A trolley, a wall drum, or a box that rewinds itself

Hose reels, compared

A hose reel is the difference between a hose that gets used and one that stays coiled behind the shed, and the shelf holds three different objects under one word. A trolley carries the drum on wheels and is pulled down the garden; a wall drum is fixed by the tap and the hose is walked out and cranked back; and an automatic box rewinds by spring, which is the version people buy twice because the first one was a crank. The hose length a reel takes is its headline figure — up to 50 or 60 m here — and it is quoted at a stated hose diameter, because a drum that holds 60 m of 13 mm hose holds far less of 19 mm. Reading the two together is the whole compatibility question, and the listings that give only the first are the ones that disappoint. Many of these are sold as sets, with hose, connectors and a nozzle included — convenient, and worth checking against the hose you already own, because a set hose is usually the maker’s own three-layer economy line. Two details decide whether a reel is pleasant. Whether the drum is fed by a short connection hose that swivels, and whether the frame is stable: a tall narrow trolley pulled over a lawn edge tips, and the listings that mention a wide base mean it. The wall bracket column matters for the fixed ones, because a full 50 m drum is heavy and the bracket is what holds it to a brick wall. We compare hose length, hose diameter, type, rewind, wall bracket and material.

Every part here, laid out figure by figure

1. 

   Cellfast Ergo stand

   The only listing here that states its capacity three times, once for each hose diameter — and the only one in aluminium.

   Hose length

   No hose supplied — capacity 45 m of 1/2", 30 m of 5/8" or 20 m of 3/4"

   Hose diameter

   1/2", 5/8" or 3/4" — the capacity is stated for each

   Type

   Free-standing aluminium hose stand

   Rewind

   The features describe manual winding; the title uses the word automatic

   Wall bracket

   None — free-standing stand, tool-free click assembly

   Material

   Aluminium, with a rubberised grip

   Amazon reference

   B01EXYAV48 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   5901828856860

   • The only capacity on this shelf stated per hose diameter, which is the only way the figure means anything
   • Aluminium, so it cannot rust — the one thing that kills a steel reel left outdoors
   • The title says automatic and the feature text says manual winding — the listing contradicts itself

   Best for: Keeping an existing hose off the ground and carrying it where it is needed

   Check price on Amazon
2. 

   Mixwise ZYW019-S20

   A wall box with a centrifugal brake and a stated burst pressure — 600 PSI, which is about 41 bar.

   Hose length

   20 m plus a 2 m feed hose, supplied

   Hose diameter

   Not published

   Type

   Wall-mounted box with automatic rewind

   Rewind

   Automatic, with a centrifugal brake and a hose guide; lockable at any length

   Wall bracket

   Yes — 180° swivel, with a quick-release for winter removal

   Material

   UV-resistant, frost-proof plastic housing; three-layer PVC hose stated to 600 PSI burst

   Amazon reference

   B0G8YRHF5T (one reference across 2 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0671891622550

   • Names a centrifugal brake, which is the part that stops the hose snapping back
   • Publishes a burst pressure for its hose — 600 PSI, about 41 bar
   • The hose is fixed at 20 m and cannot be replaced with a longer one

   Best for: A small to medium garden with a wall by the tap, where nobody wants to wind a reel

   Check price on Amazon
3. 

   Gardena CleverRoll M Easy 18515-20

   A metal-framed cart with a drip stop and a fold-out foot, taking up to 60 m of hose — which is not included.

   Hose length

   No hose supplied — up to 60 m capacity, bore not stated

   Hose diameter

   Not published

   Type

   Wheeled cart with a hand crank and a metal frame

   Rewind

   Hand crank, with a fixed hose guide that lays the coils evenly

   Wall bracket

   None — wheeled cart with a fold-out stabilising foot

   Material

   Metal frame

   Amazon reference

   B076X38Q3X (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4078500032902

   • A fold-out foot that holds the cart still when the hose is pulled — the usual failure of a cart
   • A drip stop, so it does not empty itself across the garage floor
   • No hose included, which is easy to miss beside the four products here that do include one

   Best for: Somebody who already owns a long hose and wants it wound and wheeled properly

   Check price on Amazon
4. 

   YESTAR 6667W30001

   A 30 metre wall box whose entire published description is one sentence about locking the hose at any length.

   Hose length

   30 m plus a 2 m feed hose, supplied

   Hose diameter

   Not published

   Type

   Wall-mounted box with automatic rewind

   Rewind

   Automatic; lockable at any length up to 30 m. No brake is mentioned.

   Wall bracket

   Yes — 180° swivel, with a fitting aid supplied

   Material

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B0FPM33YXW (one reference across 5 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0762032816409

   • The longest hose supplied in a wall box on this shelf, at 30 m plus feed
   • A fitting aid included, which is the part of wall mounting people get wrong
   • One published feature line, and it describes only the lock

   Best for: A garden that needs 30 metres from a wall-mounted box and nothing further specified

   Check price on Amazon
5. 

   Relaxdays 10026089

   The only cart here that publishes its dimensions and its wheels — 80 × 47 × 70 cm on 20 cm solid rubber.

   Hose length

   No hose supplied — up to 60 m capacity, bore not stated

   Hose diameter

   Not published

   Type

   Four-wheeled metal cart with a hand crank

   Rewind

   Hand crank; the hose unwinds at 90° to the direction of travel

   Wall bracket

   None — four-wheeled cart

   Material

   Metal, on four solid rubber wheels of about 20 cm

   Amazon reference

   B07RK29LQ7 (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4052025260897

   • The only product on this shelf to publish its overall dimensions
   • Four wheels rather than two, and solid rubber rather than plastic
   • No hose included

   Best for: Pushing a long hose around a large garden over rough ground

   Check price on Amazon
6. 

   Amazon Basics JC761

   The only cart here that arrives with a hose — and the only listing whose five feature lines say nothing measurable.

   Hose length

   30 m supplied

   Hose diameter

   Not published

   Type

   Wheeled plastic cart

   Rewind

   Not published

   Wall bracket

   None — wheeled cart

   Material

   Plastic, described as high-quality

   Amazon reference

   B09V8KVL6B (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   0840095886260

   • The only cart on this shelf that arrives with a hose
   • 30 m is a usable length for most gardens
   • Five feature lines, none of which contains a number except the hose length

   Best for: Somebody buying a first hose and a way to store it in one purchase

   Check price on Amazon
7. 

   KESSER Wall hose box, anthracite

   The most complete wall box here — 30 m, a centrifugal brake, a nine-mode gun and two extra fittings.

   Hose length

   30 m plus a 2 m feed hose, supplied

   Hose diameter

   Not published

   Type

   Wall-mounted box with automatic rewind

   Rewind

   Automatic, with a centrifugal brake

   Wall bracket

   Yes — removable, 180° swivel, folds flat to the wall

   Material

   Not published

   Amazon reference

   B0GSRCQVRK (one reference across 6 Amazon marketplaces)

   EAN

   4255598363648

   • Names a centrifugal brake, on 30 metres — the most any wall box here supplies
   • The bracket is removable, so the box comes off for winter
   • The dearest product on this shelf

   Best for: A wall by the tap, a garden inside 30 metres of it, and no wish to ever wind a reel

   Check price on Amazon