So you've finally found a garden hose that's durable, easy to use, and doesn't kink. Next, you'll need a garden hose nozzle. It makes watering tasks more convenient and efficient, plus you'll save water.
"It's absolutely necessary to attach an adjustable nozzle to your garden hose," said John Jors, a Florida Master Gardener and volunteer groundskeeper at the 35-acre Bonnet House Museum and Gardens. "Otherwise, you may find yourself running back and forth to turn your water spigot off and on as needed."
There are a few different nozzle styles to consider, including pistol grip, fire-hose, and watering wand, and most offer multiple spray options and adjustable water pressure to suit a variety of tasks. We tested a variety of garden hose nozzles on the same hose (our pick for the best hose overall, the Dramm ColorStorm Garden Hose).
We tracked ease of use, comfort, water pressure, spray distance, and durability for each hose nozzle. Our top choice is the Dramm 9 Pattern Revolver Spray Nozzle, which offers nine-spray settings, is comfortable to hold, and doesn't leak. For around $5, we selected the Melnor 5-Pattern Watering Nozzle as our favorite budget buy; it offers strong, consistent pressure but could have some long-term durability issues.
Here are the best garden hose nozzles
Best overall: Dramm 9 Pattern Revolver Spray Nozzle - See at Amazon
Best budget: Melnor 5-Pattern Watering Nozzle - See at Home Depot
Best watering wand: Melnor RelaxGrip Watering Wand - See at Home Depot
Best high-pressure: Twinkle Star Adjustable Twist Hose Nozzle - See at Amazon
Best fireman-style: Bon-Aire Hose Nozzle - See at Amazon
Best overall
The Dramm Revolver Spray Nozzle is the most versatile and reliable nozzle you can attach to your hose. All the spray patterns are consistent, and it has a comfortable grip that won't tire hands.
- 9 spray patterns
- Easy to switch among patterns
- Durable metal and rubber construction
- Multiple settings may be superfluous if you only use your hose for a few tasks
Whether washing your dog, watering delicate plants, or hosing down dirt, you'll be properly equipped with the Dramm revolver-style hose nozzle. This 9-pattern watering attachment includes a "cone," "shower," "mist," "jet," "soaker," "fan," "flat," "center," and "angle" spray pattern, so you'll have the appropriate option for the task in front of you.
It's easy to twist the nozzle to the setting you need, and the nozzle clicks to let you know you're ready to use your selected pattern. The nozzle reliably shoots out water when you hold down the trigger and doesn't leak, based on customer reviews.
At the back of the nozzle, a wire lever lock keeps the 'on' position in place to prevent hand fatigue. The flow control knob at the back of the nozzle lets you adjust the pressure of each of the 9 patterns, allowing for even more adjustability. The revolver grip style and rubberized front trigger with indents for your fingers make the nozzle as comfortable as it can get.
Despite all these ways to diversify your watering experience, a handful of customers complain of leakage, possibly due to the inclusion of plastic parts. Overall, this nozzle's all-in-one design, ease of use, and ergonomic grip still earn it our top position, but consider whether you may prefer a more specialized nozzle.
Best budget
If you don't want to spend a lot of money, the Melnor 5-Pattern Watering Nozzle is a solid alternative that still offers five spray options. Just be warned it's not as durable as our other picks.
- Affordable
- Easy to use
- Versatile
- Can leak a little
- Not rugged
- doesn't offer long spray distance
A high-quality garden hose is an investment, and after spending that money, you might not want to splurge on an additional accessory. Luckily, this Melnor hose nozzle is very affordable, while still offering features you need and decent comfort.
This nozzle keeps it simple with five spray options that should suit most activities: shower, full, stream, flat, and mist. All the settings worked well and had strong, consistent pressure, though the spray distance fell short compared to the other nozzles. The mist option was especially effective.
The nozzle attached securely to my hose, but there were some small leaking issues. The droplets were tiny and didn't significantly affect my watering experience, but it's worth noting that this was the only nozzle I tested that leaked.
It's decently comfortable to hold — the rubber grip features indents for your fingers, but the back trigger section is made from plastic which is less comfortable than an all-rubber grip. There is a trigger lock to help prevent grip fatigue, so you don't need to squeeze down the whole time you're watering.
Made from a combination of metal, plastic, and rubber, the nozzle is lightweight, but you can't bang it around the ground too much. In our durability tests, the metal pin that acts as a trigger lock fell out. While we know you won't purposely drop your nozzle onto concrete repeatedly, it's also good to keep in mind that this nozzle isn't going to last for years. But if you need a temporary solution or don't use your garden hose often, it's a quick and cheap buy with most of the features you need.
Best watering wand
Avid gardeners will want the Melnor RelaxGrip Watering Wand, which offers a gentle shower of water, is long enough to reach tall hanging plants, and uses a comfortable thumb control rather than a pistol grip.
- Long
- Less tiring to grip
- Ideal for delicate flowers and plants in hanging pots
- May have leakage problems after long-term use
If you have trouble holding down a pistol grip, you'll love the easy thumb control of this nozzle. You simply slide the control up and down whenever you need to adjust the water flow. This smart design reduces the strain on your wrists and fingers, allowing you to water your garden for longer. The textured rubber grip is also comfortable with ergonomic indents for your fingers.
The thumb control acts as a sliding scale in that there isn't a distinct click for each different flow setting. Instead, you might have to first play around with the control to learn where the flow intensity changes and how far you should slide the control. Over time, you'll have a better natural sense of controlling the water.
This watering wand has a long stick design (this version is 33 inches long from nozzle tip to end, while the short version is 15 inches long) that lets you reach tall branches with no struggle. The water travels smoothly all the way through, and the water flow is consistent.
It attached securely and didn't leak, but after seeing some customer reports of leakage issues, we'll keep an eye out for that in our long-term testing. Given that the wand is made up of many distinct parts, it may leak if any of the parts break. However, the wand emerged unscathed from our durability tests, and nothing broke.
The nozzle offers eight spray patterns. We think it best for gardeners who intend to use it frequently for their plants and flowers, but its also useful for cleaning high up, or the roof of a car.
Best high-pressure
This simple and compact brass nozzle from Twinkle Star shoots out strong jets of water over long distances, making it perfect for chores that require some water pressure.
- Made of solid, sturdy brass
- Small
- Good jet and wide spray options
- No two-way shutoff
- Less control over water flow
For grimy trash cans, a car in need of a good wash, or your deck that has so many layers of dirt it's starting to change colors, it's handy to have a high-pressure nozzle to do all the hard rinsing work for you. The Twinkle Star nozzle is just that.
The Twinkle Star has a long, slim nozzle with powerful and efficient jet and wide spray settings. To use, you twist the nozzle in one direction to find the pattern you need. Though there aren't specific settings that you can "click" into, the nozzle twists smoothly and the spray patterns transition wellinto each other. The one-way shutoff means you have to twist it off the same way you twist it on, which isn't a huge dealbreaker, but it's a little convenient. The nozzle attached securely to my hose and never leaked.
Its spray distance was long. The high pressure and long spray distance are a great combo for attacking dirty surfaces from afar.
We also loved the solid brass construction. It's resistant to rust and all-around durable, plus it looks sleek.
This product comes with two nozzles, a long one and a much smaller one. We wouldn't recommend the small tip nozzle, as it wasn't adjustable and couldn't shut off the water flow. It offered medium pressure and a very narrow spray, so we're not sure what the use of this extra nozzle is. Stick with the long nozzle, and you'll be set.
Best fireman-style
A fire-hose-style nozzle like the Bon-Aire Hose Nozzle is perfect if you want versatile spray options without straining your hand.
- Very comfortable to hold
- Strong rubber and metal construction
- Two-way shutoff
- Less control over water flow
Rather than hold down a trigger, you only need to twist the barrel of the Bon-Air nozzle to start and stop the water flow. Like a few of the nozzles above, it doesn't have distinct spray settings, so you have to gradually turn the nozzle to find the different options. Conveniently, the nozzle has a two-way shutoff, meaning you don't have to turn it back to the beginning to stop the water flow.
I enjoyed using this nozzle because it was comfortable to hold, and all the water flow options were consistent in pressure. The jet and wide spray settings were extremely strong.
The Bon-Aire is bulkier and more durable than the Twinkle Star nozzle. Since most of it is encased in rubber, the metal middle section rarely touches the ground. It simply bounces around if you drop it on the ground from a tall height.
Our gardening expert John Jors reminds us, "Although [a fire hose-style nozzle] is very durable, the spray options are limited, and you won't have the flow control you have with the pistol grip."
This was certainly my experience with the Bon-Aire nozzle. It's available for around the same price as our best overall pick, so choosing this nozzle is ultimately a matter of personal preference and comfort. It's ergonomic and durable, but you will have the deal with the lack of distinct spray settings.
What to look for in the best garden hose nozzle
Types of garden hose nozzle
There are a few different nozzle styles to consider that have different purposes and ways to operate. If you plan on using your hose for various tasks, John Jors, a Florida Master Gardener and volunteer groundskeeper at the 35-acre Bonnet House Museum and Gardens, recommends a pistol grip nozzle with multiple spray options and adjustable water pressure.
But if you have trouble holding a pistol grip for long periods, fire hose-style and watering wands are good alternatives.
- Pistol grip nozzle: Features a trigger that controls the amount or flow of water. Hold down the trigger (which may be in front of or behind the handle) to release water. The harder you press, the more water comes out.
- Dial nozzle: Features a rotating dial of distinct spray patterns. It's often combined with a pistol grip so you only need to hold down the trigger to activate the flow of water, while the dial setting controls the specific flow.
- Watering wand or rain wand: A long nozzle that helps extend water flow to hard-to-reach areas. It's usually controlled with a comfortable sliding thumb control.
- Firehose (or fireman)-style nozzle: A large dial-style nozzle that does not have a pistol grip. The spray patterns are not distinct and must be gradually adjusted.
Other considerations
- Ease of use: It should be easy to attach the nozzle and switch between spray settings, if applicable.
- Spray settings: Your go-to garden tasks will dictate whether you need a versatile hose nozzle with various spray settings or a one-task workhorse like a watering wand.
- Comfort: The best garden hose nozzles feature an ergonomic grip design that's comfortable to use for long periods. An easy-to-access spray trigger control might be better than a grip trigger if you have grip issues due to a condition like arthritis.
- Durability: Quality nozzles typically have a metal and rubber construction. Cheaper ones may contain plastic parts that are more likely to chip or break off with frequent use.
How we tested garden hose nozzles
We put all the hose nozzles through these same five tests:
- Ease of use: We noted how easy or difficult it was to attach to the hose, how many spray options it had, and whether it leaked.
- Comfort: We noted if the grip was ergonomic. If the nozzle had a pistol grip design, we timed how long we could press the grip down before it got too tiring to press.
- Spray distance: On concrete, we measured how far the nozzle sprayed water when holding the hose at a regular position (a foot away from the body).
- Water pressure: We measured the water pressure from the nozzle with a water pressure gauge. If there was more than one spray setting, we measured the low, medium, and high settings.
- Durability: We dropped each nozzle on concrete from 10 feet high 10 times and noted scuffing, scratches, abrasion, and any broken or bent parts. We also left the nozzles outside for two consecutive weeks through various weather conditions, including sun and rain, noting any rust and other signs of wear and tear.
Garden hose nozzle FAQs
Why do you need a garden hose nozzle?
- It saves water. Water will not come out of your hose unless you open the nozzle, meaning you don't need to run back and forth to the spigot. This is especially helpful if you're using a long hose.
- A garden hose nozzle helps distribute water in a more controlled manner than a garden hose alone. The regular flow of a garden hose alone isn't always the best for tasks like watering delicate flowers or washing a car. The different spray options of a nozzle let you customize the flow to your specific task.
What nozzle and spray type do you use for…
- Watering flowers or a vegetable garden: Use a flat spray or shower delicate plants with a rain wand because it's the most gentle spray type. Make sure to water at soil level at the base of the plants. It's best to water them in the morning, before it gets too sunny and hot, so that less water will evaporate.
- Watering trees and shrubs: Drip lines are ideal, and if you're using a hose, you actually shouldn't use a nozzle. Simply place the hose on the ground near the tree and let water slowly and steadily dribble out. Rotate the hose around the tree (in a ring shape) periodically.
- Washing a car: Use a jet spray with any of the nozzles above except the rain wand. If you're just doing a light rinse, a setting like a full shower could also work.
- Power-washing a deck: Use a jet spray with any of the nozzles above except the rain wand.
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