What To Look For in an Expandable Garden Hose
For most medium-size gardens, a 30 m expandable hose will be perfect. These hoses only measure around 10 metres long when not in use, so, as you can imagine, they’re easy to store and help with conserving storage space. In a large garden, a 45 m hose will give you plenty to work with. These retract down to approximately 15 m.
The best expandable garden hose will weigh between 2 – 3 kg, it’ll be easy to store and won’t kink like a traditional hose. Many expandable hoses can stretch up to three times their original length and quickly shrink back to their modest starting size when not in use. Plus, if you need even more reach, you can connect two or more expandable hoses together.
If you’re wondering how expandable hoses work, it’s all about the core. The hose’s inner tube is made from expandable latex which starts stretching out within seconds of the tap being turned on. You’ll see the hose start to uncoil in front of your eyes across the garden. When the water is shut off, the hose will drain itself and shrink. It will wind its way back down to its original, manageable size for storage.
The outer fabric of the hose should be made from a durable material. Look for a casing that’s made from a tight weave fabric, like nylon, or thick fibres, like 3300D polyester. Quality materials like this will stop the casing from becoming damaged as it drags and stretches across the ground.
For medium gardens, the popular Flexi Hose is a great choice. It’s 30 m (100 ft) long when expanded, and shrinks down to just 10 m. If you’ve got a larger outdoor space, I would recommend checking out the Lufeng Expandable Hose which can reach up to a whopping 45 m (150 ft)! For more details about these hoses, as well as some other good alternatives, see the reviews below.