The 8 Best Hose Reels, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Gorilla Aluminum Zero Rust Premium Mobile Hose Reel

4.8

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  3.5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Ease of Use
  4.5/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5

If you are looking for a high-quality hose reel to store and transport your hose (up to 200 feet), the Gorilla Aluminum Hose Reel is the perfect choice. After we tested 25 other reels of different shapes and styles, this product shines above the rest for its durability and design.

We found this reel to be easy to put together (although the screws require a little extra effort), and the aluminum frame felt well-made and built to last. The reel's rubber wheels made it easy to maneuver on different surfaces. We also appreciated the rubber grips on the handle, which made the reel comfortable and easy to steer. For reference, our testing team member who used this reel is 5 foot 2 inches, so someone taller might have a different experience and might need to bend over to move the reel around, but generally, we believe this model is good for a variety of heights.

Connecting and threading the hose into the reel was also effortless. In addition to the sliding threading guide, a loop on the side helps guide the hose around the reel. These alignment guides almost felt unnecessary, since there is already a spigot on the reel. However, our tester noted that the loop made reeling and unreeling more stable and seamless.

Price at time of publish: $149

_{Material: Aluminum | Dimensions: 18.9 x 23.8 x 16.7 inches | Hose Capacity: 200 feet | Warranty: 7 years}

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Gardena 18513-20 Frost Proof ''M'' Hose Cart Set

4.6

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  5/5
• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Durability
  4/5

The Gardena Frost Proof Hose Cart Set is an excellent choice if you need a hose, nozzle, and a place to store them—it conveniently includes all three. We loved the cart's bright, turquoise color, which made it stand out in the landscape, as well as its practical features, but especially its maneuverability on grass and rocks. We found the cart to be so light and easy to move that we expected it to fall over when using the crank to reel and unreel the hose. However, it was surprisingly sturdy and didn’t tip over at all, in part due to the handy kickstand feature that helped keep it steady. (We did need to bend over a bit to use the handle, but it was still easy to move around.)

The cart arrives fully assembled, and although it comes with a 65-foot hose, the manufacturer says it can be used with a hose up to 198 feet long. You can also find multiple sizes of this set that include longer hoses. This product, made in Germany, uses the European hose connection standard, so you need an extra attachment, purchased separately from Gardena or elsewhere, to connect the included hose to a U.S. spigot. However, we found that we could attach our own hoses to the reel itself, if you have a hose with a 1/2-inch coupling.

Price at time of publish: $180

_{Material: Plastic and aluminum | Dimensions: 29 x 18.8 x 35.4 inches | Hose Capacity: Includes a 65 foot hose, capacity is 198 feet | Warranty: 2 years, with extended warranty available}

Best Budget

Artigarden Freestanding Garden Hose Holder Hanger

4.5

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  4.5/5
• Design
  3.5/5
• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Durability
  4/5
• Value
  4/5

For a quick and affordable way to store your hose, we recommend the Artigarden Freestanding Garden Hose Hanger. With a simple, very basic design, this metal structure has three prongs that can be staked in the garden, yard, or anywhere you want to keep your hose handy and organized, as long as there is dirt. Although when empty, the hanger is lightweight (just over 4 pounds) and can be easily moved to a different spot on your property, it's not intended to transport your hose—it is simply a place to store it. 

We found the hanger very easy to stick in the ground and it was also easy to hang the hose around the loop on the hanger, even though instructions weren’t included. Not all hoses looped equally: We found it a little tougher to loop a fabric hose than a rubber hose. Unlike a true hose reel, you need to use your own two hands to hang the hose. The hanger stayed in the ground nicely during testing, but we believe it could tip over if the soil were to become loose, say, after heavy rain or a spring thaw, so keep that in mind when determining where to place it. These objections aside, we still believe this is a quick, budget-friendly, and space-saving solution for storing your hose.

Price at time of publish: $55

_{Material: Alloy steel and metal | Dimensions: 12 x 5 x 43.5 inches | Hose Capacity: 150 feet | Warranty: 90 days}

Best Portable

Liberty Garden 880-2 Industrial 2-Wheel Pneumatic Tires Garden Hose Reel Cart

4.6

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  2/5
• Design
  4.5/5
• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5

To transport your hose and hose accessories around a larger garden or yard with ease, we recommend the Liberty Garden Industrial Hose Cart. This reel was very easy to move around via pushing and pulling it around our testing area. Thanks to the cart’s big, rubber wheels, we were able to push it over different types of terrain easily. The wheels measure 15-and-a-half in diameter, making them one of the larger pairs compared to the other hose carts in this roundup. The wheels are filled with air, so keep in mind they could puncture or go flat at some point. We also love the size and placement of the basket, which could be big enough to carry gardening tools, a water bottle, a hose nozzle, or gardening gloves.

Reeling and unreeling the hose was also effortless, and the powder-coated steel reel felt sturdy when we were using it. However, we noticed that not all hoses attached with the same degree of ease. The attachment point was in a bit of an awkward spot, which also seemed to affect some hoses more than others. And while certain pieces came pre-assembled, the instructions for assembling other pieces were a bit confusing. All in all, we believe this cart is worth the extra effort, especially for larger yards and for carrying supplies.

Price at time of publish: $196

_{Material: Steel with brass/galvanized fittings | Dimensions: 24 x 38.8 x 36.8 inches | Hose Capacity: 300 feet | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty}

Best Hideaway

Giraffe Metal Hose Reel Box

4.5

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  4/5
• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Portability
  3/5
• Durability
  4.5/5

The Giraffe Metal Hose Reel Box is an excellent option if you want the benefits of a hose reel but also want to keep your hose contained and out of sight. This bronze-colored metal box is more stylish than some plastic versions and should be more resistant to weather over time. Although wheels would have been nice, we found it relatively easy to lift and move the Giraffe when needed, even when with the hose fully reeled. 

At first, we were confused about how to attach the hose, but the manufacturer has a handy video that made the process simple to follow. After learning how to hook up the hose, we found it easy to wind and unwind it. The box also includes a threading guide that moves from left to right to help thread and evenly distribute the hose around the reel. Considering that some hoses are harder to coil than others, we were especially fond of this feature. Aside from its lack of portability features (e.g., wheels or comfortable handles), this hideaway model is a great option to conceal, wind, and unwind your hose.

Price at time of publish: $198

_{Material: Metal | Dimensions: 20.5 x 22.8 x 17 inches | Hose Capacity: 150 feet or 200 feet, depending on diameter | Warranty: 24 months}

Best Pot

Better Homes & Gardens Metal Hose Pot

4.6

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  5/5
• Design
  4/5
• Ease of Use
  4/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Durability
  5/5

A hose pot is a quick solution to storing your hose. We love this option from Better Homes & Gardens, because it is budget-friendly and lightweight and has a detailed pattern that complements many different types of decor (Better Homes & Gardens is owned by The Spruce's parent company, Dotdash Meredith). It requires no setup and comes in a variety of styles and sizes. You can store or place it almost anywhere because it has a rust-resistant finish that should hold up to the elements, although it does not have a lid.

As with most garden pots, this option isn't ideal to transport your hose or any other garden accessories. We found that lightweight hoses were the best choices for this pot, because you have to take the whole hose out and drag it around when in use—you don’t have the benefit of a reel to roll up the hose for you, but if you are looking for a hose pot, you can’t go wrong with this stylish choice.

Price at time of publish: $35

_{Material: Iron | Dimensions: 18 x 10 inches | Hose Capacity: 100 feet | Warranty: Not listed}

Best Cart

Eley Portable Garden Hose Reel Cart

4.7

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  3/5
• Design
  5/5
• Ease of Use
  5/5
• Portability
  5/5
• Durability
  5/5

With a unique and durable design, the Eley Portable Garden Hose Reel Cart is a great option for transporting your hose around your yard, or in and out of storage. We found the reel to be very easy to wind and unwind. The large tires easily handled different terrain without any issues, making this product very smooth and easy to pull. Although the reel can fit a hose up to 125 feet long, the manufacturer offers an extra-capacity kit to accommodate larger hoses.

We also noted the sturdy construction and solid materials, including the connectors and the connector hose, and believe it should last for several seasons; the manufacturer backs it with a “10-year No-Leak, No-Rust, No-Break warranty.” All of these features come at a price, but if you want a high-quality cart to contain and transport your hose, and don’t mind a bit of a splurge, this is an excellent choice.

Price at time of publish: $321

_{Material: | Dimensions: 22.5 x 25 x 36.6 inches | Hose Capacity: 100 to 125 feet, depending on diameter | Warranty: 10 years}