Buyers can even find expandable garden hoses that stretch to full length when the water is on but retract to a third of that size for storage. In the past decade, the types of garden hoses available have grown to include lightweight, inexpensive hoses for limited watering chores and heavy-duty models for frequent or high-pressure water needs. Whether you want to connect multiple sprinklers to create a watering system that covers an entire yard, slowly soak the ground around a plant, or spray off driveways and patios, the right garden hose is out there. Garden hoses come in all lengths, and some are better suited than others to particular types of watering or washing.

Photo: Glenda Taylor What to Consider When Choosing the Best Garden Hose

BEST LONG HOSE: Giraffe Hybrid Garden Hose 5/8″ x 100ft Heavy Duty.

BEST RUBBER HOSE: Briggs and Stratton 8BS75 75-Foot Premium Heavy-Duty.

BEST FLEXIBLE: Yamatic Garden Hose 5/8 in x 30 ft Super Flexible.

BEST DRINKING WATER–SAFE: Flexzilla Garden Hose with SwivelGrip, 5/8 in.

BEST EXPANDABLE: Titan 50FT Garden Hose.

BEST STAINLESS STEEL: Bionic Steel 100 Foot Garden Hose 304 Stainless Steel.

BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: GrowGreen Expandable Garden Hose with High Pressure.

Discover the strengths and weaknesses of different types of hoses-before you invest in a new one-and learn how the following hoses earned their way onto our list of the best garden hoses. Keep reading to learn about the new materials that go into making today’s top hoses and to find out both the pros and cons of each hose I tested. Spoiler: Not all of them made it through. I didn’t go easy on the hoses-I put them through real-world watering (and life) situations.

If so, don’t buy another garden hose before finding out which hoses scored the highest in my hands-on tests.

Still, if you’re like many, that hose might have hardened over the years, developed kinks that won’t straighten out, or even sprung a few leaks. You probably already have a hose for watering the grass and potted patio plants and washing down the sidewalk.

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