10 Best Sprinklers 2024 in the United States

If you have a lawn or garden, there are a variety of sprinklers available. Since water is a scarce commodity in some areas, you want to use the sprinkler that is most efficient for your needs. They work on different principles, according to whether you have to water a large area uniformly (like on a golf course), one arc of an entire circular area, or individual plants, as in a garden.  You’ll see oscillating sprinklers (for rectangular areas), drip sprinklers (for small gardens), underground (or in-ground) sprinklers (for large open areas, like a golf course), and impact sprinklers (for circular arcs, or for a 360° area), just to name a few.

We've put together this guide to help you select the sprinkler that answers to your needs. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of sprinkler,

• See useful tips about that type of sprinkler,    

• Read reviews of different brands of sprinkler, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of sprinkler, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

• Oscillating sprinklers have a long tube with numerous openings. This tube moves back and forth, making a 180-degree arc, shooting out the water in a fan shape. This is best when trying to cover a large, rectangular area.

• Drip sprinklers--Here, water is run through hoses that lie along the ground. There are sprinkler heads spaced at regular intervals, so that water gets to exactly where plants are located.

• Underground (or in-ground) sprinkler: This is also called a “pop-up sprinkler”. This is a sprinkler system where individual sprinklers are inserted into the lawn. When the water is turned on, they pop up and water in a 360-degree arc, covering a large circular area. The Rain Bird 1804VAN is a pop-up sprinkler. You place the spray heads where you need water. Each head rotates in an arc that you determine, shooting out water in a radius anywhere from 8-15 feet.

• Impact sprinklers: These are also called “impulse sprinklers”: they rotate in a circle while shooting out a jet of water. (They don’t always manage to water the area directly near the sprinkler head, however.) The Melnor 3900H Heavy Duty Metal Pulsating Sprinkler is an impact sprinkler.

• Rotating sprinklers: These feature rotary arms, that go around when water goes into the sprinkler. These water in a circular pattern. The Noodlehead N111C Flexible Lawn & Garden Sprinkler is a unique rotating sprinkler, in that it has hoses that you can direct yourself at the areas that need watering the most.

• Traveling sprinkler: This is a novel idea for a rotating sprinkler. The sprinkler is on wheels and is self-propelled, travelling along and dispersing the water automatically. These are best for an oddly-shaped area, or a hilly spot. The Orbit 58322 Traveling Sprinkler has three speeds, and can cover an amazing 13,500 square feet of area.  

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Coverage depends on water pressure: Some customers complained that a sprinkler will advertise being able to cover 3600 square feet, but that is true only if the water pressure is 100 psi. If the water pressure in your hoses is less, it won’t reach so far.

• Using a timer: Watering a lawn at the hottest part of the day is impractical, since most of the water will evaporate and not actually water the plants. Watering in the evening or at night is also not recommended, since the lawn remains wet for a long time and can develop a fungus. It is recommended to water from 4 AM to 5 AM. But to water at that time of day, you should use a sprinkler timer to turn on the sprinklers, as well as determine when they should stop.

• Area coverage: An important value to look at when selecting a sprinkler is the area that the sprinkler covers. The Melnor Metal Oscillating Sprinkler can cover an area of 3600 square feet (60 ft x 60 ft).

• Use a rain gauge to measure water distribution: When you water your lawn, you want to make sure that the water is getting distributed as necessary. It’s recommended to use a rain gauge to see that the sprinkler covers the lawn adequately. If it has rained recently, the rain gauge will tell you how much water is due to rainfall, and how much is due to the sprinkler system. A lawn should be given no more than 1” of water, either by the sprinkler or by rainwater, per week.

• Spacing sprinkler heads: One expert said that if you want to water an area properly, the distance between sprinkler heads (in feet) should be equal to the water pressure (in PSI). So if the water pressure in your hose is 35 PSI, you should space sprinkler heads 35 feet apart.

Orbit— was founded in 1976, in Bountiful, Utah. They are makers of home-improvement products, as well as products for irrigation, misting, landscape lighting, and thermostats. They have a sprinklers and oscillators that can cover small, medium, and large areas.

Melnor--was founded in 1948, and has its headquarters in Winchester, Virginia. They make oscillating sprinklers, hose repair kits, turret sprinklers, traveling sprinklers, timed sprinklers, nozzles and wands, as well as gardening tools: pruners, loppers, and shears.

Noodlehead Sprinkler--is located in Sisters, Oregon. They are makers of a unique type of sprinkler system. It consists of 12 pliable rubber tubes that can be bent, so as to direct the flow of water to directly where you want.  They also make an extendable riser, that allows the sprinkler to sprinkle from a height.

Rain Bird--was founded in 1933 in California. They were the first designers of the impact drive sprinkler, and now have over 4,000 products devoted to water saving and irrigation, for homeowners, professionals, and for recreational and agricultural use. They make sprinkler products that can even be programmed by mobile device or computer.