There are many fun ways to beat the heat during summer months. Most people in my family (and probably everywhere else) seem to prefer the pool. And why not? It’s virtually synonymous with “summer fun”. Water is the perfect way to cool down from the intense UV rays and infinite humidity of the season. So it makes sense that a large hole filled with the stuff would be a great way to relax and cool off.
Don’t get me wrong: I love a good pool. The issue is the options. Unless you have an actual pool installed at home, which we do not, then one possibility is a public pool. If you’ve never been to one…good for you. They seem to attract the worst kind of people. The last time we went to our local watering hole, we took our son and his cousin. They’re both six, and need floaties to swim.
The pool was loaded with older kids tossing footballs from one side to another, ignoring the “no diving” rules, and trying to tackle each other in the shallow end. No one else seemed aware of anyone else around them. My wife and I got splashed on numerous occasions, which isn’t very relaxing when you’re not expecting it, or a planned participant in the “fun”. The parents were mostly relaxing off to the side in chairs, completely oblivious to anything their children were doing. Of course, there were other attentive parents tending to their children, but for the most part, it felt like a free-for-all.
The other option – at least as far as our budget is concerned – are “temporary” pools. These all require some form of setup and, perhaps worst of all, patience. Larger ones need to be assembled, using plastic (or metal) rods, before being filled with H2O. This entire process can take 24-48 hours, which isn’t ideal for quick dips, or impatient children.The smaller, kid-sized ones typically need to be inflated, requiring an air pump, before water can be added. Depending on the size, it can take upwards of an hour before the water level is sufficient enough for play. Again, not a great option for antsy little ones.
And that’s where another option comes in: sprinklers. They require almost no setup, outside of screwing a hose into the base. They’re generally cheaper, yet just as effective in dealing with intense heat. What’s not to like? It takes the annoyance of pools, and replaces it with instant gratification.
After browsing for much longer than one should for a product solely designed to disperse water, we finally settled on Joey’s Garden 360-Degree Rotating Sprinkler, from Amazon.
This particular sprinkler is made of plastic, featuring three nozzled blades that shoot out streams of water as it turns. The individual arms are adjustable, but each one can only turn a few degrees in one direction. The nozzles themselves are fixed, and go at whatever angle the arm is facing. This definitely limits the “cool” factor as there aren’t many different “settings” to mess around with.
Despite its plastic construction, it does feel very sturdy. Much sturdier than I was expecting at the price point. The weighted base is heavy, and the individual arms don’t give the impression that they’ll break with the slightest amount of resistance. Once we placed it on the ground, it didn’t budge so much as an inch during our use. And I can’t see a situation – outside of a tornado or hurricane – where it would.
My first impression of performance: The water output is pretty spectacular. I’m always skeptical of claims made on product pages because – let’s be honest – a lot of them are over-exaggerated. This one claims to have a 32.8 feet spray distance, which is both pretty far, and oddly precise. I didn’t bust out a measuring tool to confirm this, but I can say that it does reach much farther than I thought it would. It doesn’t come at the expense of height, either: I’m 6 feet tall and the stream’s height was well over my head. This was with all the nozzles facing upwards. Those are always good characteristics of a sprinkler.
According to the specs, the sprinkler has a max water pressure of 80PSI. That combination of numbers and letters means nothing to me. I mean, I understand what “PSI” is, but didn’t really know how that would feel coming in contact with human skin. After trying it, I can confidently say it’s surprisingly light. Even when jumping directly through the middle, where the force is greatest, the water feels pretty gentle. At least, it did to me. Our six year old and his cousin said that it “stung” slightly when jumping through, but I didn’t get any of that. (That statement was especially odd coming from our son, considering we had a much “stronger” sprinkler that actually did have some force behind it, and he never complained about that one.)
Moving further out from the stream yields some very relaxing results. My wife and I agreed that the “downpour” felt like a perfect summer rain. There’s no harshness in the falling water, just soft droplets that would be great to lay under on a hot and humid day. (Or to make out in if you’re feeling frisky…and without the company of children.)
Turning the nozzles to their “lowest” setting reveals a “bowl” shaped pattern. This eliminates the cool, twisty stream from the middle, and angles them all to the side. The kids and I found this to be “boring” to jump through, but it would probably be even more relaxing to lay under. The water has kind of a “misty” feel to it. It’s a bit stronger than actual mist, but not by a whole lot.
As great as it is, the value is even better: It retails for around $10. We bought it at $11.99, only to watch the price drop two dollars just a couple of days later. But even at $12, it’s a steal.
One oddity: All three of us suffered (very minor) injuries the first time we used it. I guess the plastic “arms” are longer than they appear. My toe and foot got hit on two separate occasions while leaping over it. My nephew was also struck on the foot. These were just “stingers” that went away within seconds, and left no visible marks. The “worst” injury of the day was to our son, who actually got cut by the spinning nozzles. I have no idea how that even happened considering the “blades” are plastic and don’t appear to be sharp. The cut is small and hasn’t deterred him from wanting to play in it, but I guess it’s worth noting that there’s a small risk of injury involved. (I feel dumb even saying that.)
On the plus side, it also helped to “prove” its durability, at least for the short-term. Our previous sprinkler, which was supposed to twist around as it sprayed, broke before its first use, when I manually tried maneuvering the sprinkler head while trying to set it up. (It still sprayed water, but it didn’t spin around as it was supposed to.) I was concerned the spinning mechanism in this one would be just as easy to “snap” if it got caught on something. That doesn’t seem to be the case here: Not even smashing into children’s feet caused a hiccup in its performance. We haven’t tested this in-depth (i.e. by intentionally holding the arms while it’s on), and I have no interest in doing so, but for general use it seems pretty reliable.
To be fair, this sprinkler – like virtually all “non-kid” ones – is for watering lawns. It’s not “meant” to be played with. So the “dangers” of jumping over it likely weren’t factored into the manufacturing process. (I’m surprised there are no ridiculous warnings in the manual about how playing with it is entirely at the user’s discretion and that the company is in no way liable for injuries resulting from such use.)
But for those “adventurous” enough to use it as a summer toy, this is a great product at an incredible price. And one that seems durable enough to provide hours of dependable use.
Overall: 8.5/10. First things first: This sprinkler is made to water lawns, and it seems like it would be great for that. But it’s equally capable as a cooldown method for hot summer days. The water output is impressive, shooting streams of the clear liquid both high and far. Yet the “force” is very light, feeling soft on the skin even when jumping directly through the middle. The resulting water fall on the outer edges is similarly gentle, with my wife and I agreeing it feels like the perfect summer rain. It’s the first sprinkler I’ve ever used where you can get soaked without fully realizing it. The plastic housing is thick and feels durable, while the weighted base had no problems staying right where we put it. Longevity will be the main concern, but it seems primed to deliver cooling streams of H2O for many summers to come. And all of this for around $10? It’s a virtual no-brainer.
