Best garden hoses and hose guns, tried and tested

Hunting for the best garden hose is anything but straightforward. The packaging will shout about a hose's flexibility, manoeuvrability, durability and more. Add in anti-kink, anti-twist, anti-crush and anti-algae claims and it's hard to know where to start. 

The best garden hoses need to be flexible enough so they're easy to use, but tough enough to withstand years of rough treatment. We've discovered which are easiest to install, reel in and drag around your garden. 

We put the most popular garden hose pipes from leading brands such as B&Q, Gardena, Hozelock and Wickes to the test, so that we can tell you which ones will last and remain a pleasure to use. We've also tested garden hose spray guns and lances.

The garden hoses we tested

Only logged-in Which? members and free account owners can view the garden hose test results. 

All the products we tested are listed below in alphabetical order. 

Only logged-in Which? members and free account owners can view the best garden hoses from our tests.

B&Q 3-Layer Braided Hose Pipe 15m

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 81g per metre, only available in 15m

Faithfull Garden Hose 15m

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 99g per metre, available in 15m, 30m and 50m

Fitt Heavy Braided NTS Wintech Hose 15m

Available at Screwfix (£24.99)

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 14g per metre, available in 15m, 20m, 30m and 50m, 1 year guarantee

Gardena Hose Premium Superflex 20m

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 146g per metre, available in 20m, 25m, 50m, 30 year guarantee

Hozelock Starter Hose 15m

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 106g per metre, available in 15m, 30m, 50m, 10 year guarantee 

Hozelock Tricoflex Ultramax Hose Pipe 15m

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 121g per metre, available in 15m, 25m, 50m, 25 year guarantee

Silverline Reinforced PVC Hose 15m

Most recently tested March 2022

Guarantee Not stated. 

Need to know 91g per metre, available in 15m, 30m

Wickes Garden Hose Pipe 15m

Most recently tested March 2022

Need to know 115g per metre, only available in 15m, 10 year guarantee 

The hose guns we tested

We tested hose guns from Flopro, Hozelock, Karcher, Verve and Gardena and found two Best Buys. 

Only logged-in Which? members and free account owners can view our hose gun reviews. If you're not yet signed up, you'll see our scores in the table below but won't be able to see the results. 

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How we test garden hoses 

We buy the most popular 15-metre or 20-metre hoses from the biggest brands and cheaper alternatives, then put them through our tough tests. We don't accept freebies from product manufacturers or retailers. 

We regularly revisit the garden hoses on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing. When we find them, we do.

Hose setup

We rate each hose on how easy it is to set up and attach to a standard reel, including attaching a spray gun to the end of it and attaching the hose securely to the reel. 

Reeling in the hose

We rate each hose on how easy it rolls onto the reel from straight in front and also from a 90-degree angle. Each hose is rolled onto a reel 10 times in total from various angles. 

Manoeuvrability

• We drag each hose from the reel at the back garden of a house around to the front to wash a car. 
• The hoses are then manoeuvred around an extensive obstacle course that includes stretching the hose up and over a raised bed, in between two wheelie bins, around a child's swing and eventually ending with a quick spray of a tree at the bottom of the garden. 
• All of these manoeuvrability tests are completed five times and we note how many times, if at all, each hose kinks during these tests. 

Durability

Each hose is: 

• Bent backwards and forwards 15 times in quick succession and inspected for damage
• Twisted 15 times and inspected, and then twisted and stretched 15 times in quick succession and again inspected.
• Crushed under a heavy cricket pitch roller for 24 hours. Afterwards, each hose is inspected for damage and rated for how quickly, if at all, it returns to its previous form. 

After each of the durability tests, the hose is reconnected to the water supply and inspected for any leaks.

How we test hose guns

The hose guns are tested for:

• The strength and consistency of each of the hose patterns under six and one bar of pressure. 
• Durability, in terms of how well the hose gun stands up to normal wear and tear with regular use.
• Ease of use, where we rate how easy it is to control the water flow, change between settings, and attach to a hose.

Find out more about how Which? is not influenced by product manufacturers or retailers and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

What's the best type of garden hose?

• Regular garden hose: Like those tested above, regular garden hoses are often textured, braided or reinforced to make them more durable and less likely to kink. In general, these types of hoses tend to be more durable than spiral or expandable hoses. Although, as our test results show, this isn't always the case, and many of these hoses are notorious for developing kinks. 
• Spiral hose: These are coiled hoses that retract for easy storage. They're often marketed for city gardening or for use on terraces. 
• Soaker hose: Soaker hoses are porous and seep water along their full length. They're often used for watering borders, vegetable patches and greenhouses. 
• Sprinkler hose: Sprinkler hoses are perforated flat hoses that produce a fine spray to water plants in beds and along borders. 
• Expandable hose: Expandable hoses are increasingly popular. Generally they have two layers: an elastic rubber core that expands when it's filled with water, and a fabric outer layer. Some doubt their long-term durability - read the next section to learn how a Hozelock expandable hose fared in our tests. 

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Are expandable hoses any good?

While we were testing regular garden hoses, we also tried out the Hozelock Expandable Water Hose. 

Which? members can log in to read our verdict on expandable hoses. If you're not a member, you can sign up here. 

Hozelock Expandable Water Hose 15m

Pros and cons: Log in or register for free to instantly reveal

Need to know 48g per metre, available in 15m and 30m, three year guarantee 

How to look after your garden hose

• Try to drain the hose of water after each use so it isn't constantly under water pressure. You can do this easily by turning off the tap and disconnecting the attachment to the hose reel. If you do this, the water will be drained from your hose as you reel it in. 
• It's doubly important to make sure your hose is drained over the winter. Many hoses split during a hard freeze, as the water inside the hose expands and bursts the garden hose pipe. 
• As far as possible, make sure there are no kinks when you reel in the hose. It's not a good idea to store a hose with a kink in it, as this could cause permanent damage over time. 
• While this isn't always practical, attaching your hose reel to a wall that doesn't get mid-afternoon sun is a sensible precaution. This will protect your hose from harmful UV rays that will degrade the hose over time. 

How to water your garden when there's a hosepipe ban

A hosepipe can use as much water in half an hour as an average family does in a day. During periods of drought, water companies ban the use of hosepipes to water gardens or plants. 

If you're keen to keep your garden looking lush, here are a few things to consider replacing your daily sprinkle with a hose. 

• Buy a water butt All the water a typical garden needs to stay green can be collected from your house's roof in a single water butt. 
• Water at the root Watering the roots of plants, rather than the leaves, reduces water loss from evaporation and means the water gets to where the plant needs it.
• Use grey water Reusing water from a bath, shower or doing the dishes can keep your garden going until the next rain shower. 

Our expert says

Which? gardening editor, Ceri Thomas:

'Patio pots and hanging baskets need watering whenever the compost feels dry when you pish in your finger. For veg, concentrate on fruiting veg, such as beans, if it has flowers. Indoor veg, such as cucumbers, need regular watering to grow strongly and crop well. 

'Leafy veg, such as lettuce, will produce better harvests if you water them. Root veg, such as beetroot, will put up with no watering, although some extra water will boost the overall harvest.'

• How to use grey water in your garden