Rachio Smart Hose Timer review

If your home lacks a sprinkler system I don't doubt that you're familiar with the struggle of using a hose to water your lawn and plants. This manual task eats up time and effort each day. Rachio's Smart Hose Timer ($99, Amazon) turns any outdoor hose faucet into a smart outdoor watering system. You can set an automatic watering schedule, turn the hose on or off remotely while you're away, and kick off quick runs to maintain your grass, shrubs, gardens, plants, or even a pool's water levels.

Rachio's Smart Hose Timer is easy to setup and manage through the app. That said, it lacks some of the advanced features found on more complex competitors like the Orbit B-hyve smart faucet. That model remains among the best Google Home compatible devices and best Alexa compatible devices, as it accounts for advanced factors like slope and plant wilting points which is overkill for the average person's everyday needs.

Rachio Smart Hose Timer review: Design

The Rachio Smart Hose Timer is a two-piece kit that consists of a tiny puck-like plug-in hub and a gray plastic box that connects to the spout. This unremarkable valve doesn't stick out obnoxiously and comes in at about the size of a wallet. On its back sits a small, weatherproof door that houses two AA batteries. Once powered up you just screw the female hose connection on one end and a male connector on the other. 

This smart hose timer connects wirelessly to the hub via Bluetooth. This indoor-only hub connects the timer to your Wi-Fi network and must be plugged within 200 feet of your hose. This connection lets you control the valve remotely from anywhere. I find rival Orbit's B-Hyve's hub more cohesive as it's condensed into a single piece that looks like a USB stick with outlet prongs on its back.

Rachio Smart Hose Timer review: Setup

Rachio's Smart Hose Timer stands out from the competition for its easy setup which takes less than 10 minutes. Inside the box is a QR code that leads directly to the app so that you can download it and quickly create an account. The hub and its adapter are packaged right on top so these plug straight into your wall within 200 feet of your hose spigot. As this boots into pairing mode, you use a Phillips head screwdriver to remove the timer's two screws and insert two AA batteries inside.

The Rachio app is initially sparse and naturally drives you toward the "Add device" button. First, you connect to the hub's local Wi-Fi network then return to the app to provide it with your Wi-Fi network password. Then, you hold down the timer box's button until it flashes to connect the smart faucet timer to the hub via Bluetooth, through the app. 

Once they pair you can simply screw on the top of the timer to the spigot, attach the hose to its bottom, and start using the Rachio app.

Getting started is as simple as entering your home address, which pulls up a satellite image of your property. This info provides the timer with weather data like the chance of rain, temperatures, and expected precipitation levels. 

Rachio can use this info to skip rainy days automatically while you can customize water thresholds like skipping a planned session if it rains half an inch or more. The Rachio app makes scheduling as easy as picking times and durations on days of the week (or a daily interval). You can then have your watering programs go off at sunrise, sunset, or a specific time and just hit the okay button.

I have my routine set to be as basic as 10 minutes every other day at sunrise but to skip if the rain exceeds 1/16-inch. Just a little wetness is enough for my lawn and this automation and sensing helps save water. 

You can also set up the app to send you notifications when the faucet starts watering or if there's a delay for any reason. If you want to really optimize your flow for your garden or plants, it's worth looking into the more complete B-Hyve. You can dive deeper to adjust spray reach, slope of the ground, and specific levels based on the plants you plan to water. Most people won't use this unless they're the experienced horticulturist that specific device targets.

Rachio Smart Hose Timer review: Performance

Rachio's smart home timer gives my lawn the thorough daily watering I expect in this heat. It consistently goes off on its scheduled time and sends a notification the day before expected rain to warn me that it will skip the following day to prevent overwatering. Even while I'm out I don't have to check the cameras to make sure a job is running because of built-in flow detection.

From the Rachio app, I'm able to view watering run history as well adjust the water threshold between 1/16-inch and 3/4-inch. Like many of the best smart home devices, you can control this smart hose timer with Alexa (via the Rachio skill) and Google Assistant; as with the setup, there's an exhaustive list of things you can ask the faucet to do. This includes not just commanding the faucet to turn on and off, but also asking when it last ran and when it's turning on next. While Orbit's B-hyve is just as versatile between platforms, Elgato's Eve Aqua ($150, Amazon), by comparison, works only with Apple HomeKit. 

Rachio Smart Hose Timer review: Verdict

Rachio's hose timer is the best smart water controller for most people. It's easy to use and works across most of the major platforms. My lawn's test space is as green or even greener than the hand-watered spots which suffer from some light yellowing in burnt spots. At $99 this is much cheaper than in-ground irrigation and more versatile to boot since you can leave a sprinkler head off the end of a hose to quickly water a garden bed or fill a pool. 

Anyone can use the Rachio Smart Hose Timer since it's so easy to manage. But this simplicity means you only have control over schedules and water threshold levels. If you need a higher level of control over your hose then the Orbit B-hyve is half the price and offers the most adjustment depth. But if you simply need a reliable way to turn your hose on or off on schedule or remotely the Rachio is the best choice to care for your greenery.