Best Garden Hose: Reviews of Expandable, Auto-Rewind and Anti-Kink Hose Pipes

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In this article, I’m going to show you my top picks for the best garden hose.

I’ve tested several models to compare design, features, ease of use and price to bring you my top 5 picks.

A quick comparison

Gardena Wall Mounted 35m Automatic Roll-Up
Gardena Wall Mounted 35m Automatic Roll-Up
  • Very Easy to Use
  • Frost Resistant
  • Rewinds the Hose Automatically
Price
Rating
Hozelock Compact 2-in-1 Garden Hose
Hozelock Compact 2-in-1 Garden Hose
  • Excellent value
  • Easy to Use
  • Can be Wall Mounted or Freestanding
Price
Rating
GroHoze Expandable 10m Garden Pipe
GroHoze Expandable 10m Garden Pipe
  • Expands to 3x its Length
  • Won’t Kink, Twist or Leak
  • Very affordable
Price
Rating
Hozelock Pico Reel 10M Hose
Hozelock Pico Reel 10M Hose
  • 10 Meters of Hose
  • Ideal for small gardens
  • 10 Spray Settings
Price
Rating
Hozelock 50m Assembled Hose Cart
Hozelock 50m Assembled Hose Cart
  • 50 Meters of Reach
  • Excellent Value
  • Sturdy Cart
Price
Rating

Best Garden Hose

Here's a list of some of the best garden hoses:

1. Gardena Wall Mounted 35m Automatic Roll-Up Garden Hose

Gardena Wall Mounted 35m Automatic Roll-Up Garden Hose
  • Long-lasting winding technology
  • Box can be swivelled by 180° and suitable for wall-mounting
  • Convenient pulling out and transport
  • Frost-resistant

If you’re in need of a longer, more durable hose and you also like the sound of automatic rewinding, then the Gardena wall mounted 35 roll-up automatic is a fantastic hose kit.

Gardena is a subsidiary of Husqvarna who and make fantastic gardening products.

It has a 35-meter hose which is easy to pull out and locks out at 50cm intervals so you don’t have to fight against the auto-rewind.

Pulling the hose and using it around the garden is made even easier thanks to the fact that the reel swivels through 180°.

And when you do need to reel it back in, simply pull the hose a couple of inches and the mechanism releases the lock. It’ll wind the hose back in with no effort on your part.

No kinking, no snagging.

The whole reel in encased to protect it from the elements and the hose is also frost resistant it’s safe to leave it outside during the winter. However, if you do decide to store it away (which I recommend) the carry handle makes moving it around very easy.

It comes with all the bits you’d expect, plus a five-year guarantee. I really this product!


2. Hozelock Compact 2-in-1 Garden Hose

Hozelock Compact 2-in-1 Garden Hose
  • Can be wall mounted or used as a free standing reel
  • Enclosed casing for added protection from wear and tear.
  • Large winding handle for hassle free manual rewinding.
  • Lightweight design and folding carry handle allows the hose reel to be fully portable.

I’ve picked the Hozelock 2-in1 Compact as the best hosepipe for most people for a few reasons.

Firstly, as gardens are getting smaller, it’s 25-meter length should be adequate for most people.

It’s a fairly convenient piece of kit too.

The reel in enclosed in a plastic casing to protect the hose from the elements and the whole unit can either be wall-mounted or used as a free-standing reel. This is why they call it a 2-in-1.

I prefer to keep it wall mounted during the growing season and store it in the shed during the winter.

Operation is very simple. Just pull as much hose as you need off the reel and turn on the outside tap.

Reeling it back in after use is easy too. The viewing window and manual guide which allows you to see inside the casing and reel the hose in neatly, preventing it from kinking and cracking.

It also comes with a hose nozzle, 2 connectors and tap connector. Plus, you get a 2-year warranty.


3. GroHoze Expandable 30 Meter Garden Pipe

GroHoze Expandable 30 Meter Garden Pipe
  • Expands up to 3 Times its Original Length
  • Durable & Quality Material
  • Leak-resistant, crush-resistant and rust-resistant metal fittings
  • 10 Pattern Spray Gun

I have to admit, the GroHoze Expandable Garden Hose is my favourite on this list, for a few reasons.

Firstly it comes in 3 sizes and expands to three times its original length when filled with water. You have a choice of 50ft, 75ft or 100ft.

This means it’s short enough to store away easily when you’re not using it but expands long enough to reach all areas of your garden when you do. You get the best of both worlds.

And because it expands, it won’t kink or twist either.

The dual latex inner core makes it incredibly strong. It’s able to create excellent water pressure without bursting.

The solid brass connector is incredibly strong, weather-resistant and doesn’t leak.

It also comes with a 10 pattern spray gun which makes it ideal for all kinds of jobs around the garden. Not just watering the plants, but washing the car and showering your dog.

And it’s cheap too, even the 100ft hose is excellent value. In my opinion, the GroHoze is a brilliant piece of kit.


4. Hozelock Pico 10 Meter Garden Hose Reel

Hozelock Pico 10 Meter Garden Hose Reel
  • Perfect for patios, balconies & small garden spaces with imited storeage capability.
  • Enclosed design keeps your hosepipe tidy and tangle free
  • Dual Usage – can be carried or left by the tap
  • Sleek winding handle makes rewinding the hose a breeze
  • Complete with a 10m hose & a Multi Spray Gun

If you only have a small garden then you clearly don’t need a big hose. Enter the Hozelock Pico Reel.

It’s been designed specifically for those with tiny spaces like tiny gardens, patios and planted balconies.

It comes with a hose gun with 5 different settings and each setting has a low and a high volume option. This gives you a total of 10 spray settings.

You get 10 meters of hose attached to a pretty tiny reel that takes up very little storage page.

The rewind function works very well, it’s easy to operate it keeps the hose from kinking or tangling.

On the whole, an excellent little hose for smaller spaces.


5. Hozelock 50 Meter Garden Hose Cart

Hozelock 50 Meter Garden Hose Cart
  • Ideal for large gardens
  • Comes ready assembled
  • Robust and durable wheeled hose reel
  • One piece winding handle allows for quick and easy rewinding
  • Reel protects your hose and helps to prevent kinks and tangles

If you have a large garden then getting a hose to the far corners can be tricky, especially if your tap is attached to the house.

This is where the Hozelock 50-meter Hose Cart comes in very handy.

It works like a wall-mounted hose reel but in reverse.

You attach the long hose to your outside tap and it unwinds as you wheel the cart down your garden. Then you use the shorter hose to water your lawns, borders and flower beds.

The downside to having such a long hose it that the chances of getting kinks is higher and as the hose is made from plastics, it can and probably will happen.

Also, there’s not automatic rewind function so you have to manually reel in the hose in once you’ve finished with it. If you use the full length of hose, that’s a lot to reel in while making sure it goes onto the reel neatly.

All that being said, this reel is nearly three times cheaper than a wall-mounted version so it does provide excellent value for money.


Things to Consider When Buying the Best Hose Pipe For You and Your Garden


On the outside, a hosepipe looks like a garden hosepipe.

However, as well as the obvious considerations like length and storage, there are different types of hoses to choose from and they’re often made from different materials.

So before you rush out and blindly buy a garden hose, consider the following;

Type of Garden Hoses

There are three main types of garden hose;

  1. Regular hoses
  2. Expandable hoses, and
  3. Sprinkler hoses

The type of hose you choose will depend on how you use it.

Regular Garden Hoses

Most people are familiar with the regular hose which either comes on a reel or not.

They connect to your outside tap and on the other end, you can attach a spray gun or sprinkler for watering the lawn.

Expandable Hoses

Expandable hoses are similar to regular hoses in terms of what you use them for.

However, instead of unwinding the hose from a reel for more length, they expand by up to three times their original length when filled with water. Then, it’ll shrink again when not in use.

A hose that’s 50ft long when filled with water will shrink down to as little as 15ft when not in use. This makes them the ideal choice if you don’t have much storage space.

Sprinkler Hoses

These are hose pipes which have lots of tiny holes in them and are used for irrigating flower beds, greenhouses or vegetable patches.

You’d typically leave them in place over the growing season.

Length of Hose

Garden hoses are generally sold in 25ft increments (25ft, 50ft, 75ft etc.)

That said, some retailers do sell ‘in-between’ lengths.

Many people think a longer hose is better because it’ll give you more freedom to move around your garden.

That said, it’s worth noting that the longer the hose, the further the water has to travel, which means less water pressure.

On the flip-side, a hose which is too short is useless.

My advice is to measure the furthest point from your tap and order the next longest size. So if the furthest flower bed from your tap is 35ft away, order a 50ft hose. To improve the water pressure issue, cut the hose down to your ideal length.

What It’s Made From

Garden hoses are typically made from either rubber or nylon.

Rubber hoses are typically better quality, more durable and better at handling higher water pressures. They’re also much less prone to kinking which causes cracks and leaks.

As a result, they’re generally on the higher end of the price bracket.

If you have a large garden and you use a hose regularly, it’s worth investing the extra into a rubber hose.

Nylon hoses are a cheaper and a good option for smaller jobs and irregular use. However, they have a tendency to kink, crack and leak.

Some manufacturers use a combination of the two materials. The more durable than a nylon hose but not as expensive as rubber hoses.

Durability

Durability is a big factor when choosing the best garden hose for your needs but it’s rarely given the consideration it deserves.

However, hoses come in different plies which means how many layers of rubber or nylon a particular hose is made up of.

It usually ranges from 1 to 6 with a 6 ply hose being the strongest.

If you use your hose regularly, buy the best you can afford.

 

In Conclusion


There are lots of hose pipes and kits on the market and I can’t review them all.

The fact is that there are several very good products that haven’t made it on my list.

I’ve tried to come up with a list of top picks for the best garden hose based on price, features, quality etc.

You’ll notice that Hozelock products made several appearances and that’s because they specialise in hose products and they’re excellent.

With that said, don’t take my word as fact, do your own research and find the best hose for you and your needs.

Over to You

Do you need a new garden hose?

Are you considering a product from my list or something different?

Or have you cot a question or a comment?

Let me know below.

About Tim Stephens

I'm a professional gardener with degrees in Horticulture & Landscape Gardening. I want to help you create the garden of your dreams. I want your garden to look like it’s maintained by a professional. As if I was there doing it all for you!

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