Eley Polyurethane Review

Garden hoses aren't complicated pieces of equipment. They have relatively few moving pieces and parts, and the design varies relatively little between options. Nonetheless, a well-made and manufactured hose can be the difference between leaks, kinks, and twisted rubber and a well-watered garden or cleanly washed car. The Eley Polyurethane stands out for its superior materials and construction quality, elevating its performance as a simple garden hose.

Performance Comparison

Convenience

Right out of the box, the Eley stands out as a hose that is both ergonomic and easy to use. We assessed the ease of use across several different factors, like screwing on the connectors, pulling hoses out of a coil and recoiling them, and dragging them around our yard to measure maneuverability. The Eley exceeded expectations in all of these.

When we uncoiled the Eley for the first time, we cut the retaining straps and pulled it directly from the manufacturer coil into a straight line the entire length of our hose. Compared to others that twist, loop, and tangle easily, the read-to-use nature of the Eley is impressive.

The Eley is both a thick and heavy hose. While this didn't impact its maneuverability dragging around the yard — it was very easy to drag around the car and garden — it did impact the recoiling process. The thickness of this hose kept it coiling in large circular loops, versus hanging in a more vertical oval, and took up more space in our garage during storage.

We found the Eley to be very easy to screw onto a spigot, thanks to a free-rotating hex connector. Though it wasn't as ergonomic as other options, we were able to easily hand-tighten this connector. We liked that you could use a wrench to easily cinch it down if you planned to have the hose permanently mounted and control water flow with a valve at the other end of the hose.

Eley also manufactures a hose nozzle that is easy to use but slightly tedious to change options. The nozzle and ball valve can remain on the hose, but screw-on attachments allow you to change the type of spray. Doing so is easy, just a little more involved than other twist-style nozzles.

Performance

Looking at all the same assessments that we evaluated for ease of use, our performance metric evaluated them for the quality of their performance. Across all of our tests in this metric, the Eley was a high-performing hose that stood out from many similar models in our testing lineup.

We noticed no leaks from either connector on the Eley, whether hand tightening or using a wrench for a quarter-twist of extra snuggly. Compared to other models with ergonomic grips on the connector that let you really cinch down a hose, we felt like the thin hex connector didn't get quite as secure, though we noted no leaks or issues.

The heavy-duty Eley actively resists kinking. Even attempting to manually kink the hose was a challenge; it simply bends into a loop with water flowing through it the entire time. We were very impressed with this feature and the Eley's ability to bounce back from flat spots after being crushed by our cars and garage doors.

Like most hoses in our garden hose lineup, the Eley does not come with a nozzle or a valve. We assessed the water pressure and spray performance using a standard test nozzle and were impressed with the flow rate and volume. Even though the Eley is only ⅝ inches in diameter, it carries a high volume of water with ease.

Construction Quality

It should be clear that the Eley is a top-notch hose, and we think it can be mostly attributed to the exceptional construction quality of this hose. From the packaging to the materials to the precision assembly, the Eley's quality contributes to its high score.

The thick and durable materials on this hose lend credibility to its performance as a heavy-duty option that can survive plenty of exposure to elements and daily wear and tear. That said, this hose feels so premium that you may not want to leave it lying around outside! The thick rubber and solid brass connectors held up well throughout our testing, and likely will for years to come.

Variety of Options

If the convenience and performance of the Eley aren't enough to make it stand out, the variety of options that it's available in should be. The Eley is one of the most customizable hoses in our lineup.

The Eley is available in ten different length options ranging from 6.5 feet to massive 200 feet. Whether you're looking for a hose on your back porch, or one to stretch from your garage to the curb, chances are the Eley will have a length that works.

While it's available in a plethora of length options, we did note that the Eley is only available in one diameter, the standard ⅝ inch option. It also does not include a valve or a nozzle, which can be convenient to have on a hose.

The Eley nozzle has a variety of options for spray types. One is a three-way adjustable spray tip with wide-angle, narrow-angle, and jet spray. The other is a cone attachment with four different kinds of steel mesh inserts that change the volume of water; a special tool included with the nozzle is needed to do this.

The cone nozzle attachments for the Eley don't vary the shape of the spray much, but they do alter the flow rate and gallons per minute. Each of these four options is great for watering plants, providing a gentle yet full stream of water.

Should You Buy the Eley Polyurethane?

The Eley is a premium hose, and it commands a premium price. If you're looking for some of the best materials, design, and construction you can find in a hose, and price is no limit, then this may be the exact hose you're looking for. It's also available in a wide variety of length options, letting you purchase exactly the right amount of hose for your needs.

What Other Garden Hoses Should You Consider?

Most of the options in our lineup of the best garden hoses will meet your needs. After all, they're relatively simple pieces of yard equipment that just need to move water from spigot to plant or car. If you're set on a top-notch hose, but want even more length options, the Dramm ColorStorm Premium is the way to go. Available in custom lengths up to 330 feet, it's tough to beat the versatility of this option. If you're not looking to break the bank on a premium hose, the Teknor Apex Zero-G is another outstanding model available at a fraction of the price of the Eley, but boasts similar performance and amazing ergonomics. Lastly, the Briggs and Stratton 8BS50 is a well-made and heavy-duty hose. This option might be best for prolonged or permanent outside usage where protection from the elements is paramount.