5 Best Rain Barrels for Harvesting Rain Water
If you have a garden, you have probably wondered how you can collect rainwater. Owning a rain barrel can help you save money, make you more self-sufficient, and enable you water your yard even during a mini-drought.
Studies show that rain collecting barrels can save up to 100 gallons of water per year. The water can be used for outdoor activities like watering plants, washing your car, etc. That's why we've decided to simplify your buying experience by reviewing the best rain barrel on the market. Without further ado, let us begin.
5 Best Rain Barrels - Reviews
Image | Product Name | Weight | Rating | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Good Ideas RW50-OAK Rain Barrel | 50 gallons | 4.0 | |
 | 2. Enviro World Corporation Rain Barrel | 55 gallons | 4.1 | |
 | 3. RTS Home Accents Rain Water Barrel | 50 gallons | 4.0 | |
 | 4. Eagle 1656BLK Black Drum Rain Barrel | 55 gallons | 4.7 | |
 | 5. Good Ideas RB55 Recycled Rain Barrel | 55 gallons | 3.9 |
#1. Good Ideas RW50-OAK Rain Wizard Rain Barrel
Editor's Rating: 
(4 / 5)
First on our list is the RW50. The 50 represents the number of gallons of water it can hold. This US-made barrel is made from faux oak polyethylene to keep the barrel durable throughout the seasons while its robust build makes the barrel able to withstand heavy impact.
When it comes to its finish, the manufacturer added a touch of highly-detailed wood grain texture to give RW50-OAK a classic barrel look. It also has a flat-back design that allows the rain barrel to sit flat against a wall to save up on space. Good Ideas RW50-OAK not only comes with a brass-coated spigot but also features connection points for linking multiple barrels together.
Pros
- Collects and stores up to 50 gallons of rain water
- Classic whiskey barrel look
- Flat-back-to-the-wall design
- Anti-debris screen to filter out bugs and gutter garbage
- Molded all-around to prevent cracking and splitting in winter
- Includes a rugged brass-platted spigot that will not rust, mold, or rot
Cons
- The finishing touch on this barrel is a little bit poor since paint easily comes off the band
Who Should Buy
The RW50 proves to be a great and durable rain collecting barrel which will serve you for years. We would highly recommend this rain barrel to anyone with a small garden or someone who does a lot of washing activities on the outdoors.
#2. Enviro World Corporation Rain Barrel
Editor's Rating: 
(4.1 / 5)
Like many rain barrels, Enviro World is carefully crafted to take up minimum space while providing a larger water holding capacity. Just like in the pictures, Enviro World looks sleek with its almost square shape. With a flat back, the rain barrel allows you to keep it into any location around your home. Once you receive it, you’ll get attracted instantly with its high-density polyethylene build that provides a robust feel. The stunning design makes cleaning the rain barrel a walk in the park!
Besides its long-lasting build, Environ World comes with a steel-coated mesh screen that filters off dirt and insects to ensure the water collected is residue free. You can also connect multiple barrels on either side of this Enviro World thanks to its two-sided overflows that allow excess water to flow into other containers.
Pros
- Large 55 Gallons capacity
- Easy to set up
- Robust build for durability
- Sleek flat back design ensures it fits seamlessly in any location
- High quality molded exterior keeps the rain barrel looking crispy clean and new
- Comes with child locking screws
Cons
- Comes with a cheap plastic spigot rather than a brass one.
Who Should Buy
All things considered, the Enviro World is an ideal rain barrel for homeowners with small gardens. It has a large capacity, and purchasing more than one barrel will allow you to collect enough rainwater to last for several months without having to use the city water.
#3. RTS Home Accents Rain Water Collection Barrel
Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)
You can now embrace rain showers by collecting every drop of it with the RTS rain barrel. Its high-quality build means RTS Water Collection Barrel can withstand external factors such as rot, insect infestation, summer heat, winter cold, etc. Maximize on space once you set it flush against the wall and immediately start collecting rain water. Once the RTS reaches its 50-gallon capacity, connect other RTSes or set buckets on either side to collect the overflow water through its two-sided overflows.
Keep out insects and debris through its silver coated filtration screen mesh. The TRS also comes with a front overflow that directs water away from your wall to keep it dry. You can also decide to purchase an optional stand that will not only increase the pressure on your hose but will also make it easier to collect water from small containers and buckets.
Pros
- Authentic oak barrel texture
- Robust body is immune to rotting, fading and insect infestation
- Sits flush against a wall with its flat back
- Linkable to other barrels through its two-sided overflows
- Optional stand to make it easy to fill cans without having to use a hose
- Aluminum screen filters out debris and insects
Cons
- The lid is non-removable, making it impossible to access the inside of the barrel
- The lightweight screen on top of the barrel is easily washed or blown away
Who Should Buy
RTS is one of the best rain barrels we have tested. If you want a barrel that is molded from high-quality materials and looks elegant against walls, this rain barrel will meet your needs. Also, purchase it with its optional stand if you do not want the bother of constructing an elevated platform to place it.
#4. Eagle 1656BLK Black Drum Rain Barrel
Editor's Rating: 
(4.7 / 5)
There isn’t much to say about Eagle 1656BLK other than how precise it is in what it has been built for. Eagle rain barrel doesn’t look fancy neither does it have unnecessary paraphernalia. The circular shape ensures the full 55-gallon holding capacity is reached as advertised.
While it is built primarily to collect and store water, it can also be used in different ways such as in a woodworking shop to collect sawdust and other wood debris produced. If you're going to use it for its intended purpose of storing water, you're in luck because it comes with a plastic locking lever seal which is rubber sealed to store water safely without any danger of either rust or spillage.
Pros
- Sturdy, reliable and very secure poly drum
- Lab pack open head drum
- A tad cheaper than the other barrels on this list
- Tight and secure lid seal that doesn't get blown off by water or by wind
- 55-gallon capacity
- Lever lock ring to secure the lid in place
Cons
- Not the best looking rain barrel on the market
- Comes in black only but can easily be repainted to any color
Who Should Buy
Before knocking points off the Eagle drum for being unattractive, remember that you’re not buying a rain drum for decorative purposes. The Eagle excels at its work; recycling and storing water efficiently for future use. That said, I recommend it to anyone who has a small garden and is indifferent to its looks.
#5. Good Ideas RB55 Big Blue Recycled Rain Barrel
Editor's Rating: 
(3.9 / 5)
Finally yet importantly is the Big Blue rain barrel. The rain barrel is made entirely from recycled plastics that were used and then disposed of by juice-producing facilities. Therefore, don't be alarmed after buying a Big Blue only to smell a fading juice odor the first few times you use it. It holds up to 55 gallons of rainwater.
When it comes to discharging water, you can choose to use one of the two spigot locations to draw water. The upper spigot location can be used to draw water into a bucket while the lower spigot location can be used with a hose to get more pressure. Filling up the barrel can be don effortlessly by using a Philips head screwdriver to unscrew the screen mesh for faster filling.
Pros
- Resistant to mold, rust, mildew, and rotting
- Brass spigot for discharging water
- Filtration screen to keep debris and insects out of the barrel
- Spigot can be placed in two different locations and can be interchanged at will
- Child and pet safe
- Easy to install
Cons
- The lid is permanently sealed making it hard to access the inside
- It takes up more space due to its circular design
- Slight odor when you first use it
Who Should Buy
We highly recommend RB55 to anyone who owns a garden as it proves to be one of the best rain barrels on the market today. It is perfect for use during summer when a large percentage of water is used outdoors. Buying RB55 will help recycle rainwater as well as save you the cost of using city water.
Conclusion
Now that we have featured the top rated rain barrels on the market, we believe that you are better suited to pick out the ideal rain barrel based on your needs. A final tip is that, just like other tanks, you should raise the rain barrel off the ground to generate more pressure when using a hose.
Last Updated on January 19, 2019 by Tom Bradly