Garden hose reels are one of those garden tools that you think you don’t really need unless you actually own one. They’re incredibly convenient, and they can easily store garden hoses when they would have been a nightmare to stow away otherwise. The best garden hose reels of 2023 are also not that expensive, either, making them a worthy investment if you frequently use your garden hose.
We’ve tested these reels and found them to be very convenient for just about any homeowner. If you’re looking for a garden hose reel for your home, consider our top picks.
Unless you’re completely fine with manually coiling up and storing your garden hoses after every use, you probably need a garden hose reel. They’re convenient, intuitive, and the simpler varieties aren’t all that expensive. Because of this, garden hose reels are one of the most important additions to any front or backyard. Here’s everything you need to know regarding these handy tools.
Garden hose reels are devices that, as the name suggests, reel in garden hoses when not in use, and unreel them when they’re in use. Reels can be manual or automatic, depending on the design, and some offer additional features, such as multi-directional support.
Garden hose reels are fairly straightforward devices, but there are a few things to keep in mind before getting one.
This is an element that many homeowners fail to consider. They assume that any garden hose reel should work, only to find out that the orientation of the reel isn’t compatible with where you plan on using the hose. Orientation refers to where the reel is positioned and can be classified as perpendicular, parallel, or multi-directional.
Let’s start off with parallel. As the most common orientation, it has the benefit of being very space-friendly. Since it’s parallel to the wall, the hose is reeled up to the side, giving you plenty of space in front of the reel. It’s great for tight spaces and small areas, but it has a fatal flaw – it isn’t great when you’re using the hose perpendicular to the wall, or opposite to where the hose gets reeled out. As such, they’re ideally placed in corners where you don’t need to worry about the hose being inverted.
Then, you have the perpendicular garden hoses. These hoses are unreeled perpendicular to the wall, meaning that they are great when hosing plants and areas directly opposite to the said wall. However, they aren’t great when hosing to the sides, and the perpendicular design does take up quite a bit of space, which may not be ideal depending on where you’re installing it.
Finally, you have the multi-directional garden hose reels. These reels can be swiveled around so that the hose meets the least amount of resistance no matter where you move it around. The only real downside to this design is that it does take up quite a bit of space, but other than that, it’s the ideal design for many households.
Reels vary in size, with some being able to hold more hose than others. Most reels support more than 100 feet of hose length, though the exact length varies from design to design. Some designs also have their own pre-installed hose, so the length mentioned also dictates the length of the pre-installed hose.
Manual garden hose reels use a manual cranking system that requires you to use your hand to reel in the hose and unreel it, much like you would with a fishing rod.
Retractable garden hose reels retract the hose automatically when not in use, allowing you to more easily retrieve and store them whenever you want.
Garden hose reels can vary in price based on their design, mechanisms, and materials used. For example, a simple side-mount reel can cost you around $50 or less, whereas a multi-directional steel frame garden hose reel will cost you $150 or so. There are garden hose reels for every budget, so you won’t have trouble finding one that fits yours.
This garden hose reel is an interesting choice, and while it may look a little silly to some, you’ll find that it actually has quite a few useful applications. Garden hoses are a pain to store without a proper reel, but they’re even more stressful to carry around, especially if you haven’t tied them up properly. If you have a front and backyard that needs proper hosing but don’t want to buy a second hose, you can use this reel to bring it around.
You’d be forgiven if you mistook this garden hose reel as measuring tape the first time you saw a picture of it. And in many aspects, this garden hose reel functions in the same manner – you can pull the hose quite far – up to 130 feet, to be exact – and the device will retract the hose when not in use. It’s a simple yet effective mechanism and is great if you don’t want to worry about overlapping or manual reeling.
You’d be forgiven if you mistook this garden hose reel as measuring tape the first time you saw a picture of it. And in many aspects, this garden hose reel functions in the same manner – you can pull the hose quite far – up to 130 feet, to be exact – and the device will retract the hose when not in use. It’s a simple yet effective mechanism and is great if you don’t want to worry about overlapping or manual reeling.
These days, garden hose reels come with automatic feed mechanisms, retractable designs, and the like, but some may simply prefer the classics. If you want a garden hose reel that does nothing more than get the job done, then this is the reel for you. It’s your classic side-mount reel, with 100 feet worth of garden hose capacity.
The previous garden hose reel was interesting and had its own unique use cases, but it wasn’t ideal for a permanent installation. Garden hose reels are often installed permanently so that they can reliably store the hose when not in use. This garden hose reel is the perfect example of a permanent installation, with features that make it highly adaptable to its current environment.
If you don’t have a hose yet and want an easy solution that works right out of the box, then this can be an option worth considering. The RL Flo-Master 65HR8 is a retractable hose reel, meaning that it can be pulled and retracted automatically. You don’t have to worry about reeling it in when the device will do it for you automatically.
Now here’s an interesting reel that you might like. At a glance, the reel looks like nothing more than a box, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find that there’s an entire reeling mechanism tucked away inside. This reel is designed to keep the hose out of sight when not in use, which is great for people who don’t really like the sight of their hose in a garden. The box is very plain-looking, which makes it great for hiding the hose, too.
Interestingly, you could even place potted plants and the like above the reel due to its flat surface. However, this may not be ideal if you use the hose frequently, as you may shake the potted plant around while unreeling or reeling in the hose. Other than that, though, this hideaway reel is perfect for backyards and gardens and can be a great way to keep the hose out of sight when not in use.
A: Yes, they are. Garden hose reels allow you to easily store your garden hoses, and because of how well they’re stored, they can even prolong the life of your garden hose. This allows you to go for longer before having to replace your hose in the future.
A: There are many factors worth considering when choosing an ideal hose reel. Some of these factors include the length of your reel, the size and diameter of the reel, and the type of reel that you want to use, among a few others.
A: Garden hose reels are an effective way to hide your garden hose, especially if they’re designed for that specific purpose. These reels may take the form of unassuming boxes and the like, so you wouldn’t think it was a garden hose reel until you gave it a closer inspection.
