If you do everything by hand, caring for your lawn can take a lot more work than you’d think. There’s cutting your grass, of course, and managing weeds. But when it comes to lawn care, the biggest hassle (and expense) is watering. 

Your lawn’s water needs change all the time. Temperature, season, humidity, day-to-day weather, local watering restrictions (triple the price per gallon if you water on Sundays in June, etc.) — there’s a lot more to watering your lawn than meets the eye. 

And while some types of grass are more forgiving than others, a few watering missteps (or a period of unexpected rainfall) can kill your lawn, leaving you on the hook for costly sod, plus the labor it takes to dig up your old grass and replace it. 

Watering often drives up your home’s environmental impact, too. You have to guess at your landscape’s water needs, and it’s easy to overwater, taking money out of your wallet and costing the environment as well. 

Installing a watering timer is one of the simplest ways to streamline your lawn care. It will save you money, make your home more green, and give you back hours that you would have spent watering. Your plants will thank you, too — with consistent watering, they’ll grow faster and stronger. 

Best of all, irrigation timers are inexpensive and easy to use. They’re one of the easiest ways to upgrade your home. 

This guide will teach you everything you need to know about timers for watering your lawn, as well as which type is the best sprinkler timer for your needs.

What Is A Water Timer?

Water timers (also called irrigation timers or sprinkler timers) are one of the best ways to save money on your home expenses. Irrigation timers program your sprinklers or hoses to water at regular intervals. You can change them according to season, weather, and so on, and they’ll water your lawn automatically, ensuring that you never leave your lawn high and dry. 

There are even smart watering timers that automatically adjust according to the weather, taking the guesswork out of lawn care and virtually eliminating excess watering.

Best of all, they are inexpensive. With the money you save on water, they usually pay for themselves within a few months. 

Here’s a look at the three main types of water timer, along with our favorite pick for each type. Take a look and see which timer is right for you. 

The 3 Main Types Of Water Timer

There are three main kinds of water timer on the market today: mechanical, digital, and smart home timers. Each type comes with its own set of benefits; which one is best for you depends on your watering needs.

Mechanical Water Timer

Mechanical watering timers are an old-school, tried-and-tested way to water your yard more efficiently. 

A mechanical timer hooks directly to your faucet and works just like an egg timer in your kitchen — you twist the dial to whatever water duration you want and your faucet will shut off automatically when the timer is finished.

Mechanical timers are great for a few reasons:

• More convenient than hand watering. With a mechanical timer, you don’t have to spend hours watering. You can hook your mechanical timer up to a basic sprinkler, set it to whatever time you want, and go back to your life. It’ll take care of the rest. 

• Conserve water. With a mechanical timer, you’ll never forget to turn off the water again. The timer will shut off automatically at the end of the cycle. 

• Two-minute installation with no wiring. You don’t need batteries or a wiring system to install a mechanical hose watering timer. You just screw it onto your faucet and it’s ready to go. 

• Great for renters.  Mechanical timers don’t require any wiring for installation, which makes them the best sprinkler timer for renters. You’ll save money on your water bill and keep the yard in good shape, and you can unscrew the water timer and take it with you when you move out. 

• Affordable. Mechanical timers don’t cost much and they’re built to last for years. 

A mechanical faucet water timer is a simple and inexpensive way to take better care of your yard. Installation takes two minutes, and afterward you’ll never have to water by hand again. 

Digital Water Timer

A digital watering timer automates your watering schedule, saving you time and money and reducing your home’s environmental impact. 

Digital timers hook up to each sprinkler in your yard, allowing you to program all your watering from a single unit. Features include:

• Scheduled, automatic watering. With a digital timer, you’ll never forget to water again. You can set a weekly schedule from your console — for example, watering for 20 minutes at 6 AM every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday — and the timer will water automatically from there. Watering with a hose can take hours out of your summer, especially if you have a larger yard. A digital timer gives you all that time back. 

• More vibrant plants. Hand watering with a hose is inconsistent — you may overwater some areas and underwater others. With a digital timer, your watering is consistent every time, which leads to healthier and more vibrant plants. 

• Efficient watering. You can set a digital timer to water early in the morning, before the sun comes out. The cooler temperature and lack of sunlight means the water won’t evaporate, which significantly decreases your water bill and increases the amount of water that penetrates all the way to your plants’ root systems. 

• Stress-free travel. Going on vacation or traveling for work? Digital water timers give you the freedom to travel without worry. No need to bug your neighbors or hire professional landscapers to water while you’re gone; your sprinklers will run automatically and you’ll return home to healthy, happy plants. 

Save time, money, and the environment by switching to a high-efficiency digital irrigation timer. 

Diivoo Smart Home WaterTimer

• Bluetooth Water Timer: Add the sprinkler water timer to the Smart Life app via Bluetooth, you can easily create a watering schedule in the app. In addition, the Bluetooth connection allows your phone to receive notifications whenever the bluetooth garden hose timer stops working, reminding you to deal with it in time. (Note: The maximum working range is 49.2ft in the open area without obstruction).
• Timed and Cyclical Irrigation Modes: Diivoo smart water timer features timed irrigation mode which allows you to specify the days and times to water. Cyclical irrigation mode allows you to set watering frequency for each program. You can customize up to 20 separate watering programs using this smart irrigation timer, both on frequency and duration.
• Rain Delay and Manual Watering: You can activate Rain Delay mode to pause your schedule for 24h, 48h or 72h in rainy days. You can also turn the bluetooth sprinkler timer to manual mode in the app without interfering the preset watering programs if you're going through a particularly dry spell or need to make adjustments on the spot.
• Upgraded Leak-Proof Design: The connectors of the IPX5 smart sprinkler timer can withstand water pressures from 7.25 psi to 116 psi. It comes with 2 different sizes sealing washers and thread seal tape to prevent hose timer from leakage. Bluetooth water hose timer can be installed at standard 3/4"or 1/2" garden outdoor faucet. The battery cover with rubber ring isolated moistrue.
• Application: This automatic water timer is ideal for sprinkler watering, lawn, vegetable garden, greenhouse, flowerbeds, pool filling, etc. The sprinkler timer will fully meet your different watering needs. Let you travel with no worry!

• WiFi Water Timer: Add the water hose timer to the WiFi hub via the Smart Life APP, you can create a watering schedule in the app anytime and anywhere. and will receive notifications whenever the smart garden hose timer stops working, reminding you to deal with it in time.
• Timed and Cyclical Irrigation Modes: Diivoo programmable sprinkler irrigation timer features timed irrigation mode which allows you to specify the days and times to water. Cyclical irrigation mode allows you to set watering frequency for each program. You can customize up to 20 separate watering programs using this smart hose timer, both on frequency and duration.
• Voice Control Water Timer: the sprinkler hose timers is compatible with Alexa and google assistant. You can control it by simple voice command. Just download the Smart Life app, and you’ll have a powerful watering system at your fingertips. Note: The distance between timer and wifi hub is within 49.2ft without obstraction，2.4Ghz WiFi Only).
• Rainy Delay and Manual Watering: Rainy Delay mode allows you to pause your schedule for 1-3 days to avoid overwatering in rainy days. Manual Watering mode allows you to water temporarily without interrupting the preset watering programs. This irrigation water timer is ideal for sprinkler watering, lawn, vegetable garden, greenhouse, flowerbeds, pool filling and etc.
• Upgraded Leak-Proof Design: the connectors of the IPX5 smart water timer can withstand water pressures from 7.25 psi to 116 psi. 2 different sizes sealing washers and thread seal tape to prevent water timer from leakage. Install your timer at standard 3/4" or 1/2" garden outdoor faucet.