So, I did some research, and it seems like the choice between smart and traditional irrigation systems really depends on what you prioritize. smart controllers with weather-based automations have an interesting feature with which they can save water and adjust schedules on the fly. and on the other hand, traditional systems are more straightforward and easier to use. smart home scope compares rachio with rain bird in https://smarthomescope.com/rachio-vs-rainbird/ and says how smart features can be great for convenience but may not always beat durability of simpler setups.

It usually comes down to what you want the system to do for you.

Traditional irrigation is simple and very reliable, but it requires manual seasonal adjustments. A smart irrigation system adds value when automation actually reduces effort; things like weather-based adjustments, soil moisture sensor monitoring, rain delays, and seasonal tuning without constant reprogramming.

If reliability is the top priority, keeping the logic simple works well. If water efficiency and hands-off operation matter more, smart controllers can be worth it when properly configured. Planning a broader home automation ecosystem takes effort, but using a focused solution like Rachio for irrigation alone can work very well.

Automation should make life easier, save a bit of money, and actually be enjoyable and not turn into another thing you have to manage.

We upgraded to a smart sprinkler system. It's great. I don't have to be home to adjust it. My old sprinkler system would run even in a downpour. If you wanted to stop it, you had to go to the garage and manually stop it and remember to restart. We sprinkled at night or early morning, so often weren't awake. So, we bought a rain sensor. Then, it wouldn't run when it was raining, but it would run on schedule after 2 days of downpour.

Now, we have a smart sprinkler system. It skips a scheduled run when rain is forecast, which means it can skip runs when it doesn't actually rain. But it aways reminds me, so I can decide to run it the next day. The app shows me when it ran. It's just so much easier to deal with than the manual one.

Further, configuring the smart system is much, much easier. I hated configuring my old system. I don't have to push buttons on the controller forever. I can see what my schedule is, I can name and describe my zones, the app even lets me take a picture of them, so my husband knows what "lilac to magnolia" means.

Controllers are cheap enough that if a smart controller doesn't last as long (my old one was several decades old), it's still worth it. The rest of the system is exactly the same, so the durability you're concerned about is not the entire, expensive system, but just the controller box. They cost $100-200, not on sale.

I would go for a smart controller box, hands down. Wifi enabled, because that's how you get the app, so you can adjust your sprinkler from the comfort of your living room or bedroom if it's 5 am.