If you’re looking to simplify your lawn or garden maintenance, a smart hose timer can help you keep your yard or garden healthy with minimal effort on your part.
We are impressed by the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer for its user-friendly app that allows you to create customized schedules easily. Its built-in water-flow meter enables you to monitor water usage. This smart device can even skip watering sessions based on the local weather forecast, preventing you from overwatering during rainy days.
Smart hose timers can be attached to standard outdoor hose bibs and can be linked to one or more above-ground sprinklers. Through a dedicated app, you can program your timer to turn on and off automatically. Since it’s Wi-Fi enabled, you can manage it remotely. Many models also consider weather forecasts and can adjust watering schedules accordingly. Some models can be paired with additional timers for larger coverage areas.
Our choice
This timer offers easy customization, a built-in flow meter, and a wide range of features, including automated delays based on rain.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
We recommend the Orbit B-hyve Smart Hose Watering Timer for its extensive features and straightforward customization options.
The app, which we found easy to set up but slightly cumbersome to use post-setup, provides features like remote on/off control, notifications, an activity log, scheduling, and family sharing. In case you don’t have your phone nearby, you can manually control the timer using a physical button. The package includes a hub to connect the B-hyve to your home Wi-Fi network.
The B-hyve also includes a built-in flow meter to track water usage. By syncing with a local weather forecast, you can instruct it to skip a scheduled watering session if rain is expected.
Runner-up
A dial and a digital display give you the option to schedule watering directly on the device when your phone isn’t nearby.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
The Orbit B-hyve XD Smart Hose Timer doesn’t have a flow meter like our top pick, but it does offer more advanced manual controls on the device for users less inclined towards smartphone apps. You can operate the B-hyve XD directly on the timer, along with programming options through a digital display and dial. While we prefer app-based control, households with less smartphone-savvy users might benefit from a model that offers both manual and digital controls. Otherwise, the B-hyve XD functions similarly to our top pick.
The B-hyve XD is available with a single hose port (the model we tested), as well as in two- and four-port variations. The B-hyve XD requires the Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 Wi-Fi Hub, included in the package, for smart features to function.
Budget option
This affordable model allows for easy on/off control, scheduling, and family sharing in the app.
Compatibility: Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
The Diivoo Smart Water Timer with WiFi Hub is simple to set up, works well with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and includes a Wi-Fi hub, all priced at around $50. It offers similar basic features as our top pick but lacks a water-flow meter.
Although it doesn’t automatically adjust watering based on weather forecasts, you can activate a rain delay in the app to skip watering cycles for a specified time, ensuring you don’t have to go out in the rain to turn off the hose.
This Diivoo timer is available in one- and two-port versions.
