The best garden hoses
Watering the borders, rinsing the car or hosing down the patio: five garden hoses compared, from a short Gardena for the patio to 30m expandables and a Hozelock reel that comes ready to use.
The right hose depends on the garden. An expandable hose is light, stretches to about three times its length when the tap’s on and shrinks back small enough for a bucket. A reinforced PVC hose is heavier and tougher, and a reel keeps 25 metres of it tidy by the back door.
Measure from the outside tap to the far corner before buying, adding a little for going round beds. Then check the box: the Gardena and Faithfull are hose only and need a tap connector and hose-end connectors, while the Hozelock reel and both expandables come with fittings and a spray nozzle.
What matters
- Length: from the tap to the far corner, plus a little extra.
- Type: expandable for light and compact, reinforced PVC for toughness, a reel for tidy storage.
- Fittings and a spray nozzle in the box, or bought separately.
- A guarantee: 20 years on the Gardena once registered, five on the Faithfull.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Gardena Comfort FLEX Hose (13mm, 10m)
£10–£20 Price range
The best-made hose here: spiral-mesh PVC that stays flexible yet keeps its round shape under pressure, free of phthalates and heavy metals, with Gardena’s 20-year guarantee once registered. Ten metres suits a patio, balcony or small garden; the same hose is sold in 30m too.
Heads up: It comes as hose only, so add a tap connector and hose-end connectors before the first use: Gardena’s own click fittings, or another leading brand’s.
A closer look: Ten metres reaches across a patio or a small lawn from an outside tap, and coiled up it hangs from a single hook in the shed or garage. Draining it after use and keeping it out of strong sun between waterings helps any PVC hose stay supple.
- 25 bar burst pressure
- Spiral-mesh reinforced PVC
- Power Grip ends hold fittings
- Free of phthalates and heavy metals
- 20-year guarantee when registered
Best for: Patios and small gardens
- Type
- Spiral-mesh PVC
- Length
- 10m
- Fittings included
- None, hose only
- Spray nozzle
- No
#2 of 5
Best reel set
Hozelock Compact Hose Reel with 25m Hose (2412)
£30–£50 Price range
Everything needed to start watering in one box: a freestanding reel with 25m of hose, a tap connector, two hose connectors and an adjustable nozzle. Hozelock began in 1959 on an airfield at Haddenham, selling the first plastic hose connector.
What owners say: Owners find the reel sturdy and long-lasting, and say it’s ready to water with as soon as it’s on the tap.
A closer look: Pull the hose off the reel in a straight line, then wind it back evenly under a little tension, which keeps twists and knots out of it. The reel takes up to 30m, so a short extra length can be joined on later for the far end of the garden without changing the reel.
- 25m of 12.5mm hose
- Reel holds up to 30m
- Tap connector and 2 hose connectors
- Adjustable nozzle
- Designed and made in Britain
Best for: A complete set, ready to go
- Type
- Hose on a reel
- Length
- 25m
- Fittings included
- Tap and hose connectors
- Spray nozzle
- Adjustable
#3 of 5
Best expandable
KETTOYA 100ft Expandable Garden Hose
£30–£50 Price range
The expandable with the most in the box: a thumb-controlled 10-pattern nozzle with a metal shell, 3/4in and 1/2in tap connectors, spare washers, a hook to hang it on and a bag to keep it in.
What owners say: Owners like how small it shrinks between uses, to about a third of its stretched length, and how quickly it fills out to full length.
Heads up: Full length needs decent water pressure: KETTOYA suggests 3.5 bar or more, and on a weaker supply a longer size makes up the difference.
A closer look: Wrap the PTFE tape from the box round the tap’s thread before screwing on the connector, which stops drips at the tap. After watering, turn the tap off and hold the nozzle open until the hose has shrunk back, then hang it on its hook or pack it in the bag.
- Stretches from 10m to 30m
- 4-layer latex core, 3750D cover
- 10-pattern nozzle, thumb control
- 3/4in and 1/2in connectors
- Hook and storage bag
Best for: Everything in one bag
- Type
- Expandable
- Length
- 30m stretched, 10m relaxed
- Fittings included
- 3/4in and 1/2in tap connectors
- Spray nozzle
- 10 patterns
#4 of 5
Yofidra 100ft Expandable Garden Hose
£20–£30 Price range
Light enough to carry round the garden in one hand, it stretches to 30m when the tap’s on and shrinks back when it’s off, small enough to live in a bucket by the back door. The 10-function nozzle covers watering, washing the car and rinsing down the patio.
What owners say: Owners find the quick-release ends easy to use, and like how readily it fills out once the water’s running.
A closer look: Steer it round rose bushes and sharp paving edges when it’s stretched out, since the woven cover is all that protects the latex tube inside. Between uses, a shed shelf or a bag out of strong sun is the best place for it, with the water let out first.
- Stretches to 30m
- 3/4in and 1/2in connectors
- 10-function spray nozzle
- 3450D fabric, 3-layer latex
- Light and tangle-free
Best for: Light and quick to put away
- Type
- Expandable
- Length
- 30m stretched, 10m relaxed
- Fittings included
- 3/4in and 1/2in tap connectors
- Spray nozzle
- 10 patterns
#5 of 5
Faithfull Reinforced PVC Hose (30m, 1/2in)
£37.82 RRP
A plain, hard-wearing hose of the classic kind: PVC reinforced with polyester fibre, made to cope with UV and temperatures from −10°C to 40°C, and backed by Faithfull’s five-year guarantee.
What owners say: Owners find standard click connectors fit it snugly, and say it gets on with the job.
A closer look: Unroll it and lay it out straight in the sun before the first use, which relaxes the coils from the packaging and cuts down on twisting. It takes standard 1/2in click connectors at each end, and a wall-mounted hanger keeps all 30m tidy when it’s not in use.
- 30m of 12.7mm (1/2in) hose
- Polyester-reinforced PVC
- 20 bar burst pressure
- Resists UV and algae
- 5-year guarantee
Best for: A tough, plain hose
- Type
- Reinforced PVC
- Length
- 30m
- Fittings included
- None, hose only
- Spray nozzle
- No
How they compare
| Feature | #1Gardena Comfort FLEX | #2Hozelock 2412 reel | #3KETTOYA 100ft | #4Yofidra 100ft | #5Faithfull 30m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best reel set | Best expandable | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.3 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.0 |
| Price | £10–£20 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | £20–£30 Price range | £37.82 RRP |
| Type | Spiral-mesh PVC | Hose on a reel | Expandable | Expandable | Reinforced PVC |
| Length | 10m | 25m | 30m stretched, 10m relaxed | 30m stretched, 10m relaxed | 30m |
| Fittings included | None, hose only | Tap and hose connectors | 3/4in and 1/2in tap connectors | 3/4in and 1/2in tap connectors | None, hose only |
| Spray nozzle | No | Adjustable | 10 patterns | 10 patterns | No |
| Best for | Patios and small gardens | A complete set, ready to go | Everything in one bag | Light and quick to put away | A tough, plain hose |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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