As useful as they are, working with garden hoses can be quite tiring for those of you doing it on a regular basis. Coiling it up after each use and then undoing it before the next use can prove to be unnecessarily time-consuming to many. That is why retractable garden hose reels came into the scene.
Utilizing such a device, you can leave the unwinding, retraction and storage of the hose to its automated mechanism. The best retractable garden hose reel also comes with more advanced features which let you pick the hose length you need before each use. All of these also ensure a longer lifespan for your hose.
Top 7 Retractable Garden Hose Reel
Even though garden hoses already made irrigation easier for homeowners and gardeners, handling the long tubes can be quite a struggle. You can instead opt for retractable garden hose reels which take care of the storage themselves.
Before getting into what features to look for in retractable garden hose reels, let’s look at which products are currently the most popular among people.
Giraffe Retractable Garden Hose Reel 5/8”
Our first retractable garden hose comes from the brand Giraffe Tools who was the first professional factory to manufacture auto-retracting hose reels. So it comes as no surprise that their retractable reels come in several varieties including length and color.
These reels are designed to have an inner diameter of ⅝ inch. When it comes to length, you can choose from the three sizes of 65, 90 and 130 feet. While color may not be much of an important aspect of a reel, Giraffe still lets you pick between two standard options of grey and black.
180° Swivel Wall Mount
Since a hose can be used in a versatile array of activities, you may often need to change its direction. Even though this retractable hose is meant to be used after plugging into the wall, its mount is designed to swivel at 180 degrees. So you can alter its directions based on your changing needs and ensure an effective spray.
Multi-function Nozzle
One of the most convenient features of this Giraffe retractable garden hose reel is its multi-function nozzle. It has nine spray patterns, which means you don’t have to worry about having an uneven coating of water across your garden. The spraying modes include jet, mist, shower, center, cone, flat and full.
High Durability
This heavy-duty hose is designed to last a long time with its UV stabilized material. You can rely on this medium-high yield hose to retain a lot of water at once since its burst pressure is very high at 1000k Pascal.
Giraffe Retractable Garden Hose Reel 1/2″
Another popular choice from Giraffe is this retractable hose reel which shares many of its features with the previous one. However, it differs from the first hose reel in one aspect – inner diameter.
If you often work with a larger volume of water or need to complete the job faster, this self-retracting garden hose reel would prove to be more useful. The larger diameter of ½ inch can increase both the amount and flow of water through the reel.
180° Swivel Bracket
With a regular garden hose, you can use it to direct the water anywhere as long as there is a tap nearby. However, for retractable hose reels, being mounted to the wall can significantly reduce their chances of reaching all the necessary places.
That is why the Giraffe retractable garden hose reel comes with a 180° swivel bracket on its wall mount. Because of this inclusion, you can extend the hose in any direction and irrigate your garden effectively.
9-pattern Nozzle
Similar to the previous model, this reel too comes with a spray gun whose nozzle can sprinkle the water in nine different ways! These versatile functions consist of jet, center, shower, flat, full, cone, mist and more.
Automatic Rewind
Who likes to wrap up the hose manually after already completing the tedious job of gardening or cleaning? To relieve you of that added physical stress, this reel is designed to automatically rewind the hose after use. All you have to do is give it a gentle tug!
Gartenkraft XW-30B Hose Reel
The XW series of retractable garden hose reels by Gartenkraft offers the customers plenty to choose from. You can select from their versatile collection where reels come in four lengths, two colors and two inner diameters.
These reels can be 75 feet, 90 feet, 100 feet or 130 feet long. Although the diameter of ⅝ inch is considered standard for garden hoses, you can opt for ½ inch ones if you need to pass a larger volume of water on a regular basis.
This particular model only comes in the length of 100 feet and a diameter of ⅝ inch. The two colors available for them are grey and off-white.
Patented Slow Rewind System
This patented technology of Gartenkraft ensures an automatic slow rewind for the hose after you are done using it. The slow rewind technology starts getting into work once you drop the hose. The tube begins to retract itself at a reduced speed which ensures a safe rewind without the possibility of getting tangled inside.
Free Locking System
With its free locking system, you can make the reel stop at a specific point and use the hose at a length you prefer. By doing so, you don’t have to deal with the unnecessary baggage of its extra mass and complete your task more efficiently.
180° Swivel Bracket
Like the two products discussed before, this reel too comes with a wall mount that contains a 180° swivel bracket. Because of it, you will be able to adjust the angles horizontally and pull the hose from either direction.
Gardena Wall Mounted Retractable Hose Reel
This hose produced by Gardena comes in five sizes – 50 feet, 66 feet, 82 feet, 100 feet and 115 feet. All of them have an inner diameter of 11 mm or less than half an inch. So their water flow may not be as high as other hose reels which are ½ or ⅝ inch wide inside.
RollControl Technology
When you have completed the gardening or cleaning task, just put a light tug on the hose when enough of it has been reeled out and soon the integrated steel spring will be activated. This in turn will automatically rewind the hose without causing safety issues or damages to itself, thanks to its RollControl technology.
More Than 180° Swivel
If you have been looking for a reel that can be swiveled more than 180 degrees, this can be your next potential choice. Its wall bracket has been designed for practicality so that you can water any corner of your garden without trouble.
Automatic Locks
This garden hose reel gives you the option to lock it in a specific section automatically. With such built-in short locking points, you don’t have to worry about managing the entire hose unless you need its full length. Your desired length is its command!
Protected From Frost And UV
To make sure you can use this hose in all four seasons, the hose box has been designed to be safe from both UV rays and frost. This heavy-duty retractable garden hose reel is built with a material that can survive the hottest summer days as well as the frigid winter ones.
Hudson RL Flo-Master 65HR8 Retractable Hose Reel
Flo-Master is a brand of Hudson that specializes in designing and manufacturing pressurized sprayers. This specific model of retractable hose reels is 65 feet in length and ⅝ inch in inner diameter. Designed with brass coupling, it comes with the mounting hardware essential for the installation process.
8-Pattern Nozzle
You will have the convenience of choosing the best performing spray pattern for each task with its adjustable nozzle. It comes with eight patterns including center, shower, triangle, soaker, jet, mist, cone and flat. Additionally, it can be turned on or off easily anytime with its convenient thumb-operated control.
180-Degree Swivel
Like any other popular self-retracting garden hose reel, the Flo-Master reel also comes with a 180-degree swivel in its wall mount. Such lateral pivoting enables the user to extend the hose inside it to either direction. Therefore, the sprayed water can reach pretty much any corner of the garden or lawn.
Easy To Carry
If you often need to carry the hose reel to other places, this model will come in handy since it is designed to be easily portable. The product comes with a carrying handle and the unit can be detached from the bracket if required. Such convenient disassembly and transport make it a good choice for professionals.
Auto Rewind With Lock
It has been designed to lock the reel at a specific position and also rewind the hose automatically after its job is done. Since this spring-loaded reel retracts slowly and steadily, you don’t have to worry about overlapping.
BLUBERY Retractable Garden Hose Reel
You will find this heavy-duty retractable garden hose reel from Blubery in two sizes of 100 feet and 130 feet. The inner diameter of ½ inch is large enough to ensure higher water flow each time.
8-Pattern Spray Nozzle
Its nozzle is designed with eight spray modes for the convenience of the user. Whenever you are starting a new kind of cleaning or gardening task, you can just pick the most appropriate mode for that job and thus get more effective performance from the hose.
180° Swivel Bracket
Because of the 180-degree swiveling ability of its wall mount bracket, you can adjust it to move either side and then reel out the hose from there. During use, the reel can spin freely and thus will not require too many mid-task adjustments.
Brass And Aluminum
The reel is built to be durable with materials like brass and aluminum. While the hose itself is made of PVC, the bracket fixing tube is built with aluminum and the water inlet area is built from brass. Aluminum naturally combats corrosion while brass has proved itself to be a reliable material for sturdy products.
Auto-retraction And Lock
To set the hose at a convenient length, just pull it and stop at the point where you want it to stay locked. Once the task is over, you can just pull it again lightly and the pipe will start retracting automatically at a uniform speed. This is the reliable mechanism they have been using for over a decade.
Flexzilla Retractable Water Hose Reel L8340FZ
Flexzilla brings in a water hose reel that comprises many conveniences of its competitors. However, it does so in its own way. It is available in only one size of 70 feet and an inner diameter of half an inch. However, it comes at a price point that is much higher than others.
Latching Mode Switch
In this hose reel, you can either choose “Freerun” or “Latching Zone”. The first one should be selected if you need automatic rewinding immediately after use, while the latter allows you to choose the latching hose for extended use every three feet.
7-Position Locking Bracket
You can lock your preferred section of the Flexzilla retractable garden hose reel by utilizing its locking bracket. It has been pre-set to be locked in one of the seven different angles. As a result, you cannot move it as freely as others. Moreover, it only swivels up to 135 degrees which is much less than the standard 180 degrees.
Freestanding Base
To make the retractable hose reel easier to carry around, it can be used all by itself with a freestanding base. You can just put it by the side before spraying on the plants. With a flat base, this device can rest on the ground. Additionally, it comes with a built-in handle so that you can use it as a carrying case.
Adjustable Hose Stopper
With the hose stopper, you can pull out only as much of the hose as you need. Being adjustable, the length of the pulled section can be increased or decreased.
Retractable Garden Hose Reel Buying Guide
Choosing the ideal retractable garden hose reel from so many options might seem overwhelming initially. That is why we are here to discuss the common features your final choice should have.
Hose Size
The hose can come in a wide variety of sizes since each person has different requirements in terms of water flow and distances to cover.
Usually, these tubes can be anywhere between 60 feet and 150 feet in length. The most common ones are 100 feet.
It is recommended to invest in a long hose reel equipped with a locking mechanism, so that you can make it longer or shorter according to your changing requirements.
Another aspect of the size is its inner diameter. That is typically measured at ½ inch or ⅝ inch. The former generates a higher water flow since it can pass a higher volume of water.
Mount Swivel Degree
The retractable garden hose reel must have a wall mount that can be swiveled to a certain degree. Usually, these horizontal pivots can go as far as 180 degrees. However, you can also settle for one that only goes as much as you need it to.
Automatic Locking
If you need different lengths of hose to water your plants or clean your lawn, this feature is quite important for your final decision. Although it has many other names including auto-lock or auto stopper, the feature works pretty much the same for all hose reels.
Utilizing it, you can pull out as much as you need of the hose and then lock that position. So you can customize the length for each task.
FAQ
1. What Is The Best Retractable Garden Hose Reel?
From our discussion above, the XW series of Gartenkraft stands out as the overall best-rated retractable garden hose reel.
It comes in five different sizes ranging from 50 to 115 feet while the inner diameter can be either ½ inch or ⅝ inch. In addition to the varieties, it also comes with a patented slow rewind technology, 180-degree mount swivel and a free locking system.
2. How To Repair Retractable Garden Hose Reel?
Start repairing the retractable garden hose reel by first examining its case and tightening any loose screws. Then check the joint seals since it is very common for connectors to lose their tiny flat washers.
If the hose gets damaged in any place, cut it out, insert a connector and make the coupling tighter with a screwdriver. Check if the hose is working correctly after the repair.
Alternatively, if the washer has become too old, replace it with a brand new one.
3. How To Make A Retractable Garden Hose Reel?
Going for a DIY retractable garden hose reel is quite risky since the commercial ones are designed carefully to ensure both convenience and efficiency.
But if you do want to make one, an easy way out is to wrap up your regular garden hose around a wooden reel holder which in turn is attached to a wooden post.
Conclusion
In many ways, going for the best retractable garden hose reel seems like the perfect solution for increasing your productivity and also decreasing your fatigue.
By relying on it, you get more free time since you don’t have to manually wrap up the hose or uncoil it every time you use it. So the quality of your daily life can improve while the plants in your garden can also flourish.
With all these brands and models that we discussed, finding the right retractable garden hose reel for yourself should be a bit easier now. Go through all of them, and you will find the perfect fit for your regular use.
Comparison Chart
| Brand | Lengths (ft.) | Diameters | Swivel Degree | Price Range |
| Giraffe 5/8” | 65, 90, 130 | ⅝ in | 180 | Very Affordable |
| Giraffe 1/2” | 100, 130 | ½ in | 180 | Affordable |
| Gartenkraft | 50, 75, 100, 130 | ⅝ in, ½ in | 180 | Expensive |
| Gardena | 50, 66, 82, 100, 115 | 11 mm | 180 | Affordable |
| Hudson | 65 | ⅝ in | 180 | Very Affordable |
| Blubery | 100, 130 | ½ in | 180 | Very Affordable |
| Flexzilla | 70 | ½ in | 135 | Expensive |