What is the Best Lawn Sprinkler for Your Garden?
Sprinkler systems are one of the best ways to keep your lawn hydrated and healthy. That said, choosing the best lawn sprinkler often depends on your lawn size, shape and water pressure, rather than price alone.
So, if you're looking to upgrade your lawn sprinkler system, we're here to help you match your lawn type with one of POPE's high-quality sprinklers.
Match your lawn size & shape to a POPE sprinkler
Small lawns (courtyards, ≤50 m²)
When it comes to small lawns and courtyards, opt for a compact lawn sprinkler that's easy to move and store. Some of our most popular sprinklers for small gardens include the:
Medium rectangles (50–150 m²)
For medium-sized garden areas and lawns, focus on sprinklers that provide an even rain pattern with adjustable settings for width and length. Alternatively, if your garden is affected by a constant breeze, a sprinkler with an adjustable arc, like the Rainmaker Oscillator or Impact Sprinkler On Spike, will still provide great coverage.
Large lawns (150–400 m²+)
Large areas often call for sprinklers that offer long throw capabilities, adjustable arcs and exceptional durability. Some popular POPE options include:
Sprinkler types: Key features and best uses
While it's important to match your lawn size and shape with the best sprinkler, it also helps to understand how the different types of sprinklers stack up against each other. Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons of the different types of lawn sprinklers.
Oscillating sprinklers
Oscillating sprinklers sweep back and forth, creating a rectangular pattern across your lawn that mimics natural rainfall.
- Key features: Provides even, consistent coverage across wide areas.
- Best for: Large, rectangular lawns where you want uniform watering from edge to edge.
Impact sprinklers
Impact sprinklers use a rotating, spring-loaded arm to deliver strong, pulsed jets of water in a circular or adjustable arc.
- Key features: Performs reliably in breezy conditions and can be adjusted to suit different garden shapes.
- Best for: Large or irregular lawns, and gardens exposed to wind.
Rotating sprinklers
Rotating sprinklers use one or more spinning arms to distribute water in a circular pattern, creating a gentle spray.
- Key features: Soft, controlled watering that’s kind to plants.
- Best for: Medium-sized lawns, garden beds and areas with delicate plants or seedlings.
Pop-up sprinklers
Pop-up sprinklers are fixed irrigation heads installed in the ground. They rise when activated to spray water over a set area, then retract when off.
- Key features: Discreet, programmable and customisable for your garden layout.
- Best for: Permanent lawn irrigation systems where a clean, low-profile look is preferred.
Drippers and tricklers
Dripper and trickler stakes are low-flow emitters placed at the base of plants to deliver slow, targeted irrigation directly to the root zone with minimal water waste.
- Key features: Highly water-efficient with precise delivery.
- Best for: Garden beds, pots, hedges and individual plants that need controlled watering.
Coverage, pressure and placement
Here's how to set up your lawn sprinkler to help maximise performance.
Measure and zone
Quickly sketch out your garden area and divide it into different zones depending on the watering needs of your plants. When placing your sprinklers, aim for a roughly 10–20% overlap across these zones to avoid dry patches.
Quick tip:
- Rectangular lawns → oscillators.
- Irregular or large garden areas → impacts or rotors.
- Strips → tricklers.
Match throw to pressure
It's essential to ensure you've got enough water pressure to achieve the desired throw radius (distance) for your lawn sprinkler. As a general rule, low to medium water pressure typically suits oscillating sprinklers or rotating arms, whereas high water pressure is better suited to impact sprinklers.
Quick tip: Effective coverage is key. If your sprinkler spray mists, add a pressure/flow controller. If the throw falls short, reduce the hose length and check for kinks.
Placement and overlap
Correct placement is essential for effective coverage. As a general rule, you'll want to place rotating sprinklers and impact sprinkers “head-to-head,” meaning each sprinkler sprays up to the position of the next sprinkler. Oscillating sprinklers should be positioned "edge-to-edge" to ensure coverage overlaps in rectangular lawns.
Quick tip: Angle sprinkler head away from fences and paths to minimise water waste. For verges, use a 180° trickler to prevent overspray.