Garden hoses are not the same. Although commonly referred to as garden hoses, these hoses are designed for a variety of applications, many of which have nothing to do with the garden. On this list you will find hoses for connecting the RV to a source of drinking water, watering hanging planters, washing vehicles, watering lawns or gardens, or even feeding / watering livestock. The hoses listed here are some of the best available for any type of use.

Garden hoses are not the same. Although commonly referred to as garden hoses, these hoses are designed for a variety of applications, many of which have nothing to do with the garden. On this list you will find hoses for connecting the RV to a source of drinking water, watering hanging planters, washing vehicles, watering lawns or gardens, or even feeding / watering livestock. The hoses listed here are some of the best available for any type of use.

What you need to know about garden hoses

If you've ever wrestled with a garden hose, you know how awkward they can be. They’re heavy, they’re hard to pull, and they seem to bend just when you turn on the water. The trend is towards fold-resistant light hoses that are designed to respond to these common complaints.

Weight

There are two simple ways to reduce the weight of a garden hose - make it from a lighter material or use less material by reducing the diameter or thickness of the wall. The smaller diameter weighs less, but also contains less water, which makes it lighter while you use it. Of the 50-foot hoses we tested, the smallest diameter was 7⁄16 inches and held 3.25 pounds of water. The half-inch and ⅝-inch hose weighed 73 percent or 104 percent more.

Materials

The hoses are usually made of rubber, hybrid rubber materials, vinyl or polyurethane. The tire is more flexible regardless of temperature, but it is also the heaviest. Polyurethane and hybrids are usually more resistant to bending and lighter. Vinyl, which is used for cheap hoses, is heavier, prone to breakage and often has a strong coil "memory". Polyurethane and hybrid hoses have less coil memory and will become flatter as temperatures rise or when used in sunlight.

There is a newer type of hose that has a very thin, flexible lining inside a woven fiber jacket. These hoses are very flexible, do not have a coil memory and therefore rarely overlap. Some of these hoses expand in length and diameter when pressed with water, until the lining is limited by a woven jacket. These types of hoses are suitable for storage, because they collapse when the water is turned off and the pressure is released.

Overlap

Virtually all hoses will fold, even the resistant ones. The best way to prevent overlap is to use a hose reel - this allows the hose to be wound or unwound without twisting. If you pull the hose straight out of the spool, on the ground or hanging on the wall, it will eventually overturn, because the spools tighten and shrink. This can be avoided to some extent by twisting the hose while pulling it out.