10 Best Garden Sprinkler [Buyer Guide] 

Summary

To keep your lawn beautiful after it has been perfectly grown from grass seed, you might find yourself wanting to invest in a garden sprinkler. After you’ve read all of those reviews above, we hope you’ve found a garden sprinkler that has taken your fancy. If you’re still undecided however, this is where our summary section comes in handy. In this section of the buyer guide, we will talk you through a list of considerations that you may want to make before you commit to your purchase. We’ve also included a YouTube video and some further reading if you’re still unsure on which garden sprinkler is for you. First off, we’re going to discuss the different types of garden sprinklers you can get in a bit more detail. You may wish to check out other guides such as the telescopic hedge trimmer or a strimmer.

Different Types of Garden Sprinkler

1. Rotary Sprinkler

Rotary sprinklers mechanically rotate while spraying streams of water over a lawn in circles. While rotary sprinklers are a popular choice in gardens of all sizes, but they’re particularly well suited to larger lawns, because the spray distance is a lot further than any other type of stationary sprinkler. Some models can spray water across very large distances – even as far as 90 feet (in some cases) in one direction which therefore means they’re able to cover a diameter of up to 180ft. They are also great for lawns with soils that water does not infiltrate quickly, such as clay or compacted soils. This is because rotary sprinklers have a lower rate of precipitation than other sprinkler types, such as pop-ups. This essentially means that it takes them a lot longer to spread the same amount of water as it does in a pop-up sprinkler. This can be really helpful for some soil types where pooling of water is likely to take place when too much water is sprayed at once. This therefore means that the slower the precipitation rate, the slower the water drains into the soil – allowing the water to more evenly – keeping your lawn at its healthiest. Rotary sprinklers are also the best type of sprinkler for distributing the water evenly. This is because they have been designed to operate in a way that makes sure equal amounts of water hit every patch of lawn.

It’s important to note that there are many different types of rotary sprinklers that have various different spraying patterns and that there are 3 main types: impact sprinklers, gear-driven sprinklers, and stream sprinklers.

• Impact sprinklers: Impact sprinklers are usually very easily identified due to the noise they make when they’re turned on. The sprinkler’s head rotates as pressure from the water stream hits the spring-loaded arm. It is this action that makes the sprinkler very noisy and recognisable. Impact sprinklers are usually made from metal and are very long-lasting. However, a lot of people may be put off by the noise that they make. So, this is definitely something to keep in mind before you buy.
• Gear-driven sprinklers: Gear-driven rotors have rotating heads that spray a stream of water in a turn pattern. The head rotates due to a series of gears, which operate as a result of the water pressure. These operate quietly when compared to impact sprinklers.
• Stream sprinklers: Stream rotor sprinklers, also known as multi-stream sprinklers, spray rotating streams of water in multiple directions all at once. These sprinklers also operate quietly, too.

2. Fixed Spray Sprinklers

These types of sprinkles spray a pattern of streaming water that does not move. The water spray can fan out in full circles or patterns of various angles as designated by the user. One of the benefits of this type of sprinkler is if you have a straight-edged lawn, you can position the sprinkler against the edge with it facing towards the lawn. These sprinklers aren’t as strong as rotary sprinklers and are not able to spray as far. They typically spray streams of water ranging between 3 and 16ft which makes them more suitable for small to medium-sized lawns.

3. Oscillating Sprinklers

These types of sprinklers work by streaming water out of a straight bar with a row of holes in, which moves back and forth to create a moving curtain of water.

4. Traveling Sprinklers

These sprinklers are better suited to really large lawns, as they are self-propelled and travel the lawn to deposit streams of water. This types of garden sprinkler is an alternative to having one sprinkler that you move throughout continuously throughout the day, or several sprinklers in different locations across a lawn. They provide an effective and efficient way to water a lawn from just one hose point, without having to move the sprinkler around manually.

5. Misting Sprinklers

A misting sprinkler sprays water at a much lower rate. This is ideal for flower beds that might be damaged from the pressure given off by stronger sprinklers or for soils that struggle to absorb water quickly enough to warrant a heavier flow of water.

6. Sprinkler Hoses

These are not technically sprinklers, and instead or a sort of hybrid between a sprinkler and a hose, though they can be used in place of traditional sprinklers in some situations. A sprinkler hose looks like an ordinary hose, but it has lots of holes in the body of the hose.

7. Pop-Up Sprinklers

This type of sprinkler pops-up when activated as the name suggests. These are beneficial as they’re not at all visible unless in use, so if the appearance of sprinklers bother you – perhaps this is the option for you.

8. Raised Sprinklers

Raised sprinklers are those that cannot retract into the ground when they are not in operation.

Spray distance

Once you’ve decided on the actual type of sprinkler you are wanting to buy, you should find out the exact water spray distance that the specific sprinkler has. As you can see above, different types of sprinkler have different spray distances. You should consider the size of your lawn before you decide what spray distance you need your sprinkler to be able to reach. If you have a larger lawn, you should go for a garden sprinkler that has a larger spray distance, but if you have a smaller garden – spray distance shouldn’t be too much of a problem. As long as it reaches the whole of your lawn, of course!

Ease of use/Ease of Installation

You want to make sure that the garden sprinkler that you choose for your garden is easy to use. You’ll be able to find out how easy they are to use in the product description before you buy. The whole point of buying a garden sprinkler is to make your life easier, so you won’t want your new sprinkler to be hard to use!

Ease of installation comes under the same bracket as ease of use. This is because you will most likely want your new garden sprinkler to be very easy to install. Once again, check the product description and user manual to see how easy your new garden sprinkler will be to install before you commit to the purchase.

Appearance

Most garden sprinklers are in a shade of green to match the grass on your lawn. This design is to make sure your sprinkler blends in as much as possible with the rest of the greenery in your garden. However, as much as the green colour disguises the sprinkler – they are of course not hidden completely. If the appearance of your garden sprinkler really bothers you, perhaps going for a pop-up sprinkler is your best option. As we mentioned above, a pop-up sprinkler only shows when its in use – so this is a real plus for any gardener who isn’t too keen on an ordinary sprinkle’s appearance.

FAQ

Are sprinklers good for a garden?