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Watering our lawns and gardens is a thankless task, and can be particularly wasteful when done with a hose in one hand and a beer in the other. Irrigation systems have made home watering simpler and more efficient, and while most of any sprinkler system revolves around plastic pipes (hoses and drippers with a drip irrigation system) and a set of valves motorized connected to the water supply, the brain of the operation has always been in the controller.
For decades, sprinkler controllers have hardly been fancy devices. They typically consist of a rotary dial, a handful of switches, and perhaps a crude monochrome LCD screen. This is changing rapidly, as smart sprinkler controllers enter the market. These come from two angles: startups looking to disrupt the market with new gadgets, and old-guard irrigation companies that have upgraded their equipment with smart innards. Both approaches to date have shown some merit. Here are our opinions on the best gear on the market today.
[ Further reading: A smart home guide for beginners ]
The best smart irrigation controller
Once again, there is no competition: the Rachio 3 succeeds the second generation Rachio as the best smart irrigation controller on the market.
The new model is even easier to install, and the company has made several improvements to its already excellent app. Again, it’s available in 8-zone and 16-zone configurations, and there’s an outdoor cabinet if you can’t install the device indoors.
runner-up
Orbit may be a graybeard in the irrigation world, but it’s giving Rachio a run for its money in the smart home market. Orbit’s second-generation B-hyve smart sprinkler controller has plenty of bells and whistles, and can even withstand being mounted outdoors without the need for a fixture (although it’s not completely waterproof).
The best budget irrigation controller
While its price has increased slightly since the date we received our review unit ($50 to $57.98 at the time of writing), the Wyze Sprinkler Controller is still an incredible value. You can control just eight irrigation zones, where competing manufacturers offer multiple models to cover all bases. But if you have a small yard and modest expectations, it gets the job done for a lot less.
Best hose-based sprinkler controller
Whether you water your garden with a garden hose or simple drip irrigation, as opposed to an in-ground sprinkler system, Orbit’s second generation B-hyve XD is far superior to conventional off-line timers, and the Orbit app can control several of them. independently when you add the optional Bluetooth to Wi-Fi bridge, which we highly recommend.
What to look for when buying a smart irrigation controller
Do you already have a sprinkler system? While there are some smart irrigation controllers that will work with garden hoses or other equipment out of the box, most are designed to work with real irrigation controllers that connect to your own water supply and feature motorized valves and dedicated plumbing. to control irrigation. water flow. Installing a real sprinkler system can be a big task that requires professional help, especially if you have a large yard or garden, but upgrading to a smart controller from a “dumb” one isn’t difficult. Consult a landscaping expert first if you’re installing a sprinkler system from scratch to plan your zones ahead of time.
On-device controls: Probably the single most important decision you have to make with a controller is whether you want a device that includes built-in controls, meaning buttons and readout directly on the controller that allow you to use it without an app. This can be useful if you have multiple people using the system, or especially want to give a gardener access to the controller without having to configure it in the app. Systems without on-device controls generally lack any kind of display except a status light that indicates if it’s working, so remember you’ll need the app on your smartphone or tablet to do this. anything with that.
Indoor/outdoor mounting: Will you be mounting the unit indoors or outdoors? If you are outdoors, you will need a weatherproof enclosure for the system. Some vendors sell separate indoor and outdoor versions of their controllers. Others sell an outdoor enclosure as a separate add-on.
Number of zones: In irrigation parlance, a zone is an area controlled by a valve and its connected irrigation pipe. If you have four valves, you have four zones. Your controller must have enough capacity to support all zones on your system. Eight zones is common, but units that support as few as six zones and as many as 16 zones are currently on the market.
Schedule flexibility: How often do you want to water? Every day? Any other day? On specific days of the week? Not all controllers can handle complex schedules, so look carefully at your options before you buy. Some controllers can even import legal watering restriction information for your zip code, to make sure you’re not watering on off-limit days.
Notifications: It’s helpful to be notified when your irrigation system is working, but different products deal with the mechanics differently. Push notifications are common, but many only notify you when watering is complete, not when it starts (which is arguably more useful). Other forms of notification (email, text) aren’t common, so consider a unit that supports IFTTT if you want to be fancy with notifications.
“Smart” programming: One of the great promises of smart irrigation systems is that they can take into account the local climate and environment to optimize the water supply. We’ve found that these don’t work all that well (they have a tendency to overwater), although options that skip watering when it rains can be an added feature. Otherwise, there is not much need to put weight on so-called “smart” programming features.
Smart home hub support: Want to link your sprinkler system to your smart home hub? Sounds great, but the reality is that most smart sprinklers exist today as islands: only a few actually connect to anything, though Amazon’s Alexa has minimal support. Expect this to change as these products mature.
Our smart sprinkler controller reviews:
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