How to Choose a Garden Hose: Bore, Length and Build

A good garden hose should reach every corner without kinking, deliver enough water for what you're running on it, and last for years in the sun and frost. Choosing one comes down to three things: the bore, the length and how it's made. This guide covers each one, then matches hoses to the jobs they do best.

1. Bore: 1/2" or 3/4"?

The bore is the inside diameter of the hose, and it decides how much water gets through.

• 1/2" (12.5mm) is the standard UK garden hose. It's lighter, easier to coil and suits hand watering, spray guns, car washing and most domestic sprinklers. It's the size most hose reels are made for.
• 3/4" (19mm) carries more water. Choose it for big sprinklers, long runs where you'd otherwise lose flow, or jobs where you want water faster. It's heavier and needs 3/4" hose connectors.

If you're not sure, 1/2" is the right choice for most gardens. Our guide to 1/2" v 3/4" garden hose goes into more detail.

2. Length

Measure from the tap to the furthest point you need to water, following the route the hose will actually take round beds, paths and corners, then add a few metres so it isn't pulled tight.

• Up to 25m: most small and medium gardens.
• 30m: larger gardens, or a medium garden with an awkward route from the tap.
• 50m: long gardens, allotments and large lawns.
• 100m: a roll to cut into several lengths, or for very large plots.

Don't buy much more than you need. Longer hose is heavier to drag and coil, and every extra metre takes a little more pressure to push water through.

3. How it's made

A cheap single-layer hose kinks, splits in frost and goes stiff in the sun. A good hose is built in layers, each doing a job:

• A smooth inner lining for good flow.
• An anti-kink layer so it doesn't fold shut when it bends.
• Knitted reinforcement to take the pressure without bulging or splitting.
• A UV-stabilised outer cover that stands up to sun and scuffs.

Check the guarantee too. It's a good sign of how long the maker expects the hose to last.

The hoses we stock

Hozelock Tricoflex: the all-rounder

Hozelock Tricoflex is a 1/2" hose with four layers: a UV-stabilised outer cover, knitted reinforcement, an anti-kink PVC layer and a smooth inner lining. It's rated to 12 bar and from -15°C to +60°C. It comes in 25m, 50m and 100m lengths, and suits watering, washing the car and cleaning the patio.

Hozelock Super Tricoflex Ultimate: lighter and easier to handle

The Super Tricoflex Ultimate (7830) is the top of the Hozelock range. It's a 1/2" hose with a 5-layer reinforced knitted structure, anti-kink and anti-twist, UV and frost protected, and made with 70% recycled PVC. It's lighter and more flexible than standard hose, so it's easier to pull round the garden and coils neatly. Hozelock guarantee it for 30 years.

Claber Flexyfort 3/4": for more water

Claber Flexyfort is a 3/4" (19mm) hose with knitted reinforcement and an anti-kink layer. It resists UV and algae, is made without heavy metals or phthalates, and carries a 25-year Claber warranty. Choose the 25m (9149) or 50m (9138) when you're running a big sprinkler or need water faster.

Which hose for which job?

• Hand watering, spray guns and car washing: 1/2" Tricoflex or Super Tricoflex in the length you need.
• A hose you'll use every day and want to last: Super Tricoflex Ultimate.
• Big lawn sprinklers and long runs: 3/4" Flexyfort.
• A hose that lives on a reel: 1/2" hose, matched to the reel's capacity.
• Watering beds automatically: a garden hose isn't the right tool. Use a soaker or sprinkler hose, or a drip system on a timer.

Fittings and storage

Fit a hose end connector to each end. The tap end clicks onto a tap connector, and the other end onto your spray gun or sprinkler. For 1/2" hose, the Hozelock 2070 Soft Touch connectors are a popular choice. For 3/4" hose, you'll need 3/4" connectors such as the Claber 9613. Brass or plastic? Our guide to plastic v brass hose fittings compares them.

A hose lasts much longer stored on a hose reel, out of the sun and off the ground. Drain it and bring it in before hard frosts.

Looking after your hose

• Don't leave it pressurised. Turn the tap off when you've finished, not just the gun.
• Uncoil it fully before use so it doesn't twist and kink.
• Don't drag it round sharp corners or over rough edges.
• Drain it before winter and store it somewhere frost-free if you can.

Browse all our garden hose pipes, or call us on 0333 335 6295 if you'd like help choosing.