Choosing The Right Hose

Our guide to selecting the right garden hose for all your watering needs

Natalie Crofts
22 February 2019

Here at Hoselink we are frequently asked which garden hose is best. The answer isn’t actually straightforward. There isn’t just one kind of garden hose that’s perfect for everyone. What works best for you will depend on the size of the area in which you’ll be using it, what you’ll use the hose for and where you’ll store it, as well as your budget. But, in general, there are three things you should consider when choosing a garden hose:

1. Length – Longer is not better

Only buy the length of hose you need, no longer. We sell our hoses in different lengths up to 30m and it can be tempting to buy the longest hose to cover every watering eventuality. But don’t do it!

Not only do longer hoses cost more, they’re heavier to move around, need more storage space, can be difficult to drain before putting away and can result in lower water pressure coming out of the spray end. This is one reason why we don’t sell hoses longer than 30m.

To determine the right length of hose for your backyard, measure the farthest distance from your tap and buy a hose that goes just beyond that. You don’t want to buy the exact size as any tug on the hose to stretch it will likely cause snags and damage over time. If you need a longer length of hose than 30m, consider buying two hoses and joining them together, but only when you need to go beyond 30m. That way you’re not lugging around a long, heavy garden hose all the time. Our hoses all come pre-fitted with a Hoselink no-burst Hose Connector at either end, making them easy to connect with a simple 'point and twist' resulting in a strong, watertight connection.

If you have a Retractable Hose Reel you may wish to consider buying an Additional Bracket & Tap Connector enabling you to move your reel between more than one location, i.e. the front and back yard. Just bear in mind the weight of your reel, as they range from 9kg to 13.95kg without any water in.

2. Hose Diameter – Width = water flow

We sell hoses with diameters of 12mm, 14mm and 18mm. These measurements are based on the internal diameter of the hose, not the external. The bigger the diameter, the more water the hose can carry.

A hose width of 12mm is generally the most useful and most common garden hose diameter. It’s a good combination of water flow and pressure without being too heavy. The majority of the hoses we sell are 12mm.

The only 14mm hose we currently sell is the 25m Hi-Flow Retractable Hose Reel. This hose is perfect for those who have lower water pressure at their property but would still like to have a retractable hose. Often with Retractable Hose Reels there is a slight reduction in water pressure, this is because the hose is coiled up inside the casing and the water has much further to travel than with a regular garden hose. The Hi-Flow Reel is designed to provide a higher flow of water providing better pressure overall.

Our 18mm range is typically used in rural and commercial settings and provides the highest water flow of all our hoses. This range can be easily identified by the black and red colour of its fittings.

3. Flexibility – Kinking

Kinking is probably one of the most annoying things a hose can do. Flexibility and kinking go hand in hand: the softer and more flexible the hose, the more it will kink.

Our Superflex Hose has a kink-resistance rating of 9 out of 10.

Our Classic Hose has a kink-resistance rating of 8 out of 10.

Our Retractable Hose Reels rarely kink, not only due to the high-grade, durable material they’re made from, but because of the way in which you use them. You would normally only pull out the length of hose required for the job at hand and then retract it back inside once you finish watering. This should mean a minimal chance of kinking. The hose inside the reel has been designed specifically for use with an auto-rewind reel, therefore is softer than any of our other garden hoses to allow it to rewind neatly. A normal garden hose cannot be fitted to a retractable reel because it would not rewind neatly.

Overview of our hoses

Hoselink has the right garden hose for you!

Whether it's for washing the car, watering the garden or cleaning windows, a garden hose is essential to every home.

The right garden hose can make any watering task a pleasure. Our range of quality hoses are available in a variety of lengths and options to ensure you find the right one to suit your needs.

Hoselink hoses are:

Made durable for Australian conditions
Easy to roll and store away
Pre-fitted with Hoselink's no-burst, no-leak Hose End Connectors

Here are some key points about each hose to help you make a decision:

Retractable Hose Reel

• Standard Reels are available in 15m, 20m, 25m & 30m hose lengths. The Hi-Flow Reel is available in 25m hose length
• ‘Stop-anywhere’ locking mechanism so there’s no need to pull out the whole hose every time
• Easy to unwind and rewind - no more untidy hoses!
• Hose less likely to kink as it isn’t left in a tangled mess when not in use
• Reel pivots 180° on the bracket to face wherever you are in the garden, resulting in a smoother watering experience
• Reel can be padlocked to the bracket for added security
• 2-year warranty
• Maximum pressure 150PSI
• Buy now