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Updated September 2026: every price and certification claim below is re-verified against each maker’s own current page.
The direct answer for a smart sprinkler controller: the Orbit B-hyve XR and the Rain Bird ST8O-2.0 are the two to buy, at $169.99 and $167.69. Both are EPA WaterSense certified and rated for outdoor mounting out of the box, and both carry the fastest payback windows here. The Rachio 3 has the best app and the only Apple HomeKit support. But its own WaterSense status isn’t confirmed anywhere on its maker page. The one to skip is whatever’s still listed online as the Hunter Hydrawise HC-600i, since Hunter discontinued that exact model in 2023.
I have kept a lawn watered through plenty of hot, humid summers. A controller that runs quietly on schedule beats one with a flashy app. A WaterSense label is the detail that tells you it was built to save water, not just to look modern.
Hunter Discontinued This Smart Sprinkler Controller in 2023
Hunter’s own site lists the HC line — including the HC-600i — on its discontinued-models page. That line was retired in 2023 for the US and Australia. Hunter points buyers to three current replacements instead: the Pro-HC line, the X2 controller, or the HPC line. The X2 needs an add-on WAND Wi-Fi module to get Hydrawise app control at all. The closest match to the old HC-600i is the Pro-HC PHC-600i, a 6-station indoor unit priced at $254.88. It carries WaterSense and Smart Water Application certification.
That’s two fewer zones than the Orbit or the Rain Bird. It’s also roughly $85 more, for a controller carrying the same base feature set. Any listing still selling an “HC-600i” today is selling old stock of a retired model. That stock carries a two-year warranty that Hunter itself only honors “from the manufacturing date code.” So it’s worth checking before paying full price for something already partway through its own warranty clock.
Four Claims, Checked Against Each Maker’s Own Page
| Claim | What the maker’s own page shows | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| The Rain Bird ST8-2.0 is an indoor unit that needs a separate outdoor enclosure | Rain Bird sells two hardware variants under that family name: the ST8I-2.0 (indoor) and the ST8O-2.0 (Home Depot lists it as an “8-Zone Outdoor Smart Irrigation” controller), which is rated for outdoor mounting on its own and is WaterSense certified per its own retail listing. | Wrong for the outdoor-rated variant. Rain Bird’s own “O” model needs no enclosure. |
| Hunter Hydrawise HC-600i is a current product | Hunter’s own site lists the entire HC line as discontinued since 2023, replaced by Pro-HC, X2+WAND, or HPC. | Discontinued. The Pro-HC PHC-600i is the closest current equivalent. |
| Orbit B-hyve XR is WaterSense certified | Orbit’s own product page states the EPA WaterSense label qualifies it for utility rebates. | Confirmed. |
| Rachio 3 is WaterSense certified | Rachio’s own product and mission pages don’t state a WaterSense certification, and a thread on Rachio’s own community forum shows users asking why the label is missing with no official answer given. | Not confirmed. Check your utility’s own rebate list before assuming Rachio qualifies. |
What Each One Costs, and When It Pays for Itself
The EPA’s WaterSense program states that a WaterSense-labeled controller can cut irrigation water use by up to 30 percent versus a standard clock-based controller. It can also save up to 15,000 gallons a year. That figure is current on the EPA’s own WaterSense page as of this update. Apply your own combined water-and-sewer rate, found on your utility bill and priced per 1,000 gallons, against each controller’s real current price. That shows how long it takes to pay for itself at that ceiling.
| Your combined water + sewer rate | Max annual savings (15,000 gal) | Payback, $167.69 (Rain Bird) | Payback, $254.88 (Hunter Pro-HC) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5 per 1,000 gallons | $75/year | ~2.2 years | ~3.4 years |
| $10 per 1,000 gallons | $150/year | ~1.1 years | ~1.7 years |
| $15 per 1,000 gallons | $225/year | ~9 months | ~1.1 years |
Two honest caveats on this table. 15,000 gallons is the EPA’s stated ceiling for an average home, not a promise. A small yard on a light schedule saves less, and a large overwatered lawn in a hot climate can save more. Many utilities also offer their own rebates on WaterSense-labeled controllers specifically, and that can shorten every payback period here further. Check your utility’s rebate list against the exact model and zone count before buying. That’s also where a Rachio buyer would discover whether it qualifies.
Orbit B-hyve XR: Best Outdoor Smart Sprinkler Controller
At $169.99, weatherproof out of the box, and WaterSense certified on Orbit’s own page, the B-hyve XR is an easy recommendation. It fits well if your existing timer already lives on an exterior wall. It also supports up to 16 zones across the line, along with Alexa and Google Assistant, and charges no subscription for anything. Skip this if Apple HomeKit matters to you, since Orbit doesn’t support it. Skip it too if you want the most hands-off weather logic. Owners report its regional weather adjustments can run aggressive and need the occasional manual override.
Rain Bird ST8O-2.0: Outdoor-Rated for Less Than the Orbit
At $167.69, Rain Bird’s outdoor-rated ST8O-2.0 undercuts the Orbit slightly and carries the same WaterSense certification. It has a simpler app and fewer settings, the kind that comes from a company that’s built irrigation hardware since the 1930s rather than smart-home gadgets. Eight zones is the ceiling on this model, so bigger properties need to look elsewhere in Rain Bird’s line. Skip this if you want the deepest weather intelligence or app polish. This is the “set it and mostly forget it” option of the group, not the tinkerer’s pick.
Rachio 3: The Best App, an Unconfirmed Label
The Rachio 3 remains the pick for a garage or basement install. It’s also the only one here with Apple HomeKit support alongside Alexa and Google. Its hyperlocal weather intelligence pulls street-level data rather than a regional average, and core scheduling features stay free. The optional premium tier adds extras without gating basic function. At $199.99 for the 8-zone model, it costs more than the Orbit or Rain Bird. It also needs a separate enclosure for an outdoor install. Skip this if a confirmed WaterSense label matters for a specific utility rebate you’re counting on. Verify it directly with your utility rather than assuming.
Hunter Pro-HC PHC-600i: Premium Smart Sprinkler Controller
If the Hydrawise platform and contractor-grade remote access are what you want, the Pro-HC PHC-600i is Hunter’s real current product. A landscape crew can log in and adjust zones without a truck roll, and it carries WaterSense and Smart Water Application certification. At $254.88 for 6 zones, it’s both the most expensive controller in this comparison and the one with the fewest zones per dollar. Skip this if you don’t have a landscape contractor relationship or a genuine appetite for its deeper configuration options. That depth costs real money here and goes unused otherwise.
What Decides Your Smart Sprinkler Controller Purchase
Mounting location comes first. An outdoor-rated model, Orbit or Rain Bird, skips the cost and hassle of a separate enclosure that Rachio and Hunter’s indoor units both require. Zone count comes second, so count your valves before ordering. Hunter’s closest current match tops out at six. Certification comes third if a specific utility rebate is part of your math. Orbit, Rain Bird, and Hunter’s Pro-HC all confirm WaterSense status on their own pages, but Rachio, as of this update, does not.
Buy the Rain Bird or the Orbit
After running irrigation through a humid summer, I would mount the Rain Bird ST8O-2.0 or the Orbit B-hyve XR outdoors, since both are WaterSense certified and within two dollars of each other. Both pay back within about a year at a mid-range water rate. Pick Rachio if HomeKit or the deepest weather app genuinely matters enough to justify the extra cost and the unconfirmed label. Pick the Pro-HC only if a landscape contractor is part of the picture. Skip anything still marketed as the Hunter Hydrawise HC-600i — it’s a discontinued model, and the money is better spent on its actual replacement or on either of the two cheaper, certified options above.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
The same buy-once-save-monthly logic shows up elsewhere in an automated home — see our smart plug payback comparison and our smart garage door opener upgrade math, or browse the rest of our Smart Home comparisons.
