Editor’s Note: We updated this this guide on April 10, 2024 with updated recommendations, including a handful of new picks, based on testing from the Popular Mechanics test team.
Around the house, the business, the farm, or the garden, the humble garden hose is one of the most important tools for outdoor chores. Having a reliable hose is essential: It makes every job that much easier and more enjoyable.
But choosing a garden hose can get more complicated than you might think. Though hoses are simple tools, they come in many lengths and can be made from different materials. Some can stand up to higher water temperatures and pressures, while others are made to be compact and easy to handle. There’s plenty to think about, but after plenty of testing and research, we have some thoughts on what makes a great one.
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The Best Garden Hoses
What to Consider When Buying a Garden Hose
If you’ve ever wrestled with a garden hose, you know how unwieldy they can be. They’re heavy, difficult to drag around, and seem to kink just as you turn on the water. The new trend is toward lightweight, kink-resistant hoses that are designed to address these common complaints.
Why Trust Us?
Popular Mechanics has been explaining how the world works since 1902. In addition to keeping a close eye on science and technology, our magazine has been a resource for gearheads, makers and every kind of DIY hobbyist looking for gear-related advice and recommendations. Many of our most important gear recommendations, including tools and yard machines, come from the Popular Mechanics test team, which tests all kinds of equipment so we can endorse the best of the best. Our current test team includes Roy Berendsohn, Brad Ford, and Matt Crisara.
The majority of the garden hoses in this guide were tested and selected by test editor Brad Ford, who routinely puts garden hoses through a rigorous testing regimen that’s outlined below. In addition, some of these picks were added by Kate Morgan, a freelance journalist who has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, National Geographic, BBC, Sierra, and Popular Science.
How We Selected The Best Garden Hoses
Many of the hoses on this list have been thoroughly vetted and evaluated by the Popular Mechanics test team. We evaluated our initial picks based on dry weight, friction when dragged, kink resistance, and rate of flow. To measure friction, we used a spring scale attached to the hoses, and dragged them, while full of water, across grass and concrete.
Flow rate was determined by attaching each hose directly to a faucet, and with no restriction, used a stopwatch to time filling a 5-gallon bucket. Finally, for the hoses that claimed to have crush-resistant couplings, we drove a 4,500-pound truck over the connected couplings on a paved surface.
More recently, since its initial publication, we’ve updated the list to include newer models and additional categories. The updated selections were picked by our expert, in consultation with the test team, based on the experts’ personal testing experience, market research, and user reviews found on Amazon and manufacturer’s websites.
Our Full Garden Hose Reviews
We have to admit, when we first saw the “Perfect Garden Hose,” we thought it looked a little wonky. So, we got one in to see if it was as good as they say. Wonky looking or not, the hose surprised us—it’s light, stiff, and darn near impossible to kink, even when we were trying.
The unique design incorporates a helix made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), wrapped around the outside of the hose. This stiff material prevents the hose from collapsing when folded over on itself, making it very difficult to interrupt the water flow.
The TPE also makes The Perfect Garden Hose relatively light for its size. Although the outside of the hose has pronounced ridges, it dragged much easier than we expected, requiring only 6.8 pounds of force to pull across concrete. On grass it took a little more effort to drag, but still low, at 8.1 pounds.
The Perfect Garden Hose comes with thick brass fittings that will withstand the weight of most vehicles, although the brass collar over the hose may deform a little. With a flow rate of over 500 gallons per minute, the hose would be great for anyone who needs to move some water and has been stymied by kinks in the past.
Best Professional-Grade Hose
Stanley Fatmax
Best Professional-Grade Hose
Stanley Fatmax
Pros
- High flow rate
- Resists kinks
Cons
- Heavy
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | 5⁄8 in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Polyurethane/PVC |
| Weight | 7.8 lb |
| Flow rate | 587.3 gph |
| Burst strength | 500 psi |
Stanley’s Fatmax hose has all the attributes of a professional-quality hose. It has a larger inside diameter to move more water. In fact, at 587.3 gallons per minute, it has the highest flow rate of any ⅝-inch hose we’ve tested. While the hose fittings aren’t marketed as crushproof, the large-diameter swivel grips protected the fittings when we drove over them with a 4,500-pound truck—the swivel grips also make it easy to connect the fittings tightly.
We liked the soft, flexible feel of the polyurethane and PVC hose, as well as the minimal memory it displayed. This made coiling and uncoiling the hose a smooth process. During testing, we found it tends to twist out of tight coils before it kinks. Paying attention and giving the hose a twist often helped it uncoil quicker. A bigger hose does hold more water, so it was no surprise the Fatmax took a little more effort to drag out to full length—on concrete it took 9 pounds of force, while on grass it was a little less, at 8.6 lb.
Stanley’s Fatmax is a good choice for folks who are less concerned about weight and more concerned about durability and moving a lot of water—because of the high flow rate, it would be a good choice to use with a pressure washer.
Best Flow Rate
BluBird AG-Lite
Best Flow Rate
BluBird AG-Lite
Pros
- Light for the size and material
- High flow rate
Cons
- Too stiff to easily coil
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | 3⁄4 in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Virgin rubber |
| Weight | 9.81 lb |
| Flow rate | 650.2 gph |
| Burst strength | 500 psi |
BluBird’s Ag-Lite rubber hose is about the burliest hose you’ll be able to find. Real rubber hoses tend to weigh a lot more than any other material, but the folks at BluBird managed to reduce this model’s weight by 20 percent compared to other rubber hoses.
The version we tested had a ¾-inch inner diameter, the biggest in this test, which means it holds a lot of water. That makes the hose heavier to handle and drag when filled: It took 15.3 pounds of force to pull it out to full length on grass. On concrete sidewalk, it dragged it a little easier, requiring 12.4 pounds. On the plus side, the hose is heavy because it carries a lot of water. We measured the flow through it at 650 gallons per hour, 17 percent more than the next closest hose in this test. The heavy brass hose fittings are plated with chrome, so they’ll stand up to plenty of abuse.
One notable advantage of rubber hoses is that they remain flexible through a wide temperature range, so that they’re not too stiff in the cold, or too soft in the summer. The Ag-Lite is rated to handle water up to 212°, so it’s good for washing down equipment in the winter or janitorial tasks. If taken care of properly, a rubber hose can last for years, and BluBird is so confident in its durability that it offers a 10-year warranty.
Best Corrosion-Resistant Fittings
Giraffe Tools Hybrid Garden Hose
Best Corrosion-Resistant Fittings
Giraffe Tools Hybrid Garden Hose
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Pros
- Durable and abrasion-resistant
- Flexible even in extreme temperatures
Cons
- More likely to leak under higher pressure
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | ⅝ in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Polymer |
| Weight | 7 lb |
| Flow Rate | N/A |
| Burst strength | 150 psi |
Giraffe Tools’ Hybrid hose has solid brass fittings that are plated with nickel, making them corrosion-resistant and almost impossible to bend or crush. The ends also feature strain relief grips, protective plastic collars that help prevent them from kinking or tearing near the fittings. The moveable rubber handgrip not only helps protect the end of the hose, but rotates naturally in your hand, making it easy to connect this hose to a faucet, spigot or another hose.
It’s also a durable hose. It’s made from a hybrid rubber-polymer blend, which is light enough to lug around without too much difficulty, but capable to stand up to the elements. It remains supple, flexible, and easy to move and coil even when temperatures dip below freezing. From the hose itself to its connectors, this one is built to last.
Buying a portable hose reel, where the hose comes with a spinning housing, is one of the easiest ways to ensure you can easily move and store your garden hose. We like the Gardena 2662-U because it doesn’t require you to sacrifice length for the sake of storage. At more than 50 feet long, this is all the hose you’re likely to need for projects around the house, but the hose has a tiny footprint when you retract it back into the reel.
It’s surprisingly sturdy for a hose that takes up so little space, and though it’s narrower than a standard garden hose, it comes with a set of adapters so you can use it with any standard spigot.
Lightweight and Easy to Store
Orbit ExoJacket Fabric Garden Hose
Lightweight and Easy to Store
Orbit ExoJacket Fabric Garden Hose
Pros
- Lightweight
- Can be coiled tightly for storage
Cons
- Can get tangled when not in use
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | ⅝ in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Flexible liner, woven jacket |
| Weight | 4.1 lb |
| Flow Rate | N/A |
| Burst strength | 600 psi |
Orbit’s Fabric Garden Hose features “ExoJacket” technology, pairing a woven, UV-resistant outer layer and a flexible inner core to form a collapsible, lightweight hose. When not under pressure, the hose flattens out and can be coiled tightly to store in a fraction of the space of regular hoses. Despite its highly flexible nature, it features an impressive 600 psi burst strength.
In testing, we found the Fabric Garden Hose didn’t kink very easily—although it gets tangled a little easier than traditional hoses. The light hose was easy to drag across most surfaces, but the fabric outer layer could occasionally snag on rough pavement. Its anodized aluminum fittings are embedded in large, easy-grip collars, which made tightening hose connections a breeze. Orbit’s Fabric Garden Hose is great for most watering or washing uses, although it may be most appealing to those who hate dealing with large coils of hose.
Best for Gardens
Water Right Water Right Garden Hose
Best for Gardens
Water Right Water Right Garden Hose
Pros
- Light and easy to handle
- Kink resistant
Cons
- Lower flow rate
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | 1⁄2 in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 75 ft |
| Material | Polyurethane |
| Weight | 5 lb |
| Flow rate | 4.5 gals per minute |
| Burst strength | N/A |
Gardener’s Water Right Light 75-foot hose earns its name, weighing in at just 5 pounds. It’s optimized for weight by using small ½-inch diameter polyurethane tubing and aluminum fittings. In use, this is evident, dragging it out to full length on grass takes only 4.9 pounds of force and just a little more on concrete, at 5.8 pounds. This makes it convenient to handle in the garden, on the patio, or around raised beds.
Kink resistance is good, and the weight makes it easy to correct or avoid kinks by twisting or flipping the hose. It is intended for garden use, and it is ideal for that, but it is also drinking-water safe, so it could be used for an RV hook-up as well. It could also be used for anything else, although the flow rate isn’t optimal for things that require a large volume of water.
Easy to Maneuver
Gilmour AquaArmor Lightweight Garden Hose
Easy to Maneuver
Gilmour AquaArmor Lightweight Garden Hose
Pros
- Lightweight
- Good flow rate for light hose
Cons
- No hose fitting grips
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | 1⁄2 in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Thermoplastic elastomer |
| Weight | 3.8 lb |
| Flow rate | 398.9 gph |
| Burst strength | 300 psi |
Gilmour’s AquaArmor Lightweight Hose is among the lightest we’ve tested. In fact, only three of the hoses we’ve tested to date have been lighter, but at nearly 400 gallons per hour, the AquaArmor’s flow rate is considerably higher.
Like many manufacturers, Gilmour claims the hose is kink resistant and able to unkink itself. We were able to kink the AquaArmor hose in use, dragging it out from a coil, but we discovered that if pulled taught, kinks would “pop” out. So, if pulled to half-length, kinks could occur and inhibit water flow, but reaching full length, under tension, they disappear. The hose has internal kink protection at both ends to prevent collapse when pulled tight at an angle.
When we tested resistance, dragging the AquaArmor hose to full length across concrete and grass, it fell in the middle of those we tested at 6.7 and 7.3 pounds of force, respectively. Due to its weight and relative ease of handling, the AquaArmor hose is good to use around gardens, patios, and lawns—plus, it’s drinking water safe because it’s made from FDA food contact compliant material.
Most Durable
Orbit Polyfusion Garden Hose
Most Durable
Orbit Polyfusion Garden Hose
Pros
- Resists kinks
- High flow rate
Cons
- A little on the heavy side
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | ⅝ in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Polyurethane/PVC |
| Weight | 7.8 lb |
| Flow Rate | N/A |
| Burst strength | 500 psi (estimated) |
Eschewing the trend of ultra-lightweight hoses, Orbit’s Polyfusion is made from a durable polyurethane/PVC blend that leans toward the heavier side of those we tested. We also found it to be resistant to abrasion, so it should hold up over years of use.
The Polyfusion exhibited minimal memory during testing, which made coiling and uncoiling it easy, and also made it less likely to kink. When moving and pulling the hose under pressure, it has a tendency to self-straighten, twisting itself out of kinks. The Fittings are made of anodized aluminum and connected to strain-relief collars that double as grips that help to easily tighten hose connections.
The Polyfusion is a great hose for gardeners who are looking for high performance and durability, even at the expense of high heft.
Best Hot Water Hose
Kobalt Hot Water Hose
Best Hot Water Hose
Kobalt Hot Water Hose
Pros
- Can handle water temperatures up to 212° F
- Natural rubber remains flexible at any temperature
Cons
- Heavy
Key Specs
| Inside dia. | ⅝ in. |
|---|---|
| Length | 50 ft |
| Material | Polyester reinforced rubber |
| Weight | 7.8 lb |
| Flow Rate | N/A |
| Burst strength | 150 psi |
If you have to use hot water anywhere away from a faucet or spigot, you’ll need a special hose for that. Many of the synthetic/poly type hoses appreciably soften when they get hot, which can make them weaker—especially under pressure.
Hot water hoses like the Kobalt Hot Water hose are made primarily from natural rubber, which is more stable across a range of practical temperatures. The Kobalt hot water hose specifically adds woven polyester reinforcement and is rated up to 150 psi at 212-degrees F. It’s also fitted with brass hose connectors and comfort grip strain relievers that make tightly threading it onto your spigot a snap.
Watering Tips With Expert Kate Morgan
Kate Morgan is a freelance journalist based near Philadelphia who writes about science, food, travel, culture, awesome people, and a little bit of everything else. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Washington Post, O Magazine, The Cut, Woman’s Day, USA Today, Harper’s Bazaar, Slate, Saveur, Medium, Popular Science, and others.
Brad Ford has spent most of his life using tools to fix, build, or make things. Growing up he worked on a farm, where he learned to weld, repair, and paint equipment. From the farm he went to work at a classic car dealer, repairing and servicing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, and Jaguars. Today, when he’s not testing tools or writing for Popular Mechanics, he’s busy keeping up with the projects at his old farmhouse in eastern Pennsylvania.
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