What works
- + Long, precise spout — reaches behind foliage cleanly
- + 1.7-litre capacity covers a larger round than the 1L Haws
- + Powder-coated finish in muted greens and navys; quietly handsome
- + Under £25 at most UK garden centres
What doesn't
- − Lighter weight means less momentum and a less 'settled' pour
- − Powder coat will chip eventually with heavy use
- − Doesn't carry the heirloom quality of brass
Overview
The Burgon & Ball indoor watering can is the thrift sibling to the Haws long-reach — the can to buy if you want a properly-designed indoor watering tool without spending heirloom money. Burgon & Ball is a Sheffield-based garden tool company founded in 1730, so the maker has its own pedigree. The indoor range is more recent, but the steel-fabrication craft sits behind it.
Design and Build
The body is powder-coated steel — meaning a steel core finished in a baked-on coloured layer rather than naked brass or copper. The result is a can that’s noticeably lighter than the Haws (about half the weight when full) and available in muted heritage greens, navys, and matte blacks rather than gleaming metal. The aesthetic is closer to a Le Creuset enamel than a piece of Edwardian brassware.
The spout is the part that matters most, and Burgon & Ball got it right. It’s long, slender, and curved to roughly the same angle as the Haws — designed for reaching behind foliage and pouring at the base of plants without disturbing leaves. The bore is narrow enough to give a controlled stream rather than a glug.
The handle is properly positioned for indoor use — wrist at a natural angle, balance point well-judged. After six months it shows no signs of loosening or stress.
Pouring Precision
This is where you find out whether a watering can is serious or merely decorative. The Burgon & Ball pours well. Not quite at the Haws standard — the lighter body means there’s less momentum behind the flow, and on a fully-filled can the first few seconds of pouring can be slightly inconsistent until the water finds its rhythm — but for the price, the precision is exceptional. You can place water exactly where you want it, around the base of a Calathea or African violet, without splashing the leaves.
Capacity
At 1.7 litres, the Burgon & Ball holds nearly double the Haws’s 1-litre. For anyone watering more than a dozen pots in a session, the extra reservoir matters — you do roughly half the trips back to the tap. The trade-off is that a full 1.7L can starts to feel heavy after the first ten pots; it’s a one-handed lift when full, but barely.
Durability
Six months of daily use. No chipping on the powder coat yet, no loose fittings, no leaks at the seams. Honest assessment: powder coat will chip eventually if the can gets knocked against a sink or pot edge regularly, and once chipped, the underlying steel will start to rust if left wet. The Haws’ brass body shrugs this off; the Burgon & Ball needs slightly more care.
Value
This is where the can lives. At £20–£25 it costs roughly half what a 1-litre Haws costs, and on a “things accomplished per pound spent” axis, it’s the better buy for most people. The Haws is a beautiful tool you will own for decades; the Burgon & Ball is a properly-functional tool you will use for years and replace without resentment if you ever damage it.
Who Is It For?
This is the can for the plant keeper who wants the right tool but isn’t quite ready (or able) to commit £45+ to a watering can. It’s also the right buy as a second can for a separate room or a downstairs collection — you want the same pouring precision without doubling up on the heirloom expense.
Where the Haws Wins
Three places. First, the brass body has a presence in the hand that the powder-coated steel doesn’t — the Haws feels like an object, the Burgon & Ball feels like a tool. Second, the patina that develops on the Haws after a few years is genuinely beautiful, where the Burgon & Ball will just look slightly worn. Third, the Haws will outlive its owner; the Burgon & Ball will probably outlive a decade of indoor watering rounds, which is a different proposition.
For most readers, those distinctions don’t justify the price gap. For some, they do — that’s a personal call about how much your daily watering ritual matters to you.
The Verdict
The Burgon & Ball indoor watering can is the right thrift option in a category where the temptation is to buy a £5 plastic watering can and regret it. Spend the £20, get a tool that does most of what the Haws long-reach does, and put the difference toward the rest of your plant care kit. For methodology see how we review.
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