After a tiring day in the garden, you just want to pack up as quickly as possible, but coiling your garden hose is one of those jobs that seems to take forever. There are many options for simpler hose storage, including hose pots, hose hangers, and hose hideaways. The right hose reel is the superior tool for getting a water hose stowed quickly and efficiently. Using a reel can also ensure your hose won’t develop splits or kinks.
The best garden hose reels typically come wall-mounted or on a cart; some use a crank, while others are retractable. The best hose reel for you depends on many factors, all of which we discuss in the guide below. If you already know what reel you want, you may still want to check our garden hose reviews.
Backyard Boss Top 5 Garden Hose Reels for 2021
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Why You Can Trust Us
The expert staff at BYB is composed of genuine DIY, home and garden, and backyard lovers. Each staff member of the BYB team is vetted and handpicked for not only their professional skills as content creators but for their real-life expertise on one or more of our site's main niches. That way, we know everyone on the team is knowledgeable about the content we create. We feel this gives the most value to our readers.
As with our handpicked staff of experts, we likewise vet each and every product that we review. Further, when we write guides and how-to articles, these pieces are based on real-world experience and a passion for the home, garden, and DIY. When it comes to garden hose reels, a large portion of our team has one or has had one at some time or another. Personally, I have two, both are stationary and made of steel.
Best Overall Garden Hose Reel
With the Eley garden hose you'll be buying one of the best-rated products available, and it comes with one of the best warranties on this list. You can't go wrong with this one.
- Rust-proof and rugged aluminum-alloy construction
- Configure for either parallel or perpendicular use
- Warranty: 10 years" con1="Pricey
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Why We Like It: The Eley garden hose reel is one of the highest-rated and therefore most recommended garden hose reels online. It's backed by an impressive 10-year warranty that includes no-leak, no-rust, and no-break guarantees. Plus, the thing is perfectly set up for both perpendicular and parallel use.
The Eley hose, which we also highly recommend in other related pieces on our site, works excellently, of course, hand-in-hand with this reel. Both of which are safe to drink water from. With this purchase, you get a 5/8-inch by 6-1/2 foot polyurethane Eley feeder hose as well. The included hose is great for drinking or connecting to a longer garden hose.
Who Should Buy It: If you're looking for a high-end hose reel that is safe and will last you a long time, the Eley is the best choice you can make.
Best Garden Hose Reel for Large Yards
This reel can hold up to 225 feet of garden hose, making it the best choice if you have a large yard to water.
- Sturdy resin construction
- Comes fully assembled
- Blends in with your wicker garden furniture
- Not self-reeling, you have to crank the reel
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Why We Like It: This Suncast hose reel was designed to fit in with your decor and design, storing the hose out of sight. The tool itself is made of resin and the storage box is wicker.
The standard hose is 125 feet and a hose guide winds the hose evenly to avoid any snags or tangles inside the storage box. Unlike other Suncast models, however, you have to manually turn the handle to reel in the hose. It comes fully assembled so you don’t need to worry about putting anything together.
Who Should Buy It: This hose reel is really part of your garden furniture so it makes a great option for those who have worked hard to design their outdoor space to look nice.
Most Decorative Garden Hose Wheel
Although made from steel, this is one of the more lightweight models on our list and one of the more stylish ones to boot.
- Comes assembled, you just have to attach the handle
- All brass and aluminum fittings
- Weather-resistant steel construction with durable powder coat
- Does not include wall fixtures or fittings
- No cover included
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Why We Like It: This stylish hose reel mounts to the wall to give your garden a traditional look. It has a convenient storage tray on top and brass fittings. It mounts to an outside wall, but it does not include the fixtures and fittings required to fit. This model cannot be portable and must be fixed in a permanent place so be sure of the location you choose; we recommend a placement close to your garden and watering areas.
It does not have a cover so the length itself will be exposed to UV rays and other adverse weather conditions, keep that in mind when mounting. You may want to choose a covered area or inside the garage/shed. The hose reel has a solid brass swivel which prevents hoses becoming damaged from being pulled out at the wrong angle.
Who Should Buy It: If you're looking for a compact, yet decorative wall-mounted reel for your small garden, this Liberty Garden model might be the right choice for you.
Best Garden Hose Wheel for Commercial Use
If your garden hose reel needs to take a pounding, pick this one. The industrial-grade constructions and limited lifetime warranty will have your back.
- All fixtures are brass or galvanized
- Five feet inlet hose included
- Warranty: Limited lifetime cover
- Rather heavy
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Why We Like It: This industrial-grade hose reel cart will make watering your garden fast and simple because it’s portable and can move with you as you work. The strong steel construction is durable and has a smooth reel that lets you pull out the tool to the length you need and then winds it back in smoothly, saving you the trouble of having to do it manually.
The steel is powder-coated for added protection against the elements and it can be used with a hose up to 300 feet long. The cart is balanced so it won’t tip over.
Who Should Buy It: This wheeled hose reel cart from Liberty Garden is perfect for a commercial garden or larger grounds due to its massive reach and ease of use. But it would also work well for a smaller home that has multiple areas to water at different locations.
Most Lightweight Garden Hose Reel
The Hozelock is the lightest and most versatile garden hose reel on our list. You can either wall-mount it, leave it free-standing, or carry it around by its handle.
- Comes with the length and a full set of Hozelock connectors
- Use wall-mounted or free standing
- Warranty: 2 years
- Included hose kinks
- Winding mechanism can get stuck
- Difficult to put together
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Why We Like It: This stylish-looking green and yellow hose reel comes with an 82-foot hose supplied with a box full of fittings. It is made from high-quality plastics and will be durable even if left outdoors. It comes with an easy rewind action which makes it quick and simple to rewind it back into the reel. The handy viewing window means you can keep track of it as it is reeled back in to prevent tangles.
Who Should Buy It: It is designed for quick and easy assembly and the carry handle means it is able to be carried around the garden as well as mounted to a wall if needed.
Benefits of Using a Garden Hose Reel
One of the most important reasons for using a reel is safety. Leaving the length unwound across your garden and pathways can be a tripping hazard. Most green hoses blend in with foliage and grass making them difficult to see, and the rubbery casings are very slippery when wet.
Using a high-quality garden hose reel also means you will prevent the hose itself from becoming knotted or kinked. The most common way these tools break is through splits developing in the rubber when they become knotted or twisted. Using a reel rather than some other random type of hose holder will increase longevity; a garden hose will last five times longer if it is stored properly. Some reels actually house the hose within a protective casing so you are further protecting it from UV rays and adverse weather conditions, including frost.
A reel also stops the hose from leaking as it is tightly wound on the spool and stored away. You can see at a glance if the tap isn’t quite turned off, which can save you money on your water bill. Another great way to save money - and time - is to invest in and install a garden hose timer.
Choosing a Garden Hose Reel
There are many types and models to choose from and that’s why it is always a good idea to look at garden hose reel reviews when choosing your product.
Length of Hose
The first thing to consider is the length of hose you need. Look at the size of your garden and then work out the furthest point from the outside tap or water source. You can save money in a larger garden if your water tap is in the middle or in a fairly central point as you won’t have to buy such a long one, but as most outside taps are on the wall of the main house, you need to measure the length of the garden up until that point. That said, if you have an extra-long hose, or more than one connected, and want to reel it all up together, keep that in mind while shopping for the best reel.
Durability
Durability is also key – with the hose as well as the reel. While you may end up paying a bit more for a more top-rated garden hose, it will be worth it in the long run if you are to be using it daily because you won’t have to make repairs or even buy a new one when it runs out. There are lots of different types of material used to create garden tools including nylon, PVC, natural or synthetic rubbers, and polyurethane. The key here is to think about when and how you will use it. If you are using your tool every day and the reel needs to be dragged across a rough surface like gravel or stone, then it would be worth investing in a hardwearing version.
These reels also need to be durable as they are generally left outside, especially during the cold seasons. But you need it out there to maintain your garden during winter. There are models that are portable or fixed that completely encase the hose within a plastic structure – shielding it from the elements. On the other hand, if you are just getting your reel out from a shed or garage once a day and then stowing it back inside afterward, you could get an open-style reel.
Portable Hose Cart of Wall Mount?
There are several options for reels and it all comes down to usability. If you know you are going to need to transport your reel around with you, then you may want to choose a lightweight material like plastic with an easy-grip handle. If you want a fixed model then look at how it attaches to the wall and make sure the wall you plan to fit it on can handle the weight of the tool – believe it or not, the reels can become quite heavy once the hose is rolled up! A lot of this weight of course comes from the hose itself, so a lightweight hose may be needed if your mounting surface is weak.
Retractable Garden Hose Reels
Retractable garden hose reels are also really useful if you have a long garden or just want to save on energy from reeling it in. These work by automatically pulling the length of the hose back onto the reel and rolling it up for you. They are quick and easy to use but sometimes do require some degree of strength to pull it out for use, to begin with. Also, keep in mind that many retractable garden hose reels that are poorly built are known for jamming and sticking - making them a real pain in the butt.
Accessories
Most reels come with a certain amount of accessories but the basic kits will just have the fittings to attach to the water outlet. Think about investing in a nozzle for the end of your tool which can start and stop the water flow. This is useful if you want to walk your tool out around the garden but then want to switch it off before you go back and turn off the water supply. Be careful not to leave water in your hose in frosty weather though, the water inside the tool may freeze and damage the garden tool.
How We Picked
Each garden hose reel listed here in our reviews underwent a heavy vetting process before being fully researched and reviewed. We looked at everything from construction design, including flaws, to quality of materials and components, customer reviews, manufacturer descriptions, and every other pertinent piece of information regarding each one. Many of the products that began on our list didn't make the cut, and so we aren't recommending them; regardless of how highly others have rated them.
In our guides, we review and recommend only products we genuinely discover to be the best of the best. And, in truth, we only recommend products that we ourselves, DIY, outdoors, and home and garden experts, would use for ourselves and our families. That way, we know we are truly promoting the best products out there.
Which Garden Hose Reel Is Best for Your Yard and Garden?
In our opinion, the best-rated product is the Eley Hose Reel. This reel is a wall mount but the manufacture also produces high-end wheeled carts, free-standing reels, and even post-mount reels. Only the highest quality of materials are used in Eley hoses and there is a reason they dominate the hose reel and garden hose market. So, if you are looking for one of the very best garden hose reels available this year, then look no further!