And Ease of use, where we rated how easy it was to control the water flow, change between settings, and attach to a hose. Flat rinse: ensures the water is spread out equally in a horizontal line, making it ideal for rinsing off soap suds when washing the car. It's too powerful to use on plants. Regular garden hose: Like those tested above, regular garden hoses are often textured, braided or reinforced to make them more durable and less likely to kink. In general, these types of hoses tend to be more durable than spiral or expandable hoses. Although, as our test results show, this isn't always the case, and many of these hoses are notorious for developing kinks.

Metal watering guns are becoming, once again, more popular, as people seek to reduce their reliance on micro-particle-releasing plastic. Properly coated metal, such as zinc, is longer lasting in garden conditions since it is frost resistant. Many plastic garden hose guns perish prematurely due to being left outside in wintery conditions. All hose guns have a variety of spray settings. Some have as few as two, which is suitable for basic gardening tasks such as gentle watering and the fierce cleaning of mud off a spade. If you also want to wash your car or patio, you'll need to choose a gun with at least five options. Here's a rundown of what the settings mean:Fine rose: designed to emulate a traditional watering can rose,this is more drenching than mist or cone settings. Spiral hose: These are coiled hoses that retract for easy storage. They're often marketed for city gardening or for use on terraces.