Prices, Promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.

Choose the Best Sprinklers for a Lawn or Garden

Marc McCollough

By Marc McCollough
Updated May 27, 2025

Lawn sprinklers are great alternatives to an underground sprinkler system. They're comparatively inexpensive and are simple to set up, move and take down. We'll help you find the best lawn sprinklers and give you tips on using them efficiently to keep your plants watered.

An impulse lawn sprinkler watering a lawn next to a flower bed.

Tips for Finding the Right Sprinkler

Finding the best sprinkler for lawns and gardens depends on several factors. These questions will help you narrow down your choices.

What Are the Sizes and Shapes of the Areas You Need to Water?
Sprinklers for lawns and gardens have different available spray patterns, so considering the size and shape of the area you need to water is a must for choosing the best sprinkler.

The sprinkler packaging or product information should explain its spray pattern and give the square footage the pattern covers. Find the coverage that best matches your irrigation needs.

How Much Do You Want to Spend?
You can often find a small sprinkler for less than $10 or you can spend $50 and more on one with more capabilities. Features, durability and design are all factors in the price.

An inexpensive plastic sprinkler may be the best choice if you just need to irrigate a small vegetable garden, but if you want a more durable metal sprinkler that has adjustable settings, you'll need to spend more.

Determine which factors are important and how much you want to spend.

Are There Any Water Restrictions In Your Area?
Some sprinklers use more water than others. If your area is under any water usage restrictions, take this into consideration so you can find a sprinkler that irrigates your lawn or garden as efficiently as possible.

Good to Know

While an underground sprinkler system is more expensive than several lawn sprinklers, you can set up an underground system to fit your landscape perfectly and customize a schedule for automatic irrigation. Take a look at our underground sprinkler installation project and sprinkler head guide to learn about these systems and see how to set one up.

Lawn Sprinkler Types

Now that you’ve got the key factors above in mind, consider the different sprinkler types to find one that meets your needs.

Impulse Sprinklers

A green and black impulse lawn sprinkler connected to a red garden hose.

If you have a large area to irrigate where a grass or garden is well established, an impulse sprinkler is a good choice. You may recognize this type of sprinkler by the characteristic clicking it produces as it casts an arc of water in a circular pattern.

While you can water large areas with an impulse sprinkler, it's not the best choice for new lawns or gardens. The force of the water hitting the soil can disrupt seeds or seedlings. 

To fully cover rectangular spaces while minimizing wasted water, you may need to move the sprinkler periodically or set up several sprinklers.

Oscillating Sprinklers

A gray, yellow and black oscillating sprinkler casting a fan of water streams across a lawn

The spray pattern of an oscillating sprinkler is perfect for rectangular areas. Multiple streams from an oscillating sprinkler create a gentle fan of water that moves back and forth, making this type the best lawn sprinkler for newly seeded or newly planted areas.

Since oscillating sprinklers put out a lot of water, you'll need to check the irrigation area every so often to make sure water isn't puddling. This can especially be an issue with slow-draining clay soil.

Rotating Sprinklers

A rotating sprinkler with three arms casting streams of water over a lawn and garden.

There are several types of rotating sprinklers.

  • One type features two or more arms that spin, casting water in a circular pattern.
  • A more decorative design has a spinning ring with nozzles that spray water.
  • You can also find compact rotating or rotary sprinklers that look like a sprinkler head on an underground sprinkler system.

Rotating sprinklers can irrigate a fairly large area. They're more suitable for new plantings than impulse sprinklers, but some models have watering patterns that aren't very precise. You may waste some water on areas such as sidewalks and driveways if you're not careful with your irrigation.

Spray Sprinklers

A small gray and green spray sprinkler with multiple streams of water irrigating a planting bed.

If you need to water an area such as a small patch of lawn or a small garden, a spray sprinkler is a good choice. This type of stationary sprinkler puts out multiple streams of water to create a gentle fountain that covers just one area.

Above-Ground Sprinklers

Garden Hoses

Garden Hose Nozzles & Wands

Garden Hose Reels

Sprinkler Coverage Patterns

Understanding the difference between full-coverage patterns and adjustable patterns will help you ensure your entire lawn or garden is properly watered. 

A full-coverage sprinkler pattern varies depending on the sprinkler type and its specifications. For example:

  • The full-coverage pattern of an oscillating or rotating sprinkler might be a rectangle covering 4,000 square feet. Depending on your lawn size and shape, you might be able to water your grass with one sprinkler.
  • The full coverage pattern of a rotating or impulse sprinkler might be a circle covering between 5,000 and 6,000 square feet. Depending on the shape of the lawn you might need to overlap a couple of sprinklers to reach all of the grass.

Sprinklers with adjustable coverage let you customize the pattern to avoid wasting water on concrete surfaces and apply more to your lawn or garden.

  • You can adjust some impulse and rotating sprinklers between full- and half-circle patterns and adjust how far the sprinkler throws the water.
  • You can adjust some oscillating sprinklers to cover large rectangular spaces or narrow strips of lawn.

Use Lawn Sprinklers with Different Bases for Different Applications

In addition to different types of sprinklers, you'll notice different types of bases for the devices as well. Different bases let you choose a sprinkler that's best for your needs.

Spike-Base Lawn Sprinklers

A spike-base impulse sprinkler with one large spike and two smaller stabilizing blades.

Spike-base sprinklers have a plastic or metal base that ends in a point and may feature a blade or secondary spike for stability. This base is a good choice if you don't anticipate needing to move the sprinkler regularly.

You'll often see this base on an impulse or rotary sprinkler, where the rotating action could turn the sprinkler body.

A spike base works well in uneven yards, making it easy to level the sprinkler for consistent watering.

Sled-Base Lawn Sprinklers

An oscillating lawn sprinkler with a green sled base.

Sled bases are typical for oscillating sprinklers and work well if you anticipate needing to move the sprinkler a lot, either to adjust coverage or to allow mowing. They usually feature a couple of runners that rest on the ground, but you can also find sprinklers with wheels. Both types make it easy to adjust or move the sprinkler simply by pulling the garden hose it's attached to.

Sled bases are best for level terrain. You may have difficulty getting a sled-base sprinkler to water evenly if it's on a slope.

Traveler Lawn Sprinklers

A traveler sprinkler designed to look like a green tractor with spiked rear wheels.

A traveler base or traveler sprinkler has wheels and an internal mechanism that uses the force of the water to turn the wheels and move the sprinkler across a lawn. It will typically follow a course you set up with the garden hose.

These types of sprinklers tend to be more expensive than others and need high water pressure to operate. However, they're perfect for watering irregularly-shaped areas since you can customize the course the sprinkler travels.

Traveler sprinklers usually have a rotating head and may include an automatic shutoff feature that activates when the sprinkler reaches the end of the course. They may not be the best choice for a yard with a dog, who may see the sprinkler as a toy.

Other Sprinkler Base Types

An in-ground rotating sprinkler watering a lawn.

You may see sprinklers with other types of bases, including in-ground, tripod and T-post sprinklers.

  • An in-ground lawn sprinkler is similar to a popup head on an underground sprinkler system. It requires installation, but you don't need to set it up each time you need to water. When it's not in use, you can set the sprinkler below ground level.
  • A tripod base lawn sprinkler lets you adjust the height of the sprinkler head so obstacles won't block the water.
  • A T-post lawn sprinkler fits over a standard T-post that you'd used for wire fencing projects. The post gives good elevation and the sprinkler is easy to attach and remove.

Lawn Sprinkler Watering Tips

A green tripod-base impulse sprinkler set up near a flower bed watering a lawn.

Knowing when and how to water your lawn helps you use your sprinklers efficiently, giving your grass the water it needs and minimizing wasted water.

Good to Know

Some areas may have limits on water use. Follow any water restrictions for your area.

How Do I Know My Lawn Needs Water?

If, after you walk on the lawn, the blades don't spring back quickly, your lawn needs supplemental water. A dull look to the grass is another indication of a lack of water.

Tip

Healthy cool-season grasses may go dormant and turn brown during the summer months and only need about 1/2 inch of water every 2 to 3 weeks to stay alive. Once temperatures cool off, they'll green up again and you can resume normal watering.

When Should You Water a Lawn or Garden?

It's best to water your lawn in the morning, at least a few hours before noon. This gives the water time to drain into the ground before the heat of the afternoon causes it to evaporate. This practice is especially useful in hot, dry conditions or climates.

If you need to water in the afternoon or evening, make sure you allow a couple of hours for the grass or plants to dry before dark. If the plants remain wet into the night, there's a greater chance of disease developing.

Tip

Make watering with a sprinkler easier and more efficient by using a hose-end timer. Mechanical timers can control one hose. Try a digital, smart-compatible model to set up multiple watering zones or turn your sprinklers on or off from your phone. 

How Much Water Does a Lawn Need?

An established lawn needs from 1 inch to 1-1/2 inches of water per week. Ideally, this will be a combination of rainfall and supplemental watering with a sprinkler. In general, it's best to water thoroughly two or three times a week, but timing may depend on your soil type.

If you've just seeded a new lawn, you'll need to irrigate lightly each day to keep the top layer of soil moist until the grass is established and developing strong roots. See our lawn seeding how to for more tips on starting a new lawn right.

How Does Soil Affect Watering?

There are three basic types of soil. Each has a different irrigation need.

  • Sandy soil drains quickly. Plants in sandy soil need water more frequently than those in other types. You may want to split your irrigation over several days.
  • Clay soil holds water well. Plants in clay soil won't need water as often as those in sandy soil. You can apply supplemental water once a week, but don't overwater.
  • Loam is a blend of silt, organic material and clay. It has a good balance of drainage and water retention. You can divide the supplemental water over a couple of days each week.

Learn more about the different types of soil and how you can improve your soil with our soil and soil amendments guide. See our watering tips for more ideas on using water wisely in the lawn and garden.

Conclusion

In order to select the best sprinkler for your lawn, you'll need to consider several factors:

Size
Consider the size and shape of the area that needs to be watered. Do you need the best lawn sprinkler for large areas or the best sprinkler for a small lawn?

Cost
Cost is a big consideration. Do you want inexpensive sprinklers that can easily be moved around? Or would you prefer a more expensive built-in system that can target specific areas and create an automated schedule?

Types

  • Use an impulse sprinkler for a large lawn.
  • Oscillating sprinklers are good for rectangular lawns and newly-seeded areas.
  • Rotating sprinklers are also good for large areas, as well as new plantings.
  • Use a spray sprinkler for small patches of lawn or a garden.
  • There are several types of sprinkler bases including spike, sled, traveler, tripod, T-post and in-ground.

Other Tips

  • Purchase a timer for your sprinkler to automate watering times. Smart-compatible devices will allow you to set up multiple areas and turn the water off and on easily from your phone.
  • Water your lawn in the morning to allow it to soak in before the hot afternoon temperatures cause the water to evaporate.
  • An established lawn needs 1 inch to 1-1/2 inches of water per week, including rainfall and water from the sprinklers.

Related Tags: