During our testing, the RainMachine Touch HD would regularly drop offline, which is something that rarely happened to the Rachio 3 despite their being connected to the same network. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company, Better coverage for bigger yards with smaller budgets, Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor Irrigation Controller, Who should buy a smart sprinkler or irrigation controller, Security, privacy, and smart sprinkler controllers, Also great for large yards: Orbit B-hyve XR, Budget pick: Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor Irrigation Controller, Other smart sprinkler controllers we like, testing and researching weather-based irrigation controllers for over a decade, expected to face a water shortage in the next decade, personal weather station, such as a Netatmo, Orbit 57095 Outdoor-Mounted Controller Timer Box Cover, Orbit also sells a model that comes with an enclosure, testing and researching weather-based irrigation controllers for more than a decade, The Best Smart Garage Door Opener Controller, Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor/Outdoor Irrigation Controller, WaterSense Labeled Irrigation Controllers (PDF), Soil MoistureBased Irrigation Controllers, Evaluating the Operation of Residential WIFI Based Irrigation Controllers (PDF), The Best Alexa-Compatible Smart-Home Devices for Amazon Echo, How to Build an Apple-Based Smart Home System With the Best HomeKit Devices, accurately predicts and responds to weather in your immediate area (hyperlocal weather), provides clear weather data sources, with the option to modify them, offers water-use reports and a log of activity, has some on-device controls so that you or your landscaper can still operate the system without a smartphone, can continue to function if the internet connection goes down, integrates with smart-home systems to extend value. All smart sprinkler controllers rely on estimations of evapotranspiration, or ETthe sum of evaporation and plant water useto figure out when to water your yard and for how long. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Some features are missing, however: It gives you no alert when watering starts and no option to set a delay between zones, which would be handy if you needed time for a well to fill up. As a workaround, we used RainMachines IFTTT integration to alert us when the device went offline. 
It works by adjusting whatever program you schedule manually based on the forecast, but it offers no smart scheduling, and without a separate rain sensor, it doesnt have a rain delay. The Orbit B-hyve XR (available in versions for eight or 16 zones) is a slick, higher-end version of our budget pick that can handle larger yards, for less money than our top picks. They found that, compared with regular clocks, most of the smart controllers did a good job of managing the seasonal water requirements of landscapes.
The RainMachine Touch HD also has an option to tweak rain and wind sensitivity to prevent overwatering in inclement conditions. And it is one of only two models we tested that have an Ethernet port, so you can run a cable to it if you dont have strong Wi-Fi where your controller is located. *At the time of publishing, the price was $270. Its not intuitive, and the instructions written on the back of the removable cover are in what looks to be 7-point font. 
Unlike all of the other models we tested, this RainMachine controller doesnt need to connect to the cloud to function, and it depends on the internet only to receive weather updates, so some owners could choose to use it without its smart features. The Wyze Sprinkler Controller is a good value at $50, but after the first year you need to spend a modest $10 annually to use the automatic, weather-based watering schedules. The Aeon Matrix Yardian (eight or 12 zones) has a built-in security camera with motion detection and 24 hours of free cloud recording. Also, its super fun. 
To help you understand what data the companies youre bringing into your yard are harvesting, we asked them to complete a privacy and security questionnaire.
Soil-moisture sensors, flow meters, catch cups, and other add-ons commonly offered with a smart controller can all help fine-tune how the system reacts, but they are not essential to the core functionality of the controllers. RainMachine also sells a less expensive Pro model that covers eight or 16 zones and offers all the same features, though it lacks the touchscreen with full on-device controls. But we have not tested this service since its a paid upgrade and not essential to the operation of the device.). Currently, you cant add sprinkler controllers to HomeKit Automations or Scenes. Installation and setup are straightforward. An outdoor security camera can alert you to prowlers, package deliveries, and visitors, as well as to animals in your trash and things that go bump in the night. A smart sprinkler controller is like a smart thermostat for your garden or yardit controls your watering schedule automatically so you dont have to lift a finger. Its also missing a few features found on most other devices we tested, and it wasnt that easy to set up or use in the slightly cumbersome Wyze app. The Pro model has a separate master-valve terminal, so that model is a better fit if you need 16 zones. A good-looking, capable sprinkler controller, the B-hyve indoor controller can automatically create a smart watering schedule for you or adapt your chosen schedule based on the weather.
But the Yardians smart scheduling has never worked correctly in our testing, and although this WaterSense-certified controller meets most of our criteria, including shared access, offline alerts, and selectable weather stations (it even rates stations based on the type of information they provide), we cant recommend it. And you can program any smart controller to work with local water restrictions, which helps you avoid potential fines.
Its Bluetooth radio is long range and able to connect to, and act as a hub for, other B-hyve devices (such as hose timers and flood sensors); it also allows for control of the system with your phone, even if the internet is down. The downside is that your sprinklers might still run in the rain if the RainMachine controller decides that they need to. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. Its Weather Intelligence Plus (WIP) service produces a hyperlocal forecast based on local weather reports, satellite, radar, and atmospheric flight data, as well as other climate sources, and in our testing it proved to be very effective; for instance, the Rachio 3 accurately predicted that it would not rain in our test garden on a day that the software for every other controller said it would. The Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor/Outdoor Irrigation Controller (12 zones) looks like a traditional irrigation clockbig, heavy, and bulky. The RainMachine Touch HD is a better choice if you want full on-device controls, have an unreliable internet connection, or dont want to depend on the cloud. Some water utilities offer rebates if you install WaterSense irrigation controllers; rebates can cover a large portion of the cost of the device. The Gro Controller by Scotts (formerly Blossom) supports up to eight zones, is simple to set up, and is one of the least expensive options. In a paper published in 2018, they evaluated six Wi-Fienabled, weather-based controllers for one year: Hydrawise by Hunter (a professional model), the Orbit B-hyve, and models by Rachio, Rainbird, RainMachine, and Skydrop. In a few cases, the sprinklers didnt turn on for an entire week due to rain. You can also turn on features such as zone delay and Cycle and Soak, and you can prevent the device from watering if rain exceeds a certain depth. Not every zone ran every time, and it didnt run every day. These integrations let you use your voice assistant of choice to start or stop watering or to start or stop a specific zone (so, for example, you can turn the sprinklers on whenever the neighbors dog wanders over to wee in your garden). You get the option to choose your own weather station and to view basic watering history, but the app has no water-use reports. The Gro integrates with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but it doesnt let you choose a weather station and has no water-use history. The wording can get a bit clunky (for instance, Alexa, ask Rachio to start zone four for 15 minutes or Alexa, ask Rachio to stop watering), leaving lots of room for miscommunication. Its also the smallest device we tested, able to fit neatly in the palm of a persons hand. The only other reliable way to get this type of accurate hyperlocal forecasting is by buying and installing a personal weather station; these range in price from $150 to several thousand dollars and require careful maintenance to remain accurate, according to experts we spoke with. Our pick, the Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro WiFi, is small, attractive, versatile, and reliable. (For a deeper dive into the science behind these sprinklers, see How smart sprinkler controllers work.). RainMachines water-used and water-saved reports and history within the app are excellent and richer with data than Rachio's, including detailed forecasts and logs for days, weeks, months, and years (you can also access them via a comprehensive web interface). On top of all that, the app doesnt have notifications. The half-acre test yard was equipped with a six-zone underground sprinkler system, and it featured sandy soil, a vegetable garden with drip irrigation, a variety of sprinkler heads, and different types of vegetation (grass, trees, shrubs). Jennifer Pattison Tuohy writes about smart-home technology use and sustainable living, while trying to practice both (one is a lot easier than the other). Along the way, she has turned her home into a smart home to explore more ways to save energy, water, and other resources. Do smart controllers actually work? These devices require internet access to get weather forecasts, and some wont function, or only in a limited way, if your service fails. Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. There is the option to choose your own weather station and view basic watering history, but youll find no water-use reports here. We like the option to use the basic (if not comprehensive) onboard controls for a quick watering, and we appreciate that the controller works with Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Assistant, among other smart-home platforms. But its watering method and forecasting are less precise than those of the Rachio 3. It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant but no smart hubs. However, Fipps said that if you dont use a smart controller, you need some other method of knowing how much water you should apply to keep your garden healthy. Based on our research and testing, we determined that the best smart sprinkler controller is one that is easy to install, offers an intuitive user interface, and sets intelligent schedules for youbut also one that allows you to adapt and tailor schedules and evapotranspiration settings to your specific needs. The devices we recommend here dont work with battery-operated controllers or hose timers (although there are smart hose timers you can buy; we review one in our roundup of smart garden gadgets). The Rachio 3e, which is $80 less, works in exactly the same way except that it lacks the hyperlocal weather feature and HomeKit compatibility. It also doesnt need a waterproof case to be mounted outdoors, and it provides extensive on-device controls (though not the full control the RainMachine Touch HD offers). A sleek white box with a long, blue LED light strip, the Rachio 3 has an attractive design thats a significant upgrade from the look of a standard electronic timer. Thanks to smartphone control, they are much easier to programsome do it all for youand can reduce water use by employing real-time weather data to decide if and when to water your yard. That one button is tasked with an awful lot of functionality, including manual watering for any zones, at any length of time, and setting a rain delay (something you cant do on the Rachio 3). The app also tells you when its offline, which is key because with a device thats so easy to set and forget, if it happens to lose power, you might not know until your garden suffers damage. (Costco offers a 12-zone Rachio 3 model; its a Costco exclusive, and its the same as the standard Rachio 3 in all respects other than the number of zones covered.) Only buy if you have or will install a wired, underground irrigation system. Available in four-, eight-, and 16-zone versions, the WaterSense-certified Rachio 3 is our top pick because it was the most accurate controller in our testing. The RainMachine Touch HD uses one of the zone terminals as the connection for a master valve, so if you have one, you get only 11 or 15 zones of coverage. The difference is that with this RainMachine model, you can add Weather Adaptive Watering to adjust that schedule based on the weather. (The B-hyve app does seem to get its knickers in a twist if you try to add a smart watering program and regular schedules to the same zone, with constant warnings that you may be overwatering a zone.). (If you have water restrictions in your area, you can force the RainMachine controller not to run, but that messes with the devices plans for optimally watering your garden.). After four seasons of testing more than a dozen models, we continue to recommend the Rachio 3 for most people. Ensure the model you buy supports the right number of zones for your irrigation system, typically 8, 12 or 16. We tested the NxEco Pro, which was too much like a standard clock and too complicated to use for us to recommend.
Although the controllers in the study have all responded appropriately to rainfall, the authors speculate that adding a rain sensor could help prevent smart controllers from possibly overwatering. They dont work with battery-operated controllers or hose timers. The three small LED screens are a disappointment: Although they do show extra information such as the next start time, the days weather, and useful info like which zone the unit is controlling and the length of time itll run, the honeycomb layout of the screens just isnt easy to read and feels gimmicky. The Touch HD is not weatherproof. Smart sprinkler controllers determine when and for how long to water your yard by assessing local weather conditionsideally, rainfall accumulation, solar radiation, wind, relative humidity, and temperatureand applying them to estimate evapotranspiration, or ET, which is the sum of evaporation and plant water use.
The B-hyve smart watering feature worked reliably in our testing, skipping watering when rain was forecast and intelligently watering our yard using a split watering systemsoaking each zone twice for 15 minutes and leaving a gap of an hour and 30 minutes between each wateringin early spring. These devices also rely on an internet connection to get the latest weather data and to support remote control, so you need to have a good Wi-Fi signal wherever you choose to install your device. This information comes from the weather-data service the controller uses, so that source is key to getting the best results. For example, HomeKit support is available only on the Rachio 3. If your smart speaker is a Google Home, here are the best devices that work with it. Although the RainMachine continued to operate while offline, and we could still control its functions from the device, remote access is a key feature, and not being able to use the RainMachine model consistently was frustrating for us. This means that if your setup had a loose wire, you wouldnt know that a zone wasnt getting water unless you installed a flow meter (or happened to notice it not spraying). The Tailwind iQ3 is our pick for most everyone. RainMachines app is less polished than Rachios, however, with a lot of confusing, deep-dive menus (ideal for master gardeners but a bit daunting for the average person). If you have local watering restrictions, you can tell the device about them, and it works around them. RainMachines app is less intuitive than Rachios and doesnt automatically create schedules, making it more daunting for novice gardeners to use. At the expense of predictability, this choice offers the highest potential water savings. A rugged device with on-device and local control, the B-hyve XR can handle larger yards for less money than our picks, but its app isnt as easy to use as others. (RainMachine is discontinuing its Mini 8 model.). And although the Sprinkl Sense soil-moisture sensor we tested worked far more reliably, all WaterSense-certified controllers are required to function without rain or soil-moisture sensors, so in theory you dont actually need them anyway. We found great ones for the backyard and garage. The home screen shows the controller status, the forecast, the last run and the next run, and a graphic of how much water has been used versus saved (an estimate). The Orbit B-hyve Smart Indoor Irrigation Controller (available for four and eight zones) is the least expensive smart sprinkler controller you can buy, yet it offers many of the same features as our top picks do, including smart auto scheduling, a decent app, and an innovative, slim design. RainMachine offers almost as many smart-home integrations as Rachio, including support for Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, IFTTT, and SmartThings (using a device handler), and it has an API for control on a local network. Then the B-hyve XR automatically creates a smart watering schedule where you choose your start time and add any watering restrictions you have, and youre done. Weve observed several instances when other controllers set rain delays due to forecasted events that didnt actually happen, and in every case the Rachio 3 wasnt similarly fooled by the meteorologist. In our testing, we found that some of these integrations offered real value and werent just gimmicks. If you live in an area that has high water prices or water shortages40 out of 50 states have at least one region thats expected to face a water shortage in the next decadea smart sprinkler controller could be a valuable addition to your home and community. We let the Rachio 3 set our schedule, choosing the Flexible Daily option, which updates every day based on the estimated soil moisture. Its worth considering only if you are looking for a cheaper way to integrate your sprinklers into your HomeKit setup than our top picks, and if you dont plan on using its smart scheduling. She also combed through Environmental Protection Agency research and reports on weather-based sprinkler controllers and their impact on water conservation. Another issue with accurate ET calculation regards how much specific data the controller has about your yard. RainMachine also offers an excellent web interface, which makes managing your device easier. We independently review everything we recommend. The Rachio 3 used less water than we would have with our old system (which was set to run every other day, for a total of 180 minutes a week, regardless of weather).
Rachio has a history of rolling out new hardware with features not available to the previous generation. Do they save the most water you can? For this guide she reached out to experts in the irrigation field, and she spoke with Guy Fipps and Charles Swanson of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (who have been testing and researching weather-based irrigation controllers for over a decade). However, the EPA recently released its specifications for soil-moisture-based irrigation controllers and describes this category as one option to help homeowners and businesses achieve water-efficient irrigation scheduling. One problem with soil-moisture sensors is the expense, especially since you need one for each zone. However, if you dont need more than eight zones, HomeKit integration, and this type of hyperlocal forecasting (either because you already have a weather station or because you live in an area with more-predictable weather patterns than those in coastal South Carolina), the Rachio 3e is a great choice, and it saves you $80. It does alert you when watering is finished, however, and it does indicate any weather-prompted delays. Still, the RainMachine Touch HD is an excellent device. We turned on all of the offered smart features, including Smart Cycle, a cycle-and-soak feature that splits watering into multiple shorter cycles to prevent runoff, and Weather Intelligence, which includes climate skip (watering times skipped based on recent, past, and future weather conditions), rain skip (which skips watering before or after rain), and freeze skip (which prevents watering when a ground freeze is expected, so your plants dont freeze).