Putting in a water diverter involves cutting through the downpipe of the guttering. In most cases, these pipes are plastic and the job isn’t too difficult. However, be aware that if you have metal pipes, the job will be more complicated.

This water butt’s biggest draw is its slimline design . Not only does this mean that it doesn’t take up much room, but it also gives it a sleeker look , as opposed to the larger and chunkier water butts out there. However, its compact construction does also mean that its storage capacity is limited to 100 litres – whether or not this is enough for you will depend on what you need a water butt for. Large capacity water butts can take up a fair bit of space, which is why the Charles Bentley Ward 210L Round Plastic Water Butt Set, which promises a compact and easy-to-use design, may catch your eye. But is it worth buying? Keep reading to see why I’ve chosen it as the best medium water butt. After initially setting up this plastic water butt, it felt a little wobbly. Mine was standing on rough ground, and even though I had levelled this out before setting the water butt up, the legs didn’t quite seem as though they would hold up to the job. Its slimline design means that this water butt is taller and narrower than a traditional water butt which saves a fair bit of space.

A few hours after setting up this water butt, I was rewarded with a night of heavy rain, so I was able to put it to use the very next day. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that this water butt costs a little more than the more traditional designs available. After all, its one-of-a-kind design enables it to act as both a water butt as well as a piece of garden décor. But does it offer value for money? That depends on what you’re looking for. The water diverter connects to the downpipe of a drainage system. It diverts some of the run-off rainwater away from the main drainage route and into the water butt.

Thanks to its beehive design, it certainly looks impressive, but how does it compare to the more traditional designs out there? I put this water butt to the test to find out.On the plus side, this water butt comes with its tap already connected (not the case for most water butts), which saves a couple of minutes. While the space-saving nature of slimline water butts is great, those of you who are looking to collect larger quantities of rainwater will need a water butt with a larger capacity, which is where the Harcostar 227 Litre Water Butt Kit comes in. It was designed to channel rainwater from the roof of a house, so this is exactly what I did with it. Here’s how it performed:

However, this plastic water butt does come with the necessary indents that show you where to drill new holes if you would like to connect multiple water butts together. It also comes with four plastic legs that raise the water butt up off the ground. These Automatic Solar Powered Watering Systems are weather responsive smart irrigation controllers which uniquely use solar power to detect the weather conditions to alter the watering accordingly.Collect high-quality rainwater for your water butt with this Strata Rainwater Diverter Kit. Includes diverter body, 50cm of hose and hosetail. If the water butt does not come with pre-cut holes for the diverter, you will have to make these yourself. Measure approx. 10 cm down from the top of the water butt, on the side facing the downpipe, and mark where the hole will go. Use a hole saw with the correct size bit (as per the water butt instructions) to create the hole. Fit the rubberised splash seal to the top section of pipe, then connect the diverter between the two sections. Make sure that the outlet hole is at the bottom. Then pull the splash seal down over the join. Water butts offer an eco-friendly way to keep your plants hydrated. Instead of using fresh water from the tap, water butts collect and store rainwater ready for use.

Also, unlike the other water butts that I reviewed, where the downfill pipe attached into the side of the water butt, this one connects via its lid . This is unusual, but neither good nor bad. The Gutter Mate is designed to accept 68mm, 76mm and 80mm diameter round downpipes and 65mm and 75mm square downpipes. Connect the hose: feed the hose through the hole in the water butt and secure it in place with a screw nut. Then attach the other end of the hose to the diverter. The best water butts have a good capacity without being overbearing in the garden. Certain things can be useful to look out for: Some water butts do not come with a base, which can make it difficult to fit a watering can under the tap if the water butt is small. Take note of how high the tap is when buying a water butt.

The Gutter Mate is UK's best selling, award winning Diverter & Filter that makes it easy to recycle rainwater straight from your downpipe. The only rainwater diverter and rainsaver that filters all rainwater before it enters the water butt, tank, drain or soakaway. If you don’t mind splurging on a water butt because you want to add to the visual appeal of your garden, and are happy to spend a little more purchasing all of the extras (the filler kit and the stand), then I would say it’s worth it. However, if you’re on a tighter budget and prioritise function over form, then there are other water butts out there that provide better value for money. At first glance, the Strata 100L Slimline Water Butt Set looks near-identical to some of the other slimline designs available on the market. However, dive in a little deeper and you’ll notice that there are a few subtle differences that set this model apart from its competition.