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For decades, gardeners and horticultural hobbyists have dragged around heavy hoses, fighting their inevitable kinks and stiffness in cold weather. Enter the expandable hose—it typically weighs less than 5 pounds and is just 15 to 30 feet long, but it can extend up to three times its length when filled with water. Early expandable hoses left much to be desired, as many couldn’t withstand the internal water pressure. Today, the best expandable hoses are much more durable.
I tested the Aterod expandable hose—one of the most popular selections available—to see if it was as good as reviewers said. Keep reading to find out how I tested the hose (I didn’t go easy on it), discover how well it performed, and figure out whether it would be well suited to your watering needs.
Aterod Expandable Hose: At a Glance
Rating: 9.0/10
PROS
- Durable polyester exterior casing
- No-leak, solid-brass fittings and self-locking connectors
- Shut-off valve on male-end fitting
CONS
- Arrived knotted
- Shut-off valve slightly stiff
- Plastic rather than metal spray nozzle
- Get the Aterod Expandable Hose on Amazon for $26.99.
Get the Aterod Expandable Hose on Amazon for $26.99.
What Is the Aterod Expandable Hose?
The Aterod hose is an expandable hose that stretches out to 52 feet in length when filled with water. It comes with a thick but soft polyester exterior casing with a flexible inner core that features three latex layers. In its contracted state, the Aterod is just 17 feet long and weighs only 2.79 pounds. It coils up into less than a single square foot of space, so it won’t take up much storage room.
How Easy Is the Aterod Hose to Use?
Once I untangled the hose, it was very easy to use—but it arrived knotted, and I had to carefully disentangle it before use. Knowing what I learned later, I probably should have tried connecting it to the outdoor water spigot and then let the water pressure unknot it. I was worried I’d damage the hose if I tugged on it too hard. I needn’t have worried; the Aterod is one tough little hose.
It comes with an attachable spray nozzle for watering. If you’re considering buying an expandable hose, be aware that they’re not recommended for use with standard sprinklers because in their contracted state, they don’t stretch far enough, and if connected to a sprinkler and the water is turned off, the hose will retract and could pull the sprinkler with it.
Both the hose and the sprayer are self-explanatory—just connect the two, then connect the hose to a spigot and turn on the water. When I turned on the water, the Aterod squirmed like a snake on the patio—growing and expanding quickly. The connections fit snugly, and I found no leaks.
How Durable Is the Aterod Expandable Hose?
Once the Aterod Expandable Hose was completely stretched out, it closely resembled a standard garden hose. It was no longer soft and floppy—now, the polyester fabric casing had stretched out, and it formed a durable and protective exterior coating.
I was impressed by how tightly woven the fabric seemed when the hose was filled with water—it formed a hard but sleek surface, and I was able to pull around, in, and out of bushes and shrubs, and around the base of large vases, without the hose binding or kinking. In fact, any kinks or coils in the hose when it was empty seemed to magically disappear when it was filled with water.
The hose comes with all-brass fittings. As a part of the test, I banged the fittings against the concrete sidewalk to see if sharp impacts would deform them. They looked just as round as ever, so I reconnected them and turned on the water—still no leaks. I was impressed. I then left the hose outside for 24 hours (the temps were in the high 90s), and it still looked as good as new.
The Aterod had one final test of durability it had to conquer before I could give it a high rating—it had to withstand being run over by a car. I laid it across the driveway, backed over it, and then ran over it once more for good measure. The hose was no worse for the wear—no snags and no leaks. I rate it high for durability.
How Good Is the Spray Nozzle That Comes With the Aterod?
The Aterod spray nozzle is just so-so. It’s not flimsy, and it comes with a nice rubber selection ring, but it’s made from relatively lightweight plastic that I don’t foresee lasting more than one gardening season. It’s also a trigger-type spray nozzle, and I far prefer a thumb-adjustment spray nozzle that allows the user to fine-tune the pressure of the spray. Thumb-adjust nozzles are also more ergonomic since you don’t have to squeeze continuously to dispense water.
On the positive side, the Aterod spray nozzle features a nonslip grip, which is a boon for keeping a firm grasp on the sprayer if it gets wet, and it comes in black and bright yellow—the yellow is bright enough that it’d be simple to spot lying in a flower bed or on a garage shelf.
The sprayer offers nine individual spray functions, including “jet,” “mist,” and “shower.” All I had to do was turn the yellow rubber selection ring to change the spray pattern.
What Sets the Aterod Expandable Hose Apart From the Competition?
The Aterod hose is one of the best expandable hoses I tested, and the quality of the polyester fabric casing is outstanding. When filled with water, the hose feels almost solid—and after it retracted to its original state, the casing was unmarred. Pulling it around didn’t leave any snags in the fabric casing, which appears upon closer inspection to be braided rather than woven. The fittings attach with self-locking connectors, which should reduce the risk of blowouts at the ends of the hose.
The hose comes with a detachable shut-off valve on the male-end fitting that connects to the sprayer. This came in handy when I wanted to remove the sprayer, but I didn’t want to go back over to the spigot and turn off the water. I was able to turn the valve lever a quarter turn and stop the flow of water, after which I was able to take off the sprayer without water shooting everywhere. A slight downside to the shut-off valve is how snugly it’s attached; it was pretty stiff, but I suspect it would loosen up with use.
Is the Aterod Expandable Hose Right for You?
If you’re looking for a lightweight hose that won’t weigh you down or take up a lot of storage space, you might want to consider the Aterod expandable hose. Remember that expandable hoses aren’t well suited to pairing with sprinklers due to their retracting quality when the water is turned off. Still, they’re an excellent option for watering flower pots, raised beds, and other watering chores that require the use of a spray nozzle. Plus, they make great gifts for gardening enthusiasts.
The Aterod hose is among the top choices from today’s expandable hose options, and it excelled in my hands-on tests. Its triple-strength, flexible latex core expands to three times its retracted length when filled with water, and its reinforced polyester fabric casing forms a firm surface that protects the inner core. The spray nozzle is just mediocre, but it should last at least one season, and many gardeners already have a sprayer they prefer.
After thoroughly testing the Aterod expandable hose, I gave it a 9 out of a 10-point rating based on its strength, leak-free fittings, and space-saving quality. It didn’t earn a full 10 points due to arriving knotted, the stiffness of the shut-off valve, and the quality of the spray nozzle. Still, the Aterod hose was awarded the Best Overall pick in a larger field of expandable hoses I tested. All the hoses went through the same rigorous tests to determine which models are among the best expandable hoses on the market today.
Get the Aterod Expandable Hose on Amazon for $26.99
