Which rotating lawn sprinkler is best?
Just like your pets and children, your yard needs to be taken care of to be able to reach its full potential. Unlike your pets and children, your yard doesn’t need direct hands-on care to thrive. With the right rotating lawn sprinkler, you can make sure your yard never goes thirsty, and you’ll never have to wander your yard with the hose again.
The best rotating lawn sprinkler is the Eden Adjustable Six-Pattern Rotary Garden Sprinkler. It’s fully adjustable, which makes it easier to saturate every part of your yard with just the right amount of water.
What to know before you buy a rotating lawn sprinkler
Sprinkler types
Rotating lawn sprinklers are best suited to watering small- to medium-sized square-shaped yards. If your yard doesn’t match this, consider one of the following sprinkler systems instead.
- Oscillating sprinklers are better for long, rectangular yards. They use a tube that rolls back and forth to send an arc of water out.
- Traveling sprinklers are better for larger or irregularly shaped yards. They travel along an assigned path to eventually cover everything.
- In-ground sprinklers are installed permanently and automated. They’re best for the biggest yards.
Coverage
Rotating lawn sprinklers typically list their coverage area in inches and diameter. For example, a given sprinkler may water yards up to 30 inches in diameter. You can then use this to determine if it provides enough coverage or if you need a more powerful sprinkler. The general rule of thumb is you should only have to move your sprinkler once or twice to fully cover your yard.
What to look for in a quality rotating lawn sprinkler
Material
Rotating lawn sprinklers are typically made of plastic or metal.
- Plastic is more common due mainly to its increased affordability. However, it is easily damaged and can warp if left in direct sunlight for too long.
- Metal is a little more costly and doesn’t usually have as many options as plastic models, but they last much longer.
Nozzles
The best rotating lawn sprinklers have adjustable nozzles. This gives you more control over the area covered as well as the amount of water that’s sent out to your yard.
Quick connectors
An optional accessory that some high-end rotating lawn sprinklers include is a quick connector kit. These kits let you plug and unplug your hose from the sprinkler in a second rather than needing to slowly screw and unscrew your hose each time you need to water. One kit can potentially cost as much as the sprinkler alone, so it’s usually a tremendous value.
How much you can expect to spend on a rotating lawn sprinkler
Rotating lawn sprinklers typically cost $10-$30. Basic sprinkles for small yards usually cost $10 or less. For medium and bigger yards, you’ll want to spend up to $20. Feature-rich and accessory-laden sprinklers usually cost $30 or more.
Rotating lawn sprinkler FAQ
Does it matter when I water my yard?
A. Yes. The best time to water your yard is early in the morning after the sun has fully risen but before it gets too high and hot. This gives your yard time to soak up the water, otherwise, the heat from the midday sun will evaporate some of the water before it can be absorbed. Nighttime watering is also discouraged as water may pool in the chilly night air, opening an opportunity to draw bugs and other nasty things that can grow and possibly damage your yard.
How do I know I’ve watered my yard enough?
A. Most yards need to get roughly one inch of water each week to flourish, whether that inch comes from rain, your sprinkler or a mix of both. The easiest way to keep track of rainfall on your home is to buy a rain gauge. Gauging water from a sprinkler is a little involved but simple.
- First, place some small containers around your yard.
- Secondly, start up your sprinkler, and time how long it takes for your sprinkler to fill those containers up an inch.
Once you have that time estimate, you can do the basic calculations necessary to make sure your yard is watered enough.
What’s the best rotating lawn sprinkler to buy?
Top rotating lawn sprinkler
Eden Adjustable Six-Pattern Rotary Garden Sprinkler
What you need to know: It has spray patterns for every situation.
What you’ll love: Each of the six spray patterns is designed to get more or less water to your yard as needed. It can cover 360 degrees or be set up to spray water toward only a set zone. It includes connectors to attach to most hoses.
What you should consider: Some customers weren’t pleased with the effectiveness of some of the spray options. Others had some issues with its durability.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top rotating lawn sprinkler for the money
Orbit Three-Arm Sprinkler with Wheeled Base
What you need to know: It’s small and cheap but no less effective.
What you’ll love: It can cover up to a 24-foot diameter area with even coverage. The wheels make it easy to adjust the positioning — you can even stay out of range of the water while it’s on by simply pulling on the hose.
What you should consider: Some consumers reported that the sprinkler tends to shake. Others had issues with the nozzles not sending water as far as they are supposed to.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
GrowGreen Rotating Lawn Sprinkler
What you need to know: It’s a solid midrange model.
What you’ll love: The 360-degree spray can reach up to 33 feet away with 80 pounds per square inch of water pressure, and the nozzles’ spray direction can be manually adjusted. It makes little noise, so it’s perfect for quiet neighborhoods. There’s no risk of it wiggling away because the base is weighted.
What you should consider: The plastic material doesn’t feel durable, and some purchasers had issues with pieces breaking if it’s handled indelicately. Others had issues with shorter coverage than what’s listed.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Home Depot
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Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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