5 Things to Know Before You Buy a Smart Sprinkler Controller

Some sprinkler controllers carry the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense certification for watering efficiency and conservation, just as some home appliances carry the Energy Star certification for energy efficiency. In order to receive a WaterSense certification, sprinkler controllers must incorporate local weather data and/or soil moisture readings into their watering schedules instead of simply functioning as on/off timers.

According to the EPA, a WaterSense sprinkler controller can save the average U.S. home up to 15,000 gallons of water per year, which is enough water to fill a 12x24-foot swimming pool that’s 7 feet deep. That means that if every U.S. home with an automatic sprinkler system made the switch to a WaterSense controller, the U.S. could save 390 billion gallons of water every year.

All of the systems we test carry a WaterSense certification, but that doesn’t mean they all have the same watering schedules. That’s due to differences in the weather reports each model uses. Our tests account for these differences. How accurately a controller’s watering schedule adjusts to the weather shows up in our weather responsiveness rating. “We found that some systems made more granular changes than others, thanks to more sophisticated sets of weather data,” Ciufo says.

To see which systems are most effective, check our complete ratings chart.

In-ground sprinkler systems are made up of multiple zones of tubing and sprinkler heads. The system then sends water to each zone one at a time because homes usually don’t have enough water-flow capacity to supply all the zones at the same time. Controllers are sold based on the number of zones they can handle.

Most of the controllers we tested can handle seven or eight zones, and many offer variants that can handle more. For example, the eight-zone Rachio 8ZULW-C sprinkler controller, about $200, also comes in a 16-zone version for about $50 more. Make sure to check the number of zones a system has before purchasing a new controller. If you buy a controller that doesn’t have enough zones, it won’t be able to water all the necessary areas.

If you’re not comfortable doing wiring of any sort, you’ll need to hire a professional to install your smart sprinkler controller. That said, the wiring that’s involved is low-voltage—just like for video doorbells—and you can install the device yourself using the manufacturer’s instructions. The process is similar to installing a thermostat to control an HVAC system. You simply insert the proper wiring into designated terminals.

Most of the models we test allow you to operate them using the manual controls on the device itself and via an app on a smartphone. All work with digital assistants and/or smart home systems—such as Amazon Alexa, Apple Home (formerly HomeKit) and Siri, Google Home/Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings—so you can tell your sprinkler system what to do or integrate it with other smart home products. Think about the most convenient way for you to control your sprinkler system, and be sure to check for those features when you shop.

It’s somewhat surprising, but only two of the controllers we tested are weatherproof. The rest either have to be installed indoors or you have to purchase an additional weatherproof housing for them, which costs about $30 for the models in our tests.

Here are three of the best smart sprinkler controllers from our ratings, arranged in alphabetical order. CR members with digital access can see ratings and reviews for each one. All of them feature the EPA’s WaterSense certification and come in multiple versions for varying numbers of zones.