Gardening is a very pleasant activity insofar as it gives you a lot of well-being. It is also a physical activity that allows you to exert yourself by combining the useful with the pleasant. The fact remains that gardening requires a lot of resources and techniques. One of the essential tools is the garden hose, so you have to make sure you choose a product that helps you and saves you effort.
When choosing a garden hose, you must focus on its flexibility, since this is a criterion that will greatly help you in the watering operation. You should also choose a gun that gives you the possibility to adjust the water jet as you wish. Pipe size and storage should also be done with ease. Also, think of setting up a rainwater recovery system to draw extensively with your garden hose.
What is the best garden hose?
If you already decided to buy, it is useful to consider the qualities of this product more related to what you are looking for, evaluate the available offer, make comparisons between models and decide on the one that is most convenient for you and offer you what you really need.
We made a brief test with the characteristics of the hoses, analyzed each brand, its uses and benefits and developed a short list that can serve as a guide for suggestions and that, we believe, will be very helpful when deciding.
Suplong Garden Hose Expandable Garden hose
The extendable hose that the manufacturer Supergreen brings is the most economical model of the selection. It is a product that stretches according to the water pressure and returns to its original position almost immediately when the water supply stops.
Its users affirm that it is a light product, of easy use and storage, ideal for irrigation, but that it needs minimum a pressure of moderate water to extend well.
It is available, in green, in three versions: from 2.5 to 7.5 meters; from 5 to 15 meters and from 7.5 to 23 meters and comes with a 7-jet pistol, a plastic accessory that allows various types of watering.
Gardena 8023-20 wall hose
It is a product specially developed to irrigate under pressure. It is a 25-meter roller hose that comes with a handle to hang, pick up and transport.
It comes inside the device for winding, whose manufacturer, Gardena, offers separately support to fix to the wall that rotates 180 degrees when it is fixed. In addition, it has an anti-drip system, ideal for irrigation in large gardens and outdoor spaces.
It has no low price, but its users say that it is a worthwhile investment since it is a durable product and very resistant materials.
You get it in an elegant black colour, with grey and orange and it is also available in other versions of 15 and 35 meters.
Kärcher HR7.320 Balcony Compact hose reel for terraces
With a compact size, this reel hose model is ideal for small spaces, as it is available in a 20-meters version.
The model of the manufacturer Kärcher comes with two integrated couplings that avoid splashes and are connected in internal and external faucets. It is very versatile.
It offers very low pressure which makes it ideal is ideal for watering the flowers of small terraces and also for aquatic plants without mistreating them by the force of water.
It comes with the winder that brings adjustable handle to transport it and even brings a connection to fix to the wall. It is affordable and available in black and yellow.
100FT Expanding Garden Hosepipe
Made with double latex core and solid brass connector, it is ideal for various irrigation activities and even for cleaning the car.
It is a flexible hose with thick, seamless fabric that withstands high water pressures and extends up to three times its original length.
Bring anti-leakage system in its brass connector and is compatible with most nozzles that are for sale, you can even adapt if you wish, an irrigation gun, so you do not have to worry about wasting water.
This model is the least expensive of our selection, it never bends or twists, but it can be easily stored.
Gardena 8024-20
In this opportunity, the manufacturer Gardena puts at your disposal this hose of 35 meters, with a diameter of ½ inch and two meters of connection pipe that accepts an excellent water pressure, ideal for the garden and for cleaning outside.
According to the opinion of those who already bought it, it is a completely ergonomic product, of good quality, made with materials that will last for many years if they are given the proper use and care.
It comes with anti-drip system and integrated handle that allows hanging and hanging and also facilitates the way of transporting.
Its cost is the highest of our selection, but if the price is not a problem for you, then this is a worthwhile investment if you have a really large space to irrigate.
Hozelock Compact 2in1 Reel 25m
Types of garden hoses
There are many types of garden hose, however, in this short list we show you the most common and popular among users
- Light and light: They are usually vinyl with reinforcement, usually come in thin diameters and with plastic accessories. They are suitable for light gardening or for sporadic uses. They are not for use with a sprayer.
- Regular and resistant: This group includes rubber, they come with different diameters and, therefore, usually have higher water pressure, are thicker, heavier and resistant and serve to place sprinkler and to work under pressure, for example, to wash your car.
- Flat: They are similar to the hoses of firefighters. They are round when they have water, but they flatten when emptied, they are usually light, easy to roll, they occupy less space and are self-draining. If they do not have a reel they can be difficult to store. They tend to be vinyl, very flexible, and for this reason, they have lower rupture pressure. They are good for surfaces are many obstacles. They are not the best option for frequent use.
- Of abundant watering: They are used typically for the irrigation of the garden. They are often made of recycled rubber and plastics and have porous walls. When it is turned on, the water oozes through thousands of small holes in the hose, allowing it to fall on the surrounding soil. They come in a variety of diameters and lengths. They need good water pressure and are suitable for short lengths. They can be placed directly on the ground.
- Drinking water: They are good for those who have pets and children because they are safe to drink the water they transport. Conventional hoses often release harmful chemicals that can harm the health of children or pets, so this option is appropriate if you often fill a pool for children to bathe or if your pets like to drink water from the water. hose. Look for these labelled “safe to drink water” or “unleaded”.
- Rolls: They form in a tight spiral when they are not in use and unroll to be used, they usually come in short lengths and with diameters less than or equal to ½ inch, which charge less water and provide lower pressure than the typical garden hose. They do not tend to stretch all their length and are difficult to store, although that can be solved with a hanger on the wall. They are very good for irrigation.
- Expandable hose: They usually expand in two or three times their diameter and shrink when the water pressure decreases. They are very light and come in bright colours Most are ½ an inch in diameter and have adequate water flow, comparable to a regular garden hose of that diameter, but not what you would get from a regular one. They are difficult to store and prone to breakage or cracking, are used for manual irrigation and are not very durable.
How to choose the garden hose
There is no perfect hose, however, according to their qualities some can work well. Everything will depend on the area where you use it and how you keep it. In addition, there are a number of features that you should look for when making a:
- Longer is not better: The hoses come in lengths ranging from 7.5 meters to 30.4 meters. It’s usually tempting to buy the longest one but it’s not a good idea. They have less pressure, are difficult to drain, are heavy and need a lot of storage space. Ideally, measure the distance farthest from the tap and buy one of that size. If the space is too big it is even better to buy two medium hoses than a large one.
- Hose diameter. Width = Water flow: The most common diameters are
¾ an inch, 5/8 inch and ½ inch. These measurements are based on the inside diameter of the hose. The larger the diameter, the more water it will carry. A hose width of five octaves of inches is usually more useful, but if you find it too heavy maybe a half inch, lighter and ideal for light gardening but not suitable for sprinklers or greater pressures like washing the car. - Rubber is the best: You will find that the hoses are made of rubber, vinyl, or a combination of the two. The basic vinyl
are the least expensive option and also the least resistant. The rubber ones are the most expensive, but they are usually the most durable and resistant, in addition, they are capable of transporting hot water, and those that are made of a combination of both materials are reinforced and tend to have higher water pressure. - Check the jet pressure: Make sure you buy a hose with the correct rupture pressure. The resistance of the hose can be measured in terms of “breaking pressure”. If you are going to use a hose nozzle or a sprayer, look for a breakout pressure above 350 psi. Always check your manual before buying it. You may need an even higher psi.
- Try the fold test: You need a flexible hose for easy storage, but not so much that it bends easily. Folds shorten the life of your hose. In general, reinforced and rubber
is less likely to bend. When you go to buy it fold it into a U. If it twists, choose another one. - Find cast brass: The couplings are the final pieces that join the spikes, sprinklers and nozzles. Less expensive hoses often have plastic couplings; avoid them, they decompose easily, they are prone to leaks and breakages, and almost never they are well tightened. Metal couplings, usually cast brass, are the most durable and leak-resistant, complete with a washer and the rubber “collar” that extends above the coupling, this reduces the chances of kinking and splitting near the tap.
What is the price of an expandable garden hose?
As we were able to specify, the best extensible garden hose is often very expensive, but you can determine some nice references. Online stores dedicated to this entry-level decoration often offer you products for less than 20 pounds and you will have almost 30 meters, but the lifespan will clearly be very short. I had the opportunity to buy such a product a few months ago, it took two uses for it to no longer be operational.
In addition, the consequences are chaotic, because you have an extendable hose, the pressure is then important since it allows it to be quite long.
When it tears, it can actually explode, and I had a rather disastrous experience with a hose that was “flying” practically because of this high pressure of water. You have to stop the flow, but you can water your entire house. Indeed, if you have plants, it is always much easier to use the best extensible garden hose, this saves you from using watering cans and making back and forth trips.
It is for this reason that I recommend interesting products and you can find almost 10 meters for around thirty pounds. This necessarily requires a budget, but with this one, I was still able to keep my tip for several years.
It should not be forgotten that these are specific products, the longevity at the start is not very high compared to a conventional pipe since the sheath is not as thick, as it is extensible, it can be folded and then unfolded. many times over the months. This can weaken it, but with the best product, you will not have these difficulties and you can save money.
