In fact, some of the best auto hose reels have a casing that offers further protection from excessive sun exposure and adverse conditions – elements that can cause faster degradation of your hose because of the sunlight. It’s worth noting that this is a large hose reel that does take up quite a bit of space – certainly something to bear in mind when considering if it’s the right product for your garden. The reel casing measures 27 x 66 x 55.5 cm, which is bigger than some other models. The housing itself is nicely designed, with a modern, round aesthetic, coloured grey with the odd yellow part such as the front where the hose reels in and out of. It’s not the most striking thing I’ve ever seen, but personally, I liked the understated look.

I’ve just moved to my new house last year and what an opportunity for me to test and bring you the new best automatic garden hose reel. I’m sorting a lawn from scratch – nothing fancy as I plan to do something with a structure on the area later this year or next, but an automatic garden hose reel is an absolute must if you want to keep the garden tidy whilst watering your grass seed every day. Naturally I am using it in conjunction with my favourite water sprinkler. I have to say it was extremely easy to setup and install – the components are so straight forward you don’t even need the instructions but there were a few pitfalls on testing and I came up with a much better idea than joining two GARDENA reels to save money this time. Here’s a look at my favourite automatic garden hose reel in action: My personally tested HAUSHOF Hose Reel, Wall Mounted Retractable Garden Hose Reel As for the right size for your garden, generally 20m is a good size for a small to medium garden and 35-40m for a medium to large garden. Measure from your outside water tap to the furthest reaches of your garden. Buy just the length of hose that you need. It’ll save you money and some of the hose wouldn’t just sit curled up in the reel forever. How durable are automatic hose reels, and what materials are they typically made of?This is one of the cheapest reels on the list, and as a result it may not be quite as smooth in operation as some of the more expensive models. However, arguably the generous length of hose makes for an acceptable compromise. The hose can sometimes require a bit of persuasion to unravel, and to avoid damaging the unit or surrounding objects the hose should be walked in carefully. Automatically reeling in 40 m of hose, and winding it on to the wall unit without tangling or kinking, this popular auto-reel saves time and effort. The result: a neatly stored hose in minutes. The new range of RollUp hose boxes offers a flexible, self-retracting hose reel to provide water throughout gardens of any size. This model comes complete with 35 metres of quality hose pipe included. It is designed to be wall mounted and able to swivel 180°. Many manufacturers have their own patented hose retraction system. Your part in the rewind process is to give the hose a gentle tug and watch as it winds into the reel box. It’s a controlled rewind with a braking mechanism that avoids speedy travel by the hose and helps to stop the hose from kinking and tangling. RollControl – this is a Gardena braking system for reliable and controlled winding. The hose rolls up neatly without tangles, assisted by a clever hose guide.

Once the reel is mounted onto the wall, it can pivot through a 180 degree arc. I found this particularly useful as my garden has a less than standard shape and I didn’t feel like I was stressing the hose into unnatural angles. Considering the price and hose length, this hose reel is of good value and a great option for small gardens and a good model to consider. Garden hose reels are crafted from either plastic or metal (usually aluminium, steel or brass). Any equipment that spends most of the time outdoors is susceptible to rust and so it’s important to buy a reel that’s made of rust-resistant parts.There is also an anti-drip device that you can insert when transporting the hose reel to stop it leaking and dripping. It’s only a small thing, but it is nice that Gardena thought about this annoying problem and offered up a solution. Automatic hose reels rewind the hose neatly into a reel box. You can install it on a wall out of the way. The box provides protection from UV-rays and from rain and windy weather for the hose. All these elements can cause your hose to degrade. The casing is made of polypropylene which is a strong and hardwearing plastic that is used in a large percentage of modern gardening tools due to its lightweight and durability. Weighing 8.1 kg, installation is relatively straight forward; however, the included pieces of mounting hardware are only just up to the job. To avoid any future disasters, it might be an idea to use stronger bolts.