The best Hunter Hydrawise controllers, compared.
Top pick: Hunter PRO-HC PHC-1200 12-station – Score 92 at about £404.00, with 4.6 from 270 reviews, the largest review count among built-in Wi-Fi listings here. The table says 120 V. Best value: Hunter X2-800 8-station – About £167.00 with 4.5 from 286 reviews on an 8-zone local controller. The app needs a WAND bought separately. Updated October 2026.
A wall irrigation controller switches 24 V solenoid valves on a piped garden system. It is not a tap timer on a hose. In the UK you usually replace a cabinet and keep the valve wires you already have. A single outside tap is a different product. You tell a suitable controller by the supply, the station count, and whether Wi-Fi is in the box. UK mains are 230 V, and a UK plug is BS 1363. A printed 120 V supply, or a US cable, is the wrong unit. A travel adaptor is not a transformer. If the listing is silent, read the rating plate before you connect it. Stations are valve outputs. Programmes are schedules. Count the wires on the old controller. Some units are fixed. Others grow with modules. Wi-Fi in the cabinet is not the same as a local dial that needs a separate module. The radio is 2.4 GHz only, channels 1–11. Supply, stations and what is in the box are set out in the [irrigation controller buying guide](/hub/garden-watering/hunter-hydrawise/sub/hunter-hydrawise-buying-guide).
A wall irrigation controller switches 24 V solenoid valves on a piped garden system. It is not a tap timer on a hose. In the UK you usually replace a cabinet and keep the valve wires you already have.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Do you need Wi-Fi in the cabinet?
Among built-in Wi-Fi listings in this set, this 12-zone Pro-HC has the joint-highest stars, 4.6, and the most reviews, 270, at £404.00. The technical table says 120 V, so the rank is for the listing, not a claim it suits a UK socket.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing review volume on a 12-zone Pro-HC and you will reject 120 V for a UK house.
Less suitable: You need 230 V stated on the listing before you buy.
Specifications
Common questions
How many zones does the PHC-1200 at about £404 cover?
The title and bullets say 12 zones. The part number on the listing does not match the PHC-1200 title.
What voltage does the table give?
120 volts. That is a US supply, not UK 230 V mains. The rank on this page is for the review count, not a claim the plug suits a UK socket.
Is there a touchscreen?
The bullets say a touch interface. The display field says LCD or LED.
The listing is a 6-zone Pro-HC at £257.00 with 4.6 from 240 reviews. Bullets include Wi-Fi, a touchscreen and predictive watering. The model field says PHC1200I, and no voltage is printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 6-zone Wi-Fi Pro-HC listing and you will check the rating plate before you power it.
Less suitable: You need a printed 230 V European model code, or the zone count must match the part field as well as the title.
Specifications
Common questions
How many zones does this PHC-600 listing cover?
The title and bullets say 6 zones. The model and part fields say PHC1200I, which does not match that title.
Does Wi-Fi come in the box?
The bullets describe a PRO-HC outdoor Wi-Fi controller with an internal transformer and a touchscreen.
What mains voltage is printed?
The technical table does not state a voltage. Do not assume 230 V from the missing line.
Best value in this set on price against review volume: £167.00, 4.5 from 286 reviews, for an 8-zone local X2. It is not Hydrawise until you buy the WAND. Reviews say the wand should have been in the box, and that fitting it disables the dial.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want 8 zones at about £167 with a large review count, and you accept a second purchase for the app.
Less suitable: You want Wi-Fi, flow alerts, or a stated 230 V supply in this listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Can a phone run the X2-800 straight away?
Not from this box. The bullets say the WAND is sold separately. Until it is fitted, the controller is a local 8-zone timer.
Is the X2-800 cabinet for outdoors?
The bullets say a weather-resistant cabinet and a backlit display. A mains voltage is not printed on the listing.
What happens when the WAND is fitted?
A review says manual dial operation is disabled while the adapter is in and Wi-Fi is up, and returns if the adapter is removed or Wi-Fi drops.
The HPC-400 listing is £226.01 with 4.5 from 154 reviews, 4 zones and a path to 16 with modules. A review written in the United Kingdom says the unit was US voltage and the buyer reordered locally. The 50 percent water-bill line is a bullet, not a test.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a modular 4-zone Hydrawise controller and you can confirm 230 V with the seller before it ships.
Less suitable: You will plug in whatever lead arrives without reading the plate.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the HPC-400 be used outdoors?
The title says outdoor and the bullets say a weather-resistant enclosure. Reviews also call the case bulky and lockable.
Do you need an installer?
The bullet says a touchscreen setup in under 30 minutes with no installer. A UK review says the voltage was wrong for the UK. Outdoor mains wiring is still for an electrician.
Will it grow past 4 zones?
The bullets say expansion modules, sold separately, up to 16 zones. Hunter's module page says 23 conventional stations, or 32 with an EZ decoder.
This PHC-600 listing is £266.00 with 4.5 from 46 reviews. Wi-Fi, six zones and a colour touchscreen are in the bullets. A flow meter is extra, and one open-box review lacked keys and screws.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 6-zone Hydrawise touchscreen and you will confirm 230 V yourself.
Less suitable: You need the flow meter in the box, or a larger review sample.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a rain sensor in the box?
No. The bullets say a flow meter or Clik sensor is optional and sold separately.
Can you use a phone?
The bullets say the Hydrawise app works from a phone, tablet or desktop.
Is the supply voltage stated?
No voltage is printed. The highlight calls it indoor/outdoor. Confirm 230 V on the plate before you power it.
The lowest price in the set, £122.33, for a 4-zone X2 at 4.4 from 240 reviews. It runs as a local controller. Hydrawise is the WAND, which is not included. One review describes 120 V against a 220 V house, and another a dead transformer.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a cheap 4-zone dial controller and you will buy a WAND only if you still want the app.
Less suitable: You want Hydrawise on the day it arrives, or a stated 230 V supply.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the X2-400 have a mobile app in the box?
No. The first bullet says you plug in a WAND, sold separately, to use Hydrawise.
Can the X2-400 be used outdoors?
The title says outdoor. A weatherproof rating is not in the table.
Is Wi-Fi included?
No. Reviews repeat that the adaptor is a separate purchase. One review describes 120 V against a 220 V house.
A 12-zone Pro-HC at £340.00 with 4.3 from 66 reviews. Bullets add a pump or master-valve output, wire-fault detection and flow-meter compatibility. One buyer received two units whose keys did not open the lid. Voltage is not printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want 12 zones with a stated pump or master-valve output and you will check the lock and the plate.
Less suitable: You need a printed voltage, or you rely on the panel rather than the app.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it include a rain sensor?
The included line is the controller. Bullets name sensor inputs and a compatible HC flow meter, not a sensor in the box.
Is the case for outdoors?
The bullets say a weather-resistant enclosure and an outdoor title. Voltage is still not printed.
What voltage is listed?
None. The model field is PHC-1200. Do not treat the missing line as 230 V.
An HPC-400 listing at £238.71 with no reviews on the listing. Bullets say 4 zones, expansion to 16, a 5-foot lead, and compatibility with an HC flow meter, Roam and Roam XL. The manufacturer field says SPW.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are comparing another HPC-400 listing and can accept a missing review count.
Less suitable: You want UK review evidence or a stated 230 V plug.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be controlled remotely?
The bullets say Hydrawise web software and alerts. They do not name a voice assistant.
How is it powered?
The bullets say a 5-foot lead and plug for indoor use, or the cord removed and the unit hardwired. They do not state 230 V.
Are there reviews on the listing?
No star line and no review text. The rating is left at 0 for that reason.
A 6-zone Pro-HC at £1,258.76 with no reviews on the listing. The bullets state 120 VAC with a US cable and plug and a cabinet for indoor or protected sites. That supply does not match UK 230 V mains.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need to see the 120 V outlier beside the other Pro-HC rows.
Less suitable: A UK house on 230 V.
Specifications
Common questions
Will the plug suit a UK socket?
The bullets say 120 VAC with a US cable and plug, for North American electrical standards. That is not UK 230 V mains.
Is it an outdoor exposed controller?
The bullets say a plastic wall cabinet for indoor or protected installations.
Why is the price so far above the other 6-zone listings?
The listing shows about £1258.76. It does not explain the gap. There are no reviews.
A third-party bundle at £262.22: 4-zone X2 plus WAND, brand field SPW, manufacturer Hunter Industries. No reviews on the listing. Bullets disagree on run limits, stating both 6 hours and 24 hours. Voltage is not printed. The price is more than double the bare X2-400.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the WAND in the same carton as a 4-zone X2 and you can live without reviews.
Less suitable: You want a Hunter-branded listing with a star count, or a stated mains voltage.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it be used indoors?
The title and bullets say indoor or outdoor. Voltage is not printed.
Is there a mobile app path?
The WAND is included. Bullets mention Bluetooth pairing and the phone as a remote when Wi-Fi is down.
Which smart-home names are on the listing?
Amazon Alexa and Control4. There is no review text.
An 8-zone X2 plus WAND at £312.94, brand field SPW, no reviews on the listing. Predictive watering is claimed because the module is included. The main image URL matches the 4-zone bundle. Voltage is not printed.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want eight zones and the WAND together and you do not need a review count.
Less suitable: You want a separate photo of the 8-zone unit, or a stated 230 V supply.
Specifications
Common questions
What is the maximum run time?
One bullet says up to 6 hours. Another says up to 24 hours with 6 start times. Both are in the same listing.
Does it include Wi-Fi?
Yes. The bullets say the X2-WAND module is included. There is no star line on the listing.
Are there reviews?
No star line and no review text on the listing. The rating is left at 0 for that reason.
Eleven amazon.co.uk listings are on this page. There is no separate score sheet for this comparison. The checks follow the buying order: mains supply, station count, Wi-Fi in the box, flow and sensors, then the Wi-Fi specification. The top pick is the 12-zone Pro-HC at about £404.00, score 92, with 4.6 from 270 reviews, and its table says 120 V. Best value is the 8-zone X2 at about £167.00, score 90, with 4.5 from 286 reviews, and the Wi-Fi module is not in the box. Stars and review counts are the captured listing lines. Four listings have no star line and stay at zero. This is not a laboratory test, and a high star line is not a claim that the plug is 230 V.
Mains voltage and plug
30%UK mains are 230 V and a UK plug is BS 1363. A listing that says 120 V or a US cable is the wrong supply. If the listing is silent, the US model code can still be 120 V, so the plate or the European code has to be checked. A travel adaptor is not a transformer.
Station count
25%Stations are valve outputs, not programmes. Pro-HC is a fixed count. HPC grows with modules. A bare X2 is fixed at 4, 6, 8 or 14. The count has to match the wires already on the old controller.
Wi-Fi in the box
20%Pro-HC and HPC have Wi-Fi built in. The X2 does not, until a WAND is fitted. Bundles whose brand field is SPW include the module. The cheaper X2 listings do not.
Flow and sensors
15%Hunter's chart gives Pro-HC and HPC two sensor inputs and HC flow-meter compatibility. X2 with a WAND has one sensor input and is not flow-meter compatible. Rain, freeze and flow hardware is sold separately on these listings.
Network
10%Hydrawise needs 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, channels 1–11, WPA or WPA2 Personal, and DHCP. It does not use 5 GHz. A captive guest portal is rejected.
Match the controller to the valves you already have, then to the supply printed on the listing. Captured amazon.co.uk prices in this set, not a live scrape: a 4-station X2 without a WAND is about £122.33, and an 8-station X2 about £167.00. Modular HPC-400 listings are about £226.01 and £238.71. Six-station Pro-HC listings are about £257.00 and £266.00. X2-plus-WAND bundles are about £262.22 and £312.94, with no star line and the brand field SPW.
Hunter Hydrawise is cloud software for Hunter irrigation controllers. It is not a tap timer and not one single box. In the UK you are usually replacing a wall controller that switches 24 V solenoid valves, and keeping the valves you already have. Three families cover that job. The X2 is a local dial controller with three programmes and four start times until a WAND is added. Hunter then enables six start times and a 24-hour run, and disables the dial while Wi-Fi is on.
A bare X2 is a local controller. Hydrawise starts when a WAND is fitted, and that module is sold separately on the cheaper listings. Fitting it disables the dial while Wi-Fi is on.
Stations are the valve wires. Programmes are schedules. Pro-HC is fixed. HPC grows with modules. A bare X2 is fixed at 4, 6, 8 or 14. Count the wires on the controller you are replacing.
Hydrawise uses 2.4 GHz only, channels 1–11, with WPA or WPA2 Personal and DHCP. A captive guest portal is rejected. WaterSense is a US label. A 120 V code on Hunter's US page is not a British plug.
UK mains are 230 V and a UK plug is BS 1363. A travel adaptor is not a transformer. Hunter's US Pro-HC codes PHC-600, PHC-1200 and PHC-2400 are 120 VAC with a US cable. The European codes PHC-601-E, PHC-1201-E and PHC-2401-E are 230 VAC. In this set, one 12-zone table says 120 V, one 6-zone listing states a US cable, and a UK review on an HPC-400 says that unit was US voltage. If the listing is silent, ask for the European code or read the plate. Outdoor mains wiring is for an electrician.
Count valve wires, not programmes. Pro-HC is fixed at 6, 12 or 24. HPC starts at 4 and grows with PCM modules. Amazon bullets here say up to 16. Hunter's module page says 23 conventional stations, or 32 with an EZ decoder. A bare X2 is fixed. Pro-HC and HPC have Wi-Fi in the box. The X2 needs a WAND. SPW bundles in this set include that module. Hunter's chart gives Pro-HC and HPC two sensor inputs and HC flow-meter compatibility.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are keeping the valve wires you already have and you want six zones with Wi-Fi in the cabinet. The Hunter PHC-600 6-station is about £266.00, with 4.5 from 46 amazon.co.uk reviews, a colour touchscreen and forecast-based schedules. A flow meter is extra. No voltage is printed, so confirm 230 V before you power it. One open-box review lacked lock keys and screws.
Leak alerts need a Pro-HC or HPC plus an HC flow meter, and the meter is not in these boxes. The Hunter PRO-HC PHC-1200 12-station at about £340.00 states a pump or master-valve output and flow-meter compatibility, with 4.3 from 66 reviews. Voltage is not printed. One buyer received two units whose keys did not open the lid.
Extra zones later need a modular HPC, not a fixed Pro-HC. The Hunter HPC-400 4-station is about £226.01, with 4.5 from 154 reviews, and the bullets say modules, sold separately, up to 16 zones. A review written in the United Kingdom says that unit was US voltage. Confirm 230 V with the seller before it ships.
The top pick is the Hunter PRO-HC PHC-1200 12-station at about £404.00. Among built-in Wi-Fi listings in this set it has 4.6 from 270 reviews, and the score is 92. The technical table says 120 V, so the rank is for the listing, not a claim it suits a UK socket. The part number does not match the PHC-1200 title. The best value is the Hunter X2-800 8-station at about £167.00, score 90, with 4.5 from 286 reviews, the largest count in the set. It is a local 8-zone controller. Hydrawise needs a WAND, which is not in the box, and fitting that module disables the dial while Wi-Fi is on. Neither figure is a laboratory test.
Hunter PRO-HC PHC-1200 12-station
Score 92 at about £404.00, with 4.6 from 270 reviews, the largest review count among built-in Wi-Fi listings here. The table says 120 V.
Hunter X2-800 8-station
About £167.00 with 4.5 from 286 reviews on an 8-zone local controller. The app needs a WAND bought separately.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources listed below, plus the amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts captured for these eleven listings. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines captured for these eleven products. We did not run a laboratory test.
