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Reviewed / Flo Ion
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Is taking care of the lawn and garden always on Dad's to-do list? With Father's Day almost here (FYI, it's this Sunday), a smart sprinkler controller could be the gift that he never knew he always needed, especially if he wants to avoid coming home to a patchy lawn after a week-long vacation.
A smart sprinkler is a ridiculously convenient way to keep plants watered and thriving even when you're away, but they do so much more too, since they deliver helpful advice about watering schedules, soil quality, and more. Even better? Our favorite one is on sale for a really good discount—and just in time for Dad's big day.
How much you'll save
The Rachio 3 is the best smart sprinkler controller we've ever tested. You can save about $30 if you grab it on Amazon right now, which brings the price down to $199. That's only $10 more than it was on Black Friday (its all-time lowest price ever), making it an excellent time to pick one up for either yourself or Dad (or both of you).
Why we love it
In our testing, this smart sprinkler controller just blew every other unit out of the water. It's really easy to install and use, and it integrates easily with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Nest, Apple HomeKit, and Samsung SmartThings. You can customize the sprinkler or use the preset function, so no matter what, your lawn is getting the hydration that it needs to stay lush and verdant.
If you do opt to customize this device via the Rachio app, that's where things start to get really fun. By uploading pictures of your lawn and entering specifics like the amount of sunlight your outdoor area receives, the app can actually figure out a watering schedule that works. The Rachio 3 also comes with additional features like Weather Intelligence (which essentially means the device will skip a session if rain is coming or if there's a lot of wind activity) and Smart Cycle, so watering times are split into more frequent cycles to prevent runoff.
Unfortunately, all this smart tech doesn't come cheap. The Rachio 3 is expensive, but thanks to this sale, you can actually save some money and grab it before summer officially gets underway. You since you've still got a few days to go until Father's Day, this is an especially terrific gift for tech-obsessed Dads.