5 Best Garden Sprinklers of 2024

The Kärcher Premium Oscillating Sprinkler is a model I’ve been using now for the past two years. I’ve tried several others in the past, but few are able to match it’s coverage area customisation. Its’ roughly £10 more than the next best model, but in my opinion, this makes it worth the extra outlay.

Firstly, let’s start with the yellow tabs on the side. This enables you the adjust its range of motion. For me personally, this means being able to avoid unnecessarily watering my artificial grass, and instead being able to perfectly target my raised beds. Very clever.

Next we get these simple little grey buttons on the side. This gives you the option to open or close certain water spouts. Again, no unnecessarily watering the patio, you can keep the water flow exactly where you need it.

Both of these features enable you to avoid wasting water. Good job Kärcher, as this is a smart and functional design feature.

The flow rate of course depends on the water pressure in your area. Kärcher claim the maximum coverage area is 320m2. In real times, this is probably enough to cover a small garden without having to change the sprinkler’s location. For medium gardens you might have to reposition it once or twice. And for larger gardens a bit more. But that’s of course to be expected with any sprinkler.

Although I don’t personally use them because of my artificial grass, this unit does also have ground stakes to keep it in place. This can be useful if you’ve pets, kids or crazy water pressure!

Overall, this is my top recommended sprinkler, having tried and tested several models over the years (including Hozelock sprinklers which tend to be the go-to for many people). I just like the added customisation Kärcher have provided with this model, which makes it perfect for more specific watering like in my garden.

For those with relatively decent water pressure and a rectangular garden, the Hozelock Rectangular Sprinkler offers good coverage and can be adjusted depending on which areas of the garden require watering.

“But what if my water pressure isn’t high?”, you ask. Well, this sprinkler will still be able to water the garden, but you may have to re-position it several times for better water distribution.

Varying pressure can alter the performance of the Hozelock Rectangular Sprinkler quite dramatically. With around 1 bar of pressure, the spray range of the lawn sprinkler is dramatically reduced, with at least 4 bars required to get coverage closer to the advertised 200 m².

Even so, even with limited pressure, this rectangular sprinkler can reach further than some competitors because it has smaller holes which drive up the pressure inside the unit.

There are 17 jets in total, which can be adjusted easily to water on only one side of the sprinkler, or both sides in a relatively even rectangle.

The biggest drawback to be aware of is how low water pressure can affect the performance of this oscillating sprinkler. Without enough pressure, it can get stuck more often, leading to uneven coverage. Sticking can be a general problem with this sprinkler, but it can sometimes be solved by liberally applying WD40, or soaking the unit in vinegar and water to remove limescale.

Now, we all love a tool with adjustable settings – but isn’t it great when you’re not limited to just the 3 or 4 gradient settings provided by the manufacturer?

Gardena seem to agree, and their Classic Oscillating Sprinkler has fully customisable oscillation, anywhere up to 180°. This means oscillation can be adjusted exactly depending on the demands of your watering task.

As a result, its range can extend anywhere from 7 – 17 m (water pressure permitting), and its width covers around 8 – 13 m.

The spread is quite wide, doing a relatively good job of evenly covering a rectangular space. It is also possible to reduce the water pressure by using a dial on the unit. This may be helpful for people with smaller gardens or very high water pressure.

The usual comments apply: the strength of your water pressure will affect maximum coverage. Make sure that your tap doesn’t have a pressure-limiting attachment fitted, as removing this can sometimes make all the difference.

This is a relatively inexpensive, basic sprinkler, which doesn’t have all the features of competitors such as the Kärcher model, but also comes without the higher price tag.

One issue that comes up time and again with sprinklers is their stability, or lack thereof. Due to the force of their spraying power, they often need weighing down or securing in place.

Costwise have come up with a simple solution in their Oscillating Bar Lawn Sprinkler by including a base with metal construction, instead of using more-commonly-found plastic. This adds more weight to the sprinkler, making it less likely to jump around.

The good news is a more stable sprinkler equals more consistent watering!

Costwise advertise a huge coverage area of 385 m² with their sprinkler, which can probably only be achieved with substantial water pressure; however, it does have the potential to be a powerful sprinkler nonetheless, even with less pressure available.

Like several of the best garden sprinklers, you can adjust the oscillation and water flow of this Costwise sprinkler. In fact, it’s possible to separately adjust the left and right nozzles to get the exact spray pattern for your space. Fed up with watering your paths and wasting water? No more!

For gardeners who like to play around with settings and get them just right, it’s worth nothing that this sprinkler can’t be switched off from the unit itself.

The water flow can only be adjusted from the tap, or the attached hose if it has a stop valve, so this can lead to a bit of a soaking if you need to stand in the splash-zone for a while making adjustments!

For gardener’s who struggle with the constant battle of sprinkler vs. water pressure, Claber’s rotating Idrojet 2000 is one of the most reliable and best oscillating sprinklers to use in low-pressure areas.

Making lacklustre spraying and uneven coverage a thing of the past, this 3-arm Idrojet 2000 can achieve a water coverage of around 8 – 10 m even with just 1 bar of pressure. Sure, it might not sound like much for big gardens, but in a small/medium space, or where pressure is low, you won’t find yourself having to reposition this sprinkler nearly as frequently as with other brands.

Offering impressive control over flow and coverage, regardless of available pressure, this rotating sprinkler can be adjusted to work in any area of the garden. If you’re nervous about watering your neighbour’s flower beds by mistake, you can even bring down the height of the spray by reducing the available pressure. A great way to keep water bills under control – you’ll only be paying to water your own garden!

There is a certain amount of ‘trial and error’ required to find the right sprinkler setting for the job, but overall the joy of finding a sprinkler to work effectively with low pressure is worth the extra time!