The Best Outdoor Faucets - Picks from Bob Vila

Oct 15, 2024

By Tony Carrick

Updated on Jul 18, 2024 6:59 PM EDT

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Whether washing the car, watering the lawn, or giving the potted plants on the back patio a much-needed drink, an outdoor faucet is a vital plumbing receptacle for a home. But, unlike faucets located inside the home, an external water faucet must be tough enough to endure the elements while supplying a home’s outdoor water needs.

Outdoor faucets come in a variety of types, ranging from classic spigots to modern frost-free models that can function through the winter to anti-siphon models that protect your home’s water supply from contamination.

With so many different types of outdoor faucets on the market, choosing the right one can be a challenge. Our top pick, the SharkBite 24632LF Multi-Turn Hose Bibb, is simple but affordable, with a durable and easy-to-install design. It’s a great option as a basic outdoor hose bibb, but there are also other faucet types for shoppers to consider.

Ahead, discover what factors are crucial to consider when shopping for the best outdoor faucet while learning more about some of the best outdoor hose bibb options on the market.

In reviewing more than two dozen outdoor faucets for this list, we considered a number of criteria. Since outdoor faucets come in a variety of types, we included entries on our list for standard compression outdoor faucets as well as frost-free, anti-siphon, ball valve, spigot, and yard hydrants.

Within these categories, we looked at durability. We spoke to Jason Best, experienced plumber and owner of SewerRepairs.com, who advises the following: “Always choose a faucet made of brass, bronze, or stainless steel. Plastic faucets will not last and can easily break in extreme weather.”

“Based on countless service calls over the years, I always recommend installing a brass faucet with a vacuum breaker,” he says. “It will last for many years and provide peace of mind about water contamination.” We limited our picks to those with brass construction, and included several products with a vacuum breaker (known as anti-siphon faucets) as well.

Since outdoor faucets require periodic maintenance, we also leaned toward models with stems that can be accessed in a few minutes with simple tools. Outdoor faucets should be easy to operate, so we selected models with handles that allow the user to get a firm grip.

The list below narrows the field to some of the best outdoor faucets by type. These faucets feature durable brass construction that can endure harsh weather with handles that make them easy to control.

Product Specs

What We Don’t Like

Ease of installation coupled with a durable design makes this simple hose bibb from SharkBite a great replacement for an old outdoor faucet. One of its more attractive features is its push-to-connect system. To install the SharkBite hose bibb, simply push the fitting over the existing pipe and lock them together. This design eliminates the need for glue, soldering, or clamping.

The SharkBite faucet is compatible with PEX, copper, CPVC, PE-RT and HDPE pipes. A large blue handle makes it easy to open and close the valve to make changes in water pressure. A standard plumber’s wrench is all that’s needed to remove the handle to access the stem for maintenance. The 45-degree angle of the faucet helps to prevent hose kinking.

Get the SharkBite outdoor faucet at Amazon, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, or The Home Depot.

What We Like

This simple hose bibb from Ez-Flo is one of the most affordable ways to replace or add an outdoor faucet to one’s home. This spigot-style bibb consists of a durable brass body with a zinc handle. The opening of the faucet flares upward slightly, directing water away from the home while also helping to prevent hose kinks.

The outdoor faucet attaches to plumbing via a ¾-inch male pipe inlet that can attach to copper or galvanized piping when using the proper fittings. The handle and stem can be removed with a screwdriver and plumber’s wrench, making it easy to replace the rubber washers on the stem for maintenance.

Get the Ez-Flo outdoor faucet at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Product Specs

What We Don’t Like

With its frost-proof construction, this faucet from Prier Products is ideal for those who want to keep their faucet in operation during the cold winter months. Its 12-inch stem extends the valve into the climate-controlled part of the house, preventing the water supply from freezing in cold temperatures and making it one of the best freeze-proof outdoor faucet options. This design eliminates the need to shut off the spigot with a cut-off valve in wintertime. An anti-siphon design ensures the faucet won’t draw water back into the home, potentially contaminating the water supply.

Its large plastic handle allows for fine control over water pressure. The handle assembly can be removed with a plumbing wrench, making it easy to pull the stem out for maintenance. Satin nickel-plated construction resists rust while an angled flange keeps water away from the hole.

Get the Prier Products outdoor faucet at Amazon or Menards.

What We Like

Durable construction makes this model from American Valve one of the best outdoor water spigot choices on the market. It features a large T-shaped handle that makes it easy to open and close the valve. Adjustments for leaks and flow can be made with a plumber’s wrench via the spacing nut beneath the handle.

An ideal garden hose faucet, this model has extended threading that allows for a more secure, leak-free connection. The male end of the hose bibb works with various pipe materials when used with the appropriate adapter. The American Valve Hose Bibb is available in ½-inch and ¾-inch sizes.

Get the American Valve M71HD outdoor faucet at Amazon.

Product Specs

What We Don’t Like

This hose bibb from American Valve is easy to operate thanks to its ball valve style. Its large handle enables the user to fully close or open the valve with a single quarter-turn twist of the lever handle, making it a good choice for valves attached to a garden hose with a sprayer. However, it does not regulate water pressure as well as compression-style faucets.

A large handle with a rubberized covering makes it easier to operate than standard compression-style faucets, while heavy-gauge brass construction gives it a sturdy feel. With its slight downward angle, it’s well-suited for garden hose attachments. A retaining nut above the handle is removable for maintenance. The American Valve hose bibb comes in ¾-inch and ½-inch sizes.

Get the American Valve M71QT outdoor faucet at Amazon.

What We Like

This anti-siphon sill cock sets itself apart from the field with its sturdy construction that consists of a forged brass body. With its 12-inch length, this outdoor faucet sets the valve back far enough in the hose to prevent it from freezing, making it suitable for year-round use even in colder climates.

A large plastic handle is easy to grip and allows for fine adjustments to water pressure. A bolt behind the outlet opens for making repairs. The inlet fits ½-inch plumbing, while the outlet connects to ¾-inch hoses.

Get the Homewerks outdoor faucet at Amazon or Walmart.

Product Specs

What We Don’t Like

While a standard bibb faucet may suffice for most outdoor spaces, those with a more sophisticated backyard will want to consider this model from Toliwel. Antique-style solid brass and a curved lever handle give this faucet a more attractive appearance than the standard outdoor hose bibb. With decorative etchings on the spout and apron, this spigot is an ideal choice for sophisticated backyard gardens.

The large lever-style handle is easy to operate, allowing the user to quickly turn the water on or off and regulate the flow of water. The faucet comes with an outdoor nozzle attachment that works with quick connectors, making it easy to attach and detach a garden hose with a quick-connect adapter.

Get the Toliwel outdoor faucet at Amazon.

What We Like

With its stout construction and thoughtful design, this outdoor faucet is well suited for those looking to put a faucet in their garden. The faucet head sits on a galvanized steel pipe and consists of heavy-duty ductile iron with a brass nozzle and stem. A hole forged into the handle fits a standard padlock, preventing the hose from being turned on when the padlock is in place.

The yard hydrant sits 50 inches off the ground and buries to a depth of 2 feet to reach below the frost line. A self-draining valve prevents the valve from freezing in the winter. A square head set screw makes it easy to adjust the plunger to eliminate leaks or improve the flow of water.

Get the Everbilt outdoor faucet at The Home Depot.

Learn more about the crucial factors one should consider when shopping for an outside water faucet, including the quality of construction, sizing, design, and installation.

Outdoor faucets come in various types to suit different needs and climates. Learn more about each type below.

Spigot

The traditional outdoor water spigot has a simple design, using a compression valve that opens when the handle is turned to the left and closes when turned to the right. Compression valves open gradually with each turn of the handle, making it easy to fine-tune water flow from a trickle to a stream. The stem is located just beneath the handle, which makes them easy to maintain. However, this design also means the water supply to the spigot must be shut off during the winter to prevent water from freezing inside the stem and damaging the faucet.

A frost-free faucet has a 12-inch-long stem that extends to the home’s internal plumbing. This design prevents water from freezing inside the faucet, eliminating the need to shut off the outdoor faucet’s water supply in the wintertime. Keep in mind that this design means the water will run for a second or two longer than a traditional faucet when shut off in order to drain the longer stem.

Ball Valve

This type of faucet has a brass ball with a hole inside it. When the faucet handle is in the open position, water is able to pass through the hole and out of the faucet. Ball valve faucets have large lever-style handles that fully open the valve with a simple quarter turn. This design allows the user to turn the water on and off quickly, but makes it difficult to control the faucet’s flow rate.

Yard hydrants differ from other outdoor faucets because they are not attached to the home. They instead sit on a pipe that extends 2 to 3 feet out of the ground. This design frees the outdoor faucet from an exterior wall of the home, allowing the user to install the faucet in a garden or other part of the yard (hose timers are a great accessory to consider for these types of setups). Yard hydrants require plumbing to be extended from the house to the hydrant location below the frost line, typically about 2 feet underground.

Anti-Siphon

Changes in pressure in your home’s plumbing can cause water to be sucked back into the water supply. This can contaminate the water in your home if a garden hose sits in a muddy puddle when the pressure drops. Anti-siphon faucets prevent water from being sucked back in through the outdoor faucet, protecting the clean water supply in your home from contamination.

Like indoor plumbing fixtures, outdoor plumbing is made from durable metal that can resist rust and corrosion. While indoor faucets are made from chrome or stainless steel finishes with brass internal components, outdoor faucets consist of rugged solid brass or galvanized steel capable of enduring extreme weather conditions. Compression-style faucets typically use a rubber stopper to create a watertight seal when the faucet is closed.

These stoppers must be replaced every few years to prevent them from failing and causing a leak. For that reason, more outdoor faucets have handles the user can remove with simple tools to access the stem and rubber washers.

Outdoor faucets come in either ½-inch or ¾-inch diameters. Purchase a faucet that matches the size of the pipes inside the home. While outdoor faucets that are ¾ inch in diameter will carry more water pressure than those with smaller ½-inch pipes, attaching a ¾-inch garden bibb to a ½-inch supply line using an adapter will not increase water pressure from the faucet.

When selecting an outdoor faucet, choose one with a design that suits the application. In homes where a garden hose is essential, choose a faucet for hoseuse. These have a threaded end to connect the hose directly. For climates that routinely experience subfreezing temperatures in the wintertime, it makes sense to purchase a frost-free faucet that can be used year-round. Consider an anti-siphon faucet if you’ll often attach a garden hose (or multiple garden hoses). Ball valve faucets are a great idea for applications in which the water must be turned on or off quickly.

While most backyard spigots have a utilitarian look, there are spigot-style outdoor faucets featuring ornamental designs that add to the aesthetics of a backyard garden. These designer spigots feature sculpted birds, plants, and other nature-inspired embellishments. Don’t let a stray hose ruin the look of the area either; use a garden hose reel to keep the space neat.

Outdoor faucets include additional features not found on standard indoor faucets. Frost-free faucets are designed to remain in operation during the winter without the risk of freezing. Anti-siphon faucets have a vacuum lock that prevents the faucet from drawing water back into the home’s plumbing via a garden hose, which could potentially contaminate the home’s water supply. Hose bibbs and hose spigotfaucets are threaded to connect to a garden hose directly.

Most outdoor faucets have a simple design that’s intended for easy installation and include male ends that can connect to copper, PVC, or galvanized steel plumbing when paired with the appropriate adapter (which is sold separately). Some outdoor faucets have push-to-connect fittings, which allow the user to connect the faucet to the supply line in seconds.

Although outdoor faucets are designed to be durable, eventually most will require maintenance to prevent leaks. The good news is, most leaky outdoor faucets are easy to repair. To fix a leaky outdoor faucet, remove the handle and tighten the retaining nut with a pair of pliers. If that doesn’t do the trick, you’ll likely need to replace the washer assembly. Washers are made of soft rubber, which eventually dries out and cracks.

To change the washer assembly, remove the stem and remove the screw that holds the assembly together and trade out the washer with a new one. The leak may also be caused by the vacuum breaker at the top of the faucet (if your outdoor water spigot has one). Pop the cap off the faucet using a flat head screwdriver and inspect the parts. If they’re dirty, clean them off and reassemble the breaker. If damaged, replace the parts.

If you’re wondering which new outdoor faucet (or outdoor faucet replacement) is the best, then read on for answers to these and other commonly asked questions.

An insulated cover can help prevent frozen pipes and faucets in cold climates, but only to a certain degree. They’re more suitable if you live in a mild climate. If the temperature falls below 28 degrees Fahrenheit, that cover likely won’t be enough. Allowing the faucet to drip is one way to prevent freeze damage to the faucet, but it is by no means a long-term solution unless you like the idea of wasting water and jacking up your utility bill. Most outdoor faucets have a cutoff that allows you to close off and drain the line that leads to the outdoor spigot. Alternatively, install a freeze-proof spigot if you need it for year-round use.

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but generally speaking, a spigot is a plumbing fitting that extends to the exterior of the home. Most of the time, a faucet is the term used to describe fittings on the home’s interior unless the word “outdoor” precedes the word “faucet.”

When winterizing pipes, don’t forget outdoor faucets. Before the first freeze, turn off the water valve inside the home for the exterior water faucet. Then, open the faucet to let remaining water drain out. You can close the faucet after all the remaining water has drained out.

Outdoor faucets are either ½-inch or ¾-inch in diameter. The size typically matches the plumbing inside the home. So, if the supply lines in the house are ¾-inch in diameter, the outdoor faucet will likely be ¾-inch.

The cost to replace an outside faucet ranges between $100 and $300 depending on the area. Installing a new outdoor hose bibb typically costs between $200 and $500.

To prevent an outdoor faucet from freezing, either install a frost-free hose bibb or turn the shut-off valve that leads the faucet to the off position, then open the faucet to drain the line.

Contributing Writer

Tony Carrick is a freelance writer who has contributed to BobVila.com since 2020. He writes how-to articles and product reviews in the areas of lawn and garden, home maintenance, home improvement, auto maintenance, housewares, and technology.

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