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13 watering cans of different colors and sizes sit clustered on wooden steps in a garden Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Best Watering Cans of 2024

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

13 watering cans of different colors and sizes sit clustered on wooden steps in a garden Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

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Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

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Editor's Choice Product image of Cado 63065 Watering Can
Best Overall

Cado 63065 Watering Can

Check Price at Amazon

This watering can is a workhorse that can produce a gentle spray for seedlings. It's easy to carry and it doesn't leak. Read More

Pros

  • Easy to carry
  • High capacity
  • Even, predictable spray

Cons

  • Small fill opening
Editor's Choice Product image of Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can
Best Small Watering Can

Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can

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The Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can is perfect for precise watering of small hanging pots and plants. Read More

Pros

  • Precise spout
  • Lightweight
  • Attractive enough to display

Cons

  • Difficult to fully empty
Product image of Bloem JW82PROMO-42 Watering Can

Bloem JW82PROMO-42 Watering Can

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The Bloem JW82PROMO-42 is a big, sturdy 2-gallon watering can for watering a lot of plants quickly. Read More

Pros

  • Sturdy handle
  • Easy to carry and control

Cons

  • Heavy spray
  • Wide top means water can slosh out
Product image of Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can

Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can

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The Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can is a fine choice for watering medium-sized indoor plants because it's easy to carry and water doesn't splash out. Read More

Pros

  • Easy to carry
  • Pours without dripping

Cons

  • Spout is less than precise
Product image of Layboo Long Spout Watering Can

Layboo Long Spout Watering Can

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Out of all the watering cans we tested, the Layboo’s removable rose produced the best spray pattern for young plants. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent spray pattern for seedlings
  • Easy to clean and store
  • Easy to fill

Cons

  • Difficult to carry
  • Handle is uncomfortable when can is full
  • Best Overall Cado 63065 Watering Can
  • Best Small Watering Can Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can
  • Bloem JW82PROMO-42 Watering Can
  • Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can
  • Layboo Long Spout Watering Can
  • Fasmov Stainless Steel Watering Can
  • Umbra Stainless Steel Quench Watering Can
  • Best Choice Products SKY4191 Watering Can
  • Nobondo Watering Can
  • Bloem Aqua Rite JW41-23 Watering Can
  • Behrens 208 Steel Watering Can
  • Kensington London Indoor Watering Can
  • How to Choose the Right Watering Can
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

Watering cans let you nurture plants in places where using a hose is impractical or awkward. A good watering can’s long spout can enable you to reach high hanging baskets from secure footing, and to water plants on the ground without bending or stooping.

A well-designed watering can be filled from any available water source—a hose spigot, a kitchen sink, or a low-profile half-bath hand-washing faucet—making it convenient to keep your plants happy.

The best watering cans are easy to fill from any water source, so you can use them indoors or out, and they’re easy to carry one-handed without cutting into your hand or leaving a wet trail behind you. Most importantly, the best watering cans empty completely and predictably through the spout, not over the tops or sides.

Editor's Note:

The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.

A person pours water of out of a green Cado watering can onto a plant.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Cado 63065 is the best watering can we've tested.

Best Overall
Cado 63065 Watering Can

The Cado 63065 2-gallon watering pot is a workhorse. Even when its water level is at a full 2 gallons, the Cado doesn’t leak, dribble, or slosh over when carried or poured. The removable watering rose produces a gentle spray that is perfect for watering seedlings and delicate leaves. When pouring from hip height, the medium, 1-inch radius of the spray at ground level is perfect for small-scale watering.

The double handles make this can easy to carry and easy to control. Use this can to tote serious quantities of water to plants you can’t reach with a hose. You could water your entire deck or patio full of plants in one trip with this watering can, from water-hogging trees to tiny new plantings.

Pros

  • Easy to carry

  • High capacity

  • Even, predictable spray

Cons

  • Small fill opening

Buy now at Amazon

$37.03 from Walmart
A person pours water onto a plant from a copper-colored Homarden watering can with a long spout.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can is a great option for indoor or outdoor use.

Best Small Watering Can
Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can

The Homarden Copper-Colored Watering Can is perfect for precise watering of small hanging pots and plants. Holding just over a quart (40 oz.) of water, the Homarden is feather-light (1 pound, unfilled) and easy to hoist high overhead—and it won’t drip or spill onto you from above.

The low-profile can’s offset top opening is large enough to fill at a bathroom faucet, but positioned far enough back so water doesn’t slop over when you turn the can far forward to water ground-level plants.

The Homarden’s long, narrow spout makes it easy to get water to hard-to-reach spots, and the wrap-around handle makes it possible to grip and pour from any angle. The sleek, modern design and copper exterior makes it a potential display piece, especially with dark-green leaves.

Pros

  • Precise spout

  • Lightweight

  • Attractive enough to display

Cons

  • Difficult to fully empty

Buy now at Amazon

$29.99 from Walmart
Product image of Bloem JW82PROMO-42 Watering Can
Bloem JW82PROMO-42 Watering Can

The Bloem is a big, sturdy 2-gallon watering can for watering a lot of plants quickly. The water flow through the removable rose is a heavier, more concentrated, drenching spray compared to other watering cans we found, so you may want to avoid any seedlings.

The wide wrap-around handle makes it easy to carry this can long distances and to control it while pouring.

Pros

  • Sturdy handle

  • Easy to carry and control

Cons

  • Heavy spray

  • Wide top means water can slosh out

$17.59 from Amazon

$22.19 from Walmart
Product image of Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can
Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can

The Novelty 30601 Indoor Watering Can is a fine choice for watering medium-sized indoor plants. The wrap-around handle is easy to carry, and the offset opening keeps water from splashing out.

However, water flows out the spout more quickly than other indoor cans, making it harder to precisely water small plants. Plus, the plastic material doesn’t match most decor, but if you have storage space, it could be a nice buy.

Pros

  • Easy to carry

  • Pours without dripping

Cons

  • Spout is less than precise

$12.68 from Amazon
Product image of Layboo Long Spout Watering Can
Layboo Long Spout Watering Can

If you want to water seedlings, the 2-liter Layboo is your best bet. Out of all the watering cans we found, the Layboo’s removable rose produced the best spray pattern for young plants—a consistent, focused, fine spray about 6 inches in diameter when poured from hip-height.

Both the rose and the entire front spout can be removed for cleaning, a big advantage if you’re planning on keeping this watering can outside where leaves, bugs, and other detritus can blow in and block the flow.

Pros

  • Excellent spray pattern for seedlings

  • Easy to clean and store

  • Easy to fill

Cons

  • Difficult to carry

  • Handle is uncomfortable when can is full

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Fasmov Stainless Steel Watering Can
Fasmov Stainless Steel Watering Can

If you’re not a fan of the Homarden’s copper color, opt for the stainless steel 51-ounce Fasmov for watering your indoor garden. Lightweight with clean modern lines, the Fasmov has a slightly curved spout that’s especially good for watering high hanging plants.

The square handle makes it awkward to hold water at some angles, and the spout is attached above the bottom of the can, requiring repeated rocking to empty. But if you’re planning on leaving this out by your succulent collection, it’s design will blend right into your decor.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Easy to carry

  • Precise watering

Cons

  • Awkward to hold at some angles

  • Difficult to fully empty

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Umbra Stainless Steel Quench Watering Can
Umbra Stainless Steel Quench Watering Can

The Umbra Stainless-Steel Quench Watering Can is the best-looking modern can we sampled. It’s an excellent display piece.

This small can holds just over a quart of water, and will do a reasonable job of watering houseplants—but the center hole slops out water if you tilt the can too far, and it costs twice as much as our top picks.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Elegant design

Cons

  • Water slops out of the top easily when full

  • Short spout can't reach some planters

Buy now at Amazon

$86.16 from Walmart
Product image of Best Choice Products SKY4191 Watering Can
Best Choice Products SKY4191 Watering Can

This medium-sized green-and-copper can is fine for outdoor watering. Large, rounded handles on top and side make it easy to carry and control.

The problem with this can is water management. Our sample continuously dripped water from a side-rivet attached to the top handle when the can was full, and it's easy to splash water out the front of this can when pouring it. The 1-inch-wide spray from the rose was an oval shape, not round like other cans’ sprays, which makes it harder to predict where the water will go. However, this could also make it ideal for watering long, narrow garden beds.

Pros

  • Charming style

  • Well-designed handles

  • Easy to carry

Cons

  • Leaks

  • Spout is less than precise

  • Water sloshes out when full

Buy now at Amazon

$37.99 from Home Depot

$37.99 from Walmart
Product image of Nobondo Watering Can
Nobondo Watering Can

This medium-sized plastic watering can produces a smooth, even spray out of its removable rose. It also has a large, open top that makes it a breeze to fill at low-profile sinks.

It’s great for watering outdoor containers and small plots, but reconsider if you’re looking for something for the indoors—it drips and slops a little too much when full and when pouring overhead.

Pros

  • Even, moderate spray

  • Easy to fill at sinks

Cons

  • Water sloshes out when full

  • Dribbles when watering overhead

Buy now at Amazon

$22.19 from Walmart
Product image of Bloem Aqua Rite JW41-23 Watering Can
Bloem Aqua Rite JW41-23 Watering Can

The Bloem Aqua Rite is a no-frills can that’s fine for watering container plants, but the narrow handle makes it unpleasant to carry a full can more than a few yards.

Water also splashes out easily when the can is tilted forward, and there’s no rose for watering seedlings or other delicate plants.

Pros

  • Easy to maneuver

Cons

  • Uncomfortable to carry when full

  • No rose for watering seedlings

$19.97 from Amazon

$14.30 from Home Depot

$23.29 from Walmart
Product image of Behrens 208 Steel Watering Can
Behrens 208 Steel Watering Can

The Behrens 2-gallon steel watering can looks like it belongs in Grandpa’s barnyard. This sturdy, massive can feels heavy, and is difficult to lift overhead thanks to its small handles.

It may work well for strong gardeners who are watering a large area on the ground, but only if they’re not traversing the entire yard since water slops over the top easily when it’s full.

The watering rose head, which has a wide spray circle that can be unwieldy at times, is also not removable, making it hard to clean out debris.

Pros

  • Large capacity

  • Nostalgic design

Cons

  • Hard to clean

  • Difficult to carry

  • Spray is less than precise

Buy now at Amazon

$39.74 from Walmart
Product image of Kensington London Indoor Watering Can
Kensington London Indoor Watering Can

The Kensington London Indoor Watering Can is a good choice for people who want a thick, easy-to-grip handle to precisely water small indoor plants. It has a large, open top which makes it easy to fill, even at indoor sinks.

But to the same end, it’s also easy to spill. Water can pour out of the top or suddenly spurt out of the spout if you tilt it a little too far forward, making it frustrating to use.

Pros

  • Handle is easy to grip

  • Can be filled at sinks

Cons

  • Spills easily

  • Drips

Buy now at Amazon

How to Choose the Right Watering Can

A person using a watering can to water purple flowers in a garden.

Understand your specific gardening needs before purchasing a watering can.

Watering cans hold quantities ranging from ounces to gallons, and they vary by material and design. Depending on exactly how you’re going to use your watering can, you may opt for a can with a rose or a narrow spout, high or low volume, and made of plastic or metal.

Choose the Spout that Works for Your Plants

Rose spouts make it easier to water delicate plants without damaging them. If you’re watering young, tender-leaved plants, opt for a watering can with a removable rose attachment to sprinkle your seedlings safely. Avoid cans with permanently attached roses; they can easily clog with debris.

Cans with spouts that attach at the bottom are easier to empty. Spouts that attach above the base cannot be emptied in a single easy pour because water gets stuck in the space under the spout. You’ll need to tip the base of the can back and forth a few times to get the last few ounces of liquid out. This means that most gardeners leave water in the can, inviting bugs, mold, and mildew.

Long spouts are great for hanging plants and succulents because they can get water to tight spots high over your head, or direct it down to the roots of water-shy succulents instead of sprinkling the tops of their leaves.

Consider Your Fill Station

Larger holes mean easy filling, easy spilling. When you’re buying a watering can, think about where you’re going to fill it up, and how far you’re going to carry it. The larger the top opening, the easier the can will be to fill up at small sinks—but big openings also make it much more likely that water will spill out the front if you tip it a little too far forward.

Material Is a Matter of Preference

Plastic and metal can both make lightweight, strong watering cans. During use, both plastic and metal watering cans were high-quality and sturdy, keeping their shape and not bending or bulging when filled.

Plastic won’t rust, which is a plus. If you opt for a metal can, check rivets and seams carefully; if there’s going to be a leak, that’s where it will be.

Meet the tester

Meg Muckenhoupt

Meg Muckenhoupt

Contributor

Meg Muckenhoupt is an environmental and travel writer. Her book Boston Gardens and Green Spaces (Union Park Press, 2010) is a Boston Globe Local Bestseller. Meg was awarded a certificate in Field Botany by the New England Wild Flower Society and earned degrees from Harvard and Brown University.

See all of Meg Muckenhoupt's reviews

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