5 Best Expandable Garden Hoses of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Check off all your yard to-dos and save major storage space with these lightweight expandable garden hoses.
Amy Marturana Winderl
Our Top Expandable Garden Hose Picks
Tested by Amy Marturana Winderl
Amy Marturana Winderl
The expandable garden hose is kind of a genius solution to a legit problem: You need a hose to clean off items in your yard, water your garden and do other related tasks, but you have very little room to store said hose. Compared to a standard, stiff garden hose, an expandable one takes up a fraction of the space. You can pack it tightly into a small bag, or stow it away in a small drawer, without worrying about it kinking or cracking. While a regular garden hose on a high-quality hose reel is sometimes the best option (read: you've got a huge yard and/or use a hose for many tasks over a large distance), an expandable hose is often the perfect tool for the job. We tested some of the most popular expandable garden hoses on the market to figure out which ones are worth buying to tackle all your yard and garden tasks.
Amy Marturana Winderl
How We Tested
To find the best expandable garden hoses on the market, we began by thoroughly researching top-rated brands and products and reading reviews from real customers. We then purchased 10 50-foot expandable garden hoses to put through our testing process. After unboxing them, we attached each hose to the spigot on the side of the house (aka the hose bib) and noted how easy or difficult it was to screw on. Then, we turned the water on and checked to make sure the hose fittings did not leak. We watched as the hose filled and expanded and then opened the on/off valve to check the water flow and how the pressure changed. If the hose came with a spray nozzle, we took that for a spin, too, noting how the pressure and length of the hose held up.
We pulled each hose across the yard and sidewalk so that we could water the landscaping and potted plants, paying attention to how easy or difficult it was to drag around and if the water pressure ebbed and flowed as the hose stretched. We maneuvered the hoses around obstacles such as trees, lawn decorations and bushes and observed how the hose was able to move around each obstacle. After all the tests were completed, we checked each hose for any rips, cracks or flaws to ensure they held up. According to our testing, we chose the following expandable hoses as the best ones to buy online.
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- Easy to pull
- Quality spray nozzle
- Extra grip on the end
- No cons
When it comes to maneuverability and overall performance, the Pocket Hose Copper Bullet stood out from the others in the bunch. The hose expanded quickly and maintained the right amount of pressure when we opened the spray nozzle and let water out. It was easy to pull the hose around without feeling like we had to really tug or over-stretch it. The spray nozzle itself is of higher quality than any of the other hoses we tested, and we appreciate that the threads are copper and not plastic, which instills confidence in its durability. The rubber sleeve at each end of the hose, right before the fittings, is another nice feature: It makes it easier to grip the hose as you screw it on or off the spigot. The Pocket Hose Copper Bullet is available in 25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet and 100 feet.
- Material Copper, aluminum, latex
- Weight 3.23 pounds
- Expanded Size 50 feet
- Sizes Available 25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet and 100 feet
- Spray Nozzle Included? Yes
- Easy to pull
- Added features included
- Easy to overstretch
- Not lead-free
At about half the price of our other picks, the WeGuard Expandable Garden Hose is a great budget option that also comes with some nice added features. It's easy to pull around the yard and maintains the right amount of pressure as you use it. It also comes with a spray nozzle, a bag and a simple plastic hanger for easy, accessible storage. The hose does seem a bit too easy to stretch, which makes us think it may be easy to accidentally overstretch and rip if we're not careful. The fittings are made of brass, which often contains some amount of lead, and the brand does not explicitly say that this hose is lead-free.
- Material Latex, polyester, crass
- Weight 3 pounds
- Expanded Size 50 feet
- Sizes Available 50 feet, 75 feet and 100 feet
- Spray Nozzle Included? Yes
- Lightweight
- Maintains pressure
- Not lead-free
One of the lighter hoses we tested, the Flexi Hose Expandable Garden Hose was easy to drag around to complete all of our outdoor tasks. The spray nozzle makes it more functional and has a strong output that was sufficient to spray bird poop off a deck (on the jet setting, of course). Because we liked the included spray nozzle on this so much, we deemed this hose the best option that comes with a nozzle. The fittings are brass and do not claim to be lead-free, so you'd want to avoid drinking out of this one. While we tested the 50-foot option, the hose is also available in 75- and 100-foot options.
- Material Latex, brass
- Weight 2.62 pounds
- Expanded Size 50 feet
- Sizes Available 50 feet, 75 feet and 100 feet
- Spray Nozzle Included? Yes
- Substantial material
- Force control technology
- Safe for drinking water from
- Heavy
- No spray nozzle included
This hose from Hydrotech is the heaviest one we tested, but its weight makes it feel like it's up for some more heavy-duty jobs around the yard. We didn't have issues pulling it to where we needed it, despite the extra poundage, and appreciated the substantial stainless steel fittings that feel like they will last (the brand says they are crack-resistant). The hose has a patent-pending force control feature near the spigot attachment, which is meant to protect the hose from bursting while still providing max pressure. It also serves as a nice grip to make attaching and detaching the hose easier. While no spray nozzle is included, the hose is available in a wide array of sizes including 25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet.
- Material Rubber, stainless steel
- Weight 4.9 pounds
- Expanded Size 50 feet
- Sizes Available 25 feet, 50 feet, 75 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet
- Spray Nozzle Included? No
- Extremely lightweight
- Nozzle has three spray options
- Lead-free
- Aluminum fittings
- No shut-off valve
If you're looking for the lightest hose out there, this might just be it. At just 1.7 pounds, the Pocket Hose Silver Bullet is effortless to transport. When it's full of water, it's still easy to maneuver around the yard. The included spray nozzle is really basic — you twist it to gradually change it from a spray to a jet stream — but useful for simple watering tasks and washing off surfaces. The aluminum fittings help the hose stay light but don't feel as durable as some of the heftier metal fittings on the other hoses. This hose is also lacking a shut-off valve, though the spray nozzle does function as one so it was a nonissue when we were using it in this way.
- Material Aluminum, plastic
- Weight 1.7 pounds
- Expanded Size 50 feet
- Sizes Available 50 feet, 75 feet and 100 feet
- Spray Nozzle Included? Yes
What to Look for When Buying an Expandable Garden Hose
- Material: Most expandable garden hoses are made of a flexible rubber (often latex) inner tube and a tear-resistant fabric outer layer (polyester or something similar with a webbed construction) that can also withstand significant pulling and stretching.
- Hose Length: Expandable hoses theoretically stretch to the length listed on the packaging, but we found that many of these hoses were difficult to stretch and ended up being shorter than the full 50 feet they were supposed to extend to. If you definitely need a specific length or are in between two lengths, go for the larger one to be sure the hose can reach.
- Hose Fittings: Hose fittings can be made of brass, stainless steel, copper or aluminum. Brass, copper and aluminum do not rust, which makes them good options for an item that's constantly exposed to water. Stainless steel can rust over time, depending on how it is made, so make sure to check with the manufacturer to see if the metal they use is meant to resist rust and corrosion. Important to note: Brass often contains lead, so unless the brand notes that a hose is lead-free, it's fair to assume that brass fittings have some amount of lead in them and you should not drink from that hose. You may also come across expandable hoses with plastic fittings, which are not inherently bad, but like any other plastic, will break down with long-term exposure to the sun.
- Spray Nozzle: Some hoses come with a spray nozzle while others just have an on/off valve. Without the spray nozzle, the water will flow out similarly to a regular garden hose, though you can adjust how strong the flow is by closing the on/off valve partway. You can always add a different spray nozzle to your expandable hose if you have one already.
- Pressure Requirements: Expandable hoses require a certain amount of water pressure to expand and contract properly, so you'll want to make sure the pressure coming from your hose bib is high enough for what's listed on the product description or packaging. If the pressure is not high enough or consistent, it will cause the hose to contract as you try to use it, making it difficult to pull and putting extra strain on the rubber.
Amy Marturana Winderl
Frequently Asked Questions
What are expandable garden hoses used for?
Expandable garden hoses are great for when you need a hose to water your plants, clean outdoor surfaces, fill kiddie pools or do any other outdoor task, but have very limited storage space. When these hoses are not in use, they can be packed very small without worrying about kinking or otherwise damaging the hoses. They are also much lighter than a standard garden hose. However, if you have a large yard or need to drag the hose a far distance for any other reason, these hoses may not be the best fit. Pulling them to the extreme requires some muscle, and it's easy to overstretch and break them sooner than you would a normal hose — especially as the rubber degrades over time with extended use and UV exposure.
How do you store an expandable garden hose?
The beauty of expandable garden hoses is that you can store them in a compact space, like a small bag, drawer or container. You don't need to reel them up neatly like a normal hose, because they don't kink and are very easy to untangle.
Can you repair an expandable garden hose?
While you can buy hose repair kits to fix most standard garden hoses, these may not work on the material used in an expandable hose. Also, if the inner tube rips or bursts, you'll need to rip the fabric layer on the outside to even be able to access it. If an expandable hose rips at the end where the fittings attach, you may be able to use a repair kit to cut the end and attach a new fitting. If you're trying to repair an expandable hose, look for a repair kit that's made to be used on that specific material. If your hose is under warranty, reach out to the manufacturer for a replacement before attempting a DIY repair that may or may not work.
Amy Marturana Winderl
