Best Smart Hose Timers (2026)

TL;DR

Top pick: Rachio Smart Hose Timer (1 valve + Wi-Fi hub, $99.99) — Wirecutter's top pick from 12 smart timers it tested, for "sturdy, attractive hardware, an excellent app", and the best smart water controller "for most people" in Tom's Guide's review (4.5 of 5). IP65 valve, forecast-based rain skip, up to eight valves on one hub; no Apple Home. [src1, src4, src11]
Best two-zone timer: RainPoint 2-Zone Wi-Fi Hose Timer (with Wi-Fi hub) — HGTV's best overall hose timer and Bob Vila's best smart one: two zones programmed separately, a built-in flow meter and a rain delay that follows the local forecast, on four AA cells. [src2, src8]
Best with on-device controls: Orbit B-hyve XD 1-Outlet (with Gen 2 hub) — Wirecutter's runner-up and, of the 12 timers it tested, the one with the most controls on the timer itself; Reviewed found it cheaper than the Rachio and fuller-featured, but harder to set up. [src1, src7]
Best for Apple Home: Eve Aqua (3rd generation, Thread, $149.95) — AppleInsider's 4.5 of 5 ("rock-solid HomeKit support"); 9to5Mac's tester still waters with it in 2026. Apple Home only, and no built-in weather skip. [src6, src9, src13]
No budget pick this cycle: Wirecutter's budget pick, the Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 Smart Hose Watering Timer with its Gen 2 Wi-Fi hub, has one hands-on test of the Gen 2 itself, Wirecutter's (Tom's Guide tested the earlier B-hyve 21004, a different product), and this card names a pick only when two independent tests support it, so the Gen 2 is listed below as an alternative. It has a built-in flow meter, forecast-based rain skip and a Smart Watering setup that asks about soil, sun and slope, in an app Wirecutter found "notably confusing". [src1, src5, src14]

The testers split on the top spot. Wirecutter picks the Rachio and Tom's Guide calls it the best for most people; HGTV tested the Rachio as well and gave its best-overall award to the RainPoint 2-Zone, which Bob Vila also names its best smart timer [src1, src4, src8, src2]. We keep the Rachio first because Wirecutter compared 12 smart timers, all with a Wi-Fi connection, on the same spigot, and Tom's Guide's review reaches the same verdict on its own; HGTV's and Bob Vila's roundups mix smart timers with timers you program by hand, and Bob Vila did not test the Rachio [src1, src4, src8, src2]. Wirecutter rates the Rachio's app above every other it tested, and Reviewed found its weather skip more reliable than the Orbit B-hyve XD's [src1, src7]. If you need two zones from one faucet, the RainPoint is the pick. Rachio's own store listed the kit at $99.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src11]; the table at the top of the page shows today's price and stock for every pick.

A smart hose timer screws onto an outdoor faucet, runs on batteries and opens the water on a schedule you set in an app. Many talk Bluetooth to a small plug-in hub that puts them on your Wi-Fi, so you can start them from anywhere and let a forecast cancel a watering [src1]. The Rachio Smart Hose Timer is the pick for most people: Wirecutter's top pick and Tom's Guide's best for most people, with an IP65 valve and more smart-home integrations than Wirecutter's other picks, though not Apple Home [src1, src4]. The Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 is Wirecutter's budget pick, with a flow meter and a deeper but more confusing app [src1]. For two zones from one faucet, HGTV and Bob Vila both pick the RainPoint 2-Zone Wi-Fi Hose Timer [src8, src2]; for Apple Home, the Eve Aqua is the timer AppleInsider and 9to5Mac recommend [src6, src13].

Watch the configuration. Orbit sells B-hyve timers with and without a hub, and Gen 2 timers pair only with Gen 2 hubs: the Gen 1 hub that came with the older 21004 kit works only with the 21004 and 21005 timers, not a Gen 2 or an XD [src18, src14, src19]. Bluetooth-only timers such as the Hunter BTT-100 cannot be reached from outside the yard, which is why Wirecutter does not recommend them at all [src1, src2]. And be careful with the EPA WaterSense claim: WaterSense labels weather-based and soil-moisture-based irrigation controllers, Orbit's own WaterSense collection lists its Wi-Fi hubs but no hose timer, its B-hyve XD page claims the certification only when the timer is paired with a hub, and Rachio's hose-timer page makes no WaterSense claim at all [src12, src10, src15, src11]. Confirm the exact model and hub with your water utility before counting on a rebate.

Top pick: Rachio Smart Hose Timer, 1 valve + Wi-Fi hub ($99.99) — Check price

Wirecutter's top pick: it "combines sturdy, attractive hardware, an excellent app, a comprehensive array of features, and support for major smart-home apps", and "Rachio's app stands above those of the other models due to its pleasantly uncluttered design". It is rated IP65, where Wirecutter's other test models claim no dust protection; it has a flow meter, though without real-time readings; and it works with Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts, more smart-home integrations than Wirecutter's other picks. It does not work with the Apple Home app, and Wirecutter found Siri Shortcuts "way more complicated and confusing" to set up [src1]. Tom's Guide gives it 4.5 of 5 and calls it "the best smart water controller for most people": setup took under 10 minutes and you can set how much rain cancels a watering, from 1/16 to 3/4 inch, but it "lacks complex tuning for lawn slope or plant wilting points" [src4]. Reviewed confirmed the 200-foot range to the hub and found the weather skip "much more reliable and accurate" than the Orbit B-hyve XD's; its 2023 test predates the update that added Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts [src7, src1]. HGTV tested it too and called it "impressive", but left it out of its picks [src8]. Rachio says one hub manages eight valves, the two AA batteries (not included) last about a watering season, and the valve should not be exposed to freezing; its own store listed this kit at $99.99 when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src11].

Best two-zone timer: RainPoint 2-Zone Wi-Fi Hose Timer with Wi-Fi hub — Check price

HGTV's best overall hose timer and Bob Vila's best smart one. HGTV liked the two zones with three watering plans each, the built-in flow meter and the "smart rain delay that adjusts based on local weather"; against it, "App has a slight learning curve for beginners" and there is no display for programming at the faucet [src8]. Bob Vila rated it 5 of 5 for performance and durability: four AA cells (not included), each zone set from 1 minute to 11 hours 59 minutes, watering by volume as well as by time, and a Wi-Fi hub in the box; it "costs about twice as much as a non-smart digital version" [src2].

Best with on-device controls: Orbit B-hyve XD 1-Outlet with Gen 2 hub — Check price

Wirecutter's runner-up: "Of the 12 models we tested, the Orbit B-hyve XD Smart Hose Timer has the most on-device controls." Besides the B-hyve app, a dial and a small display let you set the clock, start time, run time and frequency on the timer itself, and a schedule made that way ran "just as reliably" as one made in the app; the controls are "a little fiddly", though. It has no flow meter, unlike the Gen 2 timer, is rated IPX5, and needs the Gen 2 hub, included in this kit, for its smart functions; Wirecutter says the hub supports 16 devices [src1]. Reviewed, which tested the XD before the Rachio, found the Rachio "easier to set up" with "a simpler interface", while the B-hyve "comes at a lower price point and offers more of those aforementioned 'bells and whistles'"; its weather skip was "a bit finicky" [src7]. Orbit's store listed the 24516 kit at $101.59, in stock, when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src15]. Orbit also sells the XD with two and four outlets; the outlets we read tested only the single-outlet model [src1].

Best for Apple Home: Eve Aqua, 3rd generation ($149.95) — Check price

AppleInsider rates the third-generation Eve Aqua 4.5 of 5: "If you want the best wireless connection alongside a sleek design and rock-solid HomeKit support, then Eve Aqua is your answer." It joins your Thread network, and in AppleInsider's testing "we never had a connectivity issue"; the new magnetic valve is silent and the hose fitting is now brass. The trade-offs AppleInsider lists: the body went from aluminum to painted plastic, the battery compartment is fiddly, and it is not cheap [src6]. 9to5Mac found it "near-silent", and the schedules you make in the Eve app run from the device's own memory, without your iPhone, a HomePod mini or an internet connection [src9]; its tester still recommended it in March 2026, but was still waiting for Matter support [src13]. It works only with Apple Home, and it has no built-in weather skip: AppleInsider pauses its schedule with an Apple Shortcut [src6]. Eve rates it IPX4 and for 39-122°F, ships two AA cells in the box, and says remote control needs a HomePod or an Apple TV (4th generation or later) as a home hub [src16].

Wirecutter's budget pick — one hands-on test of the Gen 2: Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 Smart Hose Watering Timer with Gen 2 hub — Check price

Wirecutter's budget pick, previously its runner-up. It has a built-in flow meter (after a 30-second calibration, the app estimated that 10 minutes of an oscillating sprinkler would use 71.1 gallons), it skips watering when rain is forecast, and its Smart Watering setup asks about soil type, sun, slope and the sprinkler heads you use; it keeps running its programs if the power or Wi-Fi goes out, and works with Alexa and Google Home. The catch is the app: "The app is notably confusing", with the same settings spread across several tabs [src1]. Orbit expects 3 to 100 feet between timer and hub, says Gen 2 timers work only with Gen 2 hubs, and listed the 21204 kit at $89.99, in stock, when we checked on 2026-10-14; its store no longer lists the older 21004 kit, only that kit's Gen 1 hub sold alone, which works with the 21004 and 21005 timers and not with the Gen 2 or XD [src14, src18, src19].

Also tested: Netro Pixie solar timer ($69.99) — Check price

HGTV's best solar timer: a single-zone timer on direct Wi-Fi, with no hub and no AA cells, that you control entirely from the app. HGTV found setup "frustrating at first", but once connected rated the app "one of the best we tested"; there is no screen on the timer [src8]. Netro says a day of sun runs it for a week on its removable battery, lists Alexa and IFTTT support, and rates it for 32-122°F on a 3/4-inch garden-hose thread [src17].

Also tested: Hunter BTT-100 Bluetooth timer ($62.75) — Check price

Bob Vila's best Bluetooth timer, 4.7 of 5 for performance and value: phone control with no online account, a run/soak mode that lets water soak in between bursts, and a manual watering button. In its test the phone connected from about 30 feet outdoors and 18 feet indoors, and there is "no connection away from home", no voice control and only one zone "at a premium price" [src2].

Also tested: LinkTap G2S with gateway ($125.00) — Check price

Wirecutter tested it and left it out of its picks: the LinkTap G2S "has many of the same features and performance as our top pick, but it is more expensive—and it doesn't support Google Home". It came with a screwdriver for the battery compartment [src1].

Head-to-Head Comparisons

Rachio Smart Hose Timer vs Orbit B-hyve Gen 2

Wirecutter tested both. The Rachio has the easier app, an IP65 rating and support for Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts; the Orbit Gen 2's app is "notably confusing" but asks far more about your yard, and both have a flow meter, the Rachio's without real-time readings. Wirecutter only shortlisted timers that keep watering through a Wi-Fi or power outage, and lists Alexa and Google Home for the Orbit [src1]. Tom's Guide, which tested the Rachio and the earlier B-hyve 21004, draws the same line: the Rachio for simplicity, the B-hyve for "adjustment depth" at about half the price [src4, src5].

Pick the Rachio if: you want the easiest app and the widest voice-assistant support.
Pick the Orbit Gen 2 if: you want a flow meter and fine control over how each spot is watered, and can live with a busier app.

Rachio Smart Hose Timer vs RainPoint 2-Zone Wi-Fi Hose Timer

HGTV tested both and preferred the RainPoint; Wirecutter and Tom's Guide pick the Rachio [src8, src1, src4]. The RainPoint waters two zones from one faucet, three plans per zone, with a flow meter, on four AA cells [src8, src2]; the Rachio is one valve per faucet (one hub runs up to eight), IP65-rated, with the app Wirecutter rates highest [src11, src1].

Pick the Rachio if: one hose per faucet is enough and the app matters most.
Pick the RainPoint if: you want a lawn and a flower bed on the same faucet, on separate schedules.

Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 vs Orbit B-hyve XD 1-Outlet

The same B-hyve app and the same Gen 2 hub, in different timers; Wirecutter tested both. The Gen 2 has a flow meter; the XD has none, but adds a dial and display for programming at the faucet, which Wirecutter finds "a little fiddly" [src1]. Orbit listed the Gen 2 kit at $89.99 and the XD kit at $101.59 when we checked on 2026-10-14 [src14, src15].

Pick the Gen 2 if: you want to track water use.
Pick the XD if: someone in the house will program the timer by hand rather than with a phone.

Rachio Smart Hose Timer vs Eve Aqua

The Rachio works with Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts but not the Apple Home app [src1]; the Eve Aqua works only in Apple Home, over Thread, and runs its schedules from its own memory [src6, src9]. The Rachio skips a watering from the forecast by itself [src4]; the Eve needs an Apple Shortcut to pause [src6].

Pick the Rachio if: your household mixes Android, Alexa or Google devices.
Pick the Eve Aqua if: everything you use is Apple and you want the timer in the Home app.

Decision Logic

Default recommendation (unknown requirements)

→ Rachio Smart Hose Timer, 1 valve + Wi-Fi hub. Wirecutter's top pick and Tom's Guide's best for most people: the app Wirecutter rates above every other it tested, forecast-based rain skip and room for eight valves on one hub. [src1, src4, src11]

If you use Apple Home

→ Eve Aqua. The Apple Home timer AppleInsider and 9to5Mac recommend; plan on a HomePod or an Apple TV as home hub, and on pausing for rain with a Shortcut. [src6, src13, src16]

If you want the lower-cost kit and the most control over how each spot is watered

→ Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 Smart Hose Watering Timer with Gen 2 hub. Wirecutter's budget pick, with a flow meter and Smart Watering settings for soil, sun and slope; expect a more confusing app than the Rachio's. [src1]

If one faucet has to feed two zones on separate schedules

→ RainPoint 2-Zone Wi-Fi Hose Timer with Wi-Fi hub. HGTV's best overall and Bob Vila's best smart timer: two zones, three plans per zone, and a flow meter. [src8, src2]

If someone will program the timer at the faucet instead of in an app

→ Orbit B-hyve XD 1-Outlet with Gen 2 hub. The most on-device controls of the 12 timers Wirecutter tested. [src1]

If you already own an Orbit Gen 1 hub (the hub of the 21004 kit)

→ Buy a Gen 2 kit with its own hub: Orbit says Gen 1 devices work with Gen 1 devices and Gen 2 with Gen 2, and its Gen 1 hub works only with the 21004 and 21005 timers. Orbit still sold the Gen 1 hub alone when we checked on 2026-10-14, if that is all you need to replace. [src14, src18, src19]

If you never want to change AA batteries

→ Netro Pixie. A solar-charged battery instead of AA cells, on direct 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; HGTV's best solar timer. [src17, src8]

If you never want the timer on Wi-Fi

→ Hunter BTT-100, accepting about 30 feet of Bluetooth range outdoors and no control away from home. [src2]

• Flow meters are now common on the hub-based timers: the Rachio, the Orbit B-hyve Gen 2 and the RainPoint 2-Zone all measure the water they let through, though the Rachio shows no real-time flow [src1, src8]. The Orbit XD has none, and the Eve app shows only an estimate [src1, src6].
• Most of these timers reach Wi-Fi through a hub: the Rachio, the two Orbit B-hyve timers and the RainPoint 2-Zone pair the timer with a plug-in Wi-Fi hub [src1, src2, src11]. The Netro Pixie connects to Wi-Fi directly, and the Eve Aqua reaches you over Thread through an Apple home hub [src17, src16].
• Matter has not reached the Eve Aqua yet: AppleInsider expected an update to Matter in 2022, and 9to5Mac's tester was still waiting for it in March 2026 [src6, src13].
• WaterSense rides on the hub, not the hose timer: EPA WaterSense labels weather-based and soil-moisture-based irrigation controllers [src12]. Orbit's own WaterSense collection lists its Gen 1 and Gen 2 Wi-Fi hubs and no hose timer, and its B-hyve XD page claims the certification only when the timer is paired with a Wi-Fi hub [src10, src15]; Rachio's hose-timer page makes no WaterSense claim [src11]. Check the model and hub on your utility's rebate list.
• Orbit's generations do not mix: Gen 1 and Gen 2 B-hyve devices each work only with their own generation, and when we checked on 2026-10-14 Orbit's store listed the Gen 2 kits while selling the Gen 1 hub only on its own [src14, src18, src19].

• Apps are the weak point. Consumer Reports: "many smart hose timers are held back by poorly designed app interfaces and buggy software and plug-in bridges." Wirecutter calls the B-hyve app "notably confusing", and HGTV found the RainPoint's app has a learning curve [src3, src1, src8].
• Bring them in before a frost. Rachio says not to expose its valve to freezing, Orbit says to bring the Gen 2 timer indoors below freezing, Eve rates the Aqua for 39-122°F and Netro the Pixie for 32-122°F; Wirecutter says to remove any hose timer in the colder months [src11, src14, src16, src17, src1].
• Buy batteries first. Every timer Wirecutter tested needed two or four AA cells and most came without them; Rachio's two are not included, while Eve puts two in the box [src1, src11, src16].
• Use 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. The Rachio and Orbit hubs and the Netro Pixie need it; on a mixed 2.4/5 GHz mesh network, Wirecutter says you may have to pause the 5 GHz band to finish setup [src1, src11, src14, src17].
• Place the hub with care. Rachio quotes up to 200 feet with nothing in the way and Orbit expects 3 to 100 feet for its Gen 2 hub; thick walls, metal siding and masonry cut range, so check the signal where the hub will sit before you mount the timer [src11, src14, src1].
• A leaky faucet stays leaky. The spigot has to stay open with a timer on it; Wirecutter's own spigot handle leaked, and the plumber's tape that came with the timers never fully stopped it, so fix the spigot or buy more tape [src1].
• Bluetooth-only means local-only. The Hunter BTT-100 has "no connection away from home"; Wirecutter does not recommend Bluetooth-only timers [src2, src1].
• Local watering rules come first. If your town limits watering days, set those limits in the app before you let weather skip trim the schedule; Orbit's XD page, for one, lets you enter local watering restrictions [src15].