The best Metal sprinklers, compared.
Top pick: LATERN spike sprinkler – Score 90 at about £9.99, with 4.4 from 50 reviews, on a 160 g spike whose bullets state a 7 m radius and 167 m². Best value: Winbay brass spike sprinkler – About £7.82 with 4.2 from 27 reviews, a 130 g twist barrel for fan, cone, or stream, on a spike for a modest bed. Updated October 2026.
A metal sprinkler is a hose-end lawn sprinkler with a zinc, brass, or mixed-metal body. You buy one in the UK when a watering can is too slow for a lawn or a bed. The usual patterns are an impact head that clicks round a circle, an oscillating bar that sweeps a rectangle, and a twist nozzle on a spike set to a fan, a cone, or a stream. You recognise a suitable metal sprinkler by the pattern, the base, the pressure the head needs, and the hose connector. A spike goes into soil, and a sled sits on paving or hard ground. Impact arms need enough pressure to click, and an oscillator often states a minimum in bar. UK outdoor taps are usually 3/4 inch BSP, sometimes 1/2 inch BSP, and click fittings from different makers do not interchange. Treat a large coverage line as a seller claim unless a chart ties it to pressure and flow. The order of those checks is in the [metal sprinkler buying guide](/hub/garden-watering/metal-sprinkler/sub/metal-sprinkler-buying-guide).
A metal sprinkler is a hose-end lawn sprinkler with a zinc, brass, or mixed-metal body. You buy one in the UK when a watering can is too slow for a lawn or a bed.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you watering?
This LATERN spike weighs 160 g and is listed at £9.99, with a stated radius of 7 m and a stated area of 167 m². The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 50 reviews, the highest star line in the set and still a modest count. The title says impact, while the bullets describe fan, cone, or a stream, so you should not expect a clicking arm that reverses. One UK review says it still ran on a low-pressure outside tap, and another limits practical sprinkle distance to about 4 m. Leaks come up often: a little water at the fixing, and water pouring from the bottom where an internal thread seal was not intact. The bullets offer a flow-through outlet for a second head, and a review calls joining two units the weak point. It is the top pick on the listing score, which uses stars and review count rather than a watering test, and the pattern clash is why you read the bullets before the title.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A modest lawn or bed where you want the highest listing score at £9.99 and will check the spray is a twist pattern.
Less suitable: Anyone who needs a reversing impact sector, a dry inlet, or a measured throw past a few metres.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the LATERN B0F6K4NMJH a clicking impact head?
The title says impact. The bullets say fan, cone, or a powerful stream, with a stated 7 m radius and 167 m².
Does the listing include a hose?
No. It states a 1/2 inch hose connector and a brass inlet.
What do the reviews say about leaks?
UK reviews mention a small leak at the fixing and water pouring from the bottom where a thread seal was not intact. One review says it still ran on a low-pressure outside tap.
The heavier FANHAO, model FH-DE-TS-Orange-Sprinkler, is listed at £37.99 and 970 g, with the same 20 to 360 degree arc and the same stated ceiling of 5,800 square feet. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.2 from 263 reviews. The style field again says Oscillating while the bullets describe an impact head, and the colour field says Black while a review describes orange and black. UK buyers like the weight next to a spike that gets knocked over, and they use the part-circle settings once those settings work. A verified UK review of three units says the supplied connector did not work with standard Hozelock fittings. Instructions were too small to read, and 180 degree mode failed for one buyer until it was adjusted, while full-circle mode worked. No pressure figure sits in the spec fields, and reviews say the tap limits the range.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An open lawn where you want the heavier FANHAO sled and your hose fitting is not a standard Hozelock click.
Less suitable: A Hozelock system, a reader who needs printed pressure, or a part-circle you cannot adjust by trial.
Specifications
Common questions
Will this FANHAO fit a Hozelock hose?
The listing says a brass quick male connector for a standard garden hose and does not name Hozelock. A UK review says three units did not work with standard Hozelock connectors.
What coverage is printed on the card?
Up to 5,800 square feet, with the arc stated from 20 degrees to 360 degrees. No pressure figure is in the spec fields.
What do reviews say about the instructions?
A UK review says the instructions were too small to read and that the two parts were hard to assemble from them.
The Winbay GS-01 is a 130 g twist-nozzle spike listed at £7.82, and you change fan, cone, or stream by turning the barrel. Across 27 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.2, a thin sample next to heads with hundreds of ratings. UK buyers use it for a small garden or reseeding, and several say the spike stays put, including in wind. A UK review says the spray sits in a fixed 360 degree pattern rather than walking round, so you move it when the lawn is larger than that circle. The style field says Rotary, which does not match that fixed spray. Pass-through threads can be poorly cut, and a review says the extra daisy-chain connector is not in the box. At this price it is the best value metal spike here for a modest bed, and a poor stand-in for a reversing impact head.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A small lawn or flower bed where you will move a light spike and do not need a reversing sector.
Less suitable: A large lawn, paving with nowhere to spike, or a run that needs a second head in series.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Winbay spike come with a hose?
No. The listing includes a brass quick-connect and does not include a hose.
Is this an impact sprinkler that walks round the lawn?
The bullets describe a twist barrel for fan, cone, or stream. A UK review says it sprays 360 degrees rather than rotating round.
Can two of them be linked?
A UK review says the pass-through threads can be poorly cut and that the extra connector is not in the box.
The GRÜNTEK 296.216.251 is an oscillating sprinkler listed at £49.78 and 875 g, with a stated area of up to 462 m² and a stated pressure band of 2.76 to 8 bar. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.1 from 318 reviews. The body is UV-protected ABS with a metal base and brass fittings, so a material field that only says Metal overstates the head. Sliders and a dial set width, throw, and flow, and the box includes a cleaning pin and a removable metal filter. UK reviews say it covers a decent area when pressure is good, and that reach drops on a modest tap. Some units stopped oscillating after a few uses, and one failed after about a year. It is the only sweeping rectangle in this set and the dearest row, with the sweep drive as the part that fails in those reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A rectangular lawn when your tap can meet the stated 2.76 bar minimum and you want adjustable stops.
Less suitable: A weak tap, a buyer who wants an all-metal clicking head, or a circle in the middle of an open lawn.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the GRÜNTEK fully metal?
The bullets say a heavy-duty metal base, brass fittings, and a UV-protected ABS plastic body. The material field says Metal.
What pressure does the card ask for?
Minimum 2.76 bar and maximum 8 bar. UK reviews say it needs good pressure and that reach drops when pressure is modest.
What do reviews say when it stops sweeping?
UK reviews include a unit that stopped oscillating after a few uses and one that failed after about a year. The listing includes a cleaning pin and a removable filter for blocked nozzles.
This FANHAO impact sled weighs 740 g and is listed at £35.99, with an arc from 20 degrees to 360 degrees, a diffuser pin, and a stated working pressure of 20 to 80 psi. The card claims up to 5,800 square feet. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.0 from 280 reviews. The style field says Oscillating even though the bullets describe a pulsating impact head on a zinc sled. UK reviews say the sled stays put and that the arm needs a lot of pressure before it spins. One review puts coverage nearer 100 square feet, and another says the inlet leaks until the rubber seal is pushed fully into the brass ring. Instructions are described as tiny. The brass quick connector is supplied, and the listing does not name Hozelock.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An open lawn with a strong tap, where you want a 740 g impact sled and will seat the inlet washer yourself.
Less suitable: A weak outside tap, a rectangular lawn, or anyone treating 5,800 square feet as a guaranteed area.
Specifications
Common questions
What pressure does this FANHAO sled state?
The bullets say it performs between 20 and 80 psi. UK reviews say it needs a lot of pressure before the arm spins.
Is the base a spike or a sled?
The bullets describe a metal sled. The style field says Oscillating even though the bullets describe an impact head.
Why do some reviews mention a leak at the inlet?
A UK review says the quick-release insert will not tighten until the rubber seal is pushed fully into the brass ring.
The STYDDI HG75-DEF is a 650 g zinc impact head on a sled at £26.99, with the arc stated from 20 degrees to 360 degrees and no area in the bullets. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.9 from 153 reviews. UK buyers like the metal weight because it stops the unit sliding with the hose, which matches the claim that the base resists tipping. One review reports about a 6 m diameter on the setting used. The head does not rotate for some buyers, and others say it sticks in regular use, with a very short mist or a long jet and a dry middle. The pressure field lists a maximum of 6 bar and no minimum, and the flow field says 6 gallons per minute. A quick-connect and a swivel are included, the hose is not, and Hozelock is not named on the card.
Pros
Cons
Best for: An open lawn where you want a zinc sled under £27 and will judge throw on your own tap.
Less suitable: A rectangle, a buyer who needs a printed area, or a head that must keep an even middle.
Specifications
Common questions
What area does the STYDDI card claim?
The bullets do not state an area. They state an arc from 20 degrees to 360 degrees. The pressure field says a maximum of 6 bar.
Will the sled stay put?
The bullets say the zinc base is there to stop tipping. UK reviews say the weight stops it moving with the hose. Some say the head does not rotate or sticks.
Is a hose in the box?
No. A quick-connect adapter is listed, and the hose brand is not named.
The GARDENIX pulsating spike is listed at £21.95 and 295 g, with a stated diameter of up to 27 m and no pressure figure beside that claim. The amazon.co.uk line is 3.9 from 66 reviews. Reviewers praise the metal spike for staying in the ground, and the click-lock for a hose the listing does not brand. Several say it sprays one way and does not return when it hits the stopper, and that it arrived with no instructions. The bullets state adjustable rotation up to 360 degrees and do not describe part-circle stops. The box does not include a hose. Questions on the card about a removable spike and uneven ground are unanswered. It is a mid-price metal spike that reviewers like on a wider garden, with the failed reverse trip as the fault that sends units back.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A wider lawn where you want a metal spike and a full circle, and you can return it if the arm will not reverse.
Less suitable: A small bed, a part-circle beside a fence, or a buyer who needs a stated working pressure.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the GARDENIX spike include a hose?
No. The bullets describe a click-lock for a standard hose pipe and do not list a hose.
What diameter does the listing claim?
Up to 27 m. The card does not state the pressure that figure needs.
What goes wrong in the UK reviews?
Reviewers praise the metal spike, and several say it sprays one way and does not return, or that it arrived with no instructions.
The LATERN ET-A1609 is a 300 g zinc impulse spike at £9.99, and the bullets state a 15 m radius and 530 m² on the same card. Those two figures are not the radius and area of one circle. The star line is 3.4 from 861 amazon.co.uk reviews, the largest sample here and the weakest rating. UK reviews say it turns one way and stops, or only rotates clockwise, so a semicircle does not come back. Several buyers also say the box has no instructions. The bullets call the spikes stainless steel, while a UK review says the spike is aluminium and bends in hard ground. A leak at the black plastic port opposite the hose connector is a repeated fault until a missing seal is sorted, so a full circle is the use some buyers still accept and a sector is the job the reviews fail.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap full-circle spike where you accept a 3.4 rating and will not rely on a sector.
Less suitable: A semicircle beside a path, hard ground, or anyone who needs the head to click back.
Specifications
Common questions
What coverage does the LATERN impulse card state?
The bullets state a 15 m maximum spray radius and 530 square metres. Those two figures are not the area and radius of one circle.
Why do reviews say it will not reverse?
UK reviews say it turns one way and stops, or only rotates clockwise, so a semicircle does not come back. Several also say there are no instructions.
Does it include a hose?
No. The listing says it is compatible with a 1/2 inch hose connector.
Eight amazon.co.uk metal sprinklers are on this page. There is no separate score sheet for this comparison. Each card score is the listing score already on that card, from the amazon.co.uk star line and the review count. It is not a watering test. Pattern, base, pressure, connector and stated coverage are recorded beside that score and do not change the number. The top pick is the LATERN spike sprinkler, score 90, at about £9.99 with 4.4 from 50 reviews. Best value is the Winbay brass spike sprinkler, score 84, at about £7.82 with 4.2 from 27 reviews. No other badge is used.
Star line
75%The amazon.co.uk star line named in each score note. Stars are the base of the listing score on the card. A star line does not measure how even the watering is, and this is not a lab test.
Review sample
25%The amazon.co.uk review count named in each score note. A higher star line on a few dozen reviews does not erase a fault that repeats in a larger sample.
A metal sprinkler has to match the shape of the lawn, sit on the ground you actually have, and run from your outside tap. Read the pattern before the coverage line, then the base, the stated pressure, and the connector. Prices and stars below are the saved amazon.co.uk lines for these listings. They are not a laboratory test.
A metal sprinkler is a hose-end lawn sprinkler with a zinc, brass, or mixed-metal body. You use it when a watering can is too slow and you want the spray to sit on a lawn or a bed. Three patterns cover this kind of UK listing. An impact head, also called an impulse or pulsating head, clicks round a circle. An oscillating bar sweeps a rectangle. A twist nozzle on a spike gives a fan, a cone, or a stream, even when the title says impact. Choose the base for the ground you have.
The square footage, the diameter, and the radius on the card are seller claims unless a chart ties them to pressure and flow. Pace the lawn in metres and multiply. On these cards, 5,800 square feet, a 27 m diameter, 15 m with 530 m², and 462 m² are not a measured wet area on a UK hose.
Hozelock, Gardena, and Kärcher fittings do not interchange. A line that says quick connector has not named yours. One review says a supplied brass connector missed standard Hozelock fittings.
A spike needs soil. On paving or hard ground, use a sled. Set the trip pin before you send an impact head back. The RHS says not to sprinkle an established lawn just because it is brown. A new-lawn sprinkle, if a ban allows it, stops at 13 mm in a jam jar.
The first check is the pattern. An impact head is for an open or roundish lawn. An oscillating bar is for a rectangle. A twist nozzle that the bullets call a fan, a cone, or a stream is a third tool, even if the title says impact. Read the bullets before the title when those two lines disagree. The base comes next. A spike goes into soil. Choose a sled if you will drag the head, or if the ground is paving or hard. A light spike can bend in hard ground.
UK outdoor taps are usually 3/4 inch BSP, sometimes 1/2 inch BSP. A US garden-hose thread is not the same thread. Hozelock, Gardena, and Kärcher clicks do not interchange. None of these eight listings names Hozelock. A UK review of three units on one heavy impact sled says the supplied connector did not work with standard Hozelock fittings. Do not force a click brand onto an unnamed quick connector. Coverage is the line to pace yourself. Walk the lawn in metres and multiply.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want a light spike for a small lawn or flower bed, and you will move it. The Winbay brass spike is the best value at about £7.82, score 84, with 4.2 from 27 amazon.co.uk reviews. You turn the barrel for a fan, a cone, or a stream. A UK review says the spray is fixed rather than a walking head, and the extra connector is not in the box.
You have an open lawn and you will learn the arc stops, if the hose fitting actually connects. The FANHAO impact sled is about £35.99, score 86, with 4.0 from 280 reviews, a 740 g zinc sled, and a stated pressure of 20 to 80 psi. The style field says oscillating while the bullets describe an impact head. Reviews say the arm needs a lot of pressure before it spins.
You are watering a rectangle and the outside tap can meet a stated minimum around 2.76 bar. The GRÜNTEK oscillator is about £49.78, score 88, with 4.1 from 318 reviews, sliders for width and throw, and a stated area of up to 462 m². The body is ABS on a metal base. UK reviews say reach drops when pressure is modest, and some units stopped sweeping.
The top pick is the LATERN spike sprinkler at about £9.99. The score is 90, from 4.4 and 50 amazon.co.uk reviews, on a 160 g spike with a stated radius of 7 m and a stated area of 167 m². The title says impact, while the bullets describe fan, cone, or a stream, so this is a twist pattern rather than a clicking head that reverses. UK reviews report leaks at the bottom seal, and one review limits sprinkle distance to about 4 m. The best value is the Winbay brass spike at about £7.82, score 84, with 4.2 from 27 reviews. You change fan, cone, or stream by turning the barrel. A UK review says the spray is a fixed 360 degree pattern, and the daisy-chain connector is not in the box. Neither score is a watering test or a UK-wide result.
LATERN spike sprinkler
Score 90 at about £9.99, with 4.4 from 50 reviews, on a 160 g spike whose bullets state a 7 m radius and 167 m².
Winbay brass spike sprinkler
About £7.82 with 4.2 from 27 reviews, a 130 g twist barrel for fan, cone, or stream, on a spike for a modest bed.
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 in the research digest. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts are the saved listing lines for these eight products. 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 eight products. We did not run a laboratory test.
