You need your expandable garden hose to water all of your plants and vegetables to keep them healthy and happy throughout the growing season. But, this can lead to having a very bulky tool laying around your yard that easily becomes a tripping hazard if you’re not careful. Storing it can be a hassle if you don’t have the best garden hose reel on-hand and ready to go. There are so many available that it’s easy to find one large or small enough to accommodate your garden hose’s size. What’s more, they now come in a host of materials that are very durable and will last for seasons.
If you’re in the market for the best garden hose reel, you’re in luck. I’ve done all of the research for you and found 10 great choices that will fit into almost any decor while being sturdy enough to stand up to the weather and last season after season. Once you take a look at all of the reviews, you can use the short buying guide to narrow down your choices to the best garden hose reel to suit your needs and get it shipped straight to your door.
Buying the best garden hose reel will ensure that you never end up with a tangled, kinked, or untidy hose sprawled across your yard or running between your flower beds. Instead, you’ll be able to prolong the life of your hose and prevent someone from tripping.
Contents
Suncast Smart Trak Hose Hideaway – Top Pick
With this garden hose reel, you can keep your garden hose easily accessible but out of the way and protected from the elements. The enclosed reel on this model measures 26-inches by 21-inches by 30-inches. So, this is enough space to accommodate a standard-width hose that is up to 225 feet long without a problem. It has a swivel base on it that makes it very quick and easy to maneuver. When you turn the handle, your hose will wind up very neatly and compactly. The crank is also built right into the design to make it easy to reel your hose in.
It comes made out of a synthetic resin, and this is ideal for any outdoor container. It’s waterproof, resists punctures, and it’s very durable. It’s a UV-resistant material that is 100% recyclable. This product is very easy to clean while producing no chemical emissions, and this makes it healthier for the environment. It comes fully assembled and ready to use right out of the box. The Smart Trak hose guide will track the hose and ensure it reels in neatly. There is also a larger storage bin to hold any garden or hose accessories to keep them all together.
Benefits:
- 100% recyclable
- Holds a standard 225-foot hose
- Waterproof and UV-resistant
- Smart Trak hose guide
- Comes fully assembled
- Crank is built into the design
- Accessory storage bin
Drawbacks:
- Made out of plastic
Liberty Garden Mobile Hose Reel – Step-Up Pick
If you’re someone who is interested in a cart-style garden hose reel, this is for you. It works very well for commercial-grade or landscaping needs because it’s very durable and functional. It can hold up to a 300-foot standard ⅝-inch hose, so you have more options when it comes to the size hose you buy. You’ll get a 13-gauge steel construction on this cart that is extremely durable, and the powder coating on it makes this car very resistant to weather conditions. So, you can leave it outside in different types of weather without worrying about it breaking down.
It also comes with galvanized and brass fixtures with a 90° brass swivel connector. The low center of gravity on this garden hose reel helps prevent it from tipping over when you use it, and this is good because the bigger hoses can be heavy. It has four 10-inch pneumatic tires that you can pull over a range of terrains without it getting stuck or stalling. There is some assembly required when you get it, so you should look at hte user manual and instructional videos. The upright comfort grip makes it easy to maneuver this around your yard.
Benefits:
- Holds a 300-foot hose
- Commercial-grade cart
- 13-gauge steel construction
- Powder coating on the cart
- Galvanized and brass fixtures
- Pneumatic tires
- Low center of gravity
Drawbacks:
- Assembly can be difficult
TomCare Garden Hose Holder – Mid-End Budget Pick
This product comes made out of heavy-duty metal with three thicker anchors to allow you to stick it anywhere you like in your yard. It’s a freestanding reel that won’t take up a lot of space, and you could even put it by your hot tub enclosure without any problem. Even though it has a very elegant appearance to it, it doesn’t sacrifice durability. It can easily resist corrosion and rust, as well as any other weather damage all year-round to make it a great choice for virtually any planting zone. You can also easily remove it and store it in a protected location during the winter months.
You’ll get a full year warranty on this garden hose reel to protect against damage or other issues. It features a thicker metal in the design, and it can withstand a lot of weight with larger hoses without bending or developing stress spots. You don’t have to mount it to the wall, and all you have to do is step on the anchor points to sink it into the ground to install it. There is also a 45-day money-back guarantee attached from the date of purchase.
Benefits:
- Easy to install
- Can hold a large hose
- Heavy-duty metal body
- Three thick anchor prongs
- Elegant look
- Easy to remove to store
- Full year warranty
Drawbacks:
- Warranty is shorter
Yard Butler Hose Hanger – Bargain Budget Pick
Garden hose reels don’t necessarily have to be expensive or fancy to last as this product demonstrates. It will seamlessly mount to your post, fence, or siding without an issue, and you can choose from three designs and four colors to match your decor. It will hold hoses up to 100-feet long, so you do have to have smaller hoses to avoid overloading the more simple design. It comes made out of a solid steel with a green powder coating on it to increase the durability factor and make it resistant to corrosion and rust with exposure to the elements.
You’ll get extra bracing to make it more durable when you buy this garden hose reel, and this can help it last longer. The patented design will prevent sagging, kinks, crimps, and tangles in your hose to extend how long it lasts. You can mount the caddy higher and use big loops when you store your hoses if they’re more than 100-feet long to get more on one reel. If you’re not 100% satisfied with the product, you can easily return it for a full refund of your purchase price.
Benefits:
- Durable
- Wall-mounted design
- Four colors available
- Choice of three styles
- Reinforced design
- Uses heavy-gauge steel
- Powder coating
Drawbacks:
- Won’t work well for longer hoses
Lewis Tools Hose Reel – Best for Swivel Wall Mounts
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Anyone who is looking for a straightforward garden hose reel should look at this option from Lewis Tools. Once you get it mounted in your chosen location, you can easily swivel it out 180° to make winding up your hose quick and easy. It works best with a standard-size 100-foot hose, and this is usually more than enough length to take care of your flower beds or smaller gardens. As a bonus, it has an extra-wide wall bracket that makes mounting this hose reel a quick and easy process once you get it.
The pivoting arm on this garden hose reel allows you to effortlessly use your hose from any angle. It comes made from a very durable steel that won’t corrode or rust with exposure to the elements. It also has a rust-resistant coating on it, and it’s designed to work all year-round outside. It has a limited lifetime warranty too that will protect you from breakage or damage due to normal use. The handle has a rubberized grip on it that is comfortable to use, and it’ll quickly reel your hose in for easy storage.
Benefits:
- Holds a 100-foot standard hose
- Swivels 180°
- Rubberized handle grip
- Extra-wide wall bracket
- Durable steel construction
- Limited lifetime warranty
- Rust-resistant coating
Drawbacks:
- Doesn’t rotate a full 360°
HOSELINK Automatic Hose Reel – Best for Small Hoses
Even though this garden hose reel is more expensive than the competition, it can be well-worth the cost. It’s very well-built, and it removes a lot of the frustration from watering the garden. It comes equipped with an automatic rewind system on it. So, once you unwind it and finish watering, the spring-loaded hose reel will wind your hose back up without any input from you. It’ll help reduce kinks and problems with the hose in general, and this can extend the life of your hose. It also has an enclosed design on it to protect the hose from the elements.
There are easy-to-use connectors on this garden hose reel. The durable, no-leak hose fittings have a stop anywhere locking mechanism that will secure the hose at any length you prefer. You can easily load it with a 9/16-inch hose that is 82-feet long without overloading it. Also, it has a very quick installation process when you get it. All you have to do is mount the bracket to the wall or post, put the hose reel on your bracket, and attach the hose using the tap. The materials are lead and BPA-free.
Benefits:
- Smooth automatic rewind
- High-quality feel
- Enclosed design
- Wall swivel feature
- Easy to attach to the wall
- Prevents kinks
- Protects from the elements
Drawbacks:
- Doesn’t hold larger hoses
Industrial Hose Reel Cart – Best for Commercial Operations
This best garden hose reel by Liberty Garden is a cart-style design. It features a heavy-gauge powder-coated steel for the majority of the body, and this won’t scratch, dent, rust, or corrode as you take it around your greenhouses. It also comes equipped with galvanized metal fixtures that are sleek and eye-catching, and the glossy finish gives this cart a professional look and feel. It has a five-foot inlet hose attached to it as well, and the lower center of gravity ensures that it won’t tip over as you take it around.
It’s a dual-wheel garden hose reel cart that can easily support up to 300-feet of any standard-width hose. This makes it an excellent option for anyone who has a commercial operation or a big garden or lawn. You’ll get a three-year warranty from the date of purchase when you buy this product to protect you from damage or breakage. It won’t corrode or rust with exposure from the elements either. It comes with a swivel design and pivoting arm to help you unload and load your hose wherever you need.
Benefits:
- Low center of gravity
- Swivel design
- Comes with a pivoting arm
- Heavy gauge steel body
- Glossy finish
- Galvanized metal fixtures
- Three-year warranty
Drawbacks:
- Inlet hose isn’t durable
Suncast Hangout – Best for Lightweight Hoses
Despite the fact that this garden hose reel has a modest price tag attached to it, it comes molded in a way that creates a small shelf inside. So, this allows you to quickly and easily store gardening necessities and hose nozzles to keep everything together until you’re ready to use it. It measures 13-inches wide by 6.5-inches deep by 10.75-inches high, so it can hold a decent-sized hose. However, you do want to be careful that you don’t overload it because this can cause it to pull away from the mounting hardware and fall down.
The mounting hardware also isn’t included in the price, but it’s easy to purchase it and install it. It comes made out of a durable molded resin that won’t fade in the sun or crack in different weather conditions. The taupe color can blend into almost any decor and look nice, and it’s made in the United States to exacting standards. There is no specific warranty on this product, but it does feature Suncast’s general limited warranty. This protects from reel failure due to workmanship defects when you purchased it.
Benefits:
- Molded resin materials
- Small storage shelf
- Holds standard-sized smaller hoses
- Taupe coloring blends well
- Made in the United States
- General limited warranty
- Won’t fade with sunlight exposure
Drawbacks:
- Very limited and short warranty
BirdRock Home Water Hose Holder – Best for Decorative Accents
Anyone looking to add to their outdoor decorations with a pretty and understated garden hose reel should take a look at this option by BirdRock Home. It can mimic the look of a piece of art on your patio, and it’s made of a very durable embossed steel with pretty copper accents. Also, the reel has a powder coat on it with a clear finish to protect it from rust or corrosion when you expose it to the elements. There is a removable center post in the pot to help you easily coil the hose around it to keep it neatly contained
This garden hose reel can store a 100-foot hose that is ⅝-inches. There are holes in the bottom of the pot that ensure the water drains out should it rain to keep your hose dry. There is a rubber plug that you can put in and remove. The product measures 11-inches high by 18-inches wide. You can remove the center post if you like. It’s a very sturdy but lightweight product that is easy to move around as you see fit.
Benefits:
- Decorative looking
- Embossed steel body
- Pretty copper accents
- Removable center post
- Drain plugs included
- Lightweight but durable
- Broad bottom for good stability
Drawbacks:
- Have to manually drain it
Liberty Garden Decorative Hose Reel – Best for Garden Sheds
The final garden hose reel on the list is both sturdy and attractive. It can easily and securely hold up to 125-feet of a standard ⅝-inch hose. It features a very heavy-gauge aluminum body that resists rust and corrosion, and it comes made to look like a very ornate wrought iron. There is a shelf on the top of this reel that gives you space to store garden accessories like nozzles. However, because it mounts to the wall, you’ll need some tools to put it up correctly. The mounting hardware also isn’t included in the original purchase, so keep this in mind.
However, you can attach this garden hose reel to a broad range of surfaces, so you’ll want to have mounting hardware to match. Once you get the correct hardware for the surface you want to attach it to, the actual installation is easy. You can either use the YouTube video from the manufacturer, step-by-step instructions, or both to get it mounted. It has a clever design with a brass swivel that allows you to turn it as you move around your space, and you can mount the crank handle on either side. There is a leader hose and a limited three-year warranty included too.
Benefits:
- Limited three-year warranty
- Leader hose
- Mimics the look of wrought iron
- Holds 125-feet of standard garden hose
- Installation is easy and straightforward
- Includes a shelf
- Mounts to a variety of surfaces
Drawbacks:
- No mounting hardware included
Best Garden Hose Reel – Buying Guide
When you start shopping for the best garden hose reel, there are several important considerations to keep in mind when you browse through the different products. To start, you want to pick out a type before you shop because this will help you narrow your choice down to one variety of the best garden hose reel. If you don’t, you could flood yourself with dozens and dozens of options.
- Wall Mounted – One of the most popular types of best garden hose reels are the wall mounted units. You attach them to your sheds, potting benches, or houses close to your flower beds or gardens. You can choose the height of the unit, and they usually stay outside all year-round. This includes even if you bring the hose inside during the winter
- Boxes – A hose box is a nice choice if you want a discreet place to hide your hose in plane sight until you need it. These are stylish metal or plastic boxes with a small hole for the hose to feed through and a crank on the side that allows you to wind the hose back into the box when you use it.
- Freestanding – Freestanding units come on posts with two to four stakes on the bottom that dig down into the ground. You can place them wherever you like around your yard, and they’re usually pretty portable and easy to take down.
- Portable – The final big type of hose reel is a portable unit. These products are on wheels, and you can easily move them around to other portions of your yard or garden as you need. You can see these types of reels in commercial operations or with professional landscapers.
A high-quality hose reel usually only takes a few minutes to reel and unreel without causing any twists or kinks in your hose. Some have braking mechanisms in them that prevent them from accidentally snapping the hose back for your convenience.
Capacity
Did you know that the best garden hose reels have a maximum capacity that they can safely hold? Many of them can hold between 100 and 200 feet of ⅝-inch hose. If you try to pile on more hose after this point, the reel can start to bend and buckle under the weight. Consider the capacity of your hose reel, and take a look at how much hose you need to reach all of your shade flowers in your forest garden. It’s a good idea to get a slightly larger reel than you think you need.
Materials
Take a close look at the materials on the best garden hose reels. Most of them are metal or mostly metal with a few plastic ones. Generally speaking, metal will outlast many other materials to allow you to get the most use possible out of your hose and storage space. If you pick a metal best garden hose reel, choose one with a powder coating on it that can protect it from scratches and rust. For plastic, ensure that it has a UV-protectant coating that stops it from weakening in the sun.
Hose Guide
A lot of the best garden hose reels come with a hose guide on them. These hose guides are great for ensuring your hose doesn’t tangle or kink when you wind and unwind it. You want to take a look at these guides and see how thick they are. Once your hose goes up over the guides, they won’t be effective at their job. This is why it’s important to pay attention to the suggested hose size when you purchase one of the best garden hose reels.
As you can see in the picture, the guides along the edges of the hose reel stop the hose from accidentally slipping off and falling over when you reel and unreel it. These guides come in several sizes, and they can support various lengths of hoses.
Weatherproofing
Since your hose reel will be outside for the majority of the year, you want to make sure it has a lot of weatherproofing measures in place. For example, the seals should be tight to prevent water from leaking into the inside of the unit, and there should be a protective layer on the outside like a powder coat to prevent rust and corrosion.
Bottom Line
The best garden hose reel will help keep your yard or garden neat and tidy, and they’re especially useful in small spaces like rooftop gardens. I’ve given you 10 high-quality options to compare, and the buying guide will get you on the right track and ensure you have everything you need to make an informed decision.
Jen is a master gardener, interior designer and home improvement expert. She has completed many home improvement, decor and remodeling projects with her family over the past 10 years on their 4,500 sf Victorian house. She is also a passionate farmer who keeps goats, chickens, turkeys cows and pigs on her farm, and an instructor for her community’s Organic and Sustainable Farming project.