A garden hose is part of the basic equipment of every hobby or professional gardener. This elementary utensil for watering the lawn and flower beds has to withstand a lot: rolling up and down, buckling and twisting - and all of this in different weather conditions. You can find out from us what you should look out for in order to find the best garden hose for your needs.
A good garden hose is non-toxic and lasts a long time
Our recommendations
our recommendation
Gardena Comfort FLEX hose 13 mm (1/2 inch), 10 m: dimensionally stable, flexible garden hose with power grip profile, made of high-quality spiral fabric, 25 bar bursting pressure, without system parts (18030-20)
14.78 EUR To the product| material | PVC (free of harmful substances) |
|---|---|
| reinforcement | yes (spiral weave) |
| inner diameter | 1/2" (13mm) |
| length | 10 m |
| bursting pressure | 25 bars |
| price/m | approx. EUR {PRICE/10} |
If you read through the many Amazon reviews, you will come across “two camps”: the majority of customers are absolutely delighted with the high quality of the Gardena Comfort garden hose; there are a few critics who accuse the hose of kinking. However, taking all the opinions together, the clear impression is that the critics either got a “Monday product” or didn't treat their garden hose adequately. Most reviewers describe our comparison winner as functional, easy to use and extremely durable.
our recommendation
Kärcher 2.645-138.0 hose PrimoFlex (1/2 inch, 20 m)
14.49 EUR To the product| material | PVC (free of harmful substances) |
|---|---|
| reinforcement | yes (three layers) |
| inner diameter | 1/2" (13mm) |
| length | 20 m |
| bursting pressure | 24 bars |
| price/m | approx. EUR {PRICE/20} |
The buyers of the garden hose from Kärcher comment on Amazon with the basic tenor "cheap and stable". For comparatively little money you get a very solid hose that only kinks or twists if it is not properly unwound. Most reviewers agree on that. They also praised the flexibility and low weight of the garden hose.
our recommendation
Gardena Classic hose 13 mm (1/2 inch), 30 m: universal garden hose made of robust cross fabric, 22 bar bursting pressure, pressure and UV resistant (18009-20)
24.54 EUR To the product| material | PVC (free of harmful substances) |
|---|---|
| reinforcement | yes (cross weave) |
| inner diameter | 1/2" (13mm) |
| length | 30 m |
| bursting pressure | 22 bars |
| price/m | approx. EUR {PRICE/30} |
As the name suggests, this garden hose is Gardena's classic. Instead of the somewhat more robust spiral mesh, the model reveals an extremely stable cross mesh. As with the other two garden hoses presented, several customers say that they are anything but squeamish with their garden helpers - dragging them through the green oasis without considering losses, with the conclusion: "Nothing has ever happened".
General tip for all kink critics of our three recommended garden hoses: It is sufficient to unroll the hose evenly after unpacking, then there will be no noticeable kinks in the future either.
Purchase Criteria
material
Garden hoses are typically made from (one of) the following materials:
- Plastic (PVC, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyamide, silicone)
- synthetic rubber (EPDM, NBR, SBR, etc.)
- natural rubber
- plant fibers
Important: Make sure that the garden hose of your choice has been tested for harmful substances and does not contain any plasticizers that are harmful to health.
Quality (flexibility and resilience)
The garden hose of your choice must be durable. He should be able to take a certain amount of bending and kicking without licking. Specifically, these features are essential:
- Pliability/Flexibility
- Kink security/freedom
- torsion resistance
In short, we advise you to give preference to a garden hose that remains pliable and flexible as well as kink-free and even when the outside temperature is low or high. For this purpose, the hose should be reinforced on the inside with certain fibers. These increase the tension of the garden hose.
tips
Look out for spiraling high-tech fibers. The tighter the spiraling of the fibers, the more flexible the garden hose is and the easier it is to use.
Basically, we recommend only buying garden hoses from well-known brands and avoiding overpriced models from no-name manufacturers. Normally, the differences in quality are enormous. A quality hose can be a reliable garden assistant for many years.
Size/Inner Diameter
The larger the inner diameter of the hose, the higher the flow rate (the more water flows through it at the same time). Manufacturers usually specify this important dimension in inches; sometimes you will also find DN information (DN = Diameter Nominal) according to the EN ISO 6708 standard, including millimeter values.
For easy orientation, we briefly summarize the relevant dimensions in the following table - with recommendations as to which diameter is optimal for which purpose:
| customs Service | EN ISO 6708DN | millimeter | purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | DN 6 | 6,3 | for (very) small gardens |
| ½ | DN 12 | 12,7 | for small to medium-sized gardens (standard) |
| ¾ | DN 19 | 19 | for large gardens |
| 1 | DN 25 | 25,4 | for agriculture |
| 1 ¼ | DN 32 | 31,7 | for agriculture |
| 1 ½ | DN 38 | 38,1 | for agriculture |
| 2 | DN 50 | 50,8 | for agriculture |
Important: Depending on the inner diameter of your chosen garden hose, you have to adapt the connection accordingly (or vice versa, if you already have connection elements (nozzle, showerhead, etc.). Otherwise, you can often get by with inexpensive adapters.
length
Depending on the size of the area to be watered in the garden, you will need a more or less long garden hose. Most commercially available hoses are between 10 and 50 meters long. But there are also longer versions that even reach 100 meters. Typical hose lengths at a glance:
- 10 m
- 15 m
- 20 m
- 25 m
- 30 m
- 40 m
- 50 m
Tips:
- Garden hoses are available by the meter in some hardware stores, so you can adjust the length to suit your needs.
- If you want to connect two hoses together, you need a coupling. With such a connector, the extension of the hose is usually effortless.
- Stretchable garden hoses are trendy. They only expand to their maximum length as soon as water flows through them. After the tap is turned off, these "special hoses" contract again compactly. If you have little storage space, you will benefit greatly from such "magic hoses".
our recommendation
tillvex flexihose - flexible garden hose 30m extended, test result GOOD, improved version 2022, water hose flexible, garden pond hose stretchable, green
41.95 EUR To the productMaximum pressure (bursting pressure)
The bursting pressure of most garden hoses is between 20 and 30 bar. Since the water pressure in almost all households is a maximum of 10 bar, you generally do not have to worry about this point.
tips
The burst pressure is the pressure in bar that the respective garden hose can withstand without bursting (tearing or bursting).
frequently asked Questions
What is a garden hose?
A garden hose is a flexible hose that allows you to easily transport water. It usually consists of plastic or synthetic rubber - often reinforced on the inside with fiber fabric. The latter makes the hose flexible. Most garden hoses are green or yellow; However, there are also many other colored versions, such as black or pink.
What is a garden hose for?
With a garden hose you can, among other things
- water the lawn and beds in your garden,
- wash your car and
- connect a pressure washer (€119.90) for specific cleaning jobs.
tips
Various connections can be attached to the end of the hose, for example a nozzle or a shower. To connect the garden hose to a tap, you need a suitable tap connector. This can be found cheaply on Amazon and hardware stores.
Is there a garden hose test by Stiftung Warentest?
No, to date there is no garden hose comparison by Stiftung Warentest.
How much does a garden hose cost?
Simple garden hoses, even from well-known brands, generally cost around 50 cents per meter. With particularly high-quality models, there is often a euro or more for each meter.
tips
Well-known brands for high-quality garden hoses include Gardena and Kärcher.
How do I properly care for my garden hose?
Our tips at a glance:
- Do not expose the garden hose to intense sunlight for too long (also applies to models that are declared UV-resistant).
- If the cold persists, the material can become porous. Therefore, completely empty the garden hose in winter and store it protected from frost.
- When rolling up, avoid kinks and twists as much as possible. To do this, lay the end of the hose on the ground and then slowly wrap the “rest” around this very end.
- Store your garden hose on a garden hose trolley or reel (stand or wall mount).
How do I mend a broken garden hose?
This video gives you the answer:
youtubeequipment
hose trolley
On a hose trolley, you can simply roll up the garden hose, store it safely and conveniently, and easily push it from A to B. Recommended especially for garden hoses that are 50 meters or longer.
our recommendation
WOLF-Garten - hose trolley WS 50 Z; 5222000
70.96 EUR To the productSpray nozzle and/or shower
Spray nozzles and showers act as attachments for the garden hose. With a nozzle you create a concentrated jet, while a shower distributes the water over a larger area.
our recommendation
Gardena cleaning nozzle: water nozzle with continuously adjustable jet, for cleaning and spraying, Aquastop, antifreeze, packed (18300-20)
6.66 EUR To the product our recommendation
Kärcher 2.645-266.0 multifunction spray gun, multicolored
9.49 EUR To the productadapter
If the diameters of the hose and the connection element differ, we recommend purchasing a suitable adapter as a connecting piece.