Sugarlaws
Our Favorite Garden Hose

Eight Takes

Sports & Outdoors · Garden Hoses

Our Favorite Garden Hose

Between watering the garden, filling the pool and hosing off muddy kids, the hose gets dragged all over the yard. The garden hose we chose is the Flexzilla 5/8 in. x 100 ft.: it stays flexible in cold weather, resists kinks when it gets yanked around, and lies flat so it's less of a tripping hazard. Here's the one we chose, plus a few others we seriously considered.

What we chose
Flexzilla Garden Hose 5/8 in. x 100 ft.

Flexzilla Garden Hose 5/8 in. x 100 ft.

Flexzilla · $69.00

This is the garden hose we actually drag around our yard. It stays flexible even on cold mornings, does not kink when the kids yank it across the lawn, and lies flat so nobody trips filling the pool.

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Before you buy, check four things: Length, since a hose that reaches every corner of the yard saves you from moving the spigot connection. Kink resistance, because a hose that kinks every time a kid pulls it means constant trips back to untangle it. Fittings, as solid metal couplings last longer and leak less than thin plastic ones. Weight and storage, since expandable hoses are light and pack small while rubber and hybrid hoses hold up better over time.

The right accessories help too: a good nozzle, a splitter for two hoses, or a timer for watering the garden while you’re busy.

The Flexzilla at the top is the one we chose. Below it are the others we considered: an expandable hose with a multi-setting nozzle for easy storage, a RAINPOINT timer for automatic watering, and a foam blaster for washing the family car.

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What else we considered

Flexi Hose Expandable Garden Hose with 8 Function Nozzle Also considered

Flexi Hose Expandable Garden Hose with 8 Function Nozzle

Flexi · $89.99

An expandable hose that shrinks back down for storage and comes with a multi-setting nozzle. Good for patios and small yards.

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Garden Hose 50ft Also considered

Garden Hose 50ft

Garden · $29.99

A shorter 50-foot hose at a budget price. Enough for watering a small garden or rinsing off bikes by the garage.

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RAINPOINT Sprinkler Timer Also considered

RAINPOINT Sprinkler Timer

RAINPOINT · $26.99

Not a hose, but a sprinkler timer that attaches at the spigot. It keeps the garden watered on schedule when the week gets busy.

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Chemical Guys TORQ Foam Blaster 6 Also considered

Chemical Guys TORQ Foam Blaster 6

Chemical · $49.99

A foam cannon that hooks to a regular garden hose for washing cars. A fun way to get the kids helping with the minivan.

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VIKING Hose Nozzle Also considered

VIKING Hose Nozzle

VIKING · $9.99

An inexpensive hose nozzle with several spray patterns. A cheap upgrade that makes any hose more useful.

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RAINPOINT Garden Hose Splitter Also considered

RAINPOINT Garden Hose Splitter

RAINPOINT · $27.99

A splitter that lets you run more than one hose from a single spigot. Handy for a sprinkler and a hose at the same time.

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Garden Hose 50ft Also considered

Garden Hose 50ft

Garden · $29.99

Another budget 50-foot hose. A simple backup for the side yard or a second spigot.

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From our family

Why we chose it

A garden hose seems like the most boring thing in the world until you own a bad one, and we owned a very bad one. It kinked at every turn, went stiff as a board in cool weather, and left the kids yanking and wrestling it across the yard just to fill the kiddie pool. With six of them wanting water balloons, sprinkler runs, and the pool topped off, a hose that fought back all summer was its own small tragedy.

We replaced it with the Flexzilla 5/8-inch, 100-foot Garden Hose, and the difference is almost comical. It stays flexible even in the morning chill, it drags around the yard without kinking or fighting, and it lies flat instead of coiling into a booby trap. The 100-foot length finally reaches every corner of our lot, so nobody is doing the awkward relay of dragging the sprinkler closer to the spigot. For a family that basically lives outside in summer, that ease adds up fast.

The cheaper hoses we had cycled through always split, kinked, or turned rigid within a season, so we kept rebuying — which is no bargain at all. At around sixty-nine dollars the Flexzilla costs more up front, but it has shrugged off a full run of hard family use: kids stepping on it, the van rolling near it, and endless hours in the sun. It coils back up without a wrestling match at the end of the day, and honestly, a hose that does not ruin the mood is worth every extra dollar in a house this size.