If you’re looking for an attractive watering can to display on a shelf or ledge in your home, the E.Palace Stainless Steel Watering Can is made for you. The small, 15-ounce can is made from sturdy stainless steel with an overall minimalist design, and the size makes it easy to fit into your other home decor. If you have just a few petite houseplants to care for, we love this open-top watering can from Terrain. Although the handle isn't specifically listed as ergonomic, we found it surprisingly comfortable to hold The connector that attaches the handle to the watering can is the perfect place to rest your thumb for extra support and steadying. It was also easy to carry, and no water poured out despite the open design. Why You Should Get It: This durable, lightweight watering can impressed us with its overall ease of use.

The shower head end is called a rose, rose head, rosette, or sprinkler head. [4] [5] Modern uses [ edit ] Why You Should Get It: This watering can holds a large volume of water but is still easy to carry and use. Keep in Mind: The capacity on this watering can is quite small, so it wouldn’t work well for large plants or an entire garden. Watering cans are used by gardeners for watering plants, by road workers to apply bitumen to asphalt, as ornaments, and regularly in symbolic art pieces. We tested 32 of the best watering cans on the market to see which ones are lightweight, durable, and easy to use in our lab in Des Moines, Iowa, so you can get the most value for your money. Our home and garden experts spent an entire day using and evaluating different watering cans based on their capacity, ease of use, durability, and more.

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There’s no doubt that this is a splurge item. If you look at this as an investment in home decor, it’s probably worth it, but if you’re choosing based on function, you can likely find a watering can that’s a better value. This watering can could also make a unique wedding or housewarming gift. Why You Should Get It: This watering can covers all the basics with a price tag that can’t be beat. Typically, you'll want a larger shower head spout for outside plants, since you'll most likely be watering more on each of the plants,” Whitehead says. “For indoor plants, you'll want a more defined, narrow spout head that will allow you to accurately water your plants.” The term "watering can" first appeared in 1692, in the diary of keen cottage gardener Lord Timothy George of Cornwall. [1] Before then, it was known as a "watering pot". [2]

Always read the manufacturer's instructions on cleaning, as different materials have different requirements. Most containers can be rinsed with a gentle soap, warm water, and a soft sponge. Be mindful to not use harsh chemicals since these can harm your plants if they make it into the soil. Make sure to rinse thoroughly to ensure no soap remains inside it before using the watering can on your plants.If you want your watering can to serve both a functional purpose and have an attractive exterior, this one may not be the best choice for you—we found it to be quite plain. However, in terms of durability, ease of use, and versatility,this is the best watering can for outdoor garden enthusiasts.

We thought the Bloomscape Large Watering Can was aesthetically-pleasing but ergonomically challenging and hard to handle when filled. We had to use two hands when carrying and pouring this product to avoid water sloshing out, which is why we didn’t include it on our list of the best watering cans. As with any shiny copper product, you should expect that over time the metal will oxidize slightly and develop a rich bronze patina on its surface (think about the color of an older penny). You can take extra care of the watering can to prevent this from happening, or embrace the natural color variations of this gorgeous metal. We also found it easy to use thanks to its two handles (including one with hinges), which made it easy to maneuver into multiple positions, reducing strain on our hands and wrists. "Personally, I like watering cans with multiple handles, so I get two spots to hold," says master gardener, interior designer, and home improvement expert Jen Stark, founder of Happy DIY Home. And at 2.6 gallons, this watering can has a sizable capacity, allowing you to water several plants without making multiple trips to the hose or sink. Plus, the lightweight plastic won't weigh you down. In terms of durability, the Beech Wood Handle Watering Can held up well functionally from being dropped, landing upright and denting only slightly, but the paint did chip and show the steel underneath. If you are in an environment where you expect to have a lot of wear and tear (hello, small children and pets), the painted exterior might show damage over time. In general, this is a good value for a smaller, good-looking indoor watering can.

Other watering cans we tested

The only potential downside to the E.Palace watering can is its small size. While it is an aesthetically pleasing item, the capacity of 15 ounces limits its overall utility. It would be a good choice for a home office or other small area with a houseplant or two, but it would be hard to use this watering can to water a large number of plants. John Cleese, in a 1963 Cambridge University Footlights Revue ("Cambridge Circus") sketch, "Judge Not", described a watering can as: "a large, cylindrical, tin-plated vessel with a perforated pouring piece, much used by the lower classes for the purpose of artificially moistening the surface soil". With other watering cans we tested, the rose (the sprinkler-type spout) can be removed to allow you to pour water faster onto your plants, which is a very handy feature. But with this can, you don’t even have to remove the rose to get the same benefits—with its twistable spout, you can easily switch between "sprinkle" and "pour" modes. However, this watering may be harder to use with plants in high places. We noted that you really have to tip this model to get a strong pour on hanging plants. However, you could always take the plant down to water it—if it’s not too much of a hassle.

This watering can also passed all of our drop tests, except when dropped on concrete while full of water. It only suffered a large dent in the corner but didn't leak at all. While this design isn't the most attractive watering can—we think it kind of looks more like a leaf blower—but we didn't mind the trade-off considering how well it worked, especially for watering plants in a garden.

The best indoor watering can: Etarewilt ½-Gallon Watering Can

The light weight of this plastic Fasmov Watering Can means that you can easily tote it around the house (or yard) without adding much heft beyond the water itself. Plastic watering cans are a great choice for gardeners who want a long-lasting, easy-to-care-for watering can—and this one passed our testing process with flying colors. Since this watering can doesn't have a sprinkle head, it's best for heartier plants, but it had a great pour for plants at every height, and it was easy to fill and carry. However, it failed the drop test on concrete when full of water: The bottom dented, and the can was no longer able to rest flat. The functionality seemed to be okay, though. For that reason, you'd probably want to use it indoors only.