Hose Reel vs Hose Hook: Which Is Better? | Hook Up NZ

Hose Reel vs Hose Hook: Which One Actually Makes Sense for Your Garden?

We’ll be upfront: we make hose hooks. But before Hook Up existed, we were plastic hose reel people like everyone else. We eventually got fed up with reels that stopped working, needed replacing every few seasons, and never looked right in a well-designed outdoor space. We figured there had to be a better way, so Brad started bending metal scraps to see what he could come up with.

The quick answer

If you have a big section and drag 35m or more of hose around every day, a retractable reel can earn its place. For most homes, with a tap on the side of the house and a hose used a few times a week, a hose hook is simpler, lasts longer and won't crack in the sun.

What's the difference?

A hose reel is a plastic drum you wind the hose onto, either with a crank handle or a spring-loaded auto-rewind. Most have a plastic housing and get bolted to the wall.

A hose hook is a fixed hanger you wrap the hose around. There's nothing to wind and nothing to jam. Hook Up hooks straight over your outdoor tap, with screw holes there if you want extra stability and strength. 

Side by side

Where a reel wins

We'd rather you buy the right thing than the wrong thing from us.

• Auto-rewind. If coiling a hose by hand is your idea of torture, a spring reel does it for you. Just know the spring is usually the first thing to go.
• Really long hoses. Our Hook Up Premium holds up to 30m of standard 12 to 14mm garden hose. If you're running above 30m across a lifestyle block, a reel may suit you better.

Where a hook wins

• It survives the sun. New Zealand and Australia have some of the harshest UV in the world, and it's tough on plastic. Which is why we've built ours from Stainless Steel and Aluminium, materials that can handle the harshest weather. 
• Nothing to break. No crank, no spring, no ratchet. One of our customers put it best: their Hook Up "won't fall apart over time like a recoil hose."
• Easy to install. Hook Up slides straight over your outdoor tap, with no drilling and no tools. It’s up in minutes, and it’s ideal for renters too.
• It looks like it belongs. If something's going on your house, it should look like it was meant to be there.
• The bonus. The centre cut-out doubles as a bottle opener. Watering the garden is thirsty work.

What it costs over time

Here's a simple example. A $129 auto reel replaced every three years costs you about $258 over six years, plus two trips to the tip. A Hook Up Original is $149.99, once.

Which Hook Up suits your place?

• Hook Up Original, $149.99. Minimalist 304 stainless steel, where it all started. Great for inland homes.
• Hook Up Premium, $179.99. Our most popular. Choose 304 for inland or 316 marine-grade for coastal homes, with 6 mounting holes and 4 attachment holes.
• Hook Up Stealth Aluminium, $249.99. Our lightest at 1.1kg, powder coated to match your house in Matte Black, Stone, Flaxpod, Corten or Natural Bronze.
• Hook Up Stealth Stainless Steel, $269.99. 316 marine-grade stainless, the ultimate Hook Up.
• Hook Up Neo, $269.99. Magnetic, made for steel cladding.

Still deciding? Our Choose Your Hook Up guide breaks it down, and the Material Guide covers the difference between the materials.

Ready to give your hose the Hook Up it deserves? Shop the range. Designed and made in Wānaka, with free shipping across NZ and Australia.