lights. This helps transform even small places into a gardener’s oasis.

Along with its compact size, this seed-starting tray offers the benefit of a self-watering system. Using the included water reservoir and mat, you can germinate your seedlings without worrying about over- or underwatering.

This kit comes with a single tray with 12 cells, as well the humidity dome, water reservoir, and capillary mat. However, it doesn’t include any additional accessory that other options may come with, like plant labels, soil pellets, or gardening tools.

All in all, we love the small size of this seed-starting tray and its versatility, allowing those without the space for larger germination setups to take part in the joy of gardening.

Product Details: Size: One tray with 12 cells | Cell Dimensions: 2 x 2 x 2.25 inches | Material: Plastic | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: Humidity dome, water reservoir, capillary mat

This tray’s tapered cells make it easy to store at the end of each season, balancing its larger size.

This seed-starter tray only comes with the seed tray itself; accessories such as a base tray will need to be purchased separately.

If you’re looking to germinate hundreds of seedlings at once, it’s important to choose a seed-starting tray that balances size with durability. The Bootstrap Farmer 1020 seed-starter tray comes with five trays, each with 72 cells. This tray is designed to withstand use and promote proper germination while not being too flimsy to transport.

One thing we love about the Bootstrap Farmer’s tray is the design of the cells. Because these trays are meant to be durable enough to survive the season and be reused, storage is important.

However, when it comes to larger seed-starting trays, seasonal storage can be difficult. The cells in this tray are tapered, narrowing toward the bottom, which allows for easier stacking in a garage or outdoor storage shed.

Although this seed-starting tray doesn’t include a base tray, it can fit any standard 1020 tray. The drain holes allow for proper soil aeration and drainage, while also providing the option to bottom water when paired with a base tray.

Product Details: Size: Five trays with 72 cells each | Cell Dimensions: 1.5 x 1.5 x 2.25 inches | Material: Plastic | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: None

Since these trays are made of peat, they can be planted directly in your garden after germination.

Biodegradable seed starter trays can often have issues with moisture retention, which requires more care to prevent over- or underwatering.

If you’re struggling with your seedlings surviving after transplant, the Syitcun biodegradable seed starter trays offer a simple eco-friendly solution.

When you extract a seedling from a plastic or silicone tray, it can be easy to accidentally damage the roots. This can lead to unhealthy seedlings after transplant—or even seedlings that fail to grow entirely.

With the Syitcun trays, you won’t need to worry about transplanting your seedlings. Instead, these peat pots can be planted directly in the ground after germination without disturbing the roots of your seedlings.

Along with its ease of use, we love the accessories included in this kit. The included 100 plant labels make it easy to keep up with your seeds, even after transplanting, while the transplant tools and spray bottle help you grow your plants from seed to bloom.

Because these trays are made of peat, it’s important to play close attention when watering. Peat can absorb and hold water, taking it away from the soil. It can also hold an excess of water, leaving the soil too wet and increasing the potential for problems like mold.

As a result, monitor the cells to ensure you’re providing the right amount of water when caring for your plants.

Product Details: Size: 10 trays with 10 cells each | Cell Dimensions: 1.8 x 1.8 x 2 inches | Material: Peat | Drainage Holes: Yes | Accessories: Transplanting tools, spray bottle, and plant labels

Overall, due to its durability, reusability, and effectiveness as successful germination, the MIXC Seed Starter Tray Kit is a great option for gardeners of all skill levels. Its medium-sized and adjustable humidity dome allows you to grow dozens of seedlings at once while tending to their specific needs.

The Burpee SuperSeed is another seed-starting tray option for beginner and veteran gardeners alike, with flexible cell bottoms that make removing your seedlings for transplant easier.

The size of a seed-starting tray can impact how many seedlings you can grow at a time, as well as how long you can grow them. When you work with larger trays, like the Bootstrap Farmer 1020 tray, you can germinate hundreds of seedlings at once.

However, in many cases, this quantity comes at the expense of cell size, with larger trays often toting more but smaller cells. This means that seedlings growing in larger trays may need to be transplanted to larger trays or pots sooner than those grown in their smaller counterparts.

Smaller trays take up less space and can germinate most seedlings until they’re ready to be sowed into the ground, but they lack as many cells as their larger counterparts. As a result, if you’re wanting to germinate several plants at once, you may end up with a larger investment if you’re only purchasing small trays.

Overall, when looking for the right size seed-starting tray for your needs, it’s important to consider factors like how many plants you want to germinate, how much space you have available, and whether you want to transplant directly from tray to garden.

“Polypropylene (#5 BPA-free) plastic is an excellent choice for seed-starting trays due to its durability, food safety, and cost-effectiveness,” Russo says. Thicker plastic trays tend to be more durable than thinner trays, and many are resistant enough to be reusable.

However, plastic isn’t the only material available for seed-starter trays. Silicone is also becoming a popular option due to its durability and reusability. Many silicone trays, like the Burpee SuperSeed tray, offer enough flexibility to gently pop your seedlings out of the tray. This can make removal for transplant easier, as well as can reduce the likelihood of damaging the seedling’s fragile roots.

Biodegradable, or compostable, trays aren’t as common as plastic or silicone, but they offer their own benefits. Namely, while they aren’t reusable like other material options, biodegradable can reduce the hassle of the transplant process altogether.

According to Russo, biodegradable seed-starter trays "provide a sustainable choice that allows seedlings to be transplanted directly into the soil”. This removes the risk of damaging the seedling’s roots while also providing beneficial nutrients to the soil.

When you’re growing plants of any age in soil, it’s important that the soil is aerated and well-drained. If you’re using a seed-starting tray without any drainage holes, you run a higher risk of unsuccessful germination, unhealthy seedinglings, or issues like soggy roots or even mold.

Many of the seed-starting trays we mentioned above include drainage holes. Although the main purpose of drainage holes is to keep the soil—and thus the roots of your plants—healthy, drainage holes can also be used for bottom watering. This can promote stronger roots while reducing the risk of pests and mold.

The Burpee Self-Watering seed starter tray is a great example of this, with a self-watering mat that you install in the base tray for hassle-free watering. This allows you to bottom water your seedlings with less fear of overwatering.

Seed-starting trays are available at most major retailers and local nurseries, especially during the spring and summer. This includes brick-and-mortar locations as well as online at popular retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, The Home Depot, and Lowes. You can also buy seed-starting trays directly from your favorite brands like Burpee or Gardener’s Supply Company.

Grow lights aren’t essential to growing healthy seedlings in trays, but they can be helpful.

“Grow lights ensure seedlings receive consistent light, which is especially beneficial during shorter days in winter and early spring,” Russo says. “While not strictly necessary, they can improve growth if natural light is limited.”

Like water and soil aeration, light plays a large role in the success of your seedling’s germination. “If seedlings do not receive enough light they can become too tall resulting in weak stems,” Russo says.

While grow lights aren’t a requirement if you grow seeds in trays, if you live somewhere with low natural light, grow lights can help promote higher success rates for your seedlings.

Megan Newton is a writer specializing in home and garden topics at Better Homes & Gardens. To write this story, she researched seed-starting trays to find the best options online, as well as spoke to Katie Russo, content operations manager at Bootstrap Farmer, to get her insights.