7 Best Garden Hoses, Tested by Outdoor Experts

If you have a lot of landscaping to water — maybe spread out over a vegetable garden, foundation beds and lots of thirsty perennials — spending $100 on a garden hose is a smart investment, especially if it’s this 50-foot workhorse from Dramm. The no-nonsense hose is made from ultra-durable rubber that withstood every abuse our testers threw at it: yanking, pulling, prodding and even stomping on its nickel-plated brass fittings (the "crush-free" claim held true).

In our usability tests, the 5/8-inch hose generated plenty of pressure, connected easily to the spigot and spray nozzle and was easy to unfurl and reel back in. But make no mistake, the 10-pound Dramm is a lot of hose to lug around the yard. On the other hand, it’s built for those with serious watering or cleaning needs and it actually isn't the most expensive option available on the market.

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This is the least expensive garden hose on our list, and it feels that way, starting with the vinyl construction, which is more prone to kinking. Right out of the box, ours had a pretty good crimp at one end. The plastic fittings are also less durable than the solid brass connections on top-quality hoses. Despite all that, once our experts hooked up the hose, it did a perfectly good job spraying water where we needed it.

Sure, the flimsy design made it a little harder to maneuver and it didn’t roll up as neatly as other hoses, but at 25 feet long, there was less hose to wrangle. But if you care for it properly (keeping it out of the hot sun where it could dry out and not driving over it with your car), it should give you a few seasons of service without springing a leak. Plus, at under $20, it won't cost too much to replace the hose if needed.

Expandable garden hoses use the force of the water running through them to unfurl to their full length and then contract for storage. They may seem gimmicky, but our experts were impressed by the overall quality of this version from Hydrotech. When not in use, the 50-foot hose shrivels down to 17 feet, which can be folded up into a bundle about the size of a large bread loaf.

The knock against expandable hoses is that they're often cheaply made, leading to premature failure, sometimes right out of the box. That's not the case with the Hydrotech. Its heavy-duty brass valve with flow-control shut-off is durable and rust-proof, while the nylon connector that goes onto your spigot is well-designed and constructed solidly.

The latex hose itself is lightweight and flexible, but also burst-proof, a claim the manufacturer backs up with a generous 10-year warranty. Take note that you will have to buy a spray nozzle separately.

The Flexzilla gave the Dramm a run for its money for the best overall distinction among our testers. Both are excellent hoses, and you’ll save some money on the Flexzilla with very little tradeoff. The hose also holds the Amazon's Choice badge and has over 100,000 online reviews.

Our testers especially liked the Flexzilla's ergonomics, including the easy-grip connections with their swivel action that prevents kinking and makes the hose easy to maneuver. The water pressure was impressive, though slightly less than the Dramm.

The Flexzilla stood up to our durability tests and the black inner tube is lead-free and drinking-water safe, nice if it will keep you hydrated in addition to the lawn, or if you’ll use it to fill an inflatable pool. One minor quibble: The distinctive green outer cover was quick to smudge in our tests, so don't count on the hose looking new for long.

Between its stainless steel construction and solid brass fittings, this hose lived up to the "bionic" billing in our tests. Given its durability, the 50-foot hose is surprisingly lightweight and easy to maneuver. Our testers noted, however, that because the hose is so flexible, it ended up in knots more frequently than other models.

In terms of performance, the 5/8-inch interior hose provided plenty of pressure, and we like that it comes with its own nozzle too. Though we weren't able to verify the claim, Bionic touts its extreme weather resistance, including in sub-zero temperatures. Based on our experience with 304 stainless steel, the material the hose is made from, we expect it to live up to the claim, making this a good option for year-round use in colder climates. Just make sure you have a frost-proof spigot or you could be stuck with a burst pipe.

If your watering needs are minimal — watering a vertical garden or giving the dog a bath on the back deck — a coil hose is the way to go. Our experts were impressed by this bright green version from HoseCoil, which starts at a compact 10 inches before stretching to 15 feet at full extension.

Weighing just over one pound, it’s also extremely versatile, which is nice if you need to take it RV-ing or maybe down to the marina to hose off the boat. The polyurethane construction makes for a flexible, lightweight design, though based on our experience with the polyurethane material, the HoseCoil probably won’t last as long as other hoses in our round-up. The 3/8-inch house also doesn't generate as much water pressure as other top picks. But for the price, our experts still say it’s an excellent value for lightweight watering needs.

If you use a garden hose frequently, spending more on a retractable system is a worthwhile investment, since the enclosed housing makes for neat, trip-free storage and protects the hose from the harsh sun and other elements. We're big fans of the Hoselink, a wall-mounted solution that comes with a 50-foot or 82-foot kink-resistant, PVC garden hose. The eight-pattern spray nozzle is easy to operate and the leak-free connections join easily with a simple point-and-twist action.

Installing the Hoselink is more of a project than getting set up with a simple garden hose since the housing and hose add up to 30 pounds, and therefore need to be securely mounted. While the installation process is pretty standard, note that some specialty tools and materials are required, along with a couple of hours of your time.

Once it was up and running, the Hoselink was extremely user-friendly in our tests. Quick-connect systems on the 6.5-foot leader hose (between the wall spigot and the housing) and the main hose made it easy to switch between fittings, say, to take off the spray nozzle and insert the hose into a lawn sprinkler.

And when you're done watering, the guide roller springs to life with a simple tug, moving side to side as it retracts the hose so that the hose spools evenly onto the drum. There, the hose will wait, out of sight and harm's way, until it's time for more watering.

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