Expert Gardener Light Duty Review

A good garden hose is an essential piece of home and yard equipment. It's also a relatively simple piece of equipment, and despite technology changing much about our lives, the function and design of a hose remains relatively unchanged; it needs to screw onto a spigot and nozzle and move water without leaking. One of the most unassuming hoses we tested is the Expert Gardener, and while it doesn't have any fancy bells or whistles, it still does what you need a hose to do, all while at a great price point.

Performance Comparison

Convenience

We tested the Expert Gardener hose in the 25-foot length option, and it was only because of this shorter length that the hose was subjectively easy to use. Given the price point, we were satisfied with its ease of use, but if you're looking for better performance, be prepared to shell out some more money.

The Expert Gardener was moderately easy to coil and uncoil. Its thin rubber material is in the middle of the pack for weight, and it was relatively manageable to move about. We did find that it also contributed to relatively high amounts of kinking that would completely stop the flow of water. It frequently kinked just dragging it around different obstacles in our yard or directly out of a coil.

The connector on the Expert Gardener was easy to use. There are large flanged plastic pieces on the connector that help you screw it onto a spigot and hand tighten. The connector also spun freely around the body of the hose.

Performance

We consider the performance across all of the same assessments used to evaluate the ease of use for each hose. Instead of looking at how easy something was to use, we looked at how well it did its job. The Expert Gardener accomplishes the basics of what you need a hose to do — move water from one place to another without leaking. Beyond that, it doesn't stand out.

We didn't experience any leaks when using the Expert Gardener. The connector, though not one of the most impressive styles that we tested, does its job well. It did pull out of a coil fairly well, although it tended to lay in slight loops and coils as opposed to laying flat on the ground. In use, it kinks an unfortunate amount, and after our manual kink test, it developed a permanent crease in the material where we were kinking it after only a few dozen repetitions. Still, for light use, washing the car or watering some plants on a patio, this is unlikely to negatively affect performance beyond being an inconvenience.

Construction Quality

The quality of construction is about what you would expect from a budget-friendly hose, but we didn't note any performance-altering concerns on the Expert Gardener.

The connectors are plastic, which, while guaranteed to not rust, may not hold up to cold weather environments. The hose material is on the thinner side, and we noticed a permanent crease that developed in spots with repetitive kinking. As long as you don't plan to use and abuse this hose, we think it will work just fine for most people.

Variety of Options

As a budget-conscious hose, the Expert Gardener doesn't stand out with many different styles or models.

The Expert Gardener is available in one diameter, ⅝ inch, and two length options, 25 or 50 feet. It does not include a valve or a nozzle. For light use around the home, for which we think this hose is perfect, not much else is needed and you can pick up an aftermarket nozzle with the money you saved on this hose.

Should You Buy the Expert Gardener Light Duty?

The Expert Gardener is a basic and budget-friendly hose that is perfect for people who need a — as the name suggests — light-duty hose for easy yard chores. It's a no-frills model that won't stand out for its performance, but also has no major flaws that will leave you disappointed, especially when you consider the amazing price point.

What Other Garden Hoses Should You Consider?

If you are attracted to the great price but looking for a hose with a few more options in length, or significantly better performance, we recommend checking out the Teknor Apex Zero-G. We recommend this option to most people as it's a great blend of amazing performance at a price that is still appealing to many people, not to mention significantly less than other similar performing models in our lineup. Ultimately, any of the garden hoses in our review will most likely be just fine for most people; after all, each of these hoses is quite similar. Another option that stands out, for both its design and price, is the Bionic Steel. The Bionic is almost impossible to kink, given its steel design, and it won't break the bank either. Lastly, if the Expert Gardener appeals to you for its size, the Giraffe Tools Hybrid is a convenient hose that is available in a variety of smaller length options under 20 feet and performs at a much higher level.