The OtO Lawn Sprinkler Is a Game Changer for Forgetful Gardeners

Giving your plants the appropriate amount of water is one of the most crucial care steps when attempting to grow a lush lawn or garden. However, not everyone has the time or memory to water consistently. If that sounds like you, the OtO sprinkler might be what you need.

This smart sprinkler connects to Wi-Fi and its companion app, which is available on iOS and Android. From the app, you can program custom zones for the sprinkler to water. OtO then monitors the weather to determine which days to water and which to skip. It’s also compatible with a line of treatments, which include fertilizers, lawn odor eliminators, and insect repellants.

My husband runs a landscaping business, and my family owns greenhouses, so I’ve spent my entire life surrounded by plants and have used my fair share of sprinklers. I decided to test the OtO sprinkler to see if it lived up to the hype and was worth the money. After about a month of using it, here’s what I think.

OtO Lawn Sprinkler: At a Glance

Rating: 3.5/5

SPECS

• Coverage range: 2,800 square feet
• App compatibility: iOS 13.0 and above; Android 5.0 and above
• Mounting options: Ground, wood, brick

PROS

• Easy-to-use app allows owners to set custom zones for precise watering
• Compatible with a line of pet-safe treatments, including fertilization, insect repellent, and odor eliminator
• Monitors the weather and skips watering on rainy days; allows for customized weekly watering limits
• Features a solar panel on top to keep the sprinkler powered

CONS

• Requires a 2.45GHz internet connection and a minimum water pressure of 50 pounds per square inch (PSI)
• Expensive compared to regular lawn sprinklers; may be cost prohibitive for large lawns

Get the OtO lawn sprinkler at OtO starting at $399. 

What is the OtO Smart Sprinkler?

The OtO Smart Sprinkler is a lawn sprinkler with a 30-foot 360-degree reach that can water up to 2,800 square feet. Installation requires a 2.45GHz Wi-Fi connection, a minimum of 50 PSI water pressure, and a hose that’s ⅝ inch in diameter with brass or plastic fittings. After installing the sprinkler and connecting it to Wi-Fi, users can program custom watering areas from the OtO app. The sprinkler and app then work together to monitor the local weather and release the right amount of water depending on the day’s conditions.

The OtO sprinkler can be mounted on the ground or a fence and comes with a bracket and screws for setup. In addition to being used as a sprinkler, it’s also compatible with special pet-safe lawn care solutions like OtO’s line of lawn food, plant food, odor eliminator, insect killer, and repellent. 

The OtO sprinkler has solar panels on top to keep it powered up. It needs to be in an area that receives at least 3 hours of sunlight daily. It also comes with a manual charger, so if the sunlight isn’t adequate to keep it powered, you can bring it into the house and charge it overnight.

Setting Up the OtO Sprinkler: Easier Than Expected

Despite my initial concerns about the process being complicated and time-consuming, installing the OtO sprinkler and app turned out to be a quick and hassle-free experience. 

After manually charging the sprinkler overnight, I used the bracket and screws it came with to mount it on the ground. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, I used a hose with brass fittings, turned on the water, and connected my sprinkler to Wi-Fi. With the initial setup complete, I created my first “zone.” 

Creating a zone entailed using an arrow pad in the app to control which directions I wanted the sprinkler to water. I could also adjust the distance the water sprayed by using the up and down arrows. Within my first zone, I created many “points,” which allowed me to water multiple areas. For example, I could set the sprinkler to water my lawn and then zoom it in to water my raised garden beds and my flowers (as long as all were within the 30-foot reach of the sprinkler).

After setting up zones, the app informed me of how long it would take to water my lawn in the “normal” setting, which equates to a weekly limit of 1.25 inches of water. Other watering modes include eco, conserve, heavy, and extra heavy, which I could manually select if desired. The app also allowed me to schedule lawn treatments like fertilization or insect repellent. 

Consistent, Reliable Watering

Purchasing new technology, like smart sprinklers or smart sprinkler controllers, can be a bit of a risk since you don’t know how well the tech will work. Fortunately, the OtO sprinkler has worked exactly as advertised. It waters the zones I set and monitors the weather to adjust its patterns. 

I live in southern Ohio, where the weather is sporadic. The first week I installed the OtO sprinkler, it was sunny and nearly 80 degrees Fahrenheit each day. The sprinkler kicked on each morning at 6:00 a.m., keeping my lawn and flowers watered. The following week, it rained everyday. Since OtO monitors the weather, it sent me notifications letting me know that it wouldn’t be running those days, which I could manually override if desired. 

However, you might experience different reliability if you have poor internet access. OtO needs a strong internet connection to access the weather and communicate with the app. Lack of internet will interfere with its functionality and may prohibit it from working at all.

Is the OtO lawn sprinkler worth the money?

Starting at around $350, the OtO lawn sprinkler is far from inexpensive. Still, depending on your needs, it could be a money saver. One OtO sprinkler can cover up to 2,800 square feet, while an in-ground lawn sprinkler system would cost from $1,500 to $6,000 to cover 3,000 square feet of lawn. At these prices, the OtO sprinkler provides cost savings, plus it’s much easier to set up.

Aside from keeping the lawn green, the OtO sprinkler may be worth the money if you have put a lot of work into your flower beds and want to keep them thriving. You can program this sprinkler to water exactly where you want and use the compatible plant food to fertilize your flowers.

The OtO sprinkler is not worth the money if you have a poor internet connection or enjoy creating your own watering schedule for your lawn and garden. OtO is a set-it-up-once, hands-off type of sprinkler. It does the work without almost any human intervention.

Should you buy the OtO lawn sprinkler? 

The OtO lawn sprinkler is best for gardeners who want to automate watering and lawn treatments or those looking for a budget-friendly solution to inground sprinkler systems. This smart sprinkler will keep your lawn, garden, and flower beds watered, but with a 30-foot 360-degree reach, it’s limited to an area of 2,800 square feet. Watering bigger spaces will require multiple OtO sprinklers.

Those who want to keep their lawn watered but are on a stricter budget can try one of the best lawn sprinklers. For example, the Gardena ZoomMax Oscillating Sprinkler can cover up to 2,400 square feet and costs less than $70. Just remember, with standard lawn sprinklers, you must manually turn them on and off each day to reap the benefits of a well-watered lawn.

Another benefit of the OtO sprinkler is the lawn treatments, which range from about $40 to $50 per bottle. Available lawn solutions include an insect repellant to control mosquitoes and ticks; an odor eliminator to eliminate pet smells; and lawn food, which is a fertilizer for grass. Each bottle of solution lasts for 60 days, and all are safe for pets, people, and the planet.

After using the OtO sprinkler for a month, I’m impressed by the features. It exceeded my expectations, but I still don’t think it’s the best choice for everyone. If you’re serious about the health of your lawn and garden or have spent a lot of money on plants and want to keep them alive, OtO is a valuable tool. However, if you take joy out of manually watering or don’t quite have the budget for this sprinkler, I think you can get by with a much less expensive solution.

Get the OtO lawn sprinkler at OtO starting at $399.

Meet the Tester

Katie Barton has over 10 years of experience in product writing, has tested dozens of products, and has authored hundreds of articles for major media outlets. Since childhood, she’s spent her summers in her Dad’s greenhouse in southern Ohio, caring for and learning about plants. Now, in addition to writing, she helps her husband run his landscaping business. When testing products, her goal is to help readers decide which products are worth their hard-earned money and which fall flat.