[Objective] This study aims to investigate the impacts of land use patterns on soil water infiltration characteristics in red soil regions, providing a scientific basis for soil-water conservation and land use planning. [Methods] This study focus on typical red soil areas, utilizing a double-ring infiltrometer to quantify water infiltration characteristics in soils under six land use types: forest land (FL), shrubland (SL), grassland (GL), peanut cropland (PL), maize cropland (CL), and bare land (BL). This study applied four infiltration models (Philip, Kostiakov, Horton, and Mezencev) to simulate infiltration processes, compared differences in water infiltration characteristics across land use types, and systematically investigated how soil physical properties influence infiltration capacity. [Results] (1) The initial, average, and steady infiltration rates of red soil ranged from 3.50 to 41.93 mm/min, 2.03 to 28.37 mm/min, and 1.28 to 17.15 mm/min, respectively. The infiltration performance across different land use types followed the order: FL > BL > SL > CL > GL > PL. (2) The Kostiakov model demonstrated optimal simulation accuracy for red soil infiltration processes, with an R2 value ranging from 0.91 to 0.99 across all land uses. In contrast, the Horton model was particularly suitable for GL, achieving an R2 of 0.93, and the Mezencev model was best for PL, with an R2 of 0.91. The Philip model, however, exhibited relatively poor performance. (3) The key physical factors influencing infiltration characteristics are non-capillary porosity, which contributes 25.80% to 32.30%, natural moisture content at 19.20% to 21.20%, and clay content at 16.30% to 20.70%. [Conclusion] Significant variations in water infiltration capacity exist among red soils under different land use types, with those under FL showing superior performance. Implementing agroforestry practices is recommended to enhance infiltration capacity in agricultural red soils during soil-water conservation practices.