The top 3 recommendations and buying guides

Our recommendations

If you read through the many Amazon reviews, you will encounter "two camps": The majority of customers are absolutely enthusiastic about the high quality of the Gardena Comfort garden hose; occasionally one comes across critics who accuse the hose of slight kinks. All opinions taken together, however, clearly give the impression that the critics are either receiving a “Monday product” or theirs Garden hose have not treated adequately. Most reviewers describe our comparison winner as highly functional, easy to use and extremely durable.

The buyers of the garden hose from Kärcher express themselves at 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 unrolled properly. Most reviewers agree on this. They continue to praise the flexibility and low weight of the garden hose.

As the name suggests, this garden hose is the classic from Gardena. Instead of the somewhat more robust spiral weave, the model reveals an extremely stable cross weave. As with the other two garden hoses presented, several customers say that they are anything but squeamish with theirs Handling gardening tools - dragging them through the green oasis regardless of losses, with the conclusion: “It's never been anything happened".

General tip for all kink critics of our three recommended garden hoses: It is sufficient to roll out the hose smoothly after unpacking, then there will be no noticeable kinks in the future.

Purchase criteria

material

Garden hoses are usually made from (one of) the following materials:

• Plastic (PVC, polyethylene, polyurethane, polyamide, silicone)
• synthetic rubber (EPDM, NBR, SBR, etc.)
• Natural rubber
• Vegetable fibers

Important: Make sure that the garden hose of your choice has been tested for harmful substances and does not contain any harmful plasticizers.

Quality (flexibility and resilience)

The garden hose of your choice has to be robust. It should take some kinks and kicks without licking. In concrete terms, these features are essential:

• Flexibility / flexibility
• Kink resistance / freedom
• Anti-twist protection

In short, we advise you to give preference to a garden hose that remains pliable and flexible as well as kink-free and even at lower or higher outside temperatures. For this purpose, the inside of the tube should be reinforced with certain fibers. These increase the elasticity of the garden hose.

Basically, we recommend only buying garden hoses from well-known brands and avoiding inexpensive models from no-name manufacturers. Usually the differences in quality are enormous. A high-quality hose can be a reliable gardening aid for you for many years.

Size / inside 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 give this important dimension in inches; Sometimes you will also find DN specifications (DN = Diameter Nominal) according to the EN ISO 6708 standard, including millimeter values.

For easy orientation, we have briefly summarized the relevant dimensions in the following table - with recommendations as to which diameter is optimal for which purpose:

Important: Depending on the inner diameter of your chosen garden hose, you have to connect it adapt accordingly (or vice versa, if you already have connection elements (nozzle, shower, etc.) own. Otherwise you can often make do with inexpensive adapters.

length

Depending on the size of the area to be watered in the garden, you will need a garden hose that is more or less long. Most hoses available on the market are between ten and 50 meters long. But there are also longer versions that can 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:

• In some hardware stores, garden hoses are available by the meter so that you can adjust the length exactly to your needs.
• If you want to connect two hoses to each other, you need a coupling. With such a connector, the hose can usually be extended effortlessly.

• Expandable garden hoses are trendy. They only expand to their maximum length as soon as water flows through them. After turning off the tap, these “special hoses” contract again compactly. Those who have little storage space benefit to a great extent from such “magic tubes”.

Maximum pressure (burst pressure)

Most garden hoses have a burst pressure between 20 and 30 bar. Since the water pressure in almost all households comes to a maximum of 10 bar, you usually do not have to worry about this point.

frequently asked Questions

What is a garden hose?

A garden hose is a flexible line that you can use to easily transport water. It is usually made 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 different colored versions, for example in black or pink.

What is a garden hose used for?

With a garden hose you can, among other things

• water the lawn and the beds in your garden,
• Wash your car and
• a high pressure cleaner(€ 199.00 at Amazon *) connect for specific cleaning work.

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, also from well-known brands, generally cost around 50 cents per meter. In the case of particularly high-quality models, one euro or more is often charged for every meter.

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 empty the garden hose completely in winter and store it protected from frost.
• Avoid kinks and twists as much as possible when rolling up. To do this, lay the end of the hose on the floor and then slowly wrap the “rest” around this end.
• Garden hose on one Garden hose trolley or keep the reel (for standing or wall mounting).

How do I mend a defective garden hose?

The answer is provided by this video:

equipment

Hose trolley

On one Hose trolley you can simply roll up the garden hose, store it safely and conveniently and easily slide it from A to B. Particularly recommended for garden hoses that are 50 meters or longer.

Spray nozzle and / or shower head

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.

adapter

If the diameter of the hose and the connection element differ, we recommend purchasing a suitable adapter as a connection piece.