Are you having problems with wandering animals eating your garden vegetables and flowers? Deer, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, and other critters (even feral cats and dogs) can destroy months worth of work in a single night.
Well it’s probably time to install the best motion-activated sprinklers to drive them away before these critters jeopardize all of your hard work.
In this expert review of motion activated sprinkler, you’ll learn:
- What are motion-activated sprinklers?
- How do motion-activated sprinklers work?
- Are motion-activated sprinklers effective?
- And our overall #1 pick for the best motion-activated sprinkler.
If you’re in a hurry, click here to jump right to our top choice for best motion-activated sprinkler!
Our Overall #1 Rated Pick
Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
- 120º infrared sensor
- Intelligent sensing technology
- Day and night capability
This motion-activated sprinkler works at night and in the day, all year round. It comes with intelligent sensing technology, only activating when there is motion. This conserves both battery life and water.
It has a 120º infrared sensor for detecting animals and birds up to 40 feet away. It has an intelligent learning capability to distinguish between animal movement and tree limbs blowing in the wind.
The sensing angle can be raised or lower for smaller or larger animals. It runs on four AA batteries and can double as an ordinary water sprinkler.
Top 6 Best Motion-Activated Sprinklers
- Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
- Havahart 5277 Motion-Activated Sprinkler
- Orbit 62120 Garden Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
- Orbit 62000 Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
- Hoont Cobra Yard & Garden Motion-Activated Water Blaster
- Hoont Motion-Activated Jet Blaster
1. Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
This motion-activated sprinkler works perfectly both at night and in the day. It works in all seasons too. It comes with intelligent sensing technology that only activates when there is motion so it conserves both battery power and water.
It has a 120º infrared sensor that can detect animals and birds up to 40 feet away. It also boasts an intelligent learning capability to distinguish between animal movement and tree limbs blowing in the wind. Additionally, the sensing angle can be raised or lower for smaller or larger animals.
It even has a 30-minute watering cycle, letting it do double-duty as an animal repellent and a sprinkler for your yard or garden. It runs on four AA batteries.
The Good:
- Adjustable sensor angle
- 40-foot sensing range
- 30-minute watering cycle
- Runs on four AA batteries
- Only uses two cups of water per activation
The Bad:
- Plastic lawn spike may break
Features:
- Feature 3
- Intelligent sensing technology
- Day and night capability
2. Havahart 5277 Motion-Activated Sprinkler
This eco-friendly sprinkler only uses 2-3 cups of water per activation. There are four sensitivity settings as well as ‘off’ and ‘sprinkler’ for using it as a regular sprinkler. It has a sturdy metal spike and uses two AA batteries, with a detection range of 100 feet.
The extended range comes from the infrared sensor that detects animals by their body heat rather than motion. The sprinkler head can’t be adjusted up or down but it works day or night to detect and repel nuisance critters.
The Good:
- Detection range is 100 feet
- Works day and night
- Sturdy metal spike
- Can be used as a regular sprinkler
The Bad:
- Sprinkler head can’t be adjusted vertically
Features:
- Low water consumption
- Uses two AA batteries
- Low water consumption
3. Orbit 62120 Garden Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
This is the same as the 62100 model and has all the same features but it’s on a metal tripod instead of a stake in the ground. This lets it “see�? over tall bushes to repel deer and other large animals.
The Good:
- Metal tripod base
- Adjustable sensor angle
- 40-foot sensing range
- 30-minute watering cycle
- Runs on four AA batteries
- Only uses two cups of water per activation
The Good:
- Won’t detect small animals very well
Features:
- Day and night capability
- Intelligent sensing technology
- Day and night capability
4. Orbit 62000 Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler
The infrared sensor can detect animals up to 40 feet away. Coupled with a viewing angle of 120º, that gives you 1600 square feet of coverage area. The sensor head can be adjusted vertically for detecting small animals as well as large ones.
It has multiple settings, including one for using it as a regular sprinkler, with an automatic shut-off after 30 minutes. It uses four AA batteries and can spray up to 70 feet, giving you an excellent effective range against intruders.
The Good:
- 40-foot sensing range
- 30-minute watering cycle
- The sensor head can be adjusted vertically
The Bad:
- The sensor may be overly sensitive
Features:
- Day and night capability
- 1600 square feet of coverage area
- Day and night capability
5. Hoont Cobra Yard & Garden Motion-Activated Water Blaster
Two or more of this sprinkler can be hooked up to a garden hose at the same time, giving you increased coverage. The metal spike holds it firmly in place when it activates. The monitored area is about 1000 square feet.
The water jet activates for just five seconds at a time to ensure low water consumption and has a sensor detection range of zero to 30 feet. It runs on four AA alkaline batteries and the spray head can be adjusted up to 360º.
The Good:
- Sensor range is zero to 30 feet
- Spray head adjustable to 360º
- Metal spike on the base
- Uses four AA batteries
The Bad:
- The head cannot be adjusted up or down
Features:
- Day and night capability
- 24/7 animal detection
- Low water consumption
6. Hoont Motion-Activated Jet Blaster
This is an older and less expensive version of the Hoont Cobra sprinkler. The coverage area is slightly less but all of the other features are the same. The monitored area is about 650 square feet.
The Good:
- Sensor range is zero to 30 feet
- Spray head adjustable to 360º
- Metal spike on the baseUses four AA batteries
The Bad:
- The head cannot be adjusted up or down
Features:
- Low water consumption
- 24/7 animal detection
- Low water consumption
What Are Motion-Activated Sprinklers?
Motion-activated sprinklers are a type of scare pest deterrent. They scare pests away from your yard, flower beds, and garden by turning on automatically whenever they detect motion in their coverage area and squirting them with a water jet.
The coverage area is the area (measured in square feet) that will be sprayed with water when they activate. They’re sometimes known as a pest deterrent sprinkler or motion detector sprinkler. They are designed to act like an animal repellent without the use of harmful chemicals.
A motion sensor sprinkler is a humane way to protect your property from deer and smaller animals.
How Do Motion-Activated Sprinklers Work?
Motion-activated sprinklers work by detecting motion and/or heat passing through their sensor range. Once the motion sensor or infrared sensor detects wild animals or unwanted animals, such as feral cats and dogs, it will startle them with a burst of water.
Most of these sprinklers are battery-operated, using AA batteries, or in some cases, a 9-volt battery. Some are solar powered motion-activated sprinklers, storing solar energy in rechargeable batteries.
How Do You Find The Best Motion-Activated Sprinkler?
Automatic sprinklers are fundamentally simple in their design. They need to have a base, a hose connection for connecting to your garden hose, a motion detector or infrared motion sensor, and some night detection modes for scaring nocturnal animals.
Beyond that, you’ll have to look at several areas:
Trusted Brands
Brands like Orbit, Hoont, ScareCrow, and Havahart are brands that are well-known for manufacturing automated sprinklers. No-name brands may be cheaper, but let’s face it, brand names are popular for a reason: reliability and durability.
When you’re purchasing a motion-activated sprinkler, you don’t want to get stuck with a cheap knock-off brand that will only work for a few days or weeks before it starts breaking down.
The Features
Motion-activated sprinklers offer many features. Some overlap but others don’t. Some offer a tilting detector so you can adjust it to detect smaller or larger animals. Some run on batteries while others are solar-powered. Some sit high on a tripod and others sit on a stake near the ground.
Take a look at your particular situation and the area you’re trying to protect. Decide what options you’re looking for then choose a sprinkler accordingly.
Customer Reviews
Reviews written by customers who have already purchased and used a product can be an invaluable tool. However – researchers at Boston University discovered that up to 16% of online Yelp reviews are fraudulent and assume similar results for other review sites.
The reliability and trustworthiness of online reviews depend on many factors. Researchers at the University of Houston said Amazon revolutionized many online review features but even so, there is still room for fraudulent entries to sneak in.
The majority of reviews are honest (100-16%=84%). Just beware of reviews that seem “too good to be true�? because they probably are. All products have good points and bad points. Reviews that cover both are most likely the ones that are honest.
Brick and Mortar
Shopping online is almost always cheaper than buying at a brick and mortar store, but you can’t pick up the product and handle it. If there is a hardware store in your area that carries motion-activated sprinklers, go check them out before buying them online.
Take a look at the video below for more insights into choosing the best motion-activated sprinklers.
Are Motion-Activated Sprinklers Effective?
Yes and no. They are very effective when you first start using them. Wild animals are easily frightened and will be scared off by an unexpected touch from a sprinkler. But very quickly they can become accustomed to them.
Cats are extremely sensitive to being hit with a water spray, therefore motion-activated sprinklers that sit close to the ground, or are aimed at the ground, will deter most feral cats, or your neighbor’s cats, from coming into your yard.
Unfortunately, field trials of scare devices, including sprinklers, indicate that deer get used to them very quickly, sometimes in as little as one week. Researchers at the University of Oklahoma agree with that conclusion.
The key is not to leave the sprinkler in the same place all the time. Varying the amount of sensitivity is also a useful tactic. Lowering the sensitivity of the detector or shorting the detection range will prevent the sprinkler from coming on until the deer is closer.
A sudden burst of water from a sprayer at close range will produce a wild reaction by the deer when it happens. They’ll take off like a shot from the surprise. Vary the placement and sensitivity from one night to the next and you’ll get better results.
How To Use A Motion-Activated Sprinkler
The detection length or range is the maximum distance at which a motion sensor animal movement. If you want to put your sprinkler in the middle of the yard, you’ll need to adjust the detection length upwards as far as you can.
If you want to put the sprinkler at the edge of your property, shorten the detection range.
The spray distance is how far the sprinkler can shoot a jet of water. Some sprinklers can detect movement further than the water can reach. You need to adjust the detection range so it is shorter than the spray distance, thus ensuring a face full of water for the animal.
Some sprinklers can be adjusted for night or day or both. If you have unexpected guests dropping by during the day, be sure to disable that option or they’ll get soaked.
Are Motion-Activated Sprinklers Safe Around My Pets And Children?
Yes. Water, even a jet of water in the face, isn’t going to hurt anyone. It might sting for a minute if it gets in their eyes but that’s the extent of it. It’s completely harmless.
This non-toxic, non-lethal, non-harmful nature is what makes motion-activated sprinklers the method of choice when you want to keep animals out of your yard without hurting them.
