As an avid houseplant gardener, I know all too well the agony of tending to certain types of tropical flora that slowly, then very quickly, descend toward a wilted demise. With all the variables, it can feel like detective work to determine the why, what, and how required to be the best plant parent possible. But what we sometimes attribute to a chronic black thumb is really an issue of not being able to provide the optimal conditions these types of plants have evolved to thrive in. For tropical and subtropical house plants, that typically means humid and temperate-to-warm temperatures with dappled light and plenty of fresh air to keep conditions from becoming stagnant.
Some living spaces just won’t allow for tropical or arid climate plants to thrive or even survive, regardless how much you mist it or move them around in the attempt to find a spot providing their preferred light exposure. The biOrb Air 60 Terrarium is designed to simulate these types of ideal microclimate conditions within a contemporary showpiece orb design, taking out the guesswork of tending to your photosynthetic roommates.
With the popularity of houseplants continuing to be as much a decorative trend as a hobbyist pursuit, the biOrb Air 60 Terrarium and its half-sized capacity counterpart, the AIR 30 LED Terrarium present a way to grow plants by directly addressing those variables. Each have their own light, humidity, and airflow systems designed to keep the interior of their domed habitat optimal for a variety of plants (and all controllable via remote control), while permitting a 360-degree clear view for easier placement either in a corner out in the open (noting you’ll have to plug it in somewhere).
Both the Air 30 and Air 60 offer the ability to simulate three climate settings: tropical for keeping tropical plants that like high humidity, semi-arid for keeping cacti and succulents, and medium for keeping temperate plants.
While not advertised as such, the biOrb Air’s LED light array make for a striking mood lamp.
If you’ve ever kept an old fashioned terrarium or vivarium, you’re probably well aware about how keeping organic matter within a humid environment can result in odor, rot, and fungus. An integrated running fan recycles the air through a replaceable carbon filter to mitigate this issue, which also helps plants thrive and reduce fungus.
The biOrb’s automated features are all integrated into its circular top cover, one housing an LED lights array to encourage natural growth and prevent plants bending towards a single light source, programmable for 8-hour, 10-hour, 12-hour, or 14-hour light cycles.
A humidity sensor helps keep the micro-climate moisture in the biOrb within ideal parameters, simulating morning fog or tropical mist with the release of fine swirling vapor via ultrasonic mister mounted in the top reservoir (enough to mesmerize your feline friends, as shown below).
The biOrb Air 30 and Air 60 are both available in gray, black, and white finishes for $305 and $432, and come complete with coir compost to get indoor garden plans started immediately.
