How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

A garden hose reel is an essential tool for gardeners. It helps organize the hose and keep it tangle-free while ensuring easy access during usage. However, the market is full of garden hose reels, and finding the right one requires a careful assessment and comparison based on particular factors. 

The guide will explore those factors to consider, such as size, material, and mounting type. We’ll highlight everything to look for in a garden hose reel to land the best deal.

The Garden Hose Reel Material

The first thing to consider is the material of your garden hose reel. You’ll also check if the chosen material is durable enough to withstand corrosion. A corrosion-resistant material is durable and will serve you for an extended period.

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

Choosing Between Metal and Plastic

Metal garden hose reels offer superior durability and can withstand weathering better. However, they'll weigh you down more since they’re heavier. But they resist wear and tear much better, making them the best choice for you for heavy-duty watering needs. On the other hand, plastic reels are lighter and less expensive.

You’ll choose a metal reel for heavy-duty usage or a plastic option for occasional use or if you’re on a tight budget. We recommend garden hose reels made of metal for their sturdiness and durable performance. 

Comparing Cast Iron with Steel

If you decide to follow our recommendation of garden hose reels made of metal, you’ll have two popular types of metals to choose from. Each metal has its benefits, and choosing one depends on the benefit you want.

Cast iron is known for its exceptional durability and sturdiness. It withstands deformation better and is best for heavy-duty needs. We recommend it for holding heavier garden hoses. However, it is heavier since it contains more material to be sturdy while carrying your heavy garden hose.

Steel is also incredible and offers the best tensile strength. It’s a more flexible material for your garden hose. This material will also carry your heavier hoses without deforming. Even more impressive, steel reels balance strength with flexibility and are more robust. They’re a great choice if you don’t want to deal with extra weight but want a reel that still performs.

Consider Metal’s Resistance to Corrosion

A powder-coated metallic garden hose reel resists corrosion better than any corrosion-resistant finish. Aside from corrosion, a powder-coating finish resists chipping and scratching. Your cast-iron reel is likely powder-coated.

Steel garden hose reel is usually galvanized to resist corrosion and rust. However, we don’t recommend them for owners likely to handle the reel roughly. Some garden hose reels feature weatherproof paint. 

While not resistant to chipping, it protects your reel from weather elements like rain and sun. Enamel paint serves the same purpose. If you want the best resistance to corrosion and elements, dry powder-coated garden hose reels are the best choice.

The Different Types of Garden Hose Reels

After settling on a particular material for a garden hose reel, you’ll decide your reel choice from the four types of reels:

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

Wall-Mounted Garden Hose Reels

You’ll mount this garden hose reel on a wall or fence to save precious floor space. Most importantly, this reel keeps your garden hose off the floor where elements like water can reach it. Therefore, it keeps your garden hose safe while giving you easy access to the garden hose to water plants.

Freestanding Garden Hose reels

If you desire mobility and want to move your garden hose to where you need it, a freestanding hose reel is the type to buy. This garden hose reel organizes your garden hose while giving you the option to move around freely.

It’s good for free yard movements as it’s more portable. However, it competes with other items in the store for the precious floor space.

Retractable Hose Reels

This garden hose reel features a spring-loaded mechanism that retracts the garden hose automatically if you’re done watering your plants. No other garden hose reel is more convenient. However, these reels are usually the most expensive options on the market.

Cart-style Hose Reels

The wheels on this cart-styled garden hose reel make transporting the hose to a site effortless. These reels are the best option for heavy-duty gardening needs since they can transport heavier hoses to the desired yard location.

The Capacity of Reel to Hold the Hose Weight

Besides choosing a garden hose reel with the best material and corrosion-resistant finish, you want to ensure it carries your garden hose and accommodates its size perfectly. The idea is to get a garden hose reel that accommodates your garden hose size while remaining compact.

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

Hose Length and Reel Capacity

The length of your garden hose determines the reel you’ll choose for it. A longer garden hose takes up more space. The reel has to be large enough to accommodate the extra length without causing kinks to your garden hose.

You’ll consider the capacity of the reel to contain the entire hose length and bear the weight of the hose. A garden hose reel has a capacity rated in either feet or meters. Choose a reel with a rating longer than your garden hose. 

This is to ensure the reel will fully accommodate the length of your garden hose. You’ll also consider how heavy your garden hose is after coiling it. A heavier hose requires a sturdier reel to organize it without damaging its winding mechanism.

How to Choose a Reel for The Right Hose Size

Garden hoses also come in different sizes besides varying in length. A standard garden hose doesn’t demand a special reel; a common type of reel can accommodate its length and weight.

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

However, heavy-duty hoses boast a larger size. They’re heavier for every 1 foot of length. These garden hoses demand reels with stronger winding mechanisms. They’ll also need stronger and sturdier garden hose reels.

Flexible hoses are also easier to store. But even so, you want to check if your preferred reel has a compatible winding system to retract a flexible hose.

Balance Compactness with Ample Storage in a Reel

A compact garden hose reel is suitable for ordinary watering needs because it accommodates average hose lengths. However, if your watering need is extensive and requires a longer hose to do it, consider buying a reel with ample storage.

Hose Retraction Mechanism

Choosing the best garden hose reel also involves looking into its mechanism and ease of use. A manual reel features a hand crank for you to wind the hose after watering your plants. Manual winding mechanisms give you control but are labor-intensive if you own a longer garden hose. You can choose an automatic winding mechanism if you mind doing the manual labor.

Some automatic winding mechanisms use an electric motor to retract the hose after use. At the same time, others use a spring to auto-retract the hose after letting go of it. Manual winding mechanism reels are more affordable. A motorized reel is the most expensive and a spring mechanism is there in between.

Whichever winding mechanism you choose, ensure it has a smooth winding. The garden hose reel should retract the hose without forming kinks on the hose. If it’s a manual reel, ensure its handle has a comfortable grip to reduce hand fatigue.

Additional Features to Consider

A garden hose reel also has extra features aside from its material, corrosion-resistant finish, and weight-bearing capacity.

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

Anti-Leakage and Anti-Kink Technology

Your hose reel should feature robust connectors and seals that connect the hose to a water faucet without the water leaking. Additionally, the reel should not create kinks along the length of your hose when storing and organizing the garden hose.

Adjustable Hose Guides

This feature allows you to control how the garden hose winds on the reel. An adjustable hose guide can accommodate different winding patterns. Ensure your preferred reel has this feature for smooth and efficient garden hose winding. 

Built-in Storage for Nozzles and Attachments

Winding a hose on the reel with the water accessories still attached to the hose may affect the retraction. Besides, such attachments might easily be lost. Some garden hose reels have storage spaces designated for nozzles and attachments. 


Such reels ensure you don't lose the essential accessories to water your garden. They also ensure you can meet your watering needs when you want.

The Aesthetics of the Hose Reel

While not having practicality benefits, a beautiful garden hose reel can transform your storage room decor. Color plays an important role in aesthetics. Therefore, choose a garden hose reel with the color you like. A decorative reel will make your garden look even more beautiful. 

Price and Warranty

Price and warranty also affect the choice of a particular garden hose reel. The price determines which one you can afford to buy while the warranty protects your investments from defects resulting from manufacturer’s error.

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

Garden Hose Reel Quality and the Cost

The price has to match the quality you’re getting. The quality of the material is very important. Stainless steel is high quality and makes the reel very durable. Heavy-duty plastic is also durable but can’t match the durability test of a metallic garden hose reel.

Construction robustness also affects quality. A reel with a sturdy frame and smooth winding mechanism will cost more. Ensure you’re paying for a quality product by looking at the material, construction robustness, and smooth winding mechanism.

How Warranty Works

The warranty covers a product for a specific period. If the product becomes defective after the warranty period is over, the owner incurs the repair costs. 

You have to consider the warranty period to get protection for an extended period. Check around and choose a garden hose reel with a longer warranty period. You also want to ensure the warranty claim process is smooth and straightforward.

How to Choose Garden Hose Reels

Conclusion

Choosing the best garden hose reel depends on the material quality of your product. Reels made of metal outperform garden hose reels made of plastics. However, metallic hose reels will set you back a few extra bucks because they’re more expensive.

The weight capacity is also a factor you’ll consider. You want a reel that organizes your entire garden hose. What’s more, it should handle the weight of your hose, especially if you plan to mount it on a wall or fence. Therefore choose the best garden hose reel that works for you.