• About Us
    • — About Digitized House
    • — Advertise
    • — Editorial Guidelines
  • Policies
    • — Ad Policy
    • — Privacy Policy
    • — Cookie Policy (US)
Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
  • Home
  • Connect Your Home
    • Deals
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Security Cameras
    • Security Systems
    • Smart Displays
    • Smart Door Locks
    • Smart Lighting
    • Smart Plugs
    • Smart Product Round-ups
    • Smart Speakers
    • Smart Thermostats
    • Smart Water
    • Smoke + CO Detectors
    • Solar Photovoltaics
    • Window Coverings
    • Connected Home and Gadget Resources
  • Ecosystems
    • Amazon Alexa
    • Apple HomeKit
    • Google Assistant
    • SmartThings
    • Open Systems
  • Design Your Home
    • Architecture
    • Healthy Home
    • Home Design
    • How-To
    • Green Building
    • Real Estate
    • Sustainable Home
No Result
View All Result
Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
  • Home
  • Connect Your Home
    • Deals
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Security Cameras
    • Security Systems
    • Smart Displays
    • Smart Door Locks
    • Smart Lighting
    • Smart Plugs
    • Smart Product Round-ups
    • Smart Speakers
    • Smart Thermostats
    • Smart Water
    • Smoke + CO Detectors
    • Solar Photovoltaics
    • Window Coverings
    • Connected Home and Gadget Resources
  • Ecosystems
    • Amazon Alexa
    • Apple HomeKit
    • Google Assistant
    • SmartThings
    • Open Systems
  • Design Your Home
    • Architecture
    • Healthy Home
    • Home Design
    • How-To
    • Green Building
    • Real Estate
    • Sustainable Home
No Result
View All Result
Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
No Result
View All Result
Home Amazon Alexa

6 Best Smart Irrigation Controllers to Keep Your Lawn Happy

Kayla Matthews by Kayla Matthews
21 July 2018
in Amazon Alexa, Connected Garage, Connected Home, Google Assistant, Green Building, Product Guide, Smart Speakers, Smart Water, Sustainable Home, Water Conservation
Reading Time: 8 mins read
Skydrop Arc smart sprinkler controller system. Image: Skydrop.

Skydrop Arc Controller. Image: Skydrop.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Read on Apple News

As the temperatures creep up during the long days of summer, lawns grow thirsty. Even though you might have the best intentions to keep your lawn properly watered and looking lush and green, busy work schedules and family activities can derail you from those plans. The solution is installing one of these 6 best smart irrigation controllers.

These devices are designed to replace conventional irrigation controllers, which can be notoriously hard to program. Once in place, they will help keep your lawn at the optimum moisture level and ensure you never again forget to water that expensive sod or yard you’ve worked so long and hard to cultivate. Furthermore, smart controllers can help ensure your garden or landscape bed is kept perfectly watered to grow lush, beautiful plants.

These smart controllers are also well-suited for use by homeowners in municipalities where watering is restricted to specific days or times, by delivering easy-to-set systems that put your mind at ease and help avoid potential penalties. Some cities may also offer rebates on smart irrigation controllers, so it pays to check with your local utility. 

More Original Content FromDigitized House

Kohler H2Wise+ Marks Rise of the Water Network

How Smart Tech Drives Sustainable Home Decisions

6 Steps to Furnishing Your Space Sustainably Without Compromising Aesthetics 

Smart Housing’s Promise for Rural Development

Healthier Smart Home Air Filtration: Aura Air Review

Today, a variety of smart irrigation controllers are on the market that allow you to automate your watering. We’ve done the research and surmised that these six are the best currently available, covering options for in-ground sprinkler systems as well as simple hose-end sprinklers. 

[1] Rachio Smart Watering System

Rachio 3. Image: Rachio.

Rachio offers a complete solution for those wanting smart watering systems for their lawns. Their system for in-ground irrigation setups includes a set of products and an app that works with any smartphone. So, you could purchase a smart sprinkler controller matched to your size of yard, install an optional wireless flow meter, and then download the Rachio app to run it all. Well connected, Rachio works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, plus integrates with Nest products through Works with Nest integration.

The cost of the system varies, depending upon how many zones you need to control. For example, an 8-zone Rachio 3 system with a wireless flow meter will run you around $399. Add-ons include things such as weatherproof outdoor enclosures.

Buy on Amazon

[2] Zilker 

Zilker. Image: AustinDevices.
Zilker. Image: AustinDevices.

Aiming to make hose-end lawn sprinklers and drip watering much smarter, startup AustinDevices created the Zilker smart water valve system. This compact device simply attaches to any outdoor hose bib to help control the flow of water into the garden hose, which would then be attached to your sprinkler or other portable watering device. The way the smart valve works is that it connects to your home’s Wi-Fi network and then taps into the Zilker Cloud to check on weather conditions. With this information, it will decide whether it needs to water your lawn or not.

Right now, Zilker is in the final stages of Beta testing but will start selling in late 2018. You can join their mailing list to get updates about when it will be available. Pricing isn’t yet available. 


Update Spring 2019: The Zilker smart water valve system is now shipping.

The production version of Zilker Valve. Image: Digitized House Media.
The production version of Zilker smart water valve. Image: Digitized House Media.

You can order direct from the company or from Amazon. Look for an in-depth review of the product soon on Digitized House.


[3] RainMachine

RainMachine HD-12. Image: RainMachine.
RainMachine Touch HD-12. Image: RainMachine.

RainMachine is another smart irrigation controller designed to manage in-ground systems with multiple zones. It offers compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, so if you notice a specific zone in your yard that could use some added hydration, you can issue a voice command to water that section. 

The systems come in at the middle of the cost spectrum among this genre of smart devices. For example, their 12-zone Touch HD-12 model with a color display costs $239, but you’ll also have to consider the cost of an Amazon Echo or Google Home speaker if you want to integrate them. Add-ons, such as rain sensor cable or a 110V AC-AC power adapter, are additional. 

Buy on Amazon

[4] Orbit

Orbit B-hyve. Image: Orbit.
Orbit B-hyve. Image: Orbit.

Orbit offers a smart timer that you can put your in-ground irrigation system on. Their Orbit B-hyve sprinkler timer helps you make decisions based on the needs of the groundcover you chose for your yard. It comes with the ability to control eight zones and control them from your smartphone. You can schedule your watering, but you can also hit a button that reads “rain delay” if you have an unexpected downpour.

Orbit is also compatible with Amazon Alexa. Their six-station timer starts at $109.99. 

Buy on Amazon

[5] Blossom

Blossom 7. Image: Blossom.
Blossom 7. Image: Blossom.

Blossom’s smart sprinkling controller for in-ground systems allows you to program a watering schedule for your lawn and prevent overwatering—the Blossom system starts at $149. Blossom can analyze weather reports via a cloud-based algorithm and give you an optimized watering schedule based on your specific location.

As with other systems, you can add various accessories onto the base model at additional costs. Still, the cost of the base system itself is reasonable for the peace of mind you get, and that includes compatibility with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

Buy on Amazon

[6] Skydrop Arc Controller

Skydrop Arc Controller (see image of the system at the top of this page) works well if you have a large yard with an in-ground system and need to manage more zones. The Skydrop Arc allows you to program up to 13 different zones. The company says you could save up to 50 percent on your water bill by using their smart irrigation controller, and the system integrates with Amazon Alexa and all Echo devices. 

You can set it to customize your watering based on the temperature and precipitation. On top of this, you can designate zones as either yard or garden, and the system will adjust watering based on the ideal conditions for that zone.

Buy on Amazon

About In-Ground Irrigation System Zones

For in-ground systems, do keep in mind that watering zones are typically defined by the number of underground sprinkler valves built into your system, not by the smart irrigation controller. So, if you have a conventional non-smart irrigation controller with 8 zones, replacing it with a smart controller will only give you 8 zones.

Make Your Lawn Happy While Conserving Water

Smart irrigation controllers are excellent tools to keep your lawn happy and save you work and worry, while also conserving water and saving money on your water bill. No longer will you have to recall if you remembered to turn on the sprinkler system or turn it back off. In fact, if you forget, you can open an app on your smartphone and see what your smart system has scheduled.

Smart irrigation is clearly the wave of the future, and your lawn will thank you for investing in one of these systems now.

More About This Topic:

  • More from Digitized House | Guide to the Connected Home
  • Sign Up to Get Weekly Digitized House Updates

Tech on tap: Zilker aims to tame the garden hose
Infographic: Water conservation in the home
Smart home tech solutions for summer celebrations
Control bath humidity with a medium-tech digital fan timer
Preventing environmental hazards with connected home tech
Smart water futures gain steam at CES 2018

Tags: Blossomconnected garageenvironmentgear & gadgetsGoogle Homehome and gardenhome automationInternet of ThingsOrbitRachioRainMachineSkydropsmart irrigationwater conservationz1-affiliateZilker
Previous Post

Smart Home Tech Solutions for Summer Celebrations

Next Post

How Smart Homes Can Help Improve Quality of Life

Kayla Matthews

Kayla Matthews

Kayla Matthews is a technology journalist and productivity blogger. She is a senior writer for MakeUseOf and the owner and editor of her tech productivity blog, Productivity Bytes. You can read more by Kayla at Inc.com, VentureBeat, DMN, and more.

Related Posts

Kohler H2Wise+ Smart Home Water Monitor. Image: Digitized House Media.
Review

Kohler H2Wise+ Marks Rise of the Water Network

9 June 2022

Kohler Company recently expanded its smart home portfolio with the Kohler H2Wise+ water monitor, a system designed to surveil a...

The Google Nest Hub displaying home energy data for a Reliant Energy customer. Image: Digitized House.
Sustainable Home

How Smart Tech Drives Sustainable Home Decisions

18 April 2022

Most people try to do their part to cut down on carbon and help save the planet. From recycling to...

Image: Spacejoy on Unsplash.
Sustainable Home

6 Steps to Furnishing Your Space Sustainably Without Compromising Aesthetics 

18 April 2022

Going green has never looked so good. More homeowners than ever are looking to decorate their interior with gorgeous, but...

Next Post
Connected homes can be much more than technology showcases, and when properly outfitted can help improve our quality of life.

How Smart Homes Can Help Improve Quality of Life

Smart door locks offer keyless entry and added safety for your home. Image: August Home.

4 Key Smart Home Safety Features to Invest In

Security cameras have gotten much smarter, but where you place them can increase their effectiveness. Image: Digitized House Media.

With Smart Security Cameras, Location Is Everything

As an Amazon Associate, Digitized House may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links, ads, or buttons on this page. See our full Affiliate Link, Sponsorship, and Ad Policy.

About Us

Digitized House is the Guide to the Connected Home.

We help global consumers make their 
Connected Homes smarter, healthier, safer, and 
more sustainable through streams of original content. You can see our story here.

Like what you see on this website? You can also read us on our Apple News App Channel.

More Info

  • About Us
    • — About Digitized House
    • — Advertise
    • — Editorial Guidelines
  • Policies
    • — Ad Policy
    • — Privacy Policy
    • — Cookie Policy (US)

Affiliate Disclosure

As an Amazon Associate, Digitized House may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links, ads, or buttons on this page. See our full Affiliate Link, Sponsorship, and Ad Policy.

Recent Content

Kohler H2Wise+ Marks Rise of the Water Network

How Smart Tech Drives Sustainable Home Decisions

6 Steps to Furnishing Your Space Sustainably Without Compromising Aesthetics 

Smart Housing’s Promise for Rural Development

Healthier Smart Home Air Filtration: Aura Air Review

Smart Tech Helping Build Sustainable Homes

© 2015-2022 Digitized House Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Connect Your Home
    • Deals
    • News
    • Reviews
    • Security Cameras
    • Security Systems
    • Smart Displays
    • Smart Door Locks
    • Smart Lighting
    • Smart Plugs
    • Smart Product Round-ups
    • Smart Speakers
    • Smart Thermostats
    • Smart Water
    • Smoke + CO Detectors
    • Solar Photovoltaics
    • Window Coverings
    • Connected Home and Gadget Resources
  • Ecosystems
    • Amazon Alexa
    • Apple HomeKit
    • Google Assistant
    • SmartThings
    • Open Systems
  • Design Your Home
    • Architecture
    • Healthy Home
    • Home Design
    • How-To
    • Green Building
    • Real Estate
    • Sustainable Home
  • About Us + Policies
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Ad Policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy (US)

© 2015-2022 Digitized House Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional cookies Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}