Best Overall

Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler

Best Bang for the Buck

Gilmour 60-Spot Circle Sprinkler

Best Oscillating

Eden 4,973 sq. ft. Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler

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One of the key to a healthylawn and gardenis bear a reliable lawn sprinkler that effectively water all the various spot in the landscape . We tested some of today ’s top models to see which ones live up to their reputation . Some sprinklers require pulling a hose across the lawn to reach all the little corners and nooks , while others can be program to move around the yard , water the grass while you tend to other matter . For stationary comfort station , an cloak-and-dagger sprinkler system with a sprinkler pump can run on a timer , and it will water all reaches of the yard .

We test a variety of body of water sprinkler for lawns , and theDramm 9 - Pattern Turret Sprinklercame out on top thanks to its lowering groundwork and nine spray patterns that fit different lawn and garden size or shapes . It was n’t the only good option , though . Keep reading to better understand how the best lawn sprinkler can help meet the watering needs of your yard and to rule out how each of the following models perform in our hand - on testing .

The Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler on a white background.

Our Top Picks

G and budgets change , so no single above - priming coat sprinkler system will be suitable for every curtilage . Still , we were impressed enough by the come after sprinkler and their performance to include them in this guide . We await at the overall quality of the sprinkler and the potential lastingness of any prompt parts . Part of our testing involve assessing how well each sprinkler lived up to the manufacturer ’s verbal description . After testing , the stick with sprinkler came out on top , and all are well suited to various watering labor .

Our Ratings : Ease of Use4.5/5;Coverage4.3/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value5/5

Bob Vila Approvedrecognizes the house and DIY product that impressed us most in our real - world testing and that exemplify core time value of the Bob Vila brand , including craftsmanship , innovation , and value for the dollar mark . achiever of this designation come commend by our professional review squad and are personally okay by Bob Vila .

The Gilmour 60-Spot Circle Sprinkler on a white background.

ThisBob Vila Approvedproduct carry our stain ’s high-pitched level of testimonial .

With the flexibility of delivering a narrow striptease of water or a triangular spray , among other pattern , the Dramm sprinkler redeem just the good amount of urine at the turn of a telephone dial . It comes in several upbeat colors . We opt bright cherry ruddy , and the first thing we notice was that the paint was more like a quality tooth enamel than a thin finish .

The Dramm sprinkler boast a heavy - duty metal al-Qa’ida that weighs 14.4 ounce , so it did n’t move — as slight sprinkler are prone to do — when we turned on the water pressure . It pose perfectly monotone and did not shift . The sprinkler comes with an adjustable dial head that can be rotate between the nine different spraying patterns . Users can water foresighted , narrow area ; rotary spot ; or virtually any other slur in the one thousand or garden without unwittingly watering a neighbor ’s yard .

The Eden 4,973 sq. ft. Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler on a white background.

We pick out watering patterns with just a quick rotary motion of the pitch-dark ring in the sprinkler ’s center . Like many sprinklers , the breadth and aloofness were adjustable by lour or raise the water pressure level at the spigot . The spray formula are accurately describe on the telephone dial ’s face , and each one offers a uniform water spray .

Get the Dramm lawn sprinkler atAmazonorBlain ’s Farm & Fleet .

Our Ratings : Ease of Use5/5;Coverage3.5/5 ; Durability4.5/5 ; Value4.8/5

A group of the best lawn sprinkler systems on a patio table before testing.

Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila

At first , we almost did n’t see this little pee sprinkler in the bottom of the shipping boxwood — it ’s just 3 inches long by 4.5 inches wide-eyed and stands less than 1 in tall . It ’s made to last , however , with its long - wearing metal mental synthesis . The body is molded from metal , and a lasting metal spray insert is firmly attached to the top . This Gilmour sprinkler is n’t desirable for watering declamatory yards , but it ’s just the tag for water small nook and spots that other sprinklers miss .

Thesprinkler headsprays in a rotary pattern that adjusts only by increasing or decreasing the water pressing at the spigot . The spray practice is almost a perfect circle , and at maximum water pressure , it give out a circle larger than advertise — nigh 45 feet in diameter . The gamy water pressure caused the sprinkler to list slightly to one side , so we would advocate using lower insistency to void this issuing , or sneak in a nail into the minor hole at the top to help it remain categorical if watering with high piddle pressure . We opted to use relatively down water pressure rather .

This short gem produces a uniform spray and is substantially suited to watering minor areas in landscape beds , John Rock garden , and anywhere else a bigger sprinkler would be overkill .

The Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler watering a landscaped area during testing.

Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila

Get the Gilmour lawn sprinkler atAmazon , Ace Hardware , orMSC Direct .

Our Ratings : Ease of Use4/5;Coverage4.8/5 ; Durability5/5 ; Value5/5

The Eden oscillating lawn sprinkler exercise set can reach up to 4,973 straight feet of lawn or garden . Since it has an adjustable orbit , width , and oscillating pattern , it ’s a nice option for yards of all sizes . The sprinkler feature a heavy - responsibility alloy base to prevent tipping and a sealed turbo - drive motor . It also comes with a work up - in cleaning tool for clearing the nozzles .

The OtO Lawn Sprinkler set up in a lawn during testing.

Photo: Katie Barton for Bob Vila

hook up this lawn water sprinkler was as promiscuous as attaching it to alightweight garden hosiery . It also come with a nimble - connection starter outfit that include a twisting - and - lock mechanism to keep accidental hosepipe disconnection . After overcharge up the hosiery , we turn it on and watered our G on its maximal stage setting . Even with full water supply force per unit area , the metal base of operations never tipped or twisted . We then used the push buttons on each side to nail down the spray ’s width . These push button buttons allowed us to go from using 20 jet schnozzle to only 14 .

The sprinkler also has sliding tabs to conform the oscillating blueprint and a water supply flow ascendance knob for change the range . We appreciated that this sprinkler had enough versatility to water our large lawn and small blossom beds without uneconomical overspray .

Get the Eden lawn sprinkler atAmazon .

Melnor Sprinkler How We Reviewed

Photo: Glenda Taylor

Best for Small Lawns

Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler

Our military rank : Ease of Use4/5;Coverage4.5/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value4/5

The first affair we noticed about the Gardena ZoomMaxx was how solid it was , so it stayed steadfastly put when in use . This is a great little compact sprinkler that can be adjust to irrigate various size of solid and rectangular areas , covering a minuscule quad of about 8 - foot public square up to an expanse well-nigh 50 foot tenacious by 20 metrical foot wide . We were able to adjust the dimension of the spray to water a narrow strip in our side 1000 and then readapt it to irrigate a broader expanse of lawn .

The ZoomMaxx sport 16 rubber nozzles on an oscillating head that move back and away with the pressure of the piss . In summation , the sprinkler feature a obliterable washable filter for keeping debris out of the moving sprinkler parts . We were impressed by the quality of the stuff on the Gardena — it seems to be built to stand the test of time .

Melnor Sprinkler Should You Choose It

Photo: Glenda Taylor

Get the Gardena lawn sprinkler atAmazon .

Best for Garden Beds

Melnor 65083-AMZ Multi-Adjustable Sprinkler

Our Ratings : Ease of Use4/5;Coverage4.5/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value5/5

It never fails ; the direct - post sprayers that ferment so well for water garden plants and flowers in spring are soon too short to spray over the growing industrial plant to irrigate the ace behind . These multi - adjustable sprinklers from Melnor offer a executable root . Along with three spike sprinkler , we obtain three 5 - inch riser to elevate the sprinklers when needed .

Each sprinkler comes with an adjustable head that let the substance abuser to select anywhere from a minor flow of water to a 360 - arcdegree round pattern . In addition , each sprinkler features both a male and a female hose attachment terminal so all three can be connected via hosepipe . We regain the plastic spike to be well built and upstanding — they push easy into the land , and we could adjust the nebulizer on all three to where it watered our flora dead . Those with gravid or complex garden spots could keep open a lot of lachrymation time by connecting two or more of these spike sets , eliminating the need to move a sprinkler around forever .

Melnor Sprinkler Verdict

Photo: Glenda Taylor

Get the Melnor spike lawn sprinkler atThe Home Depot .

Best Smart Sprinkler

OtO Lawn Sprinkler

Our Ratings : Ease of Use5/5;Coverage5/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value4.3/5

The OtO lawn sprinkler is a smart sprinkler with a 30 - metrical foot 360 - level reach that can irrigate up to 2,800 satisfying feet . It connects to Wi - Fi and let users to customize the area they ’d like water through its associate app . It also supervise the weather and skips watering on rainy days . This smart sprinkler is compatible with OtO ’s line of lawn handling that typically require a spreader , such as insect repellant , fertiliser , and odor eliminator . OtO articulate that all of the lawn treatments are pet- , people- , and satellite - good .

When we first receive the OtO lawn watering sprinkler , we were worried that getting it set up would be difficult . To our surprisal , after bill the unit of measurement overnight , it only took about 15 minute to plug into it to Wi - Fi and programme our first “ zona . ” We then set OtO to water our lawn at 6 a.m. every day . The app monitor the weather and let us do it when it would jump watering on rainy daytime , which we could override manually if desire .

Melnor Sprinkler Adjustable Spray Coverage

Photo: Glenda Taylor

The app also allowed us to choose weekly lachrymation point of accumulation , which ranged from 0.5 inch to 2 in . We pick out the “ normal ” limit , which is 1.25 column inch of watering per week . Overall , we were print by OtO ’s lineament . It ’s a expert choice for those who want a set - it - and - forget - it character of sprinkler . However , it is expensive and might not be deserving the money for those with a magnanimous lawn or who do n’t call needing a sprinkler in the long term .

Read our full review : OtO Lawn Sprinkler

Get the OtO lawn sprinkler atOto .

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Also Consider

Melnor XT Oscillating Sprinkler With Flow Control

Our rating : Ease of Use4.5/5;Coverage4.3/5 ; Durability4/5 ; Value4.5/5

Oscillating sprinklers sometimes work themselves sideways while lachrymation , so we were pleasantly surprised to regain that the Melnor XT sprinkler stayed precisely where we placed it . Its all-embracing base and solid aim kept it firmly positioned , even when we twist the water up to the highest pressure . Using the two sets of levers in the center of the sprinkler , we could adjust the width of the spray traffic pattern from about 10 to 20 metrical foot wide . By worm the chickenhearted ring on the close of the Turbo , we could vary the length of the spray pattern from about 20 to nigh 50 ft .

The sprinkler ’s orthogonal oscillating headland features 20 preciseness nozzle for consistent water distribution , and the unit of measurement comes with a beak - cleaning instrument to help absent any block that might occur . This Melnor model also feature a metal filter washing machine in its hose match for immobilise rubble . The sprinkler is made from heavy - duty plastic and press 1.1 pounds . Perhaps our favorite feature on this one is the independent twisting hosiery connective — there ’s no penury to twist the hosiery or rotate the sprinkler to colligate the two . Just flex the moldable connector to rapidly and securely attach the sprinkler .

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understand our full inspection : Melnor XT Oscillating Sprinkler With Flow Control

Get the Melnor XT lawn sprinkler atAmazon .

Jump to Our Top Picks

How We Tested the Best Lawn Sprinklers

To nail which sprinklers were best for certain tasks , such as irrigate large areas of weed or keep a blossom bed well irrigated , we tested several sprinkler types . We separately try out each sprinkler by assembling parts ( if necessary ) and then attaching each to a garden hose . Next , we detect how each sprinkler operate and whether it met the manufacturer ’s watering claim . For adjustable sprinkler , we selected and observed each of the unlike lacrimation patterns , engage bank bill of the size of it of the lacrimation patterns as well as the dispersion of H2O droplet .

The maximum water imperativeness at our outdoor faucet runs an norm of 60 pounds per straightforward in ( PSI ) , but we did n’t screen all the sprinklers at maximum pressure . We adjusted the force per unit area to suit the individual sprinkler , mean we used a low pee pressure to irrigate small areas of the flower garden and full pressure when testing lawn sprinkler . Unless a spigot has unusually miserable water insistency , the sprinkler in this card should perform well in most residential options .

What to Consider When Choosing a Lawn Sprinkler

Lawn sprinklers are among the most helpfullawn and garden product . They dot water in various spray patterns , power by the press of the water supply in the hose . They can be made from a sort of materials , and some have moving parts , while others do n’t . Individual watering needs are among the top consideration when looking for the serious lawn sprinkle system for a lawn or garden . Another consideration issprinkler system toll , which vary greatly by character .

Type

Lawn sprinkler fall into six master categories , range from fast to roll . When choosing a sprinkler , think the local clime and whether conserving water is a precedency . Watering call for for a freshly seeded lawn dissent from the lacrimation pauperism of a vegetable garden or an effected lawn .

Material

Plastic and metal are the two most common types of materials found in lawn sprinklers , but some models admit pencil eraser and silicone polymer parts . The quality of the stuff varies , and some types of credit card are long-wearing , heavy , and slicing - resistant . Less expensive modeling may be thin , disappearance quickly , and become brittle in a time of year or two .

Metal sprinklers are typically a bit more durable than plastic , but the quality of the metal also vary . Rustproof chrome and stainless steel are among the good metal materials for sprinklers . Many have run parts , and those with seal ball - wear connectors will be among the most durable .

Coverage Area

Many of today ’s best lawn sprinklers include the ability to line up the pattern and distance of the water spray , often by sliding a lever on the top or the side of the sprinkler . This allows the user to select various lachrymation patterns and sizes , include circular- , rectangular- , triangular- , and fan - shape patterns .

Ultimately , the amount of water supply pressure in the hose will determine the maximum space of the urine pattern . For exercise , a aloofness - case impact sprinkler may be advertised as capable of tear a stream up to 30 yards , but if the water pressure in the hose is gloomy , the reportage area will be less . Most residential water system feature pressing between 30 and 60 PSI , and most lawn sprinkler irrigation systems put to work best with a lower limit of 30 PSI of water atmospheric pressure . However , a few require high PSI to reach their advertised insurance coverage area .

Water Conservation

Watering the lawn use up a good deal of water . If the hosepipe is 0.5 inch in diameter and the water press is 60 PSI , the average utilisation will be around 630 gallons during an minute of watering . As the garden hosiery diameter gain , so does water usage . A 0.625 - inch hosiery delivers approximately 1,020 gallons at the same water pressure , and a 0.75 - inch hose will deliver 1,860 gallons .

Some lawn sprinkler system come equipped with features to help assure water employment and , in the case of smart sprinkler , estimatehow long to irrigate the lawn . An inground sprinkler system typically has automatic timers through which the drug user can schedule exact lachrymation plan ( when , where , and how much water ) in advance . For above - ground sprinklers , like feature to expect for include motorcar shutoffs and flow timers that supervise and trammel the amount of water used . Thebest hose timersalso offer up an affordable resolution for controlling the amount of water used .

FAQs

chiliad sprinkler systems vary widely in lineament , toll , and the character of piss radiation diagram they dissipate . opt the best lawn sprinkler requires considering the lawn or garden ’s individual piss needs . For some yards , more than one sprinkler may be necessary . For those just starting the sprinkler shopping process , here are answers to some popular enquiry .

An efficient garden sprinkler should reach all areas of a lawn or garden without being blocked by tall flora . This may think using a small rotating sprinkler and move it from locating to location as needed , or using a set of link sprinkler that can be positioned severally to overlay all the plants at once .

An oscillating sprinkler will cover a wide lawn expanse . A travelling , or tractor - eccentric , sprinkler can be positioned at one end of a great lawn , and it will eventually act its manner to the other end , watering a large belt along the way .

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sprinkler dispense water system at different rate , so rather than a set figure of minute , the universal formula is to water enough so that the lawn receive 1 in of water per workweek .

It ’s beneficial to irrigate your lawn longer than more often . The mean lawn needs 1 inch of water per week , which you’re able to split up into two 30 - hour academic term .

Meet the Testers

Glenda Taylor is a production tester and author particularize in the building , remodeling , and existent acres industry . She tests a wide chain of great power tool as well as other home plate improvement , household , and lawn - and - garden products .

Katie Barton has over 10 year of experience in product piece of writing , has test lots of cleanup products , and has authored hundreds of article for major media outlets . She takes an unbiased approaching to product testing , using each product multiple times or for several days / week to determine efficaciousness . Her finish is to help readers adjudicate which products are worth their hard - earned money and which devolve flat .

Our Best Advice for Beginner Gardeners

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We ’ll help you do up your first garden — whether that ’s a few pot on your patio , a upraise bottom , or an in - terra firma plot out back — and select the proper works for your territory and region .

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The Dramm 9-Pattern Turret Sprinkler on a white background.

Photo: amazon.com

The Gilmour 60-Spot Circle Sprinkler on a white background.

Photo: amazon.com

The Eden 4,973 sq. ft. Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler on a white background.

Photo: amazon.com

The Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler on a white background.

Photo: amazon.com

The Melnor 65083-AMZ Multi-Adjustable Sprinkler on a white background.

Photo: amazon.com

The OtO Lawn Sprinkler on a white background.

Photo:otolawn.com

The Melnor XT Oscillating Sprinkler With Flow Control on a white background.

Photo: amazon.com

The Melnor 65083-AMZ Multi-Adjustable Sprinkler watering blooming plants during testing.

Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila

The Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler watering a lawn during testing.

Photo: Glenda Taylor for Bob Vila

Young couple (heads not seen) use trowels to dig into a small raised garden bed on Astroturf, surrounded by gardening accessories.