Best watering can

(Image credit: @David Ballew on Unsplash)

published 16 June 2022

A watering can is a must-have for tending to plants in the garden, as well as those indoors. It makes controlling the water flow easy and, used without a rose, is ideal for caring for plants in pots, containers, and baskets. Go for a version with a rose and you can make the water flow gentler for seedlings. We’ve put together a selection of handy designs.

Best overall

Geli Big watering can

10 litre capacity

Spare yourself trips to the tap with this large watering can for the garden. Markings allow you to be accurate with water measurement, and it has a detachable rose so you can make the water flow a bit gentler. Made from plastic, it’s lightweight to lessen the load when you’re carrying it around.

Best for indoors

Cesun indoor watering can

Gold finish

Keep houseplants happy with this watering can. The long and slim spout lets you direct the water accurately, and the handle is ergonomic for a comfortable grip. It’s an attractive design so you can keep it out on display rather than hiding it in a cupboard.

Best for reach

GADINO SMARTS Garden long-reach watering can

Durable material

Made from hard-wearing galvanised steel, this watering can has classic good looks as well as being functional. With a long spout, it can allow you to deliver water to hard-to-reach parts of the garden as well as into baskets and containers. It comes with a copper rose, and the copper handle is designed for comfortable holding.

Best value

Whitefurze G28WC watering can

Two colour choices

Easy to hold whether you’re filling it from the outside tap or a water butt, this plastic watering can is a practical and low-cost choice. It has a 6-litre capacity and comes with a detachable sprinkler rose. Pick from traditional green or brighten up with the red version.

Best for traditional style

Draper 53234 galvanised watering can

Gardener’s favourite

This galvanised steel watering can is a classic design and ideal if you want an alternative to plastic. It has a 9-litre capacity and a rose that’s removable so you can adjust the water flow to suit what you’re watering. Bear in mind that the sticker might need work to remove.

Best for space saving

Spear & Jackson Kew Gardens Collection French-style watering can

Gallic charm

Made from metal with a racing green enamel finish and burnished copper-coloured handles and rose, this watering can scores in the style stakes. With a hinged handle, it’s easy to control as it empties, and takes up less space when it’s folded down for storage.

Bottom line

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A watering can makes caring for plants successfully easier whether they’re in the garden or inside your home. The Geli Big watering can has a generous capacity to cut down on the to-ing and fro-ing and has volume markings to help you in your watering tasks.

You’ll give yourself good access to plants in the garden with the GADINO SMARTS Garden long-reach watering can, which is made from robust galvanised steel.

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Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. She’s spent most of her journalistic career specialising in homes – long enough to see fridges become smart, decorating fashions embrace both minimalism and maximalism, and interiors that blur the indoor/outdoor link become a must-have. She loves testing the latest home appliances, revealing the trends in furnishings and fittings for every room, and investigating the benefits, costs and practicalities of home improvement. It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper. For Realhomes.com, Sarah reviews coffee machines and vacuum cleaners, taking them through their paces at home to give us an honest, real life review and comparison of every model.