Gardening Ideas Caring For Your Garden Garden Tools The 11 Best Garden Hoses to Buy, According to Customer Reviews These top-rated garden hoses won’t kink, knot, or leak. By Grace Haynes Grace Haynes Grace is a former Associate Homes Editor for Southern Living. She covered a variety of topics for print and digital, from design and flower arranging to cottage gardens and pets. Before moving to the Homes team, she joined Southern Living as a copy editor. Off the clock, find her strolling through neighborhoods around the South to admire the houses and snapping photos of colorful front doors. Southern Living's editorial guidelines and Emily Belfiore Published on April 23, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: Robbie Caponetto Hoses are an important tool for maintaining a healthy lawn and garden. But these backyard staples are often a hassle—knots, kinks, cracks, and leaks in hoses are frustrating and inefficient. Here, we chose 11 of our favorite flexible, durable hoses that will take the stress out of watering your plants, and created a helpful guide to finding the right one that suits your gardening needs. The Best Garden Hoses of 2022 Best With Sprayer: J&B XpandaHose Expandable Water Garden Hose Most Durable: Teknor Apex NeverKink 8642-50 Garden Hose Best Budget: Flexzilla Garden Lead-in Hose Best Soaker: Melnor Flat Soaker Garden Hose Best for Small Spaces: Water Right 400 Series Slim & Light Garden Hose Best With Brass Fittings: Flexi Hose Expandable Garden Hose Best With Reel: Giraffe Retractable Garden Hose Best Sprinkler: Flexon FS50Three Tube Sprinkler Hose Best Coiled: Instapark GHN-06-25 Recoil Garden Hose Best 75-Inch & Longer: GrowGreen Heavy-Duty Expandable Garden Hose What to Consider When Buying a New Garden Hose Gardening enthusiasts know that no two hoses are the same. When shopping for a new garden hose, there are several important factors to consider to ensure that you've chosen the right model for your plants, starting with the basics like length, and ending with specific details tailored to your watering style and the types of plants you're growing. Length: Hoses come in a variety of lengths, ranging from 25 feet to 100 feet, and can negatively impact your gardening experience if they're too big or too small. Those with small yards and gardens typically fare better with a hose that's shorter in length, as this will help increase maneuverability. But that's not to say that large yards won't benefit from a shorter hose as well. The longer the hose, the more difficult it may be to get a consistent and strong water pressure. A good way to determine how long your hose should be is to measure the distance between your spigot and the farthest spot in your lawn that needs gardening, then select a hose that reaches just beyond that. Hose Diameter: Hoses with a bigger internal diameter are able to carry more water. The average diameter sizes are 3/4, 5/8, and .5 inches wide with 5/8 inches being the common gardening hose width since they provide a balanced water flow and pressure ratio and aren't heavy. Those looking for a truly lightweight hose, however, will find .5-inch diameters to be the lightest to carry since they don't carry as much water, making them better for gardens that don't require a lot of watering and maintenance. Material: Just like the size and diameter of your hose, the material it's made from plays an essential role in its performance. Vinyl hoses are the most basic types of hoses, but are also the most prone to kinking, tearing, and cracking when exposed to high levels of sunlight and other extreme weather conditions. Rubber hoses, on the hand, are the most durable and are virtually weather-proof. While their strength ensures that they will last a long time and won't kink or fall apart, it also means that they will be heavier to carry. Gardeners also have the choice of a reinforced hose, which feature layers of mesh linings inside to increase their resilience. These hoses can handle high water pressure but often succumb to misshaping if not made with quality materials. To really guarantee that it won't kink, you can try bending it into a "U" shape and see if it gives. Regardless of the material, you'll always want to choose a hose with metal or brass fittings since they are the most durable and least prone to leaks. It's always best to opt for thick connectors as opposed to thin ones because they are easier to tighten and attach to your spigot. Plus, they don't bend as easily as their petite counterparts. The best hoses also come with a plastic or rubber collar of sorts, which allows them to extend up to six inches and further minimizes the chances of kinks forming near the connector attached to the spigot. Extra Features: The possibilities are truly endless when shopping for a new hose. After determining the preferred length, diameter, and material, there are additional features that also require some thought. If you're watering a large quantity of plants and want to get the job done quickly, opt for one that has a spray nozzle so you can have control over the pressure and increase reach. Those with garden beds and vegetables gardens get more use out of a soaker hose, which only waters the roots of the plants and prevents overwatering and fungal diseases from watering. But if you're looking for something to facilitate your lawn maintenance, a hose with a sprinkler design will deliver the proper coverage. Plus, there are fun and convenient features like retractable reels, coils, and color variety to consider.No more lugging heavy hoses across your lawn, read on to shop our budget-friendly picks will take the hassle out of your garden maintenance and each have hundreds of thousands of glowing reviews on Amazon. Best With Sprayer: J&B XpandaHose Expandable Water Garden Hose Amazon Buy It: $60; amazon.com The 75-foot-long XpandaHose is one of the highest-reviewed hoses on Amazon. It's equipped with premium corrosion-resistant brass connectors and expands three times its original length, but it retracts to its original size when you're ready to store it. The spray nozzle has 10 adjustable settings for a range of pressures and stream styles—use it for gardens and cars to windows and boats. "This is the best hose I have ever bought," one Amazon shopper wrote. "I have purchased multiple hoses in the past that said they would never kink and break and they always do. This hose is extremely flexible, lightweight, and made very well… It has never kinked on me, even once." Most Durable: Teknor Apex NeverKink 8642-50 Garden Hose Amazon Buy It: $44; amazon.com Use this 50-foot heavy-duty hose for projects in your lawn or garden. It's easy-to-maneuver hose promises no tangles and remains flexible in temperatures as low as 45F thanks to its all-weather and no-kink design. The anti-bacterial material prevents mold and mildew from building up inside, ensuring that it will stay in tip-top shape for longer. "The best hose around," an Amazon reviewer shared. "I live in Florida so we go through hoses like nobody's business. But not this one. Great price, doesn't kink, and awesome water flow. I left it out in the sun for weeks and it's still going strong." Best Budget: Flexzilla Garden Lead-in Hose Amazon Buy It: $16; amazon.com This budget-friendly electric green garden hose is Amazon's top seller for a reason—one of them being that it remains kink-free and flexible in freezing temperatures as low as negative 40°F. This lightweight, lead-free hose is made of abrasion-resistant polymer and crush-resistant aluminum ends and is renowned for its maneuverability, which allows it to move around bushes, trees, and other lawn obstacles with ease. And, its leak-resistant O-rings ensure a secure connection to your spigot. "I originally bought this because it was short and it was cheap but now that I have used it for more than just the hot season, I realize I need to get more of these," an Amazon shopper wrote in their five-star review. "They are super flexible and remain flexible even in cold weather. I was trying to coil up a heavy-duty standard hose and it was impossible because it was too rigid… I'm going to upgrade all of my hoses to this brand." Best Soaker: Melnor Flat Soaker Garden Hose Amazon Buy It: $25 (Orig. $27); amazon.com Soaker hoses are great for watering plants right at their roots instead of their foliage and minimizing the changes of fungal diseases in your greenery. Its porous holes produce a gentle flow of water for fragile plantings, allowing them to absorb water at a slow and steady pace. All you need to do is place it on top of the soil, or under a thin layer of mulch or soil in your garden beds and let the hose do the rest. With the Melnor soaker hose, this compact hose is able to flex where you need it, and it delivers the perfect amount of water to your beds and vegetables. It's also got a rust-resistant end cap so you can extend it and easily flattens for easy storage. "It works well for watering closely spaced arrangements of various plants," explained one Amazon reviewer. "Just snake the hose back and forth through the plants so each gets some watering inside the drip line. The hose leaks slowly at full water flow from the faucet so the water gets absorbed directly into the ground without running off. The hose can be twisted with no kinking so the water continues regardless of the way you snake across a bed. The hose is perfect for watering those plantings for which a sprinkler cannot be efficiently configured to water, just the plants and not surrounding areas that you do not want to water." Best for Small Spaces: Water Right 400 Series Slim & Light Garden Hose Amazon Buy It: $42; amazon.com This slim, lightweight hose comes in a variety of earthy colors that blend seamlessly into your lawn. Safe for drinking water, this hose has a 4 to 5 gallon-per-minute flow rate and weighs only three pounds for every 50 feet of length. This pick is effortless to tote around and is great for small gardens and yards, especially ones with lots of planters, containers, bushes, and trees. Plus, it won't crack or kink thanks to its durable, all-weather construction. "I bought this hose nine years ago and it was a great investment," one reviewer raved. "We live in Arizona with many months of 100 plus-degree weather and this hose has not failed us. No sun rot (despite leaving it exposed all day), no leaks, and still works like new… I use this hose most everyday and it is so easy to manipulate, shift and carry around, I reckon I have saved myself countless effort and time over wrestling with a conventional hose." Best With Brass Fittings: Flexi Hose Expandable Garden Hose Courtesy of Amazon Buy It: $50; amazon.com Equipped with 100 percent solid 3/4-inch brass connectors and a on/off valve, this garden hose securely connects to your faucet and is able to expand up to three times its original length with standard water pressure. Inside, it has a thick rubber seal and sturdy polyester self-retracting wall to prevent leaks and punctures. Its durable design also allows it to withstand up to 110F of heat and 12 bars of water pressure. Also, this hose comes with a multifunctioning spray nozzle that has eight different modes for all of your watering needs. "This is the best hose I have ever purchased," one shopper wrote. "I wish there were more than five stars. It expands perfectly and then coils back up neatly. Strong, durable and no leaks." Best with Reel: Giraffe Retractable Garden Hose Courtesy of Amazon Buy It: $180 (Orig. $230); amazon.com This pick eliminates the hassle of storing your garden hose with its convenient retractable reel, which is pre-installed with a 130-foot all-weather hose and has an automatic rewind system that retracts the hose back with just a tug. To prevent kinks, knots, and blockages, the hose is fed out on a quick release and guidance system to keep everything on track and operating smoothly. Plus, the reel can lock at any desired length to suit your garden and yard. "Very easy to set up," one Amazon shopper highlighted in their five-star review. "I'm impressed with the reel mechanism. It stops where you want it to and this reel has a level wind system to keep the hose from overlapping and jamming the reel." Best Sprinkler: Flexon FS50Three Tube Sprinkler Hose Courtesy of Amazon Buy It: $22 (Orig. $33); amazon.com This sprinkler-styled garden hose features a three tube configuration that provides an average mist pattern of 40 feet. Designed for versatility, it can be used as a sprinkler or a soaker depending on your gardening needs; just position its white stripes upwards for sprinkling or downwards for targeted soaking. It also has a convenient cap for extending its length or flushing out mineral particles. "My backyard grass is dying because of my inadequate watering technique, so I searched for a solution," one Amazon shopper recounted. "I am a happy homeowner to have found this sprinkler. My side yard is long and narrow, making conventional sprinkler hose systems challenging. This hose solves that issue, and in addition, allows me to water more lawn at one time...huge time saver." Best Coiled: Instapark GHN-06-25 Recoil Garden Hose Courtesy of Amazon Buy It: $29; amazon.com Measuring 25 feet, this lightweight coiled garden hose is made from a durable, UV-safe EVA material that is kink-proof, tangle-resistant, and able to retract back to its original shape. With its rotating seven pattern spray nozzle, it can reach far beyond its standard length and gives you control of your watering pressure thanks to its adjustable valve and locking latch. This pick is ideal for both indoor and outdoor gardens and also comes with anti-corrosion brass latches fittings and a sturdy rubber seal to prevent leaks and tears. "We are very happy with the quality of the recoil hose," exclaimed one Amazon reviewer. "It is very sturdy and seems like it should last a long time when we take good care of it. The stretch is easy to handle and when recoiled it takes up little room which is what we wanted since we keep it on our patio. The sprayer that comes with it is great for spraying most kinds of plants, from small tender ones to the larger and more sturdy ones since there are several setting choices." Best 75-Inch & Longer: GrowGreen Heavy-Duty Expandable Garden Hose Courtesy of Amazon Buy It: $45; amazon.com Available in both 75-inch and 100-inch models, this garden hose option from GrowGreen offers the perfect amount of watering coverage for large gardens and lawns. Able to expand to three times its original size, it's constructed from a tough, pressure-resistant latex material that won't succumb to leaks, tears, or kinks and easily shrinks back to its beginning length when not in use. It also has durable brass connectors and shut-off valve, plus a convenient storage sack. "After investing in some rather expensive hoses and having them all fail, I thought I would try this brand solely based on consumer opinion," one Amazon shopper explained. "For the price, you cannot go wrong. In terms of quality, the materials used to manufacture are incredibly strong and durable. The connection ends are heavy, solid and attach perfectly and effortlessly to the outside water. This is the perfect purchase for someone who needs the length and durability of a heavy duty hose, but without the heavy duty price tag." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit More Must-Shop Products This Breezy, Under-$50 Wrap Dress Is Perfect For Summer Weddings, And It Doesn’t Wrinkle Easily This Is The Best-Selling Maxi Dress At Amazon—And Shoppers Say It’s Perfect For Hot Summer Days Ward Off Bugs This Summer With These 8 Insect Repellents You'll Actually Want To Use