The best garden hoses for frustration-free watering

Believe it or not, the right garden hose can make or break your gardening experience. Getting a garden hose that’s too short limits you from being able to water all your plants, while dragging around a hose that’s too long can be cumbersome. Material matters too. It’s important to get a garden hose that’s durable enough to survive throughout the seasons. The material also needs to be thick enough to resist punctures, but also not feel too heavy in hand. 

We considered all of this and more when picking the best garden hoses of 2024. All of our top picks will provide a comfortable, hassle-free watering experience and are customer-loved to boot. What’s more, most of them are on sale. 

Best garden hoses of 2024

Check out our picks for the best garden hoses for frustration-free watering.

Best overall garden hose: Flexzilla garden hose

This neon green garden hose from Flexzilla has more than 64,200 five-star ratings on Amazon. (Who knew a garden hose could be that popular?) The garden hose was designed to be lightweight in hand, kink-free, leak-free and durable enough to survive outside year-round, no matter how harsh the weather gets. 

We like that it comes in a variety of sizes, which isn’t too common when it comes to garden hoses. Sizes available include 3, 5, 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 feet. Purchase the 50-foot model now and you can save 43% off your purchase. 

The Flexzilla garden hose has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “I’ve owned and tried a lot of different hoses and by far this is the best one I have ever had. Very flexible, easy to roll up, does not get hard and stiff like some hoses. Five stars!”

Another customer wrote, “Love the quality and that it is drinking-water safe. Very bright color stands out in the garden, as it keeps me cutting it with the lawn mower or the tiller. Very kink-resistant as well.” 

Best metal garden hose: AsSeenOnTV Bionic steel garden hose

The best way to ensure your garden hose doesn’t get punctured is to get one that’s metal. This garden hose from Wayfair is made of stainless steel which should hold up quite well outside all year The hose is rust- and corrosion-resistant and was made to be kink-free. And although made of steel, it will feel light in hand (the same way that stainless steel mixing bowls are lightweight). 

There are four sizes available, including 25, 50, 75 and 100 feet. If you get the 50-foot option though, you can score this hose for 53% off, saving you $53 on your purchase. 

The AsSeenOnTV Bionic steel garden hose has a 4.7-star rating on Wayfair. One reviewer wrote, “Love this hose. Very easy to install, use and it is great to reel back up. No kinks and has great water pressure. Loved the first one so much that I bought a second one.” 

Another customer said, “This has been the perfect hose! Very durable yet lightweight and easy to move! I love that it never kinks!! Highly recommend!!”

Best rubber garden hose: Continental premium commercial-grade rubber black water hose

In addition to stainless steel, rubber is one of the most durable materials you can use for water hoses. Rubber can handle all different types of inclement weather, and is so strong that it would take considerable effort to damage due to the material’s thickness. It will be heavier in hand, but the quality is worth the extra heft. The hose also features crush-resistant brass fittings as well, taking its strength to a whole other level. 

Given all that this product has to offer, it’s no surprise that this hose is top-rated on Home Depot. One reviewer wrote, “Where I live, the sun can burn up a cheap garden hose in a matter of hours, literally. Solid thick rubber hose with solid brass fittings and O-rings. I’ve owned one of these for two years and like it so much that I just bought another. Very good quality for the money.” 

Another customer said, “I bought it one-and-a-half years ago. Kept out on the concrete walk area surrounding the pool and paver patio in almost full sun at all times. Florida climate. Don’t use a cart reel. Gets dragged often and so far not a single leak. All previous hoses haven’t last this long. Going to buy another…”

Best affordable garden hose: Teknor Apex Kink Control Plus garden hose

If you’re not comfortable, or ready, to spend nearly $50 or more on a garden hose, get this affordable option from Amazon. The Teknor Apex Plus is made of vinyl, which while not as durable as rubber or stainless steel, will still get the job done. Just make sure to handle the hose with greater care to ensure longevity. Still, the garden hose was designed to be kink-free and comes with crush-proof hardware.

The Teknor Apex Kink Control Plus garden hose has a 4.3-star rating on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “I have been gardening for 50 years now. This is by far the best hose I ever owned. If it kinks, it is super easy to unlink. It’s soft, pliable, easy to handle, easy to roll back into storage. When my front garden hose goes, it will be replaced with another of these.” 

Another customer said, “Most kink-free hose I’ve ever had. Remarkable–absolutely worth the money.” 

Best retractable garden hose: Vego Garden watering plastic retractable wall hose reel 

Don’t want to deal with manually wrapping up and storing your hose? We get that. If that’s the case, splurge on a retractable hose reel. This one from Wayfair offers variety in terms of installation, allowing you to mount it on a wall, the floor or the ground. The hose will lock at your desired length, and depending on how you choose to mount it, you can rotate it between 180 to 360 degrees. 

The set comes with the hose, reel and two spray nozzles, which will save you a couple of shopping trips that you’d otherwise need to go on to get accessories. If you get this today, you’ll be able to save 33% off your purchase. 

The Vego Garden watering plastic retractable hose reel has a 4.8-star rating on Wayfair. One reviewer wrote, “Very easy to install and works great. Keeps my hose off the ground and makes storage so much easier. The hose does get heavy as you pull it further out, but I still think it’s better than a traditional hose. I should have gotten this sooner!!” 

Another customer said, “This is the second retractable hose reel I have purchased and Vego is by far the better option. This reel is very attractive on our house and functions smoothly. I will definitely buy again in the future!”