Alexandra Ramirez
That was our top criteria for selecting the best expandable hose.
The GrowGreen Heavy Duty Expanding Hose scored high marks in all categories and is our top pick. This hose extends to 50 feet and it never kinked, twisted, or got tangled.
1. GrowGreen Heavy Duty
Best Overall Expandable Hose
5/5 Product Rating
This 50 foot capacity expandable hose won’t twist, kink or tangle. It is super flexible and easy to store.
The hose starts out at only 17 feet and when the water is turned on will expand to a whopping 50 feet of hose.
Once the water is turned off, it goes right back to the 17 foot size. Storage of this convenient hose is much easier due to its flexibility.
Construction is high pressure resistant latex that is durable and long lasting. There is a heavy duty spray nozzle that has 8 adjustable watering patterns, a shut off valve, storage sack and reel hanger too. You’ll have everything you need to get your garden and lawn watered and not have a messy hose laying around the yard or falling off the reel.
This hose is great for commercial use due to its heavy duty construction and solid brass fittings. The 8 watering choices include: soaker, angle, flat, full, cone, mist, shower and center.
– Sarah Lytle
2. GrowGreen Garden
Best Overall Expandable Hose – Runner Up
4.7/5 Product Rating
It starts at a manageable 17 feet and then when the water pressure is on it will expand to 50 feet providing plenty of length for watering your lawns and gardens.
You won’t have to worry about tangling or kinking with this flexible hose.
It is super lightweight and made from durable pressure-resistant latex. The included nozzle has bright green accents on it to match the hose. It provides users with the ability to water using one of 8 different spraying patterns:
- Soaker
- Angle
- Full
- Mist
- Cone
- Flat
- Center
- Shower
Storage in no longer a problem with this expandable hose. Once the water pressure is shut off, the hose retracts back to its original size and is very easy to store on a reel or somewhere else you want it. You can even take it with you if needed. This hose comes with a 12 month warranty against any defects in workmanship or materials.
– Sarah Lytle
3. Kona
Best Budget Expandable Hose
4.5/5 Product Rating
The high quality, 8 way sprayer comes with it and provides the ability to take care of your watering needs with one of 8 different spray patterns.
There are brass fittings that have a shut off valve for when you need to temporarily shut the water off and take care of another chore.
These brass fittings are much stronger than the plastic connectors and won’t strip out or crack.
The triple nature latex core provides users with the ultimate in strength and long lasting durability. You won’t have to worry about storage, kinking, twisting or any other problem that is common among regular hoses.
This expandable water hose eliminates all those problems and provides an easy to use, easy to store solution that you will wish you had gotten a long time ago. This product comes with a 12 month, hassle free warranty.
– Sarah Lytle
Expandable Hose Buying Guide
Factors to Consider
There are two layers that are part of the construction of an expandable hose. The inside layer is an inner tube that the water flows through to get from the faucet to the end.
The outer part is typically nylon fabric that covers the inner tube. Most often the inner tube of an expandable hose is made from latex. Different manufacturers use different types of latex, so some hoses will be more durable than others. There are many benefits to using an expandable hose. We have listed the most popular benefits below.
- Never kinks, twists or tangles up
- Very easy to store even when space is at a premium
- Weighs 5 times less than a traditional hose
- When not being used, it will self drain
- Expands to 3 times its length
- Contracts back to original, pre-water pressure length when the water shuts off
- Long lasting and durable
- The narrower inner tube creates higher water pressure, therefore providing more cleaning/rinsing power
With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder that people are turning to expandable hoses more and more for their garden and lawn watering needs.
Important Things to Look For
We have provided a helpful list of what you should be looking for when you are shopping for an expandable hose. Following these pointers can ensure that you get a good quality hose that will meet all your watering needs.
- Check the inner tube and know what it is made of (Latex, TPU, etc. TPU expandable hoses will have a shorter lifespan than latex because the TPU is more often than not, a cheaper quality hose.)
- Check the connectors and look for brass rather than plastic for a longer lasting hose
- Check the size of the hose (diameter)
- Look at the quality of the exterior fabric of the hose. Nylon that is 600D*600D or 400D*400D is going to be stronger and last longer
- Is the hose connected internally via a brass fitting with a metal clip or interlocking mechanism? Without this, the hose can start to leak from the connectors after as little as 3-4 uses.
- Look for and ensure a good warranty on the hose. They can be anywhere from 3 months up to 1 full year. The longer the better.
- What additional bonuses are present? Is there a nozzle? Does it offer a carrying bag or hose hanger?
- Is the price within the budget you have set? Expandable hoses can range in price so if you have a specific budget, do what you can to stay within it.
Making the Hose Last Longer
We’ve provided some pointers that you can use once you have chosen your expandable hose so it lasts longer. Following these tips can extend the life of your hose and let you get your money’s worth from it.
- When you take the hose out of the package the first time you want to fill the hose and leave the shut off valve, off. This allows the hose to stretch and expand. Once it is fully expanded, open the shut off valve, drain the water out and let the hose retract. Do this once more before you start using the hose for watering or vehicle watching.
- Make sure your water is turned off at the faucet whenever the hose is not being used
- Make sure the hose is drained completely by squeezing the spray nozzle. This will also allow the hose to contract back to its original length.
- Don’t use expandable hoses for drinking water
- Don’t leave the hose outside in direct sunlight for long periods of time. When not in use store it on the hose reel or hanger or put it in the garage.
- Don’t leave the hose outside in extremely cold weather
- Watch out for rough concrete and sharp edges which can tear the fabric outer layer.
- Keeping the hose in the garage or in the shade when not in use will increase the lifespan of your hose so you do not have to replace it every year.
Problems You may Face
There are some potential problems that can arise when using expandable hoses but these problems tend to come about due to human error and workmanship error. These factors we have listed below can cause problems such as not expanding properly, leaking or bursting.
- Poor quality material and/or bad workmanship and construction. Looking for the cheapest expandable hose you can find is usually not a good idea due to the fact that it could be of lesser quality as well. This doesn’t mean you have to purchase the most expensive one on the market but the old adage you get what you pay for definitely applies.
- Instructions not followed by the user. It is always important to go over the instructions when you are using a new product, even if you think you know how to use it. There may be some information in there that you didn’t know.
- Bad or Subpar Technology. Most expandable hoses work the same way which is involves a two layer construction that expands when water pressure is applied and that self drains and contracts when the pressure is cut off. Cheap knockoffs may not ensure that the right technology and materials are used which will produce a product that will have a lot of problems.
Conclusion
Expandable hoses are an excellent product to purchase if you do a lot of watering in your lawn, garden. They are also good for washing vehicles, homes, and anything else you would normally use a hose for.
They are much easier to use than the traditional hoses and don’t get kinked up when you are using them. They are easy to store as well and much lighter to carry around which makes them perfect for boats, RVs and even places like barns and workshops.
Buying a good quality expandable hose using our pointers and suggestions and then taking care of it will give you an expandable hose that could be around for years with the proper care. This means storing it properly, using it properly and in general taking care of it.
The information we have provided will enable you to sort through the different expandable hoses on the market and decide on the one that meets your watering needs the best. It’ll make the purchasing process much faster and easier as well.
