A garden hose might seem like a simple thing to buy, and in many cases, the cheapest option is grabbed. But, in reality, things are very different.
You unravel your hose, use it, and then when it comes to rolling it back up, you get a kink in it that keeps coming back every time you use it.
There is nothing worse than trying to get a kink from a hose before you can use it. Not only this, but there are differences between cheap hoses and the best garden hoses, which can make all the difference, especially when it comes to leaks from cracks after they have been sat in the sun to materials that disintegrate for no reason.
Here we will review the best alternatives to grabbing the first garden hose you see.
Contents
Why a Good Garden Hose is Important
Having a good garden hose for some reason is crucial. One is the longevity of the hose because when under pressure, they can bulge and split.
Heat resistance is also another factor because even if they are rolled up, there is no saying they won’t be hit by sunlight.
Overall, heat can also play a factor in how long your garden hose will last. These materials absorb heat from the environment and can feel all rubbery, and when they are like this, it
will make them weaker.
Another consideration is if you are pulling your hose, and you go round a corner. Good strong hoses will keep their shape, but an inferior quality hose will take the form of the corner of your house, and water flow will be cut.
There are many other reasons why a good garden hose is essential compared to purchasing a cheap garden hose, so with that in mind, here are the best garden hoses you can currently get.
Best Garden Hose Reviews
1. Flexzilla HFZG550YW 5/8” X50 Hose, 50’ (feet)
This hose is brightly colored, so there is no chance to mow the lawn and run over it, but from the way it is built, it might survive even that. The Flexzilla garden hose is constructed from the companies own unique mix of rubber and a PVC polymer.
It has aluminum allow fittings that won’t rust and provided the best garden hose nozzle fitting on the test.
This heavy-duty hose is highly flexible while being one of the lightest on the test. The Flexzilla hose rolled up nice without causing friction or having the urge to kink, and when unrolled, it contained no coil memory and rolled out the flat first time.
Pros
- High working pressure 150 PSI
- Drinking water safe
- Abrasion-resistant cover
- Garden hose connectors come with swivel grip
- Highly kink resistant
- Won’t stiffen in cold weather, so it is easy to store
Cons
- Limited lifetime warranty – hose needs shipping back with proof of purchase and packaging
- Mold issues reported by some users
- Some might leak from the spigots
- Male connector self-tightens and can’t be undone easily
The Flexzilla garden hose reviews you see are all favorable, and it is easy to see why. This hose performed without fault, and it was almost impossible to kink it even when trying to do so.
For a guide price of around $35.00, the Flexzilla water hose puts many higher-priced hoses to shame.
It was hard to find anything wrong about the hose during testing, and all of the negative reviews (not many) appear to be extreme cases. It delivers 50ft of 5/8 of an inch of high-quality tubing that will last any person who uses its years of service.
2. Teknor Apex Neverkink, 8844-50 PRO Water Hose,5/8-in x 50-feet
The Teknor hose is another 5/8 of an inch hose that promises never to kink, and is suitable for a wide range of environments and can go as low as 45 degrees.
It is black, so when out in the sun, it can catch the rays and get hot to the touch, but with the durable construction, it didn’t show signs of collapsing. The couplings are crush and leak-proof and made from aluminum, which will prevent rusting.
To prevent kinks, the company came up with their NTS (None-Torsion system), where there is a translucent strip down the length of the Teknor Apex hose. This is the secret to no kinks, which did appear to work well in use.
Compared to other hoses, it did feel on the slightly heavier side and was on occasions hard to drag when full.
Pros
- High-quality fittings
- Thick solid heavy duty garden hose
- Commercial strength
- Lifetime warranty
Cons
- Guarantee of kink-free isn’t exactly accurate when reading reviews
- Not drink water safely
- Heavy
- Hard to coil after use
- Can bulge by fittings when under pressure
The Teknor Apex garden hose is marketed as commercial quality, but this we couldn’t vouch for.
After testing, we found this might be more marketing hype because with a guide price of $22, something this cheap would be used by every company that ever used a hose.
Kink-free, our hose wasn’t, and even when unpacking, there were signs of a crease in the casing. Once we used it for a while, it was easy to see that there could be problems. With the fact it isn’t to drink water safely, it is hard to see why it is as popular as it is.
3. Gilmour 820501-1001 Flexogen Premium Garden Hose 1/2inx50ft, 50 Feet
The Gilmour professional hose is made to withstand some severe use and can hold up to 500 PSI. It comes with a Flow Guard collar to prevent kinking at the fittings and is crush resistant.
The 1/2 inch Gilmour hose has an eight-layer construction that delivers a lot of strength and helps to stop it kinking as advertised.
While still on the heavier side, it is lighter than others, which makes a difference while trying to drag it around the lawn when full.
Pros
- Large diameter hose 1/2 inch
- Lifetime warranty
- Anti-microbial layer
- Abrasion-resistant
Cons
- Can get overly soft when in direct sunlight
- Can be very stiff in cooler climates
- Can be hard to coil
- Does kink on occasions
The Gilmour garden hose is well constructed, and for a price of around $26, it appears to do the job.
The fittings are brass, and although they don’t rust like aluminum, they might begin to corrode if the pipe drips. This was something we found in testing, but it might be a one-off.
One concern was, there was no clear definition or confirmation if this hose was drinking water safe, and after checking the company website, most hoses they manufacture are not suitable for drinking.
While doing this review, we also found the number of low reviews was slightly higher than the mediocre reviews, so it is obvious there are a few customer concerns with this hose. But, until more substantial problems show, it was a decent above-average performer.
4. Zero-G 4001-50 Lightweight, Ultra-Flexible, Durable, Kink-Free Garden Hose, 5/8-Inch by 50-Feet
This lightweight hose is the only flat hose in this review, it comes in at 4 lbs. in eight as you would expect, but when in use, you do need to get all the water out before coiling it up. This was also something we found difficult, considering it was a flat hose.
The couplings are lead-free metal, which may, over time, rust, but they did perform adequately while testing.
The Zero-g garden hose is 5/8 of an inch expandable garden hose and made from vinyl and a woven fiber casing.
What was surprising was its 600+ PSI rating, which puts it highest on the test. This should make it the best garden hose for pressure washer, most of which come from the interwoven fibers. This puts it comparable to some of the metal garden hose reviews, which were another surprise.
With the vinyl core, this hose is drinking water safe which was a pleasant addition.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Won’t expand or contract
- Crushproof up to 900 lbs.
- Materials are gasoline resistant
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- Needs to be drained for easy storage
- The tendency to spring leaks
- Leaky fitting seals
- Requires anti-seize spray on the inner threads
While researching, we found the Zero-g hose reviews a mixed bag and were split between the best expandable garden hose to keeps splitting as the main gripe.
This was alarming because it has the highest rating on the test, yet the Zero-g garden hose is the one that seemed to fail the most.
For a hose that comes with a price of around $37.00 and is one of the most expensive on the test, it did come as a bit of a let-down.
All we put it down to was the flexible nature of the expanding hose and that it keeps expanding and retracting in and after use.
5. Water Right 400 Series Polyurethane Slim & Light Drinking Water Safe Garden Hose, 50-Foot x 7/16-Inch, Brass Fittings
The Water Right hose came in as the lightest on the test (3 lbs. for every 50ft). But it was the most expensive by a margin.
The guide price is around $70, and that is for the brass fittings. If you go for stainless
steel garden hose connectors, this jumps up almost another $10.
This hose is at the top end of what is available on the market, and during testing, we were a little let down after testing another hose from the company. The Water Right soaker hose performs very differently.
The size was very different from others on test, and we found there to be a severe lack of water pressure.
As a result, it seems 7/16 of an inch was one of the most significant gripes in the customer reviews also. For a short garden hose, this might be okay, but this length, it is too restrictive.
Pros
- Lightweight hose
- Lead and Phthalate free
- 2-year warranty
- Flexible in all weathers – can stand running hot water up to 140F
- Drinking water safe
- 2 types of fitting choice – brass or stainless steel
Cons
- Expensive
- Hard to coil garden hose
- Coiled garden hose won’t roll flat
- Hose can stick to itself
- Can kink easily
Although it can remain flexible in all weathers, we found it hard to justify the price tag for the performance, the best lightweight garden hose? Unfortunately, we don’t think so.
Garden Hose Buying guide
When looking for a new lightweight garden hose, you need to ask yourself one major question
What are you using your hose for?
The use of your no kink hose will determine the best hose for you. Is it for watering plants, filling the kid’s swimming pool, or for pressure washers? They all have differing requirements.
Length
Longer isn’t always better. All the hoses here were 50ft standard garden hose size and for a good reason. Weight!
Longer hoses are more expensive, and coiling a 100ft garden hose is no fun, even if you use a hose reel. Measure the distance from your faucet to the extent of where you need to go.
Diameter
The common dimensions are 3/4 of an inch, 5/8 of an inch or half an inch. This is the internal dimension and not how thick the pipe is.
Larger diameters have a faster flow rate, and a 5/8 hose is the most useful and easy to move when full when they are on 50-foot hoses. This can also affect the size when wound on a garden hose reel.
Material
Vinyl hoses usually come with reinforcement. The material itself isn’t that strong. These are prone to splitting or cracking and don’t take to harsh weather.
Rubber can be seen as the best, but it is the heaviest and most expensive option. They can also carry hot water.
Some mixes of materials are almost comparable with rubber. They also need to be resistant when you fertilize lawn or use it near gasoline.
Flexibility
This can differ significantly. Some of the reinforced hoses are stiff, while others are too soft, especially in hot weather.
This can be a deal-breaker when you want to coil or uncoil your hose, and also when you want it to stop kinking. A no kink hose is crucial.
Couplings
Heavy-duty hoses will drip, no matter who makes them, or what sort of metal garden hose fittings you have, this part always gets wet. In some cases, it is the faucet, but the couplings take the worst of it. These need to durable and rust-free, so aluminum is the best choice.
Care and Maintenance
Hoses do need some attention, so the more resistant to abrasion, kinking and leaking, the better. The best heavy-duty hoses only need a little release spray on the couplings and a wipe down to keep them ship-shape.
Is it time to buy a new hose?
The best time of year to buy a new hose is now. If they are stiff in the colder weather, at least you will find out before the summer has gone. You also have the chance to check which ones fit your needs.
With all the above, you have a lot to check before grabbing the cheapest, and then regretting it later. Buy one now, and your garden will thank you for it.
Final Verdict
After all the testing, bending, and running water through the hoses for different usage scenarios, there was only one clear winner we saw.
This was the Flexzilla HFZG550YW 5/8” X50 Hose, 50’ (feet), and it got this position with good reason. It was the only no kink garden hose we couldn’t or didn’t kink, and it gave no problems when dragging it around the yard, tree stumps, walls, or anything else we could find.
Both ends of the fittings worked flawlessly, and it was the funkiest color out of all the hoses on the test.
Coiling and uncoiling was a breeze, and the hose lay flat as if it was always in that position.
There is a limited lifetime warranty, but the way the hose performed, it would be a long time before any claim against this would have to be made.
From what we saw, it is the best flexible garden hose for nearly all gardeners and small business owners.
