Gardening Pros Reveal Their Favorite Hoses That Keep Their Plants and Lawn Thriving

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Whether you’re watering your vegetable garden, potted herbs, or lawn, a good garden hose is essential. While a watering can is fine if you only have one or two containers or a small raised bed, a hose is a time-saver and more versatile for other watering tasks, such as washing the car.

As a garden writer and plant enthusiast, I spend hours in the garden every week during the growing season, testing new plant varieties and garden products. I’ve gone through many, many hoses through the years, looking for the “Goldilocks” garden hose: Not too heavy so I feel like I’m struggling to drag it across the yard, not too light so it kinks and tangles, and not too flimsy so I have to replace it after one season.

While it may seem okay to grab the cheapest hose you can find at the big box retailers, chances are, you’ll be replacing it sooner than you’d think. It’s wasteful, annoying, and expensive if you have to keep buying new hoses that end up in the landfill every season or two. While it may seem like a splurge, investing in a durable garden hose is actually a more sustainable and smart move, making garden chores more pleasant. Ahead, here are my favorites, as well as expert picks from garden experts across the industry.

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400 Series Lightweight Hose

This is my top pick for a lightweight, durable, versatile hose. I have four of these on reels for front and back garden beds, and they still look brand new after more than nine years and nearly daily watering chores during the growing season. They’re an excellent value for their durability, and I’ve found that a variety of different sprayer heads thread easily onto the brass fittings.

Other gardening professionals agree. “I’ve been using this hose for more than 14 years. They have fun colors, are lightweight, and are genuinely resistant to kinking,” says Stacey Hirvela, horticulturalist and marketing manager for Proven Winners Color Choice Shrubs. “I have the 25-foot length, which is pretty small for my purposes and restricts water flow. But the quality is excellent.”

$42.95 at amazon.com

Heavy Duty Flexible Garden Hose

Cheap hoses may last a season or two, but then you’re back at the hardware store spending more money the next year; not so with this pick, which is practical, durable, and reasonably-priced. “I’ve gone through many a garden hose in my day, but my current favorite is Flexilla,” says Kat Aul Cervoni, landscape designer and founder of Staghorn NYC and The Cultivation by Kat. “It’s made from a hybrid polymer. This material seems to have the best balance of being tough and durable and less likely to kink than some.”

$41.17 at homedepot.com

ColorStorm Rubber Garden Hose

Dramm repeatedly comes up as a favorite brand among garden professionals. “The hose that’s caused me the least amount of frustration is the Dramm hose,” says Justin Hancock, horticulturalist with Costa Farms. “It kinks up less than other hoses, even when I was back in Oregon in cool weather. You may pay a little more up front for it, but it seems to hold up to time

Although it’s on the pricier side, it’s a reliable long-term investment that will take you through many seasons of gardening. Garden educator and historian Jenny Rose Carey, author of The Essential Guide to Bulbs, agrees that the Dramm is a solid choice. “I’ve had mine for years, and I keep it properly wound up on a reel or in a barrel to protect it from sunlight so it lasts longer.”

This hose also is tough enough to stand up to heavy use for all your outdoor watering chores. Debra Prinzing, founder of Slow Flowers Society and co-author of The Flower Farmers: Inspiration and Advice from Expert Growers, also loves Dramm. “You cannot crack or split this hose. I’ve had mine for six years. I love the fun color selections that make it easy to spot when everything’s exploding at the peak of summer. The rubber texture makes it easy to roll up for storage.”

$76.31 at amazon.com

Expandale Hose

Expandable hoses are popular because they’re easy to maneuver around the garden. “I got sick of lugging around heavy garden hoses that were impossible to wind up when I was finished,” says Natalie Carmolli, public relations specialist for Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs. “Zero G is lightweight, super easy to coil by hand, and virtually kink-free. The couplings are easy to grip and seem to screw onto nozzles more smoothly than any other hose I’ve used. I picked mine up on sale at the end of the season a few years ago, and honestly, I didn’t expect it to last. But years later, it still works like new.”

Prinzing also loves this hose because it is an easy way to add length on to an existing hose. “I bought this hose on a whim. This is the perfect add-on to extend the ‘reach’ of a more conventional hose when I need to water those hard-to-reach spots like the border on the far side of the driveway. Because it’s lightweight, it doesn’t damage perennials, annuals, or groundcovers when you accidentally drag it over them in the garden.”

$39.98 at lowes.com

Retractable Hose Reel Set

If you like the idea of an all-in-one unit, you might consider a wall-mounted hose reel system. “Another favorite of mine is the 100-foot Vego Hi-Flow Retractable wall-mounted hose reel,” says Carmolli. “Since we’re on a well, we did lose a bit of water pressure with the longer hose, but for our large garden, the reach is absolutely worth it. The retractable system works flawlessly—it’s neat, tidy, and keeps hoses off the ground, which makes everything look and function better. We mounted ours to a 4’x4’ post set in concrete, and it’s a breeze to lift the reel off the bracket for storage at the end of the season.”

This reel is also made of EPA-approve materials, so you aren’t spewing toxins into your garden beds. Stephanie Rose, garden blogger and author of Garden Alchemy and The Regenerative Garden, agrees. “I like this hose reel kit, which is made from eco-friendly and non-toxic materials, which is important to me. It comes fully stocked with a hose case, wall bracket, hose, quick connectors, and two versatile nozzles.”

$179.95 at vegogarden.com

Stainless Steel Garden Hose

Stainless steel hoses won’t flatten if you step on them or accidentally drive over them. “I hose-water my half-acre succulent garden, and hoses allow me to select how much water individual plants get,” says Debra Lee Baldwin, blogger and author of Designing with Succulents. “The best hose I have is 100-feet-long, coils easily, never kinks, and is flexible, durable, and lightweight. Most importantly, it has solid brass fittings. If fittings are stainless steel, they eventually corrode and become ‘welded’ to the hose bib, making them difficult to remove. I’ve had several of these hoses for about five years.”

$49.99 at amazon.com

MaxLite Heavy-Duty Rubber Hose

Heavy-duty or commercial hoses cost a little more, but they tend to be worth the investment because they hold up in the long-run. “We rely on Goodyear garden hoses every day in our greenhouses,” says Danny Trejo, citrus grower and owner of Via Citrus. “They’re extremely durable and built to withstand heavy, consistent use, which is why I trust them at home, too. Even though they’re designed more for commercial settings, that’s exactly what makes them reliable for watering our citrus trees. I’ve had mine for several years, and it’s held up beautifully.”

$90.88 at homedepot.com

Garden Hybrid Hose with Swivel Handle

This hose is available in a variety of lengths, allowing you to customize it to your specific needs. Whether you need a short piece to connect two hoses with a splitter at the spigot or you require additional length to accommodate an existing hose, they offer pre-cut sections that will fit your needs. “I use the short one with a watering wand for potted plants on the front porch,” says Cervoni. “It has a swivel handle at the end, which is my preference for dexterity, especially pulling it around to different locations with the wand.”

$81.99 at amazon.com

Evolve Retractable Hose Reel

Winding up the hose, especially when watering garden beds farthest away from the spigot, is one of my least favorite tasks. The Hoselink Evolve makes watering more effortless because the unit neatly retracts the hose inside the reel. With a smooth, non-jerky internal braking system, you can put your hose away without it snapping out of your hands. The 8-pattern sprayer, which is included, also feels solid in the hand.

Made in Australia, this reel is definitely an investment, but I love that the hose can be replaced, ensuring years of use (which means it won’t end up in the landfill in a couple of years). You can mount the reel on your house or a stand-alone pole (not included) set in concrete for a more permanent solution. The reel also looks much neater and more attractive than any hose cart I’ve ever owned.

$279.00 at hoselink.com

How We Selected the Best Garden Hoses

I’m an experienced gardener and garden writer, and I spend hours in my garden during the growing season with watering chores. Over the past 15+ years, I’ve gone through numerous hoses—from inexpensive big-box brands to more expensive options. Generally speaking, I’ve learned you definitely get what you pay for when it comes to a garden hose.

For any products on this list that I didn’t test myself, I asked fellow garden experts across various fields, from landscape designers to growers to horticulturalists, to recommend their favorite hoses, which they had tested in their own backyards. Consider the types of watering you’ll be doing in your own garden (just a few hanging pots, perennial beds, or a large vegetable garden?), then choose one (or more!) of these expert-approved picks from our list.

What to Look for When Buying a Garden Hose

Think about how you will need to use your hose and where you need to use it before buying, which will help you determine what features, such as length and material, are important:

Material:

• Hybrid polymers, or polymers, offer a good balance of toughness and durability, while being less likely to tangle, says Cervoni.

• Polyurethane is a plastic that’s lightweight, flexible, and abrasion-resistant.

• Rubber is thick, long-lasting, and resistant to tears, but it’s also heavy compared to other materials.

• Stainless steel is durable, but water running through metal hoses can get very hot, which may affect sensitive plants. The diameter may also be narrow, which can limit water flow.

• Expandable fabric is suitable for light to medium-duty chores, although it may have inconsistent water pressure and is prone to leaking or tearing quickly.

Drinking water safe: If you’re gardening organically or you fill your pet’s bowl or your children’s kiddie pool, you may not want one that contains substances such as lead and phthalates. “I’ve always searched for drinking water safe hoses that don’t add contaminants to the water,” says Rose. “They can be expensive, but you can find ones that claim to last a lifetime, and it’s worth it to me.”

Length:

Match your length to your needs, meaning get out a tape measure and see how long your hose needs to reach before making a purchase. “I’m a big fan of designating garden hoses to certain areas of the garden and buying the corresponding length,” says Cervoni. “For my front porch, I have a hose bib right next to it and need a hose for watering hanging and potted plants on the porch, so a 25-foot hose with a wand is perfect for that. No need to get anything longer there.”

For most average-sized gardens, a 50-foot hose is usually sufficient; however, you may benefit from a 100-foot hose for watering areas that are farthest away from the spigot.

Diameter:

Hoses most commonly come in 1/2-inch and 5/8-inch (.63) diameters. The narrower hoses are typically more lightweight but may restrict water flow somewhat —although that depends mainly on your home’s water pressure. In most cases, either size is adequate for most watering chores.

Other features to consider:

• Swivel handle, which prevents tangles, says Cervoni.

• Brass fittings, which tend to hold up longer in the garden than other materials, says Rose. Plastic is especially prone to cracking, while aluminum often corrodes quickly.

• Kink-free, which most hoses claim to be. But any hose will kink if you leave it in a tangled pile instead of storing it neatly.

The Best Way to Store a Garden Hose

Leaving your hose in a big heap under the spigot isn’t the way to go. For starters, it will become (annoyingly) tangled, making it a huge pain the next time you need to use it. It also exposes the hose to UV rays, which are harsh on any hose, regardless of its material. Basically, storage depends on preference and aesthetics:

Hose carts or retractable reels are my first choice for managing hoses, and many gardening experts agree. “Buying one of these has been the smartest thing I’ve ever done to reduce watering and hose-related rage. You can transform just about any hose from an unruly nightmare to a much less frustrating situation using a hose cart,” says Hirvela.

Hose hangers can be mounted on a wall or deck; you’ll coil the hose up on it every time, which can be arduous with hoses longer than 50 feet.

Hose pots/ holders allow you to store hoses out of view, but you’ll still need to wind them up every time, which can be somewhat laborious and doesn’t work well for hoses longer than 25 feet.

Why Trust House Beautiful?

Arricca Elin SanSone is a garden writer with 15+ years of experience growing houseplants, herbs, and edibles, and landscape plantings. With a background in health reporting, she applies the same research skills when writing about the science of plant growth. Her houseplant collection includes more than 65 varieties, while her expansive garden features annuals, perennials, and shrubs, including new cultivars that she trials for their performance and reliability. When she’s not digging in the dirt, she’s teaching people about garden maintenance and how to grow things, including edibles, perennials, tropical plants, houseplants, and lawns. She’s also fond of debunking common gardening myths.

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