The top 3 recommendations and buying guides

Our recommendations

The 4-wayWater distributor from Gardena is one of the absolute bestsellers and also one of the most popular hose connectors in terms of reviews. Reviewers explicitly praise the very good workmanship and robustness of the product, even though it is made of plastic. It should also be quite heavy and tight. The application also seems to be absolutely convincing. The rotary valves apparently open and close easily - a point that is criticized in numerous competing products. Some customers also praise the well thought-out spacing between the four connections - they guarantee the desired flexibility.

The 4-way water distributor from FIXKIT is particularly impressive because of its excellent price-performance ratio. For very little money, according to customer opinions, you get a solid hose connector that is "robust and valuable" and should do its job wonderfully. Even after a long period of use, none of the four connections seem to "leak". The assembly and application of the manifold are effortless, as most reviewers describe. Under these conditions, you will certainly not make a mistake with the model.

Basically the same applies to the 4-way water distributor from Norjews as to the version of FIXKIT. Both variants have a more or less identical structure and are almost equally cheap. The hose connector from FIXKIT should be "very convincing", "quickly installed" and a perfect fit all round. Due to the metal part, the dead weight is apparently also relatively high, which is regarded as a quality feature. The ease of use and the fact that the connections are apparently tight also contribute to the apparently great popularity of this water distributor.

Purchase criteria

number of exits

Most water distributors are equipped with three outlets. In some cases, however, you will also come across models that have two, four, five or six outputs. How many exits make sense for you depends on two aspects: Your specific needs - how many groups of plants do you want to irrigate individually? - as well as the existing water pressure. If the latter is too low, there is no point in having many outputs, as you still cannot use several connections at the same time.

Thread (size)

Water distributors are available with different threads to choose from. Available sizes are ½, ¾ and one inch. Before you buy, make sure that the threads of the distributor match those of your taps and water hoses. You could still order adapters at a later date, but these are unnecessary extra costs that you better save. Always pay attention to the sizes of internal and external threads to ensure absolute compatibility!

Controllability of the water flow

In particular, if the existing water pressure tends to be low, the water flow for each hose should be adjustable separately. Then you at least have control over how much water flows through which hose, and so you can water your more thirsty beauties of plants. Basically, however, we advise you to choose a hose distributor with fewer outlets when the water pressure is low or to actively increase the water pressure - for example with a domestic water machine.

Automatic

An automatic water distributor can be combined with an irrigation computer. Depending on the distributor, you can connect up to six garden hoses at the same time. The computer lets you adjust the amount of water you need and the irrigation times for each hose individually. The automatic system is therefore useful if you have plant species with different needs in your garden and therefore need to water them individually.

Weather resistance

Basically, it is important to ensure that the water distributor is weatherproof. A differentiated selection is particularly recommended if you also want to operate the hose distributor in winter. Then the common plastic versions are usually not the right solution. If there is frost, the water can freeze and damage the water distributor. So you have to buy a frost-proof model made of resistant materials such as metal or steel for use in the cool season.

frequently asked Questions

What is a water distributor?

A water distributor, also called a hose distributor, is a very useful garden accessory that increases the number of your water connections. You can permanently attach your hoses to up to six connections and several areas in your green oasis in parallel water. This will save you a lot of time and effort. A water distributor in combination with an irrigation computer is particularly convenient.

How does a water distributor work?

The basic functionality of the water distributor is very simple: You mount it on your tap or watering computer in the garden. Then plug in the desired or possible number of water hoses. As soon as the tap is turned on, water flows through all the hoses. Depending on the model, you can specifically determine how high the amount of water should be for which connection device.

Which brands offer good water distributors?

The best known and most popular brands for water distributors include Gardena, Brandson and VARIOSAN. There are inexpensive models with solid quality from Norjews, FIXKIT or UPP, for example. If in doubt, we advise you to rely on the version from a well-known manufacturer. After all, high quality is fundamental to everything that has to do with water.

Where is the best place to buy a water distributor?

Water distributors are usually available in all specialist garden centers such as Dehner or in well-stocked hardware stores such as OBI, toom, Hornbach, Bauhaus or hagebaumarkt. However, Amazon offers you the largest and best selection. There you also enjoy the advantage of being able to easily return the hose distributor if you are not satisfied with it.

How much does a water distributor cost?

Simply constructed water distributors with two, three or four connections, but without intelligent programming, you can get from around ten to 15 euros. Basically, a hose distributor is not a major investment. Automatic models also usually cost well under 100 euros. In principle, hose distributors from well-known brands are more expensive than products from no-name manufacturers.

equipment

Irrigation computer

For a fully automatic Irrigation system(€ 32.95 at Amazon *) the combination of a distributor and an irrigation computer is ideal. The computer enables you to determine many details individually, from the time and duration of watering to the exact amount of water per hose. Once set up, the garden irrigation runs almost completely without your intervention.

Watering clock

If you don't want a more expensive watering computer, you can alternatively use a watering clock in conjunction with the water distributor. At a minimum, the watch allows you to set the watering duration so that watering stops automatically when the time you specified has expired.

Garden hose

A hose distributor is relatively pointless without garden hoses. If you do not have enough hoses to call your own, it is best to equip yourself immediately high-quality models so that you can use your new water distributor as efficiently as possible right from the start can.