Lysimeter is an important equipment for studying soil moisture by measuring evapotranspiration and infiltration, which plays an important role in analyzing the hydrological cycle. Based on the related Chinese lysimeter patents and articles in the past 20 years, this paper first detailed the category of lysimeters and their working principles. Secondly, the measurement performance and applicable range of different lysimeters were compared and analyzed. The working performance of various weighing lysimeters was analyzed through a case study. Finally, representative researches were detailed from the prospects of multi-source perception, multi-source monitoring application, and communication manners. The informational development of lysimeters and their application prospects in complex environments were discussed, which could provide references for study of new high-precision lysimeters.