Best Sprinklers for Large Lawns and How They Can Maximize the Efficiency of Your Landscape

Publushed by:

Rebecca

Last updated:

December 30, 2021

WINNER

 4.5/5

Gardena ZoomMaxx

RUNNER UP

 4/5

Orbit Traveling Sprinkler

BEST BUY

 4.3/5

Quick Snap Pop Up System

A sprinkler is the easiest way to keep your yard looking green and luscious, but when you’re working with a large area, you need something that can handle the assignment.

With so many types of sprinklers and features to choose from, finding the perfect complement to your garden can be overwhelming.

What are the best sprinklers for large areas? The most important feature to look for is the large coverage sprinkler with a spray pattern that suits your yard.

From there, you’ll need to think about other features like oscillation, automatic timer, and adjustable settings that let you customize a sprinkler to what your garden needs.

Whether you’re after a complete sprinkler system or a simple standalone sprinkler, we can help you find the best.

With our guide to large lawn sprinklers and personally hand picked favorites in both categories, you’ll walk away knowing you’ve got the goods to keep your large yard hydrated.

Our Picks for the Best Sprinkler for Large Areas

A large lawn sprinkler needs to be powerful enough to reach whatever size and shade yard you have, and we’ve found some of the best. These are our picks for the best standalone sprinklers that suit homes with more grass to water.

Best Overall: Gardena ZoomMaxx Sprinkler

Short summary

Gardena’s ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler can cover between 76 square feet and 2300 square feet with its nozzle and comes with adjustable settings for time, water flow, length, and width of spray.

The flexible rubber nozzles ensure consistent water distribution and it features a sealed turbo gear driven unit in a sled base to keep it stable even at high pressure settings.

If you’re looking for a sprinkler to suit a large lawn and want to customize it specifically to your garden’s needs, look no further than the Gardena ZoomMaxx Sprinkler.

This oscillating unit has loads of customizable features that let you change the direction of the water flow, how far it reaches, and how wide the spray is, so there’s never any water waste or patches of grass missing out.

As one of the more compact but highly powerful sprinklers, you might be shocked to find just how far it can reach.

According to happy customers, their claim that the ZoomMaxx can go between 75 square feet and 2,3000 square feet is correct, so whether your space is small or large you’ll get it watered with this sprinkler.

The 16 different rubber nozzles used to distribute the water are high quality and ensure it’s consistent, which means no guessing whether the sprinkler’s working while it’s turned on.

With an integrated timer, you can also set the ZoomMaxx to run for up to 120 minutes without needing to turn it off, so it’s even more hands off than most.

Inside this Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler is a sealed turbo gear-driven unit that gives it its power, and the entire unit comes with a whopping five year warranty that vouches for its greatness.

Although expensive, the quality is undeniable, and you’ll get many years of use and a happy lawn when you choose this sprinkler.

Quick Facts

Type: Oscillating
Area Coverage: 2300sq ft
Relocation method: Sled base
Speed control: Yes

Pros

The quick change connector made it easy to switch the sprinkler to any of your hoses or outside faucets without a struggle.
Has some of the most powerful water pressure of any sprinkler on the market which makes it enough to reach far away.
For how much water this sprinkler is capable of spraying, it’s one of the smallest models we’ve reviewed and incredibly lightweight.
This sprinkler comes with an exceptional warranty that gives you peace of mind you’re investing in something high quality.
You can easily move this around and manipulate it where you want the water spray to get it exactly where you need it to.

Cons

Alternative: Orbit Traveling Sprinkler

Short summary

Orbit’s Traveling Sprinkler is a self-propelled sprinkler that can cover up to 13,500 feet of space when with a 200 feet garden hose.

The durable body is rust proof and made of cast iron, and it features a rotary spray with an adjustable diameter of between 15 and 50 feet, so you can customize it to your lawn.

A garden hose that does the work for you is the dream of every gardener, and if this sounds like your fantasy, the Orbit Traveling Sprinkler is the way to go.

This sprinkler is self-propelled with a spike rear wheel and can make its way around your garden path alone following the path you set with its hose, and there are three adjustable speeds that dictate how much water it sprays.

This is a great option for people with large yards because it moves around for you, and covers up to 55 feet of lawn from its whirling arms, or 15 feet for shorter areas.

This is the best sprinkler for rectangular lawn shapes but probably not as good for circular or unusual ones because the wheels need to follow the path of the hose, so keep that in mind.

The Orbit Traveling Sprinkler can cover up to 13,500 square feet when paired with a 200 feet garden hose, making it perfect for large lawns.

The rotary style sprayer means it gets even coverage as well, no matter whether it’s standing still or moving around. For a fuss-free sprinkler that has a mind of its own, the Orbit is one of our favorite finds.

Quick Facts

Type: Traveling sprinkler
Area Coverage: 13,500 square feet
Relocation method: Self propelled
Speed control: Yes

Pros

Having a sprinkler that moves for you means you can leave this one to do the work without ever having to pick it up.
Covers a large amount of ground in the right positions with up to 13,500 square feet possible.
An affordable option for people wanting a large lawn sprinkler without spending too much money.
Lots of automatic and customizable functions make this a hands-off sprinkler that can be tailored to your exact garden's needs.
A sturdy and durable cast iron body is made for the outside and can withstand all kinds of weather.

Cons

Alternative: Nelson RainTrain

Short summary

The Rain Train from Nelson is known as the original traveling sprinkler and it’s efficient enough to cover 13,500 square feet with a 200 feet diameter thanks to the included hose that comes with it.

Made with a chip-resistant powder coated cast iron body, ABS plastic wheels, and aluminum arms, it’s built tough for the outdoors and features three different settings that dictate how fast it moves and powerfully it sprays.

The Nelson Rain Train is the ultimate choice for large spaces and its powerful arms can cover up to 13,500 square feet of grass whenever it’s turned on.

This traveling sprinkler can cover up to 200 feet and saturate your lawn as thoroughly as required, following the path of the hose you lay out, as long as there’s plenty of healthy grass for it to move on.

On the downside, some people didn’t like the plastic parts that came with this, especially not when paying a higher price like this one cost.

However, the Nelson Rain Train comes with lots of extras like automatic shut-off and the option to adjust both the speed and spraying power of the arms, which you usually find on premium products.

This sprinkler comes with a two year warranty which could be better for the price, but the powder coating and cast iron body make it a heavy and durable piece of machinery, even with the previously mentioned plastic parts in place.

As the first traveling sprinkler, Nelson has had lots of time to perfect the system which seems evident when you give this efficient irrigation system a go.

Quick Facts

Type: Traveling sprinkler
Area Coverage: 13,500 square feet
Relocation method: Self propelled
Speed control: Yes

Pros

The overall weight of the sprinkler is impressive and means it’s sturdy on the wheels and it’s weather resistant.
You can set this up and forget about it, so it’s a fuss free way to keep your grass watered.
The Rain Train can cover one of the largest surface areas of modern sprinklers and it’s a smart buy for people with large lawns.
A trusted name and known as the original traveling sprinkler, Nelson has a lot of people who vouch for their quality and are loyal to the brand.
A water efficient option with the adjustability of spray and an automatic shut off, so nothing is accidentally left on.

Cons

Some customers found the plastic parts to feel a little flimsy and not in line with how much they paid for it.
For the price, the warranty coverage on this isn't as impressive, and others in this range beat it by a mile.
A few people noted that bald spots of grass can prevent a problem for this sprinkler and it sometimes gets stuck.

Best Sprinkler System: Orbit 2 Zone Sprinkler System

Short summary

The Orbit Sprinkler System Kit features 12 sprinklers, Blue-Lock fittings and tubing, pressure gauge, digital timer, and tubing cutter, giving you everything you need for a complete irrigation setup.

This system can be adjusted for different times, water pressure, watering zones, and weather, so once it’s been set up you don’t have to do a thing.

Orbit’s 2 Zone Sprinkler System is a sprinkler that can do it all, and especially for larger lawns.

Included in this system is everything you need to set it up, including tubing, fittings, pressure gauge, and 12 pop-up gear drive high impact sprinklers.

Using the famous Blu-Lock system that makes installation easy means there’s no need to push or struggle with the parts, and no PVC or nasty chemicals are used while watering your lawn.

The 2 Zone Sprinkler System is an expensive option but for larger lawns and true efficiency, it’s worth the cost.

Some of the convenient features it has are adjustable timers up to 240 minutes, a rain delay feature so you’re not wasting water during a downpour, and 125 feet of tubing that you can set up to the configuration that your lawn needs.

There’s no word of a warranty on this, unlike their standalone sprinklers, but the quality is evident as soon as you unpack it.

Another bonus is the two zone setup that lets you cover more ground and separate areas, with each sprinkler moving between 40 and 360 degrees to cover every blade of glass.

Orbit truly has thought of everything a large lawn owner will need when designing this, and it’s a comprehensive system that does it all.

Quick Facts

Type: Tubing
Area Coverage: 125 feet
Relocation method: Ground fixtures
Speed control: NA

Pros

You get a massive 125 feet of tubing included and the choice to use two separate zones so it can truly cover it all.
Lots of options for adjusting the sprinkler's usage which means it'll be perfectly customized to your yard.
The use of their innovative Blu Lock means you can set this up in minutes without any strain.
A true set-and-forget option that can take over all the watering in your lawn and garden with no fear of failure.
Having adjustable sprinkler heads means you can direct the spray to usually hard to reach areas if needed.

Cons

This is a costly sprinkler system that may be too much for some customers who don’t need all of these bells and whistles.
There doesn’t appear to be a warranty coverage on this sprinkler which is disappointing for Orbit who protects their other sprinklers with lengthy ones.
The initial setup for this sprinkler system is a lot longer than one that propels itself and it requires a lot of planning to cover a larger lawn.

Runner-Up: Quick Snap Pop Up Sprinkler

Short summary

The Quick Snap Pop Up Sprinkler System comes with five compact pop-up sprinklers, four hose connectors, three hose line splitters, and everything else you need to set it up.

With 5000 square feet of coverage from each sprinkler and the ability to go back down when turned off, it can easily reach your entire lawn with one simple installation.

If you want true customization when it comes to watering your lawn, a dedicated system like the Quick Snap Pop Up Sprinkler is the way to go.

This system comes with five pop-up sprinklers that you place around the lawn, connect to the hose, and watch them rise five inches to start watering.

When they’re done, they hide back down in the grass so discreetly that you can even mow straight over the top of them without doing any damage.

Everything you need is included in this system, like the hose line slitters and hose connectors, plus a detailed installation guide.

It can take a while to get the system running but once you do, it’ll take hours off your hands while it waters even the largest size yards without a fuss.

Each pop-up sprinkler has a reach of 5,000 square feet and considering you have five of them, you can cover up to 25,000 feet of lawn.

The Quick Snap Pop Up Sprinkler doesn’t come cheap though, and it’s also not covered by a warranty, so that’s a risk you’ll have to take.

However, for a professional-grade sprinkler setup and the ability to throw water up to 40 feet away at 2.5 gallons per minute, it’s the only system you and your large lawn will ever need.

Quick Facts

Type: Pop up
Area Coverage: 5000 square feet
Relocation method: Ground fixtures
Speed control: NA

Pros

You can cover up to 25,000 feet when each pop up sprinkler head is spread around the lawn.
You'll never have to move any parts of the sprinkler to cover your entire lawn, making it fuss free once it's set up.
Each sprinkler can reach up to 40 feet away which is impressive when you look at their compact size.
Comes with all of the parts and a trusty manual that lays all the steps out so they’re easy to follow.
No unsightly parts are left on the lawn and nothing that can be tripped over or accidentally mowed.

Cons

Best Sprinklers FAQ

A quality sprinkler is a big investment and one that you need to think through before jumping in.

These questions will give you the basics about finding a sprinkler that suits your lawn and ensures it’s being watered the way it needs to be.

What Is The Best Time To Water Your Garden With A Sprinkler?

Experts recommend watering your garden in the early morning or later afternoon to evening, including when you use a sprinkler.

This ensures the weather is still cool but the sun won’t be strong enough to have a negative impact on the process, so aim for either of these.

What Is The Best Kind Of Garden Sprinklers For Larger Yards?

Large yards work best with oscillating sprinklers or complete sprinkler systems, as both let you cover more ground.

However, the easiest way to tell if a sprinkler is sufficient for the size required is by checking the square footage that it covers and seeing if this will be enough for your yard.

What Kind Of Sprinkler Covers The Most Area Without Relocating?

Oscillating lawn sprinklers are the best option for covering more ground without having to be repositioned.

These sprinklers turn in a 360-degree movement that allows them to spray water in all directions, and if you choose one with a powerful enough pressure they can reach over 4,000 square feet of grass.

For How Long Should I Water My Lawn?

Each time you water your lawn with a sprinkler, aim for about 30 minutes of consistent watering before moving onto the next area and repeat this a few times a week.

Some people prefer to give their lawns a longer soak once a week for an hour and find they get just as good results.

The Key to a Hydrated and Healthy Lawn

Sprinklers are the hands-off and low maintenance way to keep your lawn looking green and spectacular, but they need to fit the yard they’re in.

With our recommendations and some insight into choosing the perfect sprinkler for your lawn, you’ll be well on your way to the healthiest grass you’ve ever seen.

WINNER

 4.5/5

Gardena ZoomMaxx

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