Hose reels are the perfect addition to any garden. They prevent unnecessary tripping, protect your plants and grass from a heavy hose, and preserve the hose itself from wear and tear. Keep reading to find the best hose reel for your garden.

Best Hose Reels

A hose reel is an essential tool with a cylindrical spindle to keep your hose stored away neatly. The best hose reel for your yard depends on how you'd prefer to store your hose, the length of your hose, preferred materials, and hose-reel features. While some styles include a crank to make winding your hose an easy task, other styles are more manual and require you to coil your hose yourself.

Types of Hose Reels

Wall-Mounted: A wall-mounted hose reel is installed on the side of your home, creating an organized but decorative way to store your hose. It is perfect for small gardens or backyards, helping you maximize your space. Wall-mounted hose reels can be attached to an outside wall, fence, or garage wall and work best when attached to your water source. Opt for a wall-mounted hose reel with a crank for easy cleanup. For a simpler design, opt for a wall-mounted holder without a crank; this requires you to manually coil your hose.

Traditional: A traditional hose reel is usually stationary, although some offer two wheels on the back, making it easy to move around. All traditional hose reels include a crank, allowing you to manually wind the hose onto the reel to keep your yard looking tidy.

Freestanding: Freestanding hose reels vary in design, but most hide the reel inside of a garden box or other decorative structure. This makes them an appealing and functional addition to any yard with a hose. Freestanding hose reels do not include wheels, making them a permanent fixture in your garden area.

Cart: Hose-reel carts are portable carts that have two or four wheels on the bottom. They are a popular option for larger gardens and avid gardeners because they give you the ability to carry a heavy garden hose across your yard. A hose-reel cart is designed to look like a cart but has a reel in the middle. Some have a tabletop design for quick gardening tasks or an added basket for storage, making it easy to store tools and accessories while gardening.

Hose Holder: A hose holder is a simple, freestanding hose accessory. It does not include a crank, requiring you to coil the hose by hand and place it on the hose holder. This is a great option if you have a smaller hose.

Hose Pots: Hose pots look like garden pots, making it easy to hide your hose in your garden. There is a hole in the bottom of the pot, letting you connect it to your water source easily. Hose pots do not have a crank and require you to coil your hose by hand. Once your hose is coiled, place it inside a hose pot; no one will even know there is a hose inside.

Best Hose-Reel Capacity

If you already have a hose at home, it’s important to choose the correct hose-reel capacity to ensure your hose will fit properly on the reel. Longer hoses are heavier and will need a sturdier reel. If you are unsure of how long your hose is, uncoil it and lay it out flat in a straight line. Measure the distance from one end to the other to find the length of your hose. Your hose measurement will be your hose reel’s capacity. Hose reels range in capacity from less than 50' to 50' – 100', 101' – 150', 151' – 200', 201' – 250', and over 250'.

Best Hose-Reel Materials

Metal: Metal hose reels are strong, durable, and decorative. Be sure to wipe your hose reel down periodically, as metal can rust when exposed to the elements for long periods of time. Metal hose reels tend to have more details and designs, making them an easy way to enhance the look of your garden.

Plastic: Plastic hose reels are great for different kinds of weather conditions and are more lightweight, making them easy to move around. They are great for someone who wants a simple hose reel that can withstand the elements.

Best Hose-Reel Features

Retractable: Save time by using a retractable hose reel. It reels in the hose automatically, so you don't have to wind or crank the hose yourself. Push the hose back into the reel gently and the reel will start to retract, winding up the rest of your hose.

Leader Hose Included: If you opt to put your hose reel far from the water source, a leader hose connects your reel to the water spigot without having to use length from your garden hose.This is a great option for someone who has a freestanding hose reel without wheels or wants to place their hose reel far from the water spigot.

Hose Included: If you find yourself without a garden hose, opt for a hose reel that has a hose included. It will give you peace of mind knowing your hose is custom-made to fit to the hose reel, taking the guesswork out of shopping for a separate hose.

Hose Guide: Keep your hose neat by opting for a hose guide. It is attached to the reel and helps guide the hose as you are cranking it, ensuring that the hose is reeled up neatly. It helps protect your hose and gives it a tidy appearance.

Assembled: Spend more time on your garden by opting for a hose reel that is assembled. It arrives put-together, so you can get straight to gardening.