best expandable hoses

The UK’s Best Expandable Hoses [Length, Fittings & Price]

Space is at a premium in our garden and we want to maximize how we use our space.  We’re also keen to ensure that all the tools we buy and use in our vegetable garden last a long time and also are easy to use.  And so we’re big advocates of expandable hoses.  An expandable hose grows in length when it is filled with water and it shrinks down to a compact size when it has no water in it. Unlike traditional hoses, they are not heavy and cumbersome.  Expandable hoses are lightweight, small and store easily.  Expandable hoses are an excellent choice for a small garden, for container gardening and for those who need lightweight tools – you can easily carry them in one hand. And so this guide not only covers the best hoses on the market but the best expandable hoses in the UK.

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Best Expandable Garden Hoses at a Glance

Expandable HosesHighlightsWhat It Looks LikeRead Reviews & Buy Now!
Best Buy Expandable Hose – Flexihose• Available in 50, (15 metre) 75 feet (23 metre) or 100 feet (30 metre) lengths
• Double latex core
• Strong nylon outer cover
• Brass connectors
• Use up to 12 bar of water pressure
• Use up to 45 degrees Celsius water temperature
• 8 pattern rotating hose nozzle made of zinc alloy with a slip-resistant rubberized handle
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Our best buy expandable hose – buy now
Best Buy 50 foot expandable hose• Expands from 16.5 feet (5 metres) to 50 feet (15 metre)
• Use with water pressure from 3 bar to 12 bar
• 8 spray pattern nozzle
• Brass fittings and connectors
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Best 50 foot expandable hose buy now
Best lightweight expandable hose• 50 feet (15 metre) or 100 feet (30 metre) in length
• Extremely lightweight – about 700 grams
• Plastic fittings
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Buy the best lighweight expandable hose here
Best 200 foot (60m) expandable hose• Brass fittings and connectors
• Expands from 66.7 feet (20m) to 200 feet (60 m) when pressured
• Can we used at up to 12 bars of pressure
• 9 function spraying nozzle include jet, shower and soaker
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Buy 200ft expandable hose now

Expandable Hose Reviews

Best Buy Expandable Hose – Flexihose

Available in 50 feet (15 metres), 75 feet (23 metres) or 100 feet (30 metres) lengths (when expanded), this Flexihose expandable hose is, we think, the best expandable water hose on the market.  The hose can withstand up to 12 bars of pressure and temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius.   It comes with a double latex core and a strong nylon outer cover.  There are solid brass expandable hose connectors and a sturdy on/off valve.  This is quite simply one of the best expandable hoses available.  Check other reviews and buy now. 

Key features of the Flexihose Expandable Hose

  • Available in 50, (15 metre) 75 feet (23 metre) or 100 feet (30 metre) lengths
  • Double latex core
  • Strong nylon outer cover
  • Brass connectors
  • Use up to 12 bar of water pressure
  • Use up to 45 degrees Celsius water temperature
  • 8 pattern rotating hose nozzle made of zinc alloy with a slip-resistant rubberized handle

Choose your length of expandable hose and buy now 

Best 50 foot (15 metre) expandable hose – Avyvi expandable hose

This 50 foot (15 metres) expandable garden hose retracts to just 16.5 feet (5 metres) when not in use.  The hose is usable in water pressures of between 3 and 12 bar.  The Avyvi expandable hose comes with brass fittings and an 8 spray pattern nozzle.  Lightweight, easy to use and durable.  Check reviews and buy now. 

Key features of the best 50 foot (15 metres) expandable hose

  • Expands from 16.5 feet (5 metres) to 50 feet (15 metre)
  • Use with water pressure from 3 bar to 12 bar
  • 8 spray pattern nozzle
  • Best expandable hose with brass fittings and connectors

Buy the best 50 foot (15 metres) expandable hose now. 

Best Lightweight Expandable Hose

If you’re looking for seriously lightweight, cheap and cheerful then you won’t go far wrong with this Magic Hose expandable hose.   This is a perfect buy for any elderly family member or for someone who needs something seriously lightweight.  It comes with plastic fittings, which means it’s the lightest expandable hose that you’re going to find.   We have two of these in the family with older family members and they’re great.  There are 7 spray gun modes and the hose comes in either a 50 foot (15 metres) or 100-foot (30 metres) length (that’s when expanded).    Buy now and make life a lot easier!

Key features of this amazingly lightweight expandable hose

  • 50 feet (15 metre) or 100 feet (30 metre) in length
  • Extremely lightweight – about 700 grams
  • Plastic fittings

Need a really lightweight expandable hose?  Buy this one now 

Best 200 Foot Expandable Hose (60 metres)

Made from the highest quality materials, this 200 foot (60 metres) when extended hose is lightweight and durable.  This extra-long expandable hose is designed to be used at up to 12 bars of pressure and comes with brass hose fittings and connectors.   The hose comes with a 9 function spraying nozzle with a comfortable grip.  Buy this 67 foot (20 metres) expandable to 200 foot (60 m) expandable hose now. 

Key Features of the 200 Foot (60 metres) Expandable Hose

  • Brass fittings and connectors
  • Expands from 66.7 feet (20m) to 200 feet (60 m) when pressured
  • Can we used at up to 12 bars of pressure
  • 9 function spraying nozzle include jet, shower and soaker

Check other reviews of this 200-foot (60 m) expandable hose and buy now. 

Tips on Buying and Using Expandable Hoses

Always look for the best quality, most durable expandable hose that you can afford and that meets the needs of what you want it to do.  Unfortunately, too many people buy the cheapest expandable hose with cheap plastic fittings and a spray nozzle that leaks and end up buying another almost straight away.

Here are a few tips on buying and using expandable hoses

  • Try and buy one with brass fittings for durability and fewer leaks
  • A double or triple latex inner tube will give you good flexibility durability and strength.
  • A triple inner will be slightly heavier than a double inner, so if weight is an issue, look carefully at the weight before you buy
  • Read the instructions before you use it. Some hoses can’t be used with hot water.  Some need to tested before use. 
  • Draining and storing correctly will extend the life of your expandable hose. Be sure to follow the instructions and you’ll get more out your hose.

Expandable Hose Buying Guide

Our expandable hose buying guide covers all the reasons you should go for an expandable hose and what to look for when you select one.  We’ll cover all the questions that we had when we first bought one (and there have been several in our lives and the lives of our families).   Our buying guide and expandable hose reviews look at durability, weight, length, reviews, quality of connectors, price and usability.

What is an Expandable Hose?

An expandable hose is designed to expand up to 3 times its length when it is filled with water.  It’s also designed to shrink back down in size when the water drains out of it.  Expandable hoses are made of lightweight material, they don’t kink and tangle like traditional rubber hoses.  Expandable hoses are easy to store as they take up little room and they’re amazingly easy to use. We think they’re an essential garden tool.

Expandable hoses are made of double or triple layers of latex covers in a woven nylon outer covering.  This expands to create the 3-4 times length when water is inside the expandable hose.

What makes hoses expandable?

Hoses that are expandable are made of multiple layers of latex, which are thin enough to stretch when pressure is increased.

What is the best expandable hose to buy?

The best expandable hose UK availability depends on what your use will be.  If you’ll be dragging a hose over hard surfaces like concrete and paving stones, then go for the most durable one you can find.  If a hose is something that you’ll use every day – as we do with watering the vegetables, then I want one that will last and not a cheap one that will end up in a landfill in just a few weeks!

Top PRODUCT PICK

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The Best Expanding Hose

This expanding hose is the best in class. It’s reliable and resilient. It’s long lasting, and will see you well.

How do expandable hoses work?

Expandable hoses use water pressure to expand the materials within the hose.  The latex and nylon covering both stretches when pressured and relax and shrink when the pressure it’s released.  If you’re using water from a tank or a water butt you may not have enough water pressure to use an expandable hose.  When we use water from the rainwater collectors in the garden, we tend to use a watering can.

Many of the expandable hoses will detail the maximum pressure that they can be used with.  If you use a pressure great than this they may leak or burst.    Most expandable hoses use standard fittings to attach to taps.

Virtually all expandable hoses are designed with a latex inner and a nylon protective cover.  This is to try and protect the inner latex from the environment and damage.  Nylon stretches easily and nylon fibre is usually very durable.

Can you get an expandable rubber hose?

For all intents and purposes, the expandable hose that you buy is made of a similar material to a regular old fashioned garden hose, apart from the fact that the materials are thinner and they are multiple layered. The inner layers are thin enough latex to expand under increased pressure and the out layer is tough and protects the thinner latex.

How is an expandable hose different from a regular hose?

Traditional hoses are made of heavy rubber.  They are the same length at all times.  Expandable hoses comprise inner latex cores surrounded by a nylon protective sleeve.  Expandable hoses can expand up to three times in length when they are in use – i.e. when filled with water pressure.  Expandable hoses tend to be up to 5 times lighter than traditional hoses. Expandable hoses are the best hose to buy if you want lightweight and easy to manage.

What to look for in an expandable hose

There are several differentiators between expandable hoses on the market, here they are in brief – what to look for in an expandable hose

Number of inner layers or cores

Expandable hoses have different numbers of “layered cores” – this is simply the latex “inner tube”.  Some have double layers, some have triple layers.  An expandable hose with a double layer is more flexible than a triple later.  It is also more lightweight.  A third layer, however, might give the hose additional protection and generally allow higher water pressure to be used. 

Hose Fitting Materials – Brass, Aluminium and Plastic

The best hose fittings are made of brass, which is exceptionally durable and which can last for years.  The best expandable hoses have brass fittings.  Cheaper expandable hoses might have plastic fittings (you’ll only ever buy one of this type and it’s all for the wrong reasons!), or aluminium.  Aluminium hose fittings tend to be used on mid-priced expandable hoses.  Aluminium fittings do make the hose a little lighter and cheaper than brass fittings, so are a reasonable alternative.

Top PRODUCT PICK

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The Best Expanding Hose

This expanding hose is the best in class. It’s reliable and resilient. It’s long lasting, and will see you well.

Length of the Hose

Most expandable hoses come in a variety of lengths – from 25 feet (7.6m) to 100 feet (30m).  The important thing to bear in mind with expandable hoses is that they need to expand to work properly. So if you usually need to water something that is 25 feet (7.6m) from the tap, buying a 100-foot (30m) expandable hose is going to be a pain.  In this instance, we’d recommend buying shorter hoses and for the time when you need to go further, use a connector to connect two.  Or simply buy a short one and a long one.

All our guides to the best garden equipment

FAQs on Expandable Hoses

Got questions about expandable hoses? Or want to know something specific about expandable hoses and we haven’t answered your questions?  Check out our frequently asked questions about expandable hoses below, or ask us yours in the comments.

Can you leave an expandable hose out in the garden when not being used?

As with any product, the effect of the sun and inclement weather can damage them.  The same is true with expandable hoses.  You can leave your expandable hose outside, yes.  But if you must, leave it out of direct sunlight.  If frost or freezing weather is expected, then drain it properly, dry it and store it inside.

Can I connect two expandable hoses together?

Yes.  It’s easy to connect multiple expandable hoses together.  You’ll just need to buy a connector.

Can I buy replacement nozzles for expandable hoses?

Yes.  Replacement nozzles for expandable hoses are easily available. 

Can you fix an expandable hose?

Yes, you can repair an expandable hose, but it depends on what the damage is and where it is.  It used to be those early models (and still today, with the cheaper models) that expandable hoses were much easier to puncture than traditional hoses. 

If the leak that you’re experiencing is close to the hose fittings, then simply cut off the damaged area and reattach the fittings.  If the leak is in the middle, then you can remove the damaged hose area and reconnect it with a reconnection fitting. Expandable hose repair kits are a thing and they’re available here. 

Be aware that you’ll need to clamp the hose TIGHTLY before making any cuts.  This is to prevent the inner core from recoiling inside itself.  Clamp it.  Cut the damaged area out and then reconnect the hose using the fittings from your repair kit. 

Does a new expandable hose need any special treatment?

When you first get your new expandable hose you must stretch it out fully before using it.  Close the shut-off valve on the nozzle and let the hose fill with water so that it expands to its full size.  Once it’s done, release the valve and let it drain.  Repeat this process once more.  By doing this you’re checking to see that there are no holes or defects in the hose.

Also, take care when dragging your hose across any rough ground.

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Final Words on the Best Expandable Hoses

Expandable hoses make a huge difference when it comes to watering vegetables and gardens.  These hoses store in a small space, hardly weigh anything and reduce the frustration of tangles of traditional hoses.  They’re a great way to manage small space gardening and are a fabulous choice for container gardening and for those who prefer not to lug around heavy rubber hoses.  We hope you find our best expandable hose reviews useful and find that expandable hoses make your life in the garden a lot easier!

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