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Whether you want to wash your car at home, maintain your garden, or turn your backyard into a water park, a good hose makes all the difference.

To find out what to look for when shopping for a hose, we interviewed John Jors, a Florida master gardener and volunteer groundskeeper at the 35-acre Bonnet House Museum and Gardens. Jors prioritizes durability and recommends the following key features: material (rubber, vinyl, or polyurethane), thickness (two-ply hoses are the least strong and six-ply are the strongest), and the materials used for the fittings, aka the couplings (metal or plastic). 

For this guide, we tested seven hoses for durability, ease of use, and efficiency. Learn more about our testing methodology here. For additional guidance on how to shop for and take care of your garden hose, read our FAQs section. 

You can read more about how Insider tests home products here.

Best garden hose overall: Dramm ColorStorm Garden Hose, $88.50 from Amazon Despite its heavy weight, the rugged ColorStorm Garden Hose provides an efficient and surprisingly smooth watering experience. Its thick rubber body doesn't bend or kink, while its metal fittings can withstand rough handling.

Best budget garden hose: Continental Black Water Hose, $44.98 from The Home Depot In a sea of flimsy hoses, the rubber, kink-free Continental Water Hose stands out for its durability, reliability, and ease of use.

Best expandable garden hose: TheFitLife Expandable Garden Hose, $36.86 from Amazon If space is at a premium, you should consider TheFitLife's flexible multifunctional hose, which expands to three times its length when water is flowing through but shrinks back down for compact storage. 

Best heavy-duty garden hose: Tardigrade Steel Hose, $35.99 from Amazon There's no need to be delicate with the Tardigrade Steel Hose. It's best for watering environments where sharp or abrasive objects are involved, and it won't get damaged if you leave it out in the sun.

Despite its heavy weight, the rugged ColorStorm Garden Hose provides an efficient and surprisingly smooth watering experience. Its thick rubber body doesn't bend or kink, while its metal fittings can withstand rough handling. 

Pros: Thick and durable rubber construction, doesn't kink, fast water flow, available in eye-catching colors

Cons: Hose body shows dust and dirt easily, heavy 

The Dramm ColorStorm Garden Hose was the clear winner in all of our tests. Although it was the heaviest of all the hoses we tried, it excelled in other areas, from ease of use to kink resistance to flow rate. 

Both material and design make it a high-performing, reliable hose. Jors told us he personally prefers a high-quality rubber hose: "If properly stored, preferably on a reel, and drained after every use, it should last a very long time and make for happy gardening." This hose is made from thick rubber and has angled rather than smooth sides, which prevent it from kinking and bending.

The rubber bounces back easily no matter how you twist it, bend it, or step on it, so all you really have to focus on while watering is dragging the hose in the right direction. After multiple rounds of being slammed against concrete and thrown about, the nickel-plated brass fittings held up well, with no warping or dents. 

It fit very securely and tightly on my water connection, and it had the fastest water flow of all the hose contenders: 10.91 gallons per minute. That makes it especially valuable for tasks like filling up a pool or large bucket. If you have a lot of ground to water, the Dramm hose will make the chore go by quickly. 

While it's more expensive than the average hose, the investment is well worth it. Watering your garden or washing your car becomes significantly more pleasant, and you won't have to replace it because of hose body damage or frequent kinking. On top of that, it comes in bright colors that make backyard chores a little more fun. 

In a sea of flimsy hoses, the rubber, kink-free Continental Water Hose stands out for its durability, reliability, and ease of use.

Pros: Thick and durable rubber construction, doesn't kink

Cons: Hose body shows dust and dirt easily, heavy, slower flow rate than the Dramm  

It's hard to find a cheap hose that doesn't compromise some feature, be it durability, kink resistance, or weather resistance. For the most part, what you pay for is what you get in the hose department. 

There is one exception: the Continental hose. It's not dirt-cheap, but it is more affordable than all of our other picks, and it performs very well. 

The hose is heavy, rugged, and durable. It has a thick rubber body and strong solid brass fittings that held up to repeated attacks against concrete. Overall, it provides a smooth and relatively easy watering experience because it fits tightly over the water connection and doesn't kink or bend. The most difficult part is dragging around the 12 pounds of weight. 

Its flow rate is pretty good — 8.57 gallons per minute — which is a little slower than our top pick, the Dramm hose. While I'd say the two hoses are pretty comparable, the Continental is slightly thicker and less efficient, and it doesn't come in multiple colors (just black). That being said, these flaws aren't insurmountable, and I was still satisfied with this budget option. 

If space is at a premium, you should consider TheFitLife's flexible multifunctional hose, which expands to three times its length when water is flowing through but shrinks back down for compact storage. 

Pros: Light, flexible, expandable, different water flows available with the turn of a valve, doesn't kink

Cons: Slow water flow, exterior fabric may fray on rocky terrain

If you don't like dealing with long and unwieldy hoses or you simply don't have the storage space, TheFitLife's Expandable Garden Hose offers a creative solution. It extends quickly to its full 50-foot length once you turn your water on, and it retracts just as quickly once the water is off. 

Unlike its traditional rubber counterpart, this fabric-covered hose is soft, lightweight, and flexible. It's also impossible to kink no matter how you twist or bend the hose thanks to its unique construction of a latex interior and polyester fabric exterior.  

Conveniently, the hose has a brass valve at the end that lets you toggle between different water flow options or stop the flow completely so you don't waste water as you carry your hose around. Turn the valve and you'll get a light spray, medium spray, or high-pressure concentration. 

The way the hose expands and contracts in your hand when you switch flow options takes some getting used to and may cause a bit of discomfort at first. Be mindful not to drag the hose too far from the water connection when you use the valve, otherwise you'll be pulled back if the hose contracts. 

And while the fabric exterior is comfortable to hold and stretches to accommodate for expansion, it runs the risk of snagging on sharp or rocky surfaces. If you're planning to use the hose on rocky terrain, take extra care. 

All in all, however, it's still a smart and effective way to get all your watering tasks done without compromising space. 

The hose comes with a spray nozzle with eight watering patterns, but since we're focusing on pure hose performance, we did not use it.

There's no need to be delicate with the Tardigrade Steel Hose. It's best for watering environments where sharp or abrasive objects are involved, and it won't get damaged if you leave it out in the sun.

Pros: Highly durable, doesn't kink, weather-resistant

Cons: Steel body design may pinch fingers

If you need complete and utter confidence that nothing will puncture or break your hose, get one made out of steel. The Tardigrade hose is heavy-duty, with none of the weight or thickness of a rubber hose. 

I actively and aggressively tried to break it by dragging it across different terrains and jumping on it, but my efforts were futile. Rest assured that common concerns like pets, inclement weather, and thorny, rocky landscapes are no match. 

It's thinner and denser than a traditional rubber hose, but I found it relatively easy to maneuver around my backyard, since it didn't twist and tangle. The steel body had a nice cool feeling as the water ran through, which also improved my watering experience. Its flow rate, while not as fast as those of the rubber options I tested, was decent at 7.5 gallons per minute. 

Another pro to consider: The steel construction is UV-resistant, so you can leave the hose outside and it won't get damaged by the sun and crack. 

For flexibility's sake, the body consists of many rings of stainless steel, which may pinch your fingers as you maneuver the hose. I recommend wearing gloves as a precaution.

Aterod Expandable Garden Hose: Aterod also a valve switch, which is made from metal (versus TheFitLife's, which is plastic). However, the water connection leaked significantly, even when the hose was tightly attached. The hose expansions and contractions were also more extreme than TheFitLife's, making it difficult and inconvenient to switch among spray options. 

Gilmour Medium Duty Water Hose: This hose is prone to kinks, and I found myself constantly readjusting and finagling the hose as I used it. Water did not travel smoothly through it and it seemed resistant to movements. Further, it didn't fit well on my water connection and leaked a lot. 

Gilmour AquaArmor Lightweight Hose: The lightweight, durable alternative to the Medium Duty Hose above was a lot easier to use and has a flatter body, which seems to reduce kinks. However, the thin and light construction was also its downfall: it was difficult to keep the hose upright and pointed in the direction I wanted.

We put all seven hoses through these same four tests: 

Ease of use: How easy was it to move the hose around, roll it up, and water plants? We rated the difficulty on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being "very easy, barely broke a sweat" and 5 being "very difficult, required significant effort." 

Durability: We dragged each hose 50 feet across both concrete and grass and hit the fittings on the ground at different angles 50 times. Then we noted any abrasion and other durability issues with the hose body and the fitting. 

Kink resistance: We bent each hose in a tight "U" shape and stepped on each hose — repeating this sequence five times — to see how it snapped back or remained bent. 

Flow rate: We timed how long it took for the hose to fill a two-gallon bucket and recorded the flow rate in gallons per minute. 

It depends on the size of your lawn and proximity to your water connection. Coulter Lewis, founder of lawn care subscription startup Sunday, said you should consider at least a 50-foot hose.

"If your lawn is 500-2,000 square feet, look for a hose that's 50 feet long. If your lawn is 2,000-5,000 square feet, look for a hose that's more than 75 feet. For more flexibility, consider buying two shorter hoses or an additional short extension hose to combine when needed," he advised. 

For this guide, we focused on 50-foot hoses. They are also available in shorter and longer lengths. 

The most common constructions for the hose body are rubber, polyurethane, and vinyl. Jors said, "Rubber tends to be more flexible, but [it's] also the heaviest. That being said, it's less susceptible to cuts and will stand up to rocky landscapes."

If you want something that's lighter, more kink-resistant, and safe for drinking water, polyurethane and other hybrid composite materials are best. Vinyl is the cheapest but also the most prone to kinking. 

As for the fitting — the part that connects your hose to the water source or another hose — you should look for a metal construction. "Faceted brass, nickel-plated, or stainless steel is always recommended. Plastic couplings, although less expensive, do not stand up to heavy-duty use and tend to crack," said Jors. 

It's important to get a strong and flexible hose to reduce the chance of kinking. Beyond looking for rubber or polyurethane, you should also use a hose reel to wind the hose in a controlled fashion, recommends Jors.

We highly recommend adding a nozzle to your hose. A nozzle lets you turn the flow of water on and off, saving you water. It also helps you distribute the right flow of water for your specific task (e.g., power washing a deck vs. watering delicate flowers).

We tested the best garden hose nozzles here.

"Proper storage of your garden hose will extend its life," said Jors. "I prefer a hose hanger, or in particular a hose reel. It's important when not in use to keep the hose off the ground, and a hose hanger or hose reel will accomplish this."

Also, make sure to drain your hose after each use and before storage. Both hot and frozen water will damage your hose. 

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