The simple addition of a garden fountain is an effortless way to decorate and provide a tranquil atmosphere to your outdoor space. Garden fountains come in many varieties and styles and sizes, and can be made from concrete, wood, stone, plastic, and metal as well, so choosing the best style can be difficult. To find the best garden fountains, we spoke with Camille Cimino, a landscape designer at The Nature of Things, on what shoppers should look for when trying to find the best garden fountain for their yards. We also researched a variety of picks, keeping in mind each option’s material, size, and power source as well. Our Top Picks Best Solar-Powered: Best with Lights: Why You Should Get It It’s a beautiful outdoor fountain that fits both traditional and modern styles. Keep in Mind It’s quite large, so it will need more cleaning and maintenance than some other models. Although it’s made from resin, our top choice for the best garden fountain is designed to look just like stone. At a little over 23 pounds, however, the Teamson Home Water 4-Tiered Stacked Stone Waterfall Fountain is more lightweight than a stone style, making it easy to transport and move around the garden if necessary. The fountain has a polyresin construction that makes it a durable design that’s weatherproof and rust-resistant as well. This fountain features four tiered bowls of different sizes that pour water into each other. Plus, it has built-in LED lights, which is a nice touch especially if you entertain al fresco often. Two of the bowls have more than one spout, providing more of a waterfall effect, so you’ll get a peaceful, river-like sound for relaxed evenings sitting out in the garden. Each water bowl also has a handy screen guard to keep any garden debris at bay and safely away from the pump. The fountain is just under 34 inches high and has four different sections that the water hits, so it may need more maintenance, cleaning, and upkeep than some smaller models. It comes with all the necessary bits and bobs for installation, including the pump and a 3-foot cord. Product Details: Material: Resin | Dimensions: 16.34 x 32.87 x 15.55 inches | Power Source: Electric Why You Should Get It It’s lightweight, so it’s easy to move and clean. Keep in Mind It’s dark colored, so it won’t stand out as much in your garden as other styles might. If you don’t want to invest much in a garden fountain, the Alpine Corporation 2-Tier Barrel and Pump Waterfall Fountain is a great beginner model. The pick is less expensive than other styles but certainly doesn’t sacrifice style. It’s also lightweight, so it’s easy to move and clean. The fountain is designed to look like two buckets with a vintage water pump on top. Since it’s made of plastic, it won’t rust or rot and it’s also very easy to keep clean. Just keep in mind that because it has a dark bronze and rustic wood look, you’ll want to be mindful of where you place it so it doesn’t get lost in the backdrop of your outdoor space. The plug-in style fountain comes with a pump and can handle up to 11 liters of water.It also comes with a one-year manufacturer’s warranty to further protect your purchase. Product Details: Material: Plastic | Dimensions: 18 x 27 x 16 inches | Power Source: Electric Why You Should Get It It’s designed to weather naturally, so it’ll likely last for years to come. Keep in Mind There’s only a 6-month limited warranty. The Campania International Girona Concrete Fountain is the best garden fountain to invest in thanks to its style, performance, and durability. The 318-pound fountain is offered in 11 colors and will look like a sculpture in your garden. Designed and created by a team of sculptors, this handcrafted and hand-painted water fountain can be used both outdoors and indoors if you have the space for it. It has a 12-gallon water capacity and the water recirculates within the unit itself, so no plumbing is needed. The 6-month warranty is rather short, especially given the price. However, the fountain is water-, weather, and rust-resistant, and designed to weather naturally, so it’ll likely last for years to come. Product Details: Material: Concrete | Dimensions: 30 x 15 x 30 inches | Power Source: Electric Why You Should Get It It’s offered in four colors and has the look of natural stone. Keep in Mind The solar panel isn’t integrated into the design. This Sol 72 Outdoor pick is the best garden fountain if you prefer a solar style or don’t have any handy outdoor plugs. Unlike other electric styles, this pick comes with a battery that’s powered by an included solar panel box and simply charges up on its own with sunlight. The solar panel isn’t integrated into the fountain’s design, so you’ll have to set it up and leave it next to the fountain when it’s in use. Luckily, it’s not too large so you can hide it behind a plant or even the fountain itself when it’s fully charged. This two-tiered fountain features a pedestal and two different-sized bowls that the water flows gently from and into. Although it looks like natural stone, the fountain is made of resin and is available in four weathered finishes: brown, dark brown, black, or white. It only takes one person to assemble it without the need for power tools. Note that for best performance you’ll have to keep this fountain in an area of your garden that gets a lot of sunlight. To boost the charge and prolong the battery’s life, it’s recommended to switch the solar panel off for a couple of days before restarting it. Product Details: Material: Resin | Dimensions: 34.5 x 23 x 23 inches | Power Source: Battery, solar panel Why You Should Get It The minimal yet modern fountain is offered in 14 different colors. Keep in Mind It’s expensive given the size of the fountain. The petite Bayou Breeze Yayla Concrete Fountain is a charming model that’s only 16 inches high, and around 12 inches in width, so it’s the best garden fountain for those with a smaller outdoor space. It’s a bit of an investment given the small size, but just one look at it and it’s clear why. It’s made by hand from concrete and has a smooth finish, offering a posh look and feel. It’s weather resistant and water resistant, and it won’t ever rust, meaning that you’ll get to enjoy this beauty for years to come. It also comes in a choice of 14 attractive colors to suit all outdoor decor schemes, though it can be used inside as well. Product Details: Material: Concrete | Dimensions: 12.25 x 16 x 12.25 x 12.25 inches | Power Source: Electric Why You Should Get It It’s a durable option and can circulate 140 gallons of water. Keep in Mind It’s more expensive than other styles and since it’s large, it may also require more maintenance. According to Cimino, stone is the best garden fountain material to consider, so you can’t go wrong with this Frontgate design. This traditional, birdbath-style fountain is made from 100% stonecast with a patina finish that pairs perfectly with outdoor greenery and foliage. The fountain comes with a pump that can circulate 140 gallons of water. Some assembly is required but everything you need for installation is provided. Considering that this unit is a rather heavy 226 pounds, this is probably a two-person job. This model comes with a 6-foot cord, so you likely won’t need to buy an outdoor extension for it. Cleaning the fountain is also easy as there are only two large bowls to tend to—these can be simply scrubbed with a brush or a sponge and a bit of laundry bleach. Product Details: Material: Stonecast | Dimensions: 29.5 x 48.5 x 29.5 inches | Power Source: Electric Why You Should Get It Its running water speed is adjustable. Keep in Mind It has several different sections to it, so it may take longer to clean than some other models. The Naturefalls H Modern Outdoor Fountain is a water fountain and outdoor light feature all in one. It’s easy to assemble and has a rustic design with plenty of detailing that can cater to both modern and traditional tastes. Unlike some of the other best garden fountains, this model comes with a low-voltage pump that has an adjustable water flow speed. Thanks to this feature, you’ll be able to customize the relaxing trickling sound to your exact liking. The fountain features four bronze-hued cascading bowls, three of which have built-in lights, resting on a multi-tiered faux concrete columned frame. There’s an extra LED light in the middle that illuminates the whole structure as well. Its lightweight resin and fiberglass construction is durable, weatherproof, and easy to wipe clean. Just keep in mind that there are many crevices to clean, so it might take more time to clean than a water fountain with a more simple design. Despite its tall frame, this water fountain weighs less than 30 pounds, so is easy enough to relocate should you wish to. Having said that, it has a sturdy base so it’s not likely to topple over in the wind. Two cords need to be plugged in to use this fountain—one for the lights, and one for the pump—and they’re only around 5 feet long, so an outdoor extension cord might be in order. Product Details: Material: Resin | Dimensions: 14 x 40 x 14 inches | Power Source: Electric Overall, the Teamson Home Water 4-Tiered Stacked Stone Waterfall Fountain is the best garden fountain to spruce up your outdoor space. This model is made from a lightweight polyresin but is designed to look like real stone. It’s durable, weatherproof, rust-resistant, and easy to clean—it even has screen guards to keep debris away from the pump. We also love that it has built-in atmospheric LED lights, and is less expensive than other options as well. Garden fountains come in many different materials, the most durable of which are molded cement and stone, which is an investment. Some garden fountains are made from fiberglass, which Cimino says is very easy to clean, as is glazed pottery, due to their smooth surfaces. Plastic styles will be less expensive and lightweight and will be easy to clean. Though metal fountains are also available, Cimino advises staying away from these as they tend to corrode and rust quite quickly. Garden fountains are typically powered via an outlet but battery and solar-powered options are also available. “Store-bought fountain kits designed for outdoor use typically run on standard 110 power and should have weatherproof cords and plugs,” says Cimino. “You may also need a professional to install a power outlet in your garden.” Garden fountains come in all shapes and sizes but usually range from 10 to 40 inches wide and 10 to 50 inches tall. Cimino says that a garden fountain should not overpower your outdoor space, but rather, fit it proportionally. She also advises factoring in some space behind it for its mechanics and power, and so that you can comfortably reach all areas for cleaning. In addition to regular maintenance and cleaning requirements, garden fountains can get clogged, which is something else to keep on top of. So as not to let the maintenance ruin the wonderful garden fountain experience, Cimino suggests starting with a small unit until you’ve got the hang of all the garden fountain requirements. The best garden fountains can cost $50 to upwards of $2,000. Simple, single-tier water fountains are less expensive than large, multi-tiered fountains with elaborate designs and lights. You might also need to factor in extra costs like bringing in an electrician to hook up a power source. “A fountain also needs refilling when the water evaporates, so sometimes people connect them to an irrigation system, which can be installed by a local gardener, and that will also incur some cost,” she says. “But the simplest way is to refill it with a garden hose.” Regardless of which garden fountain style you choose for your space, you’ll need to clean and maintain it over time. “I just use a simple scrub brush, scrubbing sponge, or even a barbecue wire brush to scrub off algae,” Cimino tells us. “A splash of laundry bleach can also help dissuade algae and mosquitoes, but I also like using bromine tablets, which have less of an odor. Some like to use small barley straw bales to discourage algae growth, but I haven't found these as effective, and they're also unsightly.” This article was written by Kat de Naoum, who has over ten years of commerce writing experience. Kat is also the commerce editor-at-large at Thomas-Xometry, the leading U.S. online platform for supplier discovery and product sourcing. For this article, Kat reviewed multiple garden fountains, researching factors such as each model's size and dimensions, power source, material, and value for money. She also spoke to Camille Cimino, a landscape designer at The Nature of Things.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Best-Garden-Fountains-of-2023-tout-383dd61f465b434aa80740d2917258d1.jpg "The 7 Best Garden Fountains of 2024 for a Serene Outdoor Atmosphere (1)")
Best Budget
Alpine Corporation Barrel and Pump Waterfall Fountain
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Best Splurge
Campania International Girona Fountain
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Best with Lights
Naturefalls Modern Outdoor Fountain
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See Also
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