Hose reel hose vs layflat
Updated: October 2026
You are looking at a red 25 mm hose and a white 2 inch layflat, and both titles say fire hose. Hose reel hose vs layflat is the difference between a tube that stays round on a drum and a tube that lies flat until pressure opens it. The [fire hose comparison](/hub/fire-protection/fire-hose) lists the three amazon.co.uk hoses in this set. Peter F. set this contrast from the listings and the UK standards they cite, on 20 October 2026, with no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are looking at a red 25 mm hose and a white 2 inch layflat, and both titles say fire hose.
You are looking at a red 25 mm hose and a white 2 inch layflat, and both titles say fire hose. Hose reel hose vs layflat is the difference between a tube that stays round on a drum and a tube that lies flat until pressure opens it. The fire hose comparison lists the three amazon.co.uk hoses in this set. Peter F. set this contrast from the listings and the UK standards they cite, on 20 October 2026, with no lab test. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Construction | Bore | Standard cited | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  DAMBAT DAMBAT, 2 inch × 30 m | Layflat, woven jacket, EPDM liner | 2 inch | n/a | 6.4 | about £49.95 | View offer |
 Firechief Firechief FH25/30, 25 mm × 30 m | n/a | 25 mm (listing: outside diameter) | BSEN696 | 7.1 | about £123 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  DAMBAT DAMBAT, 2 inch, title 20 m | Layflat, woven jacket, EPDM liner | 2 inch | n/a | 4.1 | about £45.95 | View offer |
On this page
Semi-rigid hose on a reel
A hose reel under BS EN 671-1 is a fixed system, not a loose hose in a box. The hose on that system is semi-rigid and follows EN 694. The bores are 19 mm, 25 mm or 33 mm. The hose is in one piece and not longer than 30 m. For 19 mm and 25 mm the EN 694 scope states 1.2 MPa, which is 12 bar.
In this set the listing that looks like that spare is the Firechief FH25/30, B074P4HNQP, at about £123, described as 25 mm × 30 m. The amazon.co.uk bullet says approved to BSEN696. The description says EN 694. That clash means the page looks like reel hose and still does not give you one clean standard line. It also gives 25 mm as an outside diameter, and it names no coupling and no working pressure.
Layflat delivery hose
Layflat delivery hose collapses when it is empty and opens when it is pressurised. Fire-service layflat in the UK is non-percolating hose to BS 6391:2009, specified up to 15 bar, and sold to take BS 336 instantaneous couplings. London Fire Brigade delivery hose is 45 mm and 70 mm, often in 23 m lengths.
BS EN 671-2 covers fixed systems that use lay-flat hose to EN 14540. It does not say that any layflat may be wound onto an EN 671-1 semi-rigid reel. Both DAMBAT listings print a woven jacket and an EPDM liner. B09P5DTGVL is 2 inch × 30 m at about £49.95. B09P5FQXL4 is the same pattern at about £45.95, with 20 m in the title and 30 m in the length field. Neither names BS 6391 or BS 336. Two inch is about 51 mm. The order of buying checks is on the fire hose buying guide.
When each shape is the right buy
Buy semi-rigid hose when the reel already on the wall is an EN 671-1 reel and the hose you remove is semi-rigid, at 19 mm, 25 mm or 33 mm. In this set the only candidate with that shape is B074P4HNQP, and only if you can reconcile BSEN696 with EN 694. Which listing fits which job is on best fire hose. Buy layflat when the listing names the layflat standard and the coupling. The DAMBAT pages do not, so they are the purchase when general 2 inch layflat is honestly what you want.
When neither listing is the one
Buy neither listing in this set when you need a fully named fire-service assembly, because the white hoses omit the standard and the Firechief omits the coupling and the pressure. If the mark on the hose says semi-rigid, follow the reel. If the fitting in your hand is a BS 336 coupling at 45 mm or 70 mm, follow layflat that says so.
Common questions
What is the difference between reel hose and layflat?
Reel hose for an EN 671-1 system is semi-rigid, stays round when empty, and follows EN 694 at 19 mm, 25 mm or 33 mm, up to 30 m. Layflat lies flat until pressure opens it. Fire-service layflat to BS 6391 is non-percolating delivery hose up to 15 bar, used with BS 336 couplings, at brigade sizes such as 45 mm and 70 mm. A white 2 inch hose with neither mark is general layflat.
Can I wind a layflat hose onto a semi-rigid reel?
A semi-rigid reel under EN 671-1 takes semi-rigid hose to EN 694. Layflat on a fixed system belongs to EN 671-2 and EN 14540, on a reel, cradle or basket built for that hose. Winding the about £49.95 2 inch DAMBAT onto a 25 mm corridor reel mixes those systems. The layflat is also about 51 mm, so the bore does not match 25 mm either.
Is a 2 inch layflat a 45 mm or 70 mm fire hose?
Two inch is about 51 mm. London Fire Brigade delivery hose is 45 mm and 70 mm, commonly in 23 m lengths. The DAMBAT listings are 2 inch white layflat at 116 psi with quick-release ends and no BS 6391 line. They are a different bore from both brigade sizes. Rounding 51 mm to 45 mm is how the wrong hose gets ordered.
Which standard belongs to which hose?
EN 694 belongs to semi-rigid reel hose. BS EN 671-1 is the reel system that uses it. BS 6391 belongs to non-percolating layflat for firefighting, with BS 336 couplings. EN 14540 belongs to layflat on fixed systems under BS EN 671-2. The Firechief amazon.co.uk bullet says BSEN696 while the description says EN 694, so that listing does not sit cleanly on one of those lines until you check it.
Why do both get sold as fire hose on amazon.co.uk?
The search phrase is wide. Sellers use it for reel spares and for pump layflat. The three kept pages show the split: one red 25 mm × 30 m hose with a disputed standard string, and two white 2 inch layflats with no hose standard at all. The title is shared. The bore, the construction and the printed standard are not.
When would I buy layflat on purpose?
Buy it when you need hose that stores flat, for a pump or for dewatering, at a bore you measured, with a coupling you can name. In this set the 30 m DAMBAT at about £49.95 is the layflat whose length lines agree. It is the right buy only if unnamed quick-release ends and 116 psi, about 8 bar from that label, are enough for that pump. A hydrant job that specifies BS 6391 and BS 336 needs a listing that prints both.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 20 October 2026. amazon.co.uk prices and stars are the listings for B074P4HNQP, B09P5DTGVL and B09P5FQXL4.
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 13 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, article 17 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Home Office fire safety risk assessment guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- London Fire Brigade: hose (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- London City Hall DMFD90, provision of layflat hose (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- BSI, BS EN 694:2014, semi-rigid hoses for fixed systems (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, routine maintenance (retrieved 20 October 2026)
- Delta Fire: fire hose and the BS 336 coupling (retrieved 20 October 2026)