We’re also seeing a new generation of fabric hoses, which usually combine rubber, vinyl and nylon with a tough, resilient fabric for extra strength and anti-kink protection. What’s more, it’s supplied with good-quality Hozelock connectors and a nozzle to keep the water flow nice and steady. Cheaper hoses tend to use fewer layers and a higher vinyl content, while more expensive hoses tend to have a composite construction, blending vinyl with polyurethane and rubber, and often reinforced by a nylon or metal mesh.

Hozelock Ultimate Hose - 50m | Homebase

Rubber is also used in some expandable hoses, which are designed to fit into a compact reel for storage, but stretch to allow you to move around the garden. It’s hard to believe that what looks like a pile of wrinkled yellow cloth can transform into a 15m hosepipe, but it does.However, although the hose has a good number of holes and can cover large sections of lawn, the size of the holes isn’t always consistent.

hose 2023: The top tested hosepipes, kits and reels Best garden hose 2023: The top tested hosepipes, kits and reels

It’s expensive, but if you find your hosepipe keeps kinking, or never lasts more than a year, this beefy set should sort out your problems. Plus there’s a child lock and, while the reel can be removed and sat on the ground as required, it has a padlock slot to keep light-fingered waterers at bay. Pipes will usually have specs detailing their maximum, or “burst”, water pressure and boasting of their protection against weather, kinking and frost, but the one most worth paying attention to is the guarantee. It has impressive resistance to kinking, crushing and knotting, even when it’s being dragged around the garden or dropped in a heap.If a pipe’s guaranteed for 15, 20, or 30 years, then that’s a good sign it’s built to last – as long as you take care of it, of course. Some products may be delivered straight to your door from one of our suppliers and these products will be labelled within the product description. Whichever version of these you choose, you’ll need an extra length of hose to connect the reel to your garden tap.

Hozelock 50m Ultimate Hose - Screwfix

Grab the AquaRoll M EasyMetal reel set and you get 25m of Flex pipe along with a reel that’s every bit as tough. The five-layer construction feels light and flexible yet incredibly robust, with TNT anti-twist technology that stops it twisting under pressure. They’re helpful for keeping your plants healthy and your grass a luscious green during the summer, and they’re also an absolute must-have if you use a pressure washer to clean your patio, garden furniture or your car.Usually, the more a hose costs, the more layers it’ll have, and that makes for a tougher hose that’ll last much longer. The construction balances flexibility with a pressure- and kink-resistant spiral mesh that keeps the hose in shape. Garden hoses can even become a necessity when you’re filling a paddling pool, or need water to mix concrete for those bigger DIY projects. The included nozzle and fittings can also be stowed in hidden cubbies or on mounts so they don’t get lost.