Best watering cans and misters in 2022

Below, we explain what to look out for and share a list of some of the best watering can options to choose from.

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What to look for in a watering can

The type of watering can you need depends on your plants and their location.

To water plants growing outside in borders or large pots, you’ll need a watering can with a capacity of around 10 litres to help you water everything efficiently.

If you struggle to carry heavier watering cans, choose a smaller option, but bear in mind it will mean more refills at the garden tap. Plastic cans are lighter than metal ones, but you may prefer a metal watering can for environmental or aesthetic reasons.

Watering a pot

If you’re caring for plants inside your home or greenhouse, you’re unlikely to need a large watering can – a capacity of around four litres should be enough.

For tropical house plants that love humidity, a mister is the way to go. These little bottles usually have a capacity of 300-600ml and spray with a mist to simulate humid rainforest conditions.

Whichever type you need, indoor watering cans are more likely to be on show than those used in the garden and so are often designed with appearance in mind. There are lots of colours, materials and styles to choose from, with designs catering to personal aesthetics as well as practical needs.

There are also a number of features to consider:

A watering can with a long spout is useful for watering high places such as hanging baskets and tricky spots like the far side of a flower bed.
A watering can sprinkler – or ‘rose’ – over the spout helps distribute a gentle spray of water that’s less likely to damage plants or disturb compost, and is useful for watering seedlings and young plants.
Roses come with differently sized holes so you can choose the best spray to suit your plants. A universal rose tends to be made of rubber and should fit most cans, whereas brass roses are crafted to fit individual watering cans.

How to water effectively

Outdoor plants

Different plants have different needs. A good general rule when watering in flower beds and vegetable patches is to water right at the base of stems. This can be a little easier with a garden hose and a good garden spray gun. Close watering like this will ensure your plants get as much water as they need. In summer, try to water in the early morning or late evening so that precious water doesn’t evaporate in the heat of the day.

House plants

Watering potted Muehlenbeckia house plant. Getty Images

With house plants, most should be watered at the stems. However, carnivorous plants need damp roots, and cacti, succulents and cyclamen are prone to rotting at the base of the stems, so should be watered from below. Most house plants are tropical, and don’t need too much water. Air plants in particular only need a light misting. Not only will this keep your plants healthy, but it will help you conserve water, which is increasingly important as the climate changes.

For more on this, check out this fascinating discussion between Arit Anderson and water expert Janet Manning on the BBC Gardeners’ World podcast.

17 of the best watering cans and misters in 2022

Outdoor watering cans

Ward 10L Watering Can

For watering on a budget, check out the Ward watering can. This deceptively simple can has a couple of useful features. We love the measures along the side, so you can water precisely, as well as the rose storage, so it’s easy to switch between sprinkling plants and a full flow.

Price: £8

Buy the Ward 10L Watering Can from Argos

Garden Trading 10L Galvanised Watering Can

This simple watering can is all you need to keep your plants well-watered. Made of hard-wearing galvanised steel, with a brass rose, it holds up to 10 litres. You can also buy it in 1.5- and 5-litre capacities if you have a smaller space.

Price: £45

Buy the Garden Trading 10L Galvanised Watering Can from Garden Trading

Haws Bearwood Brook Green Two Gallon Watering Can

Haws is a big name in watering cans, and for good reason. Handmade in Smethwick, this galvanised steel watering can is powder-coated in attractive British racing green and comes with a brass rose. All Haws products have a fantastic 10-year guarantee, and the company has been known to restore products more than fifty years old. This model holds up to two gallons, or 9L in new money.

Price: £64.99

Buy the Bearwood Brook Green Two Gallon Watering Can from Amazon

Elho Recycled Living 10L Black Watering Can

If you want the benefits of a plastic watering can – lightweight, cheap, simple – but worry about the environmental impacts, check out this watering can from Elho. Made of recycled plastic, this can holds up to 10L.

Price: £24.99

Buy the Elho Recycled Living 10L Black Watering Can from Dobies

Kent & Stowe 9L Long Reach Watering Can

If you struggle to water at the back of deep flower beds, this long-reach watering can might be the one for you. Made from powder-coated galvanised steel, the long arm will help you to water all of your plants evenly, without treading on your flower beds or veg patch.

Price: £30.43

Buy the Kent & Stowe 9L Long Reach Watering Can from UK Tool Centre

Burgon and Ball Waterfall 5L Watering Can

We love the long arm on this galvanised steel can as well as the one-piece round handle, so it’s easy to use with one or two hands. The rose screws on to ensure a tight fit with no water wasted, and the can has a good five-year warranty.

Price: £33.99

Buy the Burgon and Ball Waterfall 5L Watering Can from Burgon and Ball

Kent And Stowe 4.5L Metal Watering Can

This 4.5L watering can from Kent and Stowe is just right for country-style gardens. If you forget to store it away after use, this attractive cream can will still look great on a patio.

Price: £21.98

Buy the Kent and Stowe 4.5L Metal Watering Can from Amazon

Indoor watering cans

Garden Trading 1.9L Indoor Watering Can

For a high-quality indoor watering can, check out the Garden Trading 1.9L watering can. Offering a large capacity in chalk or stone, this attractive galvanised steel can will help keep your plants healthy for years.

Price: £17.60

Buy the Garden Trading 1.9L Indoor Watering Can from Garden Trading

Elho Brussels 1.8L Watering Can

Made from recycled plastic, the Elho Brussels can has a great 1.8L capacity. Its small spout is great for targeted watering, and it has a large filling hole too, so it’s easy to fill up from kitchen and bathroom taps.

Price: £11.69

Buy the Elho Brussels 1.8L Watering Can from Amazon

Haws Indoor Plastic 700ml Watering Can

This plastic watering can delivers Haws’ upmarket aesthetic at a lower price. Holding 700ml, it’s great for nipping around the house and keeping your plants topped up, and will look great alongside them on a shelf.

Price: £8.79

Buy the Haws Indoor Plastic 700ml Watering Can from Amazon

Burgon and Ball 700ml Indoor Watering Can

For a simple but attractive watering can, check out the Burgon and Ball Indoor watering can. The handle is made of sustainable FSC beech, and the thin spout is just right for gently watering plants. It’s also available in charcoal, stone, or blue.

Price: £18.99

Buy the Burgon and Ball 700ml Indoor Watering Can from Burgon and Ball

Ward Woodstock 1L Indoor Watering Can

If you’re on a budget, try the Ward Woodstock watering can. This small 1L can is ideal for keeping out on kitchen surfaces so you don’t forget to water herbs.

Price: £4.50

Buy the Ward Woodstock 1L Indoor Watering Can from Amazon

Elho Plunge 1.7L Indoor Watering Can

We love the ingenious design of the Elho Plunge because it’s a watering can disguised as a vase. It also offers a capacity of 1.7 litres, so it’s great if you’ve got a lot of plants to water.

Price: £13.99

Buy the Elho Plunge 1.7L Indoor Watering Can from Amazon

Misters

Ziuheoa Plant Mister

Ziuheoa Glass Plant Mister

The pattern on this mister gives it a vintage, almost Edwardian feel. The bottle is glass and the mister pump is plastic, offering quality while keeping it affordable, and it’s available in seven colours.

Price: £6.79

Buy the Ziuheoa Plant Mister from Amazon

Dunelm Ceramic Black and White Plant Mister

This simple, black-and-white, ceramic plant mister will look fantastic in contemporary homes. With a generous capacity, it’s ideal if you’ve got lots of tropical house plants.

Price: £10

Buy the Dunelm Ceramic Black and White Plant Mister from Dunelm

Haws Mist Sprayer 300ml

This attractive brass mister is handmade in Smethwick in the West Midlands. It looks great on a shelf, and, if you’re giving it as a gift, it can be engraved with your choice of text for an extra five pounds.

Price: £22

Buy the Haws Mist Sprayer 300ml from Farrar and Tanner

Patch Mister

Patch Plants has given the humble mister an intriguing redesign. This mister is designed to spray as light a mist as possible to prevent plants from becoming waterlogged. It has a hand trigger rather than a button, and a silicone base to prevent the glass bottom from scratching surfaces.