The Best Garden Hoses of 2024

The Flexzilla hose is the best garden hose you can buy. It is light and flexible without sacrificing durability or performance and moves easily at any range thanks to its lightweight construction and smooth surface. Both the male and female ends of the Flexzilla have comfort grips, while the others we tested had only one or none at all.

The grips, called SwivelGrips, allow the hose to twist freely, making it easy to maneuver around the yard.

As its name implies, it is an extremely flexible hose. That flexibility makes it prone to kinking as we pull the hose taut; however, it un-kinked itself after a moment, so the brief kinks weren’t an issue at all.

To test durability, we smacked the connectors of each hose against the concrete three times as hard as we could.

While the Flexzilla's aluminum fittings felt more fragile than the brass ones on some of the other hoses, they held up just as well as others we tested.

The most we could manage was a couple of scuffs. The flexible nature of this hose also made it a breeze to coil and carry from one place to another.

As a standard hose, it can’t touch the portability of an expandable hose, but this coil hose was the easiest to move (coiled or expanded) of the standard hoses we tested.

The Flexzilla’s neon green color is easy to spot in any landscape, which could be positive or negative depending on how you want to use this hose.

The color also won’t excessively heat water in the hose to the extent that a darker hose might. The Flexzilla's material is lead-free, so it’s safe for all family members to drink from.

For a durable, long-lasting hose designed for heavy-duty usage, you've got to go with a rubber garden hose like the best, the Dramm ColorStorm Rubber Garden Hose. The hose's exterior is thick enough to stand up to being dragged around the yard and run over by an SUV without causing damage. It can handle water temperatures up to 160°F and puts out a strong stream of 12.5 gallons per minute.

As you may expect, Dramm’s hose is heavier than the expandable garden hoses, especially when full of water, and you’ll need to give it a good tug while moving about using it. It doesn't come with storage options like other hoses in our guide. However, it takes up quite a bit of space, so you may want to purchase a wall-mounted hose holder or reel to keep it organized outdoors.

Dramm’s rubber hose is available in several different lengths and colors and has a lifetime guarantee. Dramm’s is a well-constructed, kink-resistant choice for the best rubber garden hoses.

The Bionic Steel Garden Hose is not just sturdy and compact, but also versatile, making it a reliable outdoor option that doesn’t kink. We tested the pro version, which is 100 feet long and has sturdy brass fittings.

Despite its metal construction, this stainless steel garden hose is surprisingly easy to carry and drag across the yard, proving that it's more lightweight than a rubber garden hose, which tends to be quite heavy. Its heavy-duty steel prevents kinking and coiling, and it's a great alternative to a flexible garden hose, which typically has fabric covers and tends to snag easily, giving you the assurance that it will perform well in various gardening tasks.

The heavy-duty steel prevents kinking and coiling. It’s a great alternative to a flexible garden hose, which typically has fabric covers and can snag easily.

The Bionic Steel Garden Hose, a sturdy and flexible option, was tested in various weather conditions. It was exposed to sunlight for days at a time in Florida, as well as passing rain showers. Metal hoses like this one have an exterior that warms up in the sun but isn't scalding to the touch. The hose claims to be rust-resistant and corrosion-proof, and our tests confirmed this, as we did not experience either during use, showcasing its versatility and durability.

No matter the amount of water, the pressure flow is strong and steady, though less robust than a rubber garden hose. However, with a sprayer head nozzle attached to the hose, we found the water pressure sufficient for giving our plants a drink. It also performs fine when paired with a lawn sprinkler. The garden hose also has a well-working, small, adjustable spray nozzle.

On the downside, when we rolled an SUV over it several times a section of the hose flattened right out. Some reviewers say you can bend it back into shape with pliers. However, we didn't notice a change in flow or pressure even when flattened.

Do not drink from the Bionic Steel Garden Hose, as it may contain mold, bacteria, and other harmful substances. The manufacturer also recommends turning off the water supply to the hose when not in use so that pressure does not build up and letting the water drain all the way out to ensure longevity.

For a flexible garden hose made from lightweight materials that do not kink and snag, the Bionic Steel Garden Hose is a great choice. Just be sure to move it in from the driveway to avoid any flattening from being run over by a car.

Tired of coiling hoses in the yard? Giraffe Tools makes the best retractable garden hose reel we've tested. The hose reel is attached to a 180-degree swivel bracket that helps the hose move easily throughout the yard.

The retractable hose reel mounts to the side of your home or on a fence post near a spigot. Giraffe Tools includes the mounting brackets and screws needed, but you will need a wrench and a drill to finish the job. Mounting this hose reel requires two people—one person to hold the reel in place and another person to install it.

The hose is easy to pull and retract from the reel. It locks into place after yanking. Pull the hose when finished, and it will automatically reel itself in. We found this feature worked better when the hose was closer to the home base than not. One time, we pulled too hard when the hose was all the way extended, which caused a part inside of the reel to loosen and leak. Keep in mind that if something happens to the hose, it is not replaceable.

The Giraffe retractable hose reel includes a sprayer head nozzle with basic spray settings. Instead of a trigger to spray, the top of the nozzle has a pull bar that you can push forward for more water flow or pull back to slow down the flow. The diameter of the hose is a little smaller than most, but we still round the flow rate sufficiently for daily yard watering.

Overall, this is a good option if you need a retractable garden hose.