Accurate monitoring of irrigated farmland is crucial for water resource management and food production forecasting. While remote sensing has enhanced global irrigation monitoring, a systematic comparison of existing products is still needed. This study evaluates six irrigation area products—GFSAD, GMIA-Meier, GMIE, IAAA, IrriMap-CN, and Xiang—using the Yellow River Basin as a case study. Four types of in-situ measurement data— TPD-FIWEC, FSD, and both ASMD and MSMD—were analyzed, resulting in a validation dataset of 5382 points. Results based on area and spatial accuracy showed that GMIE performed best, with a relative area deviation (RAD) of 17.33 %, overall accuracy (OA) of 0.72, a consistency index (CI) of 0.65, and both omission and commission errors (OE and CE) below 0.40. Cross-comparison showed that only 22.62 % of irrigated pixels were identified by more than three products. The Comprehensive Evaluation Index (CEI) analysis revealed regional performance variations, particularly in areas such as LZ to TDG, the Mid-altitude region, and the Northern arid/semi-arid and Humid Climate regions, where several products performed well. This study provides a solid foundation for applying irrigation area products in water resource management and offers recommendations for future optimization.