The 9 Best Hose Nozzles
Editor's Notes
February 23, 2021:
While people often think garden hose nozzles only come in a couple of designs, this is quite untrue. There are actually a wide variety of styles to choose from, and they all offer different benefits. For example, you models like the Nysist Solid Brass are simple to use, extremely durable due to the limited number of moving parts, and don't require you to constantly squeeze a trigger. However, the downside is that it has more limited spray patterns than something like the Orbit 58993 and Green Mount Fireman Style. Both of these two are also good choices for someone who doesn't want to, or have the hand strength to, squeeze a trigger, as the former has a large lever on top like a fire hose, and the latter makes use of a simple thumb switch. If you like a simple twist nozzle like that found in the Nysist Solid Brass, but prefer a pistol-style grip with a squeeze trigger, you can look to the Homy HM-03.
The Gilmour Pistol is incredibly affordable and well built, making it a smart choice for commercial applications where you may have several hoses on a property and want to get them all outfitted with a nozzle without spending much money. If your main application is watering plants, especially those in hanging planters, you can look to the Green Mount Watering Wand. As the name implies, its nozzle sits at the end of a large wand that makes it easy to get at hard to reach flower pots without making a mess and having to spray water everywhere.
April 21, 2019:
Hose nozzles come in a vast array of shapes and sizes, and we felt it was important to reflect that diversity in building this list. There are models here that sport a trigger-style design, giving gardeners more control over water flow. By contrast, we've also picked out simple brass and plastic attachments that create high-pressure flow for cleaning purposes. So, whether you're on the hunt for a sprayer or a nozzle that produces one solid stream, you're likely to locate the appropriate product here.
The VicTsing Garden was removed and replaced with an updated model, the VicTsing Industrial, which boasts an improved design and new features. The Shop-Vac Concentrator was added to provide another option for users interested in making a mini power washer out of their garden hose.
Better Know A Hose Nozzle
The other broad category of hose nozzle encompasses those that attach directly to the end of the hose and continue the linear shape of it.
The hose nozzle is an oft overlooked device that many of us use every day of our lives yet pay little heed. Imagine though the process of trying to wash a car, clean out gutters, or water a bed of flowers without the pressure and control added by a nozzle to see how valuable these items really are. While today the under appreciated hose nozzle may be found lying about beside almost every home in the nation, not only are these water shaping and regulating devices rather new developments, but in fact even the hoses to which they attach are essentially modern inventions.
While some of the first firehoses were developed in the late 17th Century -- simple irrigation hoses would follow shortly thereafter -- even firehoses were not in widespread use until the 19th Century. Until the process of vulcanization was developed to help make rubber more durable and resilient, hoses were stiff, cumbersome, and generally saw a short service life. But the garden hose, firehose, and pressurized cleaning hose alike are all just tubes filled with water when not connected to a good nozzle. Choosing the nozzle you pair with your hose is arguably more important than the choice of the hose itself.
There are essentially two categories of hose nozzles that are defined from one another based on the way they are held. The first generalized type can be described as the pistol grip nozzle, which uses a handheld grip that fits in the palm and a trigger mechanism usually operated with all four fingers at once. The other broad category of hose nozzle encompasses those that attach directly to the end of the hose and continue the linear shape of it. While pistol grip style nozzles are designed to maximize the comfort of the user, interestingly enough many people may find the other type of nozzle much more comfortable to use, especially if you operate a hose for extended periods of time. Used with a lowered arm held down by one's side, these straight connection nozzles produce almost no hand strain and can be operated with almost no effort. That said, the pistol grip approach does allow for better accuracy of water flow aiming, and thus is the go-to for most casual gardeners, car washers, and so forth.
Beyond handle shape, next consider the spray pattern you need while watering. Many hose nozzles allow for spray directed across patterns including a flat sheet of water, a directed jet, a wide shower, and more. Others sacrifice some of the fancier spray shapes in favor of power, allowing the water to be defused from a shower to a jet only, but concentrating immense pressure into this latter setting. That allows for a longer beam, capable of hitting far away flowers or second (or even third) story windows and of more easily lifting stubborn grit and grime from closer surfaces.
When considering the type of hose nozzle you prefer in terms of function and grip, don't overlook the connection type the nozzle uses to be joined to its hose. While most nozzles still use the traditional threaded approach, sporting so-called female threading that is screwed onto the hose's male head, the quick connection type of hose union is becoming ever more popular. This type of snap on/snap off connection allows for quick changing of the attachments on the hose and is a great convenience when the task at hand calls for varied attachment types.
Matching A Hose Nozzle To A Hose
Just as a hose is not worth much without a good nozzle, so too can a great hose nozzle be paired with the perfect hose. And, perhaps more to the point, selecting the wrong hose can have a marked deleterious impact on a good nozzle.
And, perhaps more to the point, selecting the wrong hose can have a marked deleterious impact on a good nozzle.
First consider just what you need your hose and nozzle for. If you are looking to connect a hose to a high pressure, high volume marine spigot for washing off a boat, you need both a nozzle and a hose that can handle a large amount of water volume and pressure (some commercially available nozzles are rated for as much as 250 PSI). Consider pairing a high volume nozzle with flat water hose made with durable PVC for such applications.
On the other end of the spectrum, for light watering around a deck, patio, or other smaller area of a home where little water pressure is needed and space is at a premium, you likely want a hose nozzle with multiple spray patterns including mist and soaker functions. The ideal pairing here may be an expandable or self-coiling hose. These hoses can reach out to as much as three times their "resting" length when filled with water, making them convenient for reaching many areas of your property and then east to tuck away when out of use. The sacrifice comes in knowing they can never match the water pressure or volume of other hose types.
A Few Words On Water Pressure
The average water pressure of a residence in the United States falls somewhere in the range of forty to eighty pounds per square inch. Pipes, fittings, faucets, and spigots are generally not designed to handle a PSI of greater than eighty, and a home may not pass an inspection (and may encounter leaks or even blown joints and damaged hardware) if its water pressure is above this range.
Next look at your water meter and pressure regulator to make sure they are properly set.
On the other hand, when water pressure is too low, it can impact the manner in which you use water in myriad ways. Low water pressure can result in less pleasurable showers, slow to fill bathtubs, and in hoses without the ability to properly rinse soap from vehicles or reach plants and trees that need irrigation.
If the water pressure in your home is too high or too low, the first thing to do is simply to check the main shutoff valve and be sure that it is wide open. Next look at your water meter and pressure regulator to make sure they are properly set. Have a professional inspect things if you're not sure what you're doing, as it's easy to vastly overcorrect for water pressure issues.
Finally know that choosing the right hose nozzles, shower heads, and faucets can do much to compensate for low water pressure without the need for retrofitting the entire plumbing system of your home.