A hose is an essential bit of kit for a gardener, making the task of watering your garden much easier than heaving a heavy watering can back and forth from the tap. There’s a huge range of garden hoses available to buy, and choosing the right hose will depend on the size of your garden, how much time you spend watering and, of course, your budget.
There are also a number of types of hose to choose from :
- Bare hoses: a simple, loose hose, available without connectors and accessories
- Hose kits: a loose, bare hose plus spray guns and connectors
- Hoses with reels: a hose reel that combines storage, typically featuring a cylindrical spindle or case, and can be either free-standing or mounted on a wall. The hose is retracted at the pull of the hose or wound by hand with a handle
- Expandable hoses: these offer a lightweight, space-saving alternative to traditional rubber hoses, and shrink to an easy-to-store size when not in use
In general, hosepipes are constructed with layers of vinyl, polyurethane and rubber, often reinforced with nylon or metal mesh. Expandable hoses feature a tough, woven fabric outer layer that allows them to expand and contract. On the whole, cheaper hoses have fewer layers, which affects their strength and durability over time. Rubber hoses kink easily and can even get in a tangle, whereas expandable hoses, with their fabric outer layers, are designed to be anti-kink and anti-knot.
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Best Buy bare hoses, expandable hoses and hose reels at a glance
- Best expandable garden hose for durability: Hozelock Superhoze Expandable 30m Hose
- Best expandable garden hose for performance: Robert Dyas Extendable 30m Hose
- Best garden hose mini reel: Hozelock Pico reel
- Best portable garden hose reel: Hozelock Auto reel mobile 35m
- Best larger garden hose reel: Hozelock Fast Reel
- Best premium hose: Hozelock Ultimate Hose
Jump to:
- The best expandable garden hoses
- The best garden hose reels
- The best bare garden hoses
- How to choose the best garden hose
- What accessories are available?
- Water-wise gardening
- How we tested garden hoses
In every review, we award the outstanding products our coveted Best Buy award. From 2026, you’ll only see newly awarded Best Buy badges on hoses that score 4.5 out of 5 or higher. Anything rated 3.5 or above will still feature in our ‘Best of the rest’ list.
The best garden hoses
The best expandable garden hoses
Hozelock Superhoze Expandable 30m Hose
RRP: £76.34
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5
Available from B&Q
Pros
- Lightweight
- Expands three times its length, up to 30m
- Tangle-free
- Five-year guarantee
- Guaranteed leak-free fittings for a water-tight connection
- Nozzle included
Cons
- Hooks or reels for storage aren’t included
- Expensive
Lightweight, tough, and featuring a five-year warranty, this hose won a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for its exceptional durability. This expandable hose is easy to use in a small-sized garden, and because it shrinks down to a third of its length when empty, it is convenient to store when not in use.
Read the full review of the Hozelock Superhoze expandable 30m hose
Buy Hozelock Superhoze Expandable 30m Hose from OnBuy, Wickes, and B&Q
Robert Dyas Extendable 30m hose
RRP: £19.99
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5
Available from Robert Dyas
Pros
- Lightweight
- Expands from 10m to 30m
- Spray gun included
- Tangle-free
Cons
- No storage features included
Winner of a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for its performance, this lightweight, extendable hose comes with connectors, as well as a seven-dial spray gun, which are both accessories that you have to buy separately, as with many of the other hoses we tested. When the hose is filled with water, it fully expands up to 30m, or three times its length, retracting back to its original size in next to no time when you turn the tap off.
Read the full review of the Robert Dyas Extendable 30m hose
Buy the Robert Dyas Extendable 30m hose from Robert Dyas
Buying an expandable hose – video
Follow our guide to choosing the right expandable hose for your garden
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The best garden hose reels
Hozelock Pico Reel
RRP: £59.99
Our rating: 4.75 out of 5
Available from Tooled Up
Pros
- Fully assembled
- Versatile, connects both ends
- Comfortable, easy to use, excellent spray gun
- Long warranty
Cons
- Feeder hose is fiddly to tuck away
Our experts judged this a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in the mini reel category as it was compact, lightweight and good value. The hose is easy to rewind and has handy features such as drip-free storage with a parking port. There’s also an easy-to-use and adjustable spray gun with five spray pattern options. Plus, this hose comes with a five-year warranty.
Read the full review of the Hozelock Pico hose reel
Buy Hozelock Pico hose reel from Tooled Up, OnBuy and Wickes
Hozelock Auto Reel Mobile 35m
RRP: £329.99
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros
- Great for taking around the garden
- Excellent rewind with no kinking
- Very stable
- Well designed with accessory storage
Cons
- Takes time and is heavy to build
- Costs a lot of money
If you’ve ever struggled with a kinking, twisting hose or a reel that’s constantly toppling over, then this is the reel for you. The 30m anti-UV hose is housed within a sturdy portable case that you can wheel around the garden with ease. For this reason, our experts awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy in the portable garden hose reel category. The handle is adjustable to suit your height and collapses down for storage, and this product also has a folding kickstand to help it remain stable in use. This can then be tucked away for easy wheeling and storage. The hose is easy to pull out, and there’s a braking mechanism to keep it controlled and to lock it in place once you’ve got as much as you need. Once you’re finished, simply tug the hose out another 25cm, and it will automatically rewind neatly back into the case. There’s no handle to wind and no tangling. Five metres of feeder hose are included, giving you 35m in total, plus all the connectors you need, such as hose end and water stop connectors, and threaded tap connectors of 21 and 26mm. There’s also a spray gun with the choice of three sprays: fine rose, jet and cone.
Although this is very easy to wheel around once built, it does weigh 17kg, and this is noticeable when putting it together. There’s quite a lot to assemble, including attaching the wheels, the handle and the accessory basket, and this requires a screwdriver and about 30 minutes of your time. Until the wheels are attached, it’s heavy to lift and move around, and it’s all low down on the ground, so it may not be for the less able gardener. This reel is also one of the most expensive we’ve tested, but it is very well designed, with lots of storage for the feeder hose and accessories, it feels durable and sturdy and is backed up by a five-year warranty (when registered online). If you use a hose on a regular basis, this is ideal. You definitely get what you pay for, and this hose is well worth considering for the sheer ease of use.
Buy Hozelock Auto Reel Mobile 35m from Amazon and Wickes
Hozelock Fast Reel
RRP: £112.99
Our rating: 4.5 out of 5
Available from OnBuy
Pros
- Completely assembled, enclosed reel
- Sturdy, stable, exceptionally easy to rewind
- Neat non-drip storage
- Long warranty
Cons
- Largest, heaviest and dearest
The automatic self-layering feature on this hose made it extremely quick to wind and unwind, despite being the longest we tested. The casing fully encloses the hose and feels both sturdy and stable. This was the heaviest and priciest hose on our expert test, but it does come with a five-year guarantee. Overall, we were impressed and awarded it a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best larger hose.
Read the full review of the Hozelock Fast Reel
Buy Hozelock Fast Reel from ManoMano, OnBuy and Tooled Up
The best bare garden hose
Hozelock Ultimate hose
RRP: £52
Our rating: 4.8 out of 5
Available from Amazon
Pros
- Lightweight and comfortable
- Anti-kink design
- Crush proof
- Long guarantee
- Lowest price per metre (in category)
Cons
- Slightly tricky to re-coil
Awarded a BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Best Buy for the best premium hose, this product is very light and easy to use. Constructed from five layers, including a reinforced material, the Hozelock Ultimate also has a smooth inner layer to enhance water flow. Kink-free and flexible, it comes with a 30-year guarantee.
Read the full review of the Hozelock Ultimate hose
Buy the Hozelock Ultimate hose from Wickes and Amazon
Need an attachment for your hose? Discover which of the garden hose spray guns we tested came out on top. If a watering can is all you’re after, we’ve chosen 10 different designs to suit your gardening needs. You may also be interested in our guide to buying the best pressure washer.
How to choose the best garden hose
Think about the following before you choose:
- The best garden hoses are anti-kink, anti-twist and crush-proof – there’s nothing worse than having to unravel a tangled garden hose, and it will eventually cause the rubber to split and leak. It’s also worth considering the jobs you’ll be using it for. If it’s just watering, you won’t need a super-strong hose with a high max burst pressure (measured in bars), but if you’re connecting it to a power washer, durability and strength are important – and steer clear of expandable hoses as they’re not recommended for use with pressure washers
- Cheaper hoses will need to be replaced more often, which is ultimately bad news for your pocket and the environment. Spending a little more means you’ll get a tough, durable hose that will last for years, and with better technology behind the bigger price tag, watering the plants is more enjoyable, too. Garden hose reel kits are more expensive, but they’re great if storage is an issue and the reel prevents hoses from getting tangled up or trodden on. However, they can be a pain when it comes to reeling in the hose, especially with free-standing types. Expandable hoses dispense with storage problems, as they contract to a manageable size when they’re not in use, but they can also leak and split more readily than tougher rubber alternatives. It’s also worth checking if a hose comes with a guarantee, and if so, how long for. While hoses come with recommended maximum water pressure, kink and frost protection, if a long warranty is offered, it’s a good sign it’s built to last, assuming, of course, you look after it
- Length. To work out what size hose you need, there’s really no better way than getting out the tape measure. Start from the tap and measure the maximum distance you need to reach the bottom of your garden, and then add a bit on, so the hose won’t be at full stretch. Tempting as it may be, avoid going for a longer garden hose than needed, because in addition to being more expensive, it adds unnecessary extra weight and is more bulky to store. Some expandable hoses can be connected together to gain extra length – you’ll need to buy special adaptors – and similarly, smooth rubber hoses can be cut to length if required
- Colour might seem an aesthetic choice; if you have your garden hose on display on a patio, you might want to choose the colour that best works with your scheme. Alternatively, a brightly coloured hose is more visible and so less likely to be run over by a car or machinery
What accessories are available?
While a nozzle or spray gun isn’t essential – using your finger on the tip of the hose to adjust the water flow works well – they are practical. Some hoses come with these accessories included, which often makes them good value for money. However, there are plenty of attachments available to buy separately.
It’s also worth checking if the connectors that come with your hose are ‘universal’, which means they’ll fit on any hose or with any accessory – a benefit, if you change the hose but don’t want to have to buy a new spray gun, for example. Connectors are usually made in either plastic or brass, and while there are different grades of plastic, it’s fair to say that the brass connectors will be the most long-lasting.
In general, a textured outer layer will attach more securely to the tap connector than smooth alternatives, and will be less likely to burst off the nozzle or tap connector while it’s in use.
Water-wise gardening
With water conservation becoming more important than ever, check out this fascinating discussion between Arit Anderson and water expert Janet Manning on the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine podcast.
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Gardening with less water
A few basic techniques will help you save precious water resources while still giving you a beautiful space to enjoy
Target your watering
All plants have different water needs. The best method is to water each plant individually, so you can control exactly the right amount around roots at the base of the plant, minimising wasted water.
Pick drought-tolerant plants
Plants like perennial herbs, ornamental grasses and many established shrubs need very little extra water in summer. Planted in the ground, they may never need any extra watering after establishment. Selecting plants that don’t wilt in dry spells will lower effort and water use.
Plant spreading ground-cover
Although it’s recommended to use a compost mulch around plants to lock in moisture – and this does work – this may be impractical for an entire garden. In addition to mulching, look to low-growing, mat-forming plants that spread between your larger plants, reducing evaporation and locking in moisture.
Collect water from roofs
Every drop of rainwater you collect counts. To work out how much you could collect, multiply the local average annual rainfall by the total area of your roof. Reusing old washing-up water, called ‘grey water’, helps too.
Let lawns go brown
During summer dry spells, lawns are prone to turning brown and looking dead, but they aren’t. Grass naturally goes dormant to survive dry periods, and although it can look less inviting, it’s perfectly fine for the plants. Lawn grasses will naturally bounce back to their luscious green selves when rain returns.
Make a planted soakaway
In addition to collecting rainwater in a water butt, directly water areas with drain-pipe extensions. Doing so reduces water going into drains and the risk of flooding during heavy rain. Water will slowly filter through the ground naturally instead.
How we tested garden hoses
The BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine Reviews team tested a range of different types of garden hose, using them across the spring and summer to water beds and borders, plants in containers and in the greenhouse. The hoses were compared, and the following criteria were used to assess each hose, with equal weight attributed to each:
- Preparation & storage: assessed ease of assembly, weight and storage features
- Handling & performance: looked at ease of unwinding and rewinding, stability of the reel, if the hose kinked or twisted, how well the connectors and accessories fitted and worked, and the ease of carrying
- Quality & features: focused on reel durability, standard and type of hose, nozzle and connectors, plus any special features
- Value for money: considered all of the above plus hose length, accessories, RRP and length of warranty
For more information on our testing process, see How we Review.
Meet our testing panel
Oliver Parsons, Strategic Projects Editor
Oliver is a gardener and magazine journalist of 20 years’ experience. He trained as a professional horticulturalist at RHS Garden Hyde Hall in Chelmsford and has also worked for Gardening Which?, as a freelance gardener and with the gardening team at Down House in Kent. He is now Strategic Projects Editor at BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine and GardenersWorld.com, heading up our reviews desk, Apple News output and weekly newsletter.
Kay Maguire, Magazines Editor
Kay trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and has been writing and making films about gardening ever since. She has written for websites and magazines, including The Garden and Amateur Gardening, was Horticultural Editor on BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for five years, and has also written several books on a range of gardening topics from growing house plants to making the most of a small space. After several years as Reviews Editor, building up our reviews section into a leading resource for UK gardeners, she has now become Magazines Editor for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, responsible for all print output.
Harry Duncton, freelance powered tools tester
Harry has a wealth of experience, from being a language teacher to a tree surgeon, and has built this into a career writing about all things DIY and gardening. A passionate believer in self-reliance, his aim is to inspire others to give it a go themselves and not worry about making a few mistakes along the way. A regular contributor to popular DIY blogs and a recent addition to the BBBC Gardeners’ World Magazine team, he loves tracking down the best new tools and writing about them.
Sue Fisher, freelance garden writer
Sue’s extensive horticultural career spans over 40 years, starting with a decade in the garden centre and nursery industry before developing into an accomplished gardening writer, designer and speaker. Sue writes regularly for BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine, GardenersWorld.com, and Garden Answers magazine. She has written 10 books on subjects including container gardening, plants for small gardens and designing with colour, and she has co-authored other books with some of the biggest names in gardening.
Emma Crawforth, Horticulture Editor
Emma holds the Kew Diploma in Horticulture and has been working in horticulture for 18 years, including roles in public gardens, a plant nursery supplying plants for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and a training college for young horticulturists. She looks after an ornamental, fruit and veg garden at home and regularly undertakes trips to see plants growing in their natural habitats. She is the author of the Kew Publications book, Things to Do with Plants.
This review was last updated in January 2026. We apologise if anything has changed in price or availability.
