The 5 Best Lawn Sprinkler Heads – [Reviews & Rankings]

A healthy lawn needs 1-1 ½ inches of water every week (Source). Using the right lawn sprinkler heads on your lawn sprinkler system is the most reliable and efficient way to ensure this water is being delivered, over and above other water sources.

The best lawn sprinkler heads make the most of your lawn sprinkler system by discreetly and evenly delivering water to your lawn.

Lawn sprinkler heads are devices that replicate rain. They’re attached to the pipes of your lawn sprinkler system and setup to ensure even dispersal of water across your lawn. Installing a lawn sprinkler head is as simple as digging up the riser on the pipe, screwing it in, then securing it back in place with surrounding earth (Source).

Lawn sprinkler heads are typically adjustable, allowing you to control the angle at which water is expelled. Some even have a “pop-up” feature that ensures the lawn sprinkler heads are only visible when they’re in use.

Others might come with features like a censor that sprays water to scare off wildlife. If you have a large lawn that can’t be watered properly by a regular sprinkler, lawn sprinkler heads are a simple way to automate the process.

Prior to purchasing lawn sprinkler heads, you’ll need to consider if you want a spray or rotary head. You’ll also need to consider its water pressure measured in PSI. You should also ensure it’s made out of materials that won’t get damaged.

Give your lawn new life with these top-rated lawn sprinkler heads. 

What is a Lawn Sprinkler Head?

Sprinkler systems are one of the most popular ways to water your lawn without exerting too much effort. A modern sprinkler system connects to your water source with pipes that spread out equally throughout your lawn.

To water your lawn, these pipes reach back up to the surface of your grass across many spaced out locations. In order to spread out the water and make it reach all spots of your lawn between the pipe openings, lawn sprinkler heads need to be installed.

What Are The Different Types of Sprinkler Heads?

• Pendant Sprinkler Head
• Concealed Pendant Sprinkler Head
• Upright Sprinkler Head
• Side Wall Sprinkler Head

Comparing The Top 5 Lawn Sprinkler Heads

1. Orbit 55662 Voyager II – The Best Lawn Sprinkler Head

The sci-fi name might seem a little over the top. But this sprinkler head is an excellent option for underground irrigation systems.

The Voyager is a professional grade pop-up sprinkler head. When not in use, these sprinklers recede back into the ground, which keeps them from getting damaged by kids of lawn mowing or anything else. This also contributes to the look of your lawn, with no sprinkler heads visible except when they’re being used.

But what sets the Voyager II apart from other pop-up sprinkler heads is the ability to change the dispersal pattern of the spray. This can be set from 40 to 360 degrees, which allows you to control what areas of your lawn are getting water accurately.

At only 4 inches tall, the Voyager II is a discreet yet powerful option. This compact sprinkler head can disperse water up to 52 feet, so a careful organization of these sprinkler heads should easily be able to cover your entire lawn with water.

These sprinkler heads are quite durable, but they’re still plastic, and over time may start to leak. This isn’t the end of the world, but it is something you need to watch out for. You may find the leaked water makes the grass grow longer in the areas around the sprinkler head, giving your lawn an uneven appearance.

2. Hunter PGP Ultra Rotor Sprinkler Head

These pop-up sprinkler heads are another great option for keeping that lawn well watered. When set up correctly, a few of these sprinkler heads can cover a huge area of grass.

The spray pattern is adjustable from 50 to 360 degrees, so you can use these sprinklers to cover everywhere you need water to get to. The sprinkler heads come with a tool to let you adjust the dispersal pattern, but this can be something of a tricky process. Hopefully, it’s not something you’ll have to do very often.

These sprinkler heads come in packs of five, which is enough for a fair-sized lawn. If you need more, you can always buy more, but only in multiples of five, which may end up leaving you with a few spares.

Set-up of the sprinkler heads is made easier by the fact that each head has its nozzle already attached, which is not the case with all sprinkler heads. This will save you some time that you can then use getting the finicky dispersal pattern just right.

The gear drive of these sprinkler heads is designed to be able to cope with dirty water, so these sprinklers score high for durability and reliability. It’s nice to know that a little bit of dirty water won’t make these sprinkler heads seize up and stop working.

3. Toro Pop-up Sprinkler Head

At only 3 inches tall, this sprinkler head is smaller than most on the market. But bigger doesn’t always mean better; it’s all in how you use it.

Its small size makes the Toro ideal for smaller lawns or areas under shrubs and bushes. The Toro will work with any irrigation system you have in place, although you may find the best results when using a Toro system.

The Toro sprinkler heads are adjustable from 0 to 360 degrees, with a 15-foot spray arc. This is plenty for smaller lawns, as long as you position the sprinklers right. Refreshingly, adjusting the pattern on these sprinklers is quick and easy.

The Toro sprinkler heads are well sealed to keep dirt out and prevent water leakage. If well looked after, these small but useful sprinkler heads should last a long time.

Be aware, though, that the short 3-inch height of these sprinklers mean that they work best with a lawn that is kept short. Maintain your mowing discipline, or these sprinklers will struggle to spread water over longer grass.

4. Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion Activated Sprinkler

There’s nothing discreet about this sprinkler head. The Yard Enforcer rises up from the grass you stake it in and is impossible to miss. But there are good reasons for that.

The Yard Enforcer can water for 35 feet in any direction. It has a timed watering setting that allows it to water only when you need to, reducing waste. And you can set this sprinkler up once and then just let it do its thing while you focus on something more fun.

But the Yard Enforcer’s most unique feature is its ability to repel pests. The sprinkler features a motion sensor with a viewing angle of 120 degrees that can detect motion up to 40 feet away.

If you live in an area with abundant wildlife, you may be tired of deer eating your plants or skunks burrowing under your lawn. The Yard Enforcer chases animals away by spraying a jet of water at them when they enter your garden. Harmless to the animals, this will nevertheless make them think twice about entering your property again.

5. Rain Bird 25PJDAC Brass Impact Sprinkler – The Best Sprinkler System & Brand

These fancy sprinkler heads that rise out of the ground or chase animals away are all well and good. But sometimes, you just want a basic and reliable sprinkler head.

The Rain Bird is exactly that. The solid brass, bronze and steel construction make this durable sprinkler head look as substantial as it feels. This is a sprinkler head designed to give excellent service for a long time.

The Rain Bird offers 360-degree coverage. Alternatively, it can be adjusted to provide anywhere from 20 to 340-degree coverage. Also, the distance it sprays can be adjusted from 20 to 41 feet.

Adjustment of this sprinkler head is simple, and it will fit practically any pipe. This old-fashioned sprinkler head is perfect for those who want the essential features of a sprinkler in a long-lasting and reliable package without any extra bells and whistles.

Most Common Issues People Have with Lawn Sprinkler Heads

• Easily Broken & Clogged: Many of us have made the mistake of mowing over a lawn sprinkler head. Another common way they can be broken is by collecting gunk from dirty water and getting clogged up. If you carefully consider your options, you can avoid common problems like these.
• Reaching Tough Spots: The whole point of using sprinklers is to keep all corners of your lawn green. To best do this, you need to consider the design of your lawn sprinkler heads and the shape of your lawn to use ones which help you reach all those tough spots.
• Not Enough Pressure: The design of the lawn sprinkler head is one thing, the amount of water pressure you can provide is another potential problem altogether. People who don’t consider water pressure are more likely to get lawn sprinkler heads that don’t perform as well as they should.

How Often Should Sprinkler Heads Be Replaced?

Sprinklers are often exposed to high temperatures and harsh weather conditions. For that reason, sprinkler heads must be replaced every five years. Also, dry sprinklers should be replaced every 10 years or so.

Features of the Best Lawn Sprinkler Heads

Getting lawn sprinkler heads is an investment in the health of your lawn. If you take pride in the appearance of your yard, having an underground sprinkler system equipped with some of the best lawn sprinkler heads will be very helpful for you. Below, we will break down the features we find in the most high-quality lawn sprinkler heads.

Likewise, If you are worried about the season’s turn and leaves cluttering in your yard or garden. We highly recommend buying a backpack leaf blower that keeps your garden clean.

Can’t Be Accidentally Broken

One of the common ways people break their sprinkler heads is because they are standing upright when they are turned off. Having a sprinkler head sticking out when it is not in use makes it easy to kick, mow over, and so on.

If you have an underground sprinkler system, do yourself a favor and get lawn sprinkler heads which pop up while turned on, and sink into the ground when turned off. This alone will do wonders to help you avoid breaking them accidentally.

Plenty of Coverage Area

Lawns come in all shapes and sizes. For this reason, there really is no such thing as a universal lawn sprinkler head that can meet a diverse range of coverage needs.

Look at the design of the sprinkler head and make sure that it has the coverage capabilities that you need. For certain spots of your lawn, you may even want lower levels of coverage. In any case, you should carefully plan coverage of your new lawn sprinkler heads.

Pressure Which Meets Your Needs

Make sure that the PSI of your home’s water system matches up to the specifications listed by the sprinkler head manufacturer. Models that need higher PSI capabilities are usually able to shoot the furthest.

It’s important that you check the PSI requirements of your lawn sprinkler heads in order to get lawn ones that will perform to their level.

Direction and Type of Water Flow

Water can come out of a lawn sprinkler head in many different possible directions, speeds, and depths. While you are planning out which lawn sprinkler heads to purchase, make sure that the model is designed to effectively flow where you need it to.

Comes With Bulk Pricing and Packages

More than likely, you need more than one lawn sprinkler head. Many of the best lawn sprinkler heads come in bulk packages of several lawn sprinkler heads. If this isn’t the case, at least make sure that the individual price per-sprinkler head is competitive with the bulk options you will find.

Factors to Consider Before Buying A Sprinkler Head

When it comes to buying a sprinkler head, there are a lot of choices out there. The best option for you is going to depend on a few different factors. This is also important if you have a question in mind like how to adjust sprinkler heads. Some of the main things to consider are:

Pressure

Another important factor to consider is your water pressure. Different sprinkler heads operate at different pressures, measured in PSI.

A sprinkler that can’t handle the water pressure of your system is not going to perform well, no matter how well-reviewed it may be.

Rotary, Spray, or Bubbler?

For larger lawns, rotary sprinklers are the way to go. These sprinkler heads can handle the highest pressure, which allows them to spray water for up to 50 feet. Rotary sprinkler heads deliver a powerful stream of water that won’t drift when blown by the wind.

Spray sprinkler heads operate at a lower PSI than rotary heads and are designed for smaller lawns. They usually spray water 15 feet or less. This allows for more control as to where the water is going, helping you to avoid watering your pathways of the side of the house.

Spray sprinkler heads deliver water in a fine soaking mist that delivers water faster than a rotary sprinkler. They are great for quickly watering a small area. But the fine mist they deliver is susceptible to wind.

Finally, bubbler sprinklers are small sprinkler heads that deliver small amounts of water to tiny areas. As a result, bubblers aren’t suitable for watering lawns. But they are great for watering individual plants such as flowers and shrubs thanks to their low-pressure stream.

Pop-up vs. Standard

When choosing a sprinkler head, it’s important to understand what kind of irrigation system you have in place, or what kind you want.

Underground irrigation systems are the most discreet option. Buried water pipes are concealed under your lawn, so you don’t have to work with hoses. Pop-up sprinkler heads work great with this kind of watering system since they retract into the ground when not in use.

This protects the heads from damage and improves the aesthetics of your lawn. But buried systems can be expensive to install. And if something goes wrong, you may end up having to dig up your lawn to fix the problem. For this reason, some people prefer the ease, affordability, and versatility offered by a system that uses above-ground hoses.

Ready To Buy The Best Lawn Sprinkler Heads?

Sprinkler heads offer an easy way to keep your lawn healthy and growing. And that’s without mentioning how much fun they are to run through on a hot day!

But the health of your lawn will suffer if you get a sprinkler system that’s inadequate for your needs. It may seem like a lot of work to have to figure out exactly what you need. But it’s a job you’ll only have to do once.

The right sprinkler head system should give you years of reliable service. Make the correct selection before you buy, and you’ll be rewarded with a lush lawn that will be the envy of your neighbors.

Besides sprinkler heads, are you looking to increase your compost quality? If so, consider having a compost thermometer heaped within the contents of your compost. Also, do you need to make clean lines around your lawn or driveway? Take a look at these lawn edgers.

And, if you want to drip water directly to the plant roots, consider buying the best soaker hoses.