The Best Lawn Sprinklers, Tested by Experts

After hours of hands-on assessment, including the initial set-up and assembly, periodic spray adjustments and assorted durability tests, Melnor's 4000-seriesoscillating sprinklers emerged as the best options for most lawns.

The Melnor XT4200M Metal Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler is the most durable of the bunch, but the model has been harder to find at retailers. The Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler's all-plastic brand mate offers similar performance. "Besides its consistent spray pattern, we like the fact that it attaches to any 3/4-inch hose without the need for an adaptor," Rothman says. It’s also easy to adjust the spray distance and width, and comes with a built-in flow control.

Given its spray pattern, the Melnor is best for long, narrow yards, as opposed to square ones, and you will need to manually move it around if you have a lot of lawn to cover. Even though its made of plastic, it's still a fairly rugged device as the plastic is more durable than cheaper, flimsier plastic. Also, its medium-high profile is more of a tripping hazard than some models we tested. The sprinkler produces a quiet gentle rain, and a cleanable sieve protects the gears from grit in the water if you’re using well water; the end plug includes a nozzle cleaning tool.

Not only is the Gilmore the best value of all tested lawn sprinklers, it's built to last, with metal construction and a low profile that will avoid lawn mower blades, kids' bike wheels and the like. "With its 30 by 15-foot coverage area, this sprinkler is perfect for a small lawn or vegetable garden," says Rothman. For larger watering needs, look to one of our other topic picks.

Our experts note that the Gilmour is ideal for homes with lower water pressure, since there's no mechanism that must be driven. Given its shape, it's less likely to tip over while it showers grass and plants, though we recommend staking it down in high-traffic areas. If your smaller-sized lawn is more square or circular in shape, consider the square-patterned version, which covers a 30-foot diameter.

This ingenious sprinkler rides along the 5/8 inch diameter hose you lay out in whatever pattern you choose (up to 200 feet), and its two aluminum sprinkler arms generate spray coverage between 15 and 55 feet in diameter. "The design is a very good fit for large, irregularly shaped yards," says Rothman, "though not if you're dealing with a lot of hills or rugged terrain." While we haven't tested the unit in the field, it has many features our engineers look for, including high-quality materials and durable construction. Over 3,000 Amazon customers have given this traveling sprinkler a five-star rating. With three speeds, you can choose between a faster pace for lighter watering, a slower pace for a more intense watering or the self-propelled neutral pace in between. An auto shut-off ramp helps prevent water waste.

Spike-style sprinklers combine durability, ease-of-use and versatility. Our experts particularly like this version from Orbit, thanks to its adjustable zero to 360-degree spray pattern that can reach up to 50 feet, depending on the water pressure (it can handle up to 80 PSI). "The step spike is very solid underfoot, holding the sprinkler firmly in place," says Rothman. It attaches to a ¾ inch hose and its brass head and zinc spike make it especially long-lasting. Its flow-through design allows you to connect multiple sprinklers. One caveat: the sprinkler doesn't work as well under low water pressure, so if your home's is below 40 PSI, you might want to consider another option.

The RainBird automatic sprinkler system kit is one of the only in-ground sprinkler systems that can be installed by the homeowner without calling a landscaping company or other professional installer. It attaches to an outdoor faucet — the same way your garden hose would — and the tubing only needs to be buried a few inches. Its six pop-up rotary sprinklers give ideal coverage for medium-sized yards between 1,000 to 3,000 square feet; note that the system is not designed for expansion. The sprinkler heads retract into the lawn after watering, and it's ready for mowing! Each sprinkler's spray zone can be adjusted and the programmable automatic timer ensures your yard is watered as often as it needs without overwatering. If rain is anticipated, you can suspend watering for up to four days without affecting the program.

Our experts say this sprinkler is ideal for newly seeded lawns, since it's able to deliver the gentlest of sprays. "The customizable settings can also help reduce water waste," notes Rothman. A sturdy metal base adds stability and the turbo gear-driven unit gives you coverage up to 3,600 square feet. The water inlet filter, which traps grit and debris, can be removed and cleaned, and, if necessary, errant dirt can be removed from the plastic nozzles with the included cleaning tool. The only downside is there's no on-board storage for the tool, so it's easy to misplace.

This smart sprinkler controller integrates with your in-ground sprinkler system, using real-time weather data to adjust the frequency of watering. "This prevents the system from turning on when there's rain in the forecast, or under-watering during a dry spell," Rothman says. After extensive field tests, our testers confirmed the accuracy of its water delivery. The Rachio 3 integrates seamlessly via Wi-Fi with other smart home products, though that involves the usual complexities of downloading the app, connecting to your internet and pairing with other Wi-Fi-enabled devices (read: it's not for the tech-averse!). But from there, you can control the system from your smartphone or via an Alexa-enabled device, Apple HomeKit or Google Assistant. If you prefer the old fashioned way, there are also easy-to-use controls on the device itself. Each sprinkler zone can be individually controlled, so an area of lawn in all sun can be watered more frequently than an area in the shade. We tested the eight-zone controller; Rachio also has a 16-zone device for larger lawns.

Our product experts first saw the Moen Smart Sprinkler Controller at CES 2023, where they were impressed by its innovation. “Most smart sprinklers base their irrigation schedules on local weather forecasts, which can be hit or miss depending on the robustness of the data,” Rothman says. “The Moen system uses water sensors that are inserted directly into the soil, so it’s literally pulling data from the source.”

As with other smart sprinkler controls, it's designed to be integrated with an existing in-ground system. We received a test sample of the product shortly after its Spring 2023 launch; it comes in eight-zone and 16-zone configurations. While we will continue to test the system over the course of a full growing season to assess its efficacy, we can confirm that the initial set up was straightforward, though replacing your existing controller with the Moen unit involves basic rewiring (about on par with swapping in a new smart thermostat).

The soil sensors, sold separately on the Moen site for $70, are inserted into the ground and then paired with the controller via the Moen app. We will provide additional updates on performance and usability as we get deeper into the growing season.