The pocket hose is one of those “As Seen on TV” items that we scoffed at when we saw it. A fabric hose that expands when connected to water just seems like something that will be flimsy and break. But once the pocket hose entered our life, we realized how absolutely wrong we were.
This expandable hose is the perfect garden solution for people with compact gardens, limited storage space, or those who can’t lift heavy objects. Read on to see our full review based on our experience using the Pocket Hose and check out our video review to see the hose in action.
Pocket Hose Review
As urban container gardeners, we didn’t have a lot of experience using hoses. All of our container plants get watered using a traditional watering can that we fill up in our bathtub. When we joined a local community garden group, this changed. We got a raised garden bed in a large community garden where water was available via a hose hook-up. Because our community garden is located in a public park, all tools and the garden hose are kept in a locked box to prevent theft.
Because of this set-up, every day when we came to water our garden, we had to open the toolbox, haul a heavy traditional hose out of the box, untangle it, hook it up to the water spout, drag the length of our hose to the garden and then water. Once we were done, we had to drag the hose back, try to wrap it up (which was difficult with the heavy and unwieldy hose), and return it to the box. It was not only cumbersome and difficult but really annoying.
The next year, our community garden group decided to spend some of our group’s budget to purchase a Pocket Hose. We weren’t a part of the decision, and when we saw the hose in the toolbox we were still pretty skeptical.
But then we started using it.
Watch our video review to see the hose in action or keep reading below:
The first big pro with the Pocket hose is how lightweight it is. It feels like nothing after lugging a traditional hose in and out of the box. Because of the size of our garden, we utilize two of the 75 foot Pocket Hoses linked together. The weight of both hoses is less than the weight of a single traditional hose. This makes the process of getting it in and out of the box easier.
One of the big selling points of the pocket hose is that it’s very compact, which means it takes up less space in our toolbox to store. Now we have extra room for more tools. The smaller size also makes neatly wrapping up the hose before storage a lot easier. Overall, the whole process of getting the hose in and out of the box is about 20 times easier with a Pocket Hose versus the old traditional hose.
Once we have the hose out of the box and hook it up to the water supply, it quickly expands to its full length. Even when it is full of water, it’s still significantly lighter than a traditional hose. We can easily drag it between the raised garden beds to reach our garden near the back. Watering our garden is so much easier thanks to the pocket hose. We use the hose with a sprayer attachment and it works great for our watering needs. (Since readers have asked, we use a Melnor spray nozzle.)
So, you must be wondering, what are the cons? There’s only a couple. Because of the expanding nature of the hose, once you shut off the water it will take an additional minute or two to drain the water from the hose. Once you do this, it shrinks back to its original size to easily wrap the hose up to store. Also, because it’s more flexible than a traditional hose, it’s easier for the Pocket Hose to get tangled and tied in knots. If you are careful when you store it, the tangles can be avoided pretty easily.
After three years of use, one of the hoses did develop a leak. Considering the hose is removed and put back in the box 20 to 50 times a day during the growing season by all of the different gardeners, I think that’s pretty good for the amount of “abuse” it received. The other hose is still working well with no links and we replaced the leaking half with a new Pocket Hose.
Based on our experience, we recommend the Pocket Hose to anyone looking for a lightweight alternative to a traditional garden hose. It’s particularly good for small spaces or yards, especially if you don’t have a lot of space to store garden tools. Urban gardeners and community gardeners may also find it’s a better option than a traditional hose as it’s easier to use and store in small spaces.
Since it was first introduced, some competitors have released competing Pocket Hose style products. We’ve only used the original version so we can’t speak to the quality of the knock-offs, but we generally recommend expandable water hoses for anyone interested in a compact garden hose solution.
Disclaimer: While the post includes affiliate links, we were not paid for this review and did not receive any products for free. All opinions are our own based on using the Pocket Hose for three summers.