Top 5 compared
The best hose reels
The hose wound up neatly by the spigot, instead of left in a heap to kink, crack and trip someone up.
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The top 5 at a glance
A hose reel gives the garden hose a permanent home by the spigot, joined to it by a short leader hose, so the water runs through the reel and out to the yard. Crank reels wind the hose on by hand, either on a wall bracket or inside a lidded box; self-rewinding reels lock at any length and pull the hose back in after a light tug.
The crank reels here come without a hose, so they suit the one you already own, while the self-rewinding ones arrive with their own hose, a spray nozzle and a wall bracket. Before the first hard freeze, disconnect the leader from the spigot and drain the hose, so ice can’t split it.
What matters
- A capacity that matches your hose’s length and width.
- A hose guide, to stop tangles and lopsided winding.
- Mounting screws in the box, or hardware to buy for your wall.
- On a self-rewinding reel, a slow, braked rewind.
#1Liberty Garden 704 Cast Aluminum Wall Hose Reel (125 ft)
$75–$100
A decorative bronze-finish reel in rust-free cast aluminum with brass plumbing, holding 125 feet of 5/8-inch hose. It needs no assembly and comes with a 5-foot leader hose to the spigot and a 7 by 14-inch shelf on top for nozzles and small tools.
What owners say: Sturdy, with heavy-duty brass connections, and 100 feet of hose rolls up easily, owners say, a step up from plastic reels. Durability and leaks split them, with a few reporting a drip at the connector bend or a breakdown within six months.
Heads up: Mounting screws aren’t in the box, so pick up hardware that suits the wall: masonry anchors for brick, or long screws into a stud behind wood siding.
A closer look: Mount it right beside the spigot so the 5-foot leader reaches without strain, at a height that makes cranking comfortable. Wind the hose on evenly from side to side, and turn the water off at the spigot when you’re done rather than leaving the reel under pressure.
- Arrives fully assembled
- Rust-free cast aluminum
- Brass plumbing
- Top shelf for nozzles
- 3-year limited warranty
Best for: A tidy wall by the spigot
- Type
- Wall-mounted crank reel
- Hose included
- None, 5 ft leader only
- Holds
- 125 ft of 5/8 in hose
- Wall mounting
- Yes, screws not included
- Auto rewind
- No
- Fittings included
- 5 ft leader hose
#2Liberty Garden 712 Navigator Swivel Hose Reel (125 ft)
$100–$150
The reel sits on a carriage that turns a full 360 degrees and locks in eight positions, so the hose pays out toward whichever part of the yard needs water instead of kinking around a corner. It’s 18-gauge steel in a bronze finish, with a solid brass swivel connection and a tray for nozzles.
What owners say: Owners like the solid brass swivel and find it sturdy and easy to put up. Opinions divide on how it weathers, some expecting years of use and others finding rust within months, and on the swivel and the mounting.
A closer look: It comes assembled apart from the crank handle, which goes on before the first wind. Pull up the knob to swing the reel around, then drop it into the nearest of the eight positions to hold it; a spot under the eaves keeps the powder-coated steel out of the worst of the weather.
- Locks in eight positions
- Tray for nozzles
- Assembled except crank handle
- 1-year limited warranty
Best for: Hoses that go in several directions
- Type
- Wall-mounted swivel reel
- Hose included
- None, 5 ft leader only
- Holds
- 125 ft of 5/8 in hose
- Wall mounting
- Yes, screws not included
- Auto rewind
- No
- Fittings included
- 5 ft leader, brass swivel
#3Gardena Retractable Hose Reel with 100 ft Hose (8055)
$150–$200
Pull out as much hose as you need and it locks there; a light tug and it winds itself back in, slowly, under Gardena’s RollControl brake, through a guide that keeps it from twisting. The bracket swivels 180°, and the hose, a spray nozzle and a 5-foot connecting hose come in the box. Gardena began in Ulm, Germany, in 1961.
What owners say: Easy to put up and use, with a sturdy case, and the hose comes back in with a light tug. A few had the rewind mechanism fail early or connectors that leaked, and some felt it was a lot to pay.
A closer look: Walk the hose back toward the reel as it rewinds rather than letting it drag across the yard, keeping a hand on the nozzle for the last few feet. The wall bracket has room for nozzles, wands and brushes, so the watering gear stays together by the spigot.
- Locks at any length
- Tangle-free hose guide
- Frost-proof, UV-resistant case
- Bracket holds nozzles and brushes
- 5-year limited warranty
Best for: No cranking, no whipping hose
- Type
- Wall-mounted auto reel
- Hose included
- 100 ft, plus 5 ft connecting hose
- Holds
- 100 ft, fitted
- Wall mounting
- Bracket included, 180° swivel
- Auto rewind
- Slow, braked
- Fittings included
- Spray nozzle, connector
#4AQUAZILLA Steel Hose Reel Box (150 ft)
$150–$200
A galvanized steel cabinet with a dark brown powder coat that hides up to 150 feet of 5/8-inch hose, with a crank, a guide at the front that lays the hose evenly as it winds, and aluminum water fittings. The lid opens for loading the hose, and the top is strong enough to serve as a garden side table.
What owners say: Built like a tank, owners say, and it rolls the hose in smoothly and spruces up the patio. Leaks, a hose that sometimes sticks and the price all draw mixed comments.
A closer look: Load the hose with the lid open, guiding the first few turns by hand, then let the front guide take over. At about 30 lb it stays put without being fixed down, and a box this size sits neatly against a deck rail or beside the back steps.
- Front guide lays hose evenly
- Top doubles as side table
- Galvanized, powder-coated steel
- Aluminum water fittings
- Rated to 150 psi
Best for: Hiding the hose on a patio
- Type
- Hose box with crank
- Hose included
- None, 5 ft leader only
- Holds
- 150 ft of 5/8 in hose
- Wall mounting
- No, free-standing
- Auto rewind
- No
- Fittings included
- 5 ft leader hose
#5Giraffe Tools Retractable Hose Reel with 115 ft Hose (5/8 in)
$200–$300
The longest hose that comes in the box here: 115 feet of 5/8-inch hybrid hose plus a 5-foot lead, on a wall reel that locks at any length and winds back in after a light tug, with an aluminum guide laying the hose evenly. The bracket swivels 180 degrees to water both sides of the house from one spot.
What owners say: Easy to put up, owners say, and long enough to cover a whole yard or feed a sprinkler. It also splits them more than most: some had the rewind stop or water leak from the housing, and a few find the plastic case feels cheap.
A closer look: Giraffe Tools recommends a post bigger than a 4x4 if it isn’t going on a house wall, since the full reel weighs about 28 lb. The bracket’s quick release lets the reel lift off at the end of the season, so it can spend the winter drained and indoors in a garage or shed.
- Locks at any length
- Quick-release bracket for winter
- Rated to 200 psi
- 24-month warranty
Best for: Big yards and sprinklers
- Type
- Wall-mounted auto reel
- Hose included
- 115 ft, plus 5 ft lead
- Holds
- 115 ft, fitted
- Wall mounting
- Bracket included, 180° swivel
- Auto rewind
- Guided rewind
- Fittings included
- Spray nozzle, 5 ft lead
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Liberty Garden 704 | #2Liberty Garden 712 | #3Gardena 100 ft | #4AQUAZILLA box | #5Giraffe Tools 115 ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best auto-rewind | ||||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.6 | 8.3 | 8.2 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $100–$150 | $150–$200 | $150–$200 | $200–$300 |
| Type | Wall-mounted crank reel | Wall-mounted swivel reel | Wall-mounted auto reel | Hose box with crank | Wall-mounted auto reel |
| Hose included | None, 5 ft leader only | None, 5 ft leader only | 100 ft, plus 5 ft connecting hose | None, 5 ft leader only | 115 ft, plus 5 ft lead |
| Holds | 125 ft of 5/8 in hose | 125 ft of 5/8 in hose | 100 ft, fitted | 150 ft of 5/8 in hose | 115 ft, fitted |
| Wall mounting | Yes, screws not included | Yes, screws not included | Bracket included, 180° swivel | No, free-standing | Bracket included, 180° swivel |
| Auto rewind | No | No | Slow, braked | No | Guided rewind |
| Fittings included | 5 ft leader hose | 5 ft leader, brass swivel | Spray nozzle, connector | 5 ft leader hose | Spray nozzle, 5 ft lead |
| Best for | A tidy wall by the spigot | Hoses that go in several directions | No cranking, no whipping hose | Hiding the hose on a patio | Big yards and sprinklers |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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