We've gone far beyond the early stages of tech companies trying to connect every device in our homes to the internet, turning "stupid" items into smart home products, and although you may not want a microwave on, it's an element that you should consider it is a smart controller of the sprinkler system.
By connecting your sprinkler system to the internet, not only can you create programs or turn it on / off directly from your phone, but some systems will automatically create watering programs based on climate, weather forecast, and parts of your yard. more or less shade during the day.
Below we have gathered four different sprinkler controllers, each with a unique approach to streamlining the maintenance of the lush or green yard or garden.
Smarter than most
Zone: 8 or 16 | Smart Home Support: Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Wink, Control4 and Nexia | Outdoor enclosure: $ 30 on Amazon Accepted weather services: For the Rachio Weather Intelligence Plus service, national weather stations, 270,000 personal weather stations, etc. are used.
Rachio sprinkler controllers are without a doubt the most popular, or at least the most recommended, and for good reason. They are easy to set up and install (just like most sprinkler controllers), but they also provide broad support for smart home platforms and use multiple weather sources for the company's Weather Intelligence Plus service.
This service will proactively adjust your watering schedule once a month and, if there is any bad weather in the forecast, will skip the watering days to adjust to rainfall. All of these, again, are key features of smart sprinkler systems, but Rachio's technology seems to be the smartest and most consistent.
Also: Rachio 3 hands-on smart sprinkler: Smart watering controlled by phone
PRO
VERSUS
Touch screen option
Zone: 8, 12, 16 | Smart Home Support: Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant | Outdoor enclosure: $ 35 on Amazon | Accepted weather services: NOAA, NetAtmo, Wunderground, OpenWeatherMap and more
The Rainmachine line of smart sprinkler systems looks unique in that all three models have a touch screen and a digital display. Mini-8 is the most basic in the group and does not support HomeKit. Pro and Touch HD have larger screens and touch areas, with Touch HD having a 6.5-inch display. All three models support automatic water cycle adjustment based on local weather reports.
Mini-8 supports up to 8 zones, Pro supports 8 or 16 zones, and Touch HD supports 12 or 16 zones. All three models support frost control and heat wave protection and support main valve automation.
One constant complaint from the reviews I've read about Rainmachine is that while it accepts more weather services for rain delays, forecasts and watering schedules aren't as accurate as the competition.
PRO
VERSUS
The affordable option
Zone: 8 | Smart Home Support: Wyze application | Outdoor enclosure: $ 30.99 | Accepted weather services: Sprinkler Plus Wyze Weather Service |
Wyze produces a bunch of affordable devices, so it made sense for the company to develop a low-cost, smart smart sprinkler system controller. The black oval design is minimal and will allow you to remotely control up to 8 different sprinkler zones.
For the asking price, you get one year of Sprinkler Plus weather service, which usually costs $ 9.99 per year. A disadvantage of the Wyze offer is that it does not currently support any smart home service outside of the Wyze app. So even though you can still control your phone sprinklers, you won't be able to ask Alexa or Google Assistant to make adjustments.
PRO
VERSUS
For those with a hose system
Zone: Single | Smart Home Support: HomeKit | Outdoor enclosure: Designed for outdoor use Accepted weather services: Manually enable / disable rain delay via the Eve app or Apple shortcuts
If you wet your yard with a more traditional hose and sprinkler, then Eve's Aqua is a reliable option. Connect it to the outside valve and connect the hose to the Aqua.
Eve has added Thread support to Aqua, enabling future integration with additional smart home platforms as Thread continues to launch and gain traction in the marketplace. However, for now, you'll need to use an iPhone and HomeKit to control it.
You can use the Eve app to start / disable Aqua on demand, or you can set schedules for when it should start and allow water to flow. The Eve app will even calculate how much water is flowing through the adapter, giving you a better estimate of how much it costs to keep your yard or garden wet.
PRO
VERSUS
For the most part, yes. You will need access to the current controller of your sprinkler system. There should be a series of wires leading to the controller, each controlling a valve that turns water on or off for a watering area.
Each controller included in this list, except Eve Aqua, will come with a power adapter that plugs into a standard wall outlet. In other words, it is powered just like any other gadget or device in your home.
Anything connected to the internet is likely to be hacked, and smart sprinkler controllers are no different. As with any type of online account you have, it's a good idea to choose a random, unique password - and use a password manager to remember it for you - to increase your account security.
I personally have used several different controllers over the years. Most recently, I installed and ran Rachio 3. Based on my personal experience with smart sprinkler controllers and reading countless reviews from fellow technology journalists as well as consumers, this is what ultimately led to the devices on this list.
There are some aspects of smart sprinkler controllers that you should keep in mind when making a decision. First and foremost is your budget. The Wyze offer is the most affordable, but also requires an annual subscription (even if it costs only $ 10 per year, it's still a recurring fee). More expensive controllers, such as Rachio and Rainmachine, use several different services to make weather and watering adjustments, which is why they are more expensive.
In the case of Rainmachine, the design and integration of the touch screen also plays an important role in its cost.
Another factor to consider is which smart home platforms you are currently using or may even intend to use. Rainmachine and Rachio support almost all platforms, while Wyze and Eve Aqua offer limited solutions.
The number of supported zones is something to consider, but to a lesser extent simply because most sprinkler controllers start with a minimum of eight supported zones.
eufy Security HomeBase S280 (HomeBase 2), Home Security Camera System, Apple HomeKit Compatibility, No Monthly Fee, 16GB Local Storage, eufy Security Product Compatibility, Advanced Encryption
$99.99
YoLink Smart Home Starter Kit: Hub & Water Leak Sensor 4-Pack, SMS/Text, Email & Push Notifications, LoRa Up to 1/4 Mile Open-Air Range, w/Alexa, IFTTT, Home Assistant
Original price was: $79.99.$69.99Current price is: $69.99.
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