Garden watering
Garden watering covers the kit for a UK garden, allotment, patio or pitch: hoses and reels, tap timers, sprinklers, soaker hose and drip kits, water butts, pumps, and outdoor showers. A reinforced hose, an expandable hose and a spiral for a balcony are different products, and so are a timer on the tap and a pump in a butt.
Choose the card that matches the water source and the job. A rectangle of lawn, a buried head, a soaker along a hedge and a camping shower do not answer the same question. Listing details stay on the comparison, so this page can stay put when a model changes.
Garden watering
10 litre watering can
Usual outdoor size for borders and pots
A 10 litre watering can is the usual outdoor size for borders, large pots and allotments, including when a hosepipe is restricted.
Comparison guides
100 litre water butt
Small rainwater tank for a patio or shed
A 100 litre water butt is a small rainwater tank for a patio, side return, balcony downpipe, shed or greenhouse in the United Kingdom.
Comparison guides
12V pressure water pump
Diaphragm pump from a leisure battery
A 12V pressure water pump is a small diaphragm pump, or a wash kit built around one, run from a leisure battery or a 12 V socket.
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2 zone water timer
Two outlets on one outside tap
A 2 zone water timer is a battery-powered valve that screws onto one outside tap and runs two outlets on separate schedules.
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3/4 inch hose reel cart
Wheeled drum for a hose of about 19 mm
A 3/4 inch hose reel cart stores a garden hose on a drum so the hose stays off the path.
Comparison guides
300 litre water butt
Larger rain store for a watering can
A 300 litre water butt stores rain from a roof so you can fill a watering can, and sometimes run a slow hose, without drawing on the mains.
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35 litre solar shower
Freestanding column warmed in the sun
A 35 litre solar shower is a freestanding outdoor column, usually black PVC, that stores about 35 litres and warms that water in the sun.
Comparison guides
50m flexible garden hose
Long expandable hose under tap pressure
A 50m flexible garden hose is the phrase UK shoppers use for a long expandable hose: a latex inner tube in a polyester jacket that lengthens when mains pressure fills it and shrinks when you drain it.
Comparison guides
50m garden hose
Bare reinforced hosepipe of about 50 metres
A 50m garden hose is a bare reinforced hosepipe of about 50 metres for a UK outside tap.
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50m hose reel cart
Wheeled trolley for a long hose
A 50m hose reel cart is a freestanding wheeled trolley for about 50 metres of garden hose.
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Booster pump
Raises pressure in water that already arrives
A booster pump raises pressure in water that already reaches the inlet: a weak tap, a gravity-fed shower, or a hose limited by height and friction.
Comparison guides
Centrifugal pump
Surface pump for clean water from a tank
A centrifugal pump for a UK garden is a surface electric pump that draws clean water from a water butt, a tank or a shallow suction line.
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Circular sprinkler
Hose-end head for a circle or a sector
A circular sprinkler is a hose-end head that waters a circle, or a sector of a circle, rather than a rectangle.
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Deep well pump
Sits in the water when suction is too deep
A deep well pump for a UK garden sits in the water and pushes, once the pumping level is deeper than a surface pump can lift.
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Domestic water pump
Surface pump for a tap, shower or outlet
A domestic water pump is a surface pump that raises the pressure of clean water for a tap, a shower, a washing machine or a garden outlet.
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Drainage channel
Linear drain set flush in paving
A drainage channel is a modular linear drain set flush in paving.
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Einhell dirty water pump
Submersible for sandy or muddy water
A dirty water pump is a submersible for sandy or muddy water on a short job: a cooled hot tub, a pond, a cellar or an excavation.
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Flat suction pump
Submersible for a thin film on a floor
A flat suction pump is a submersible drainage pump for shallow standing water.
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Flexible garden hose
Expandable hose that shortens when drained
A flexible garden hose, as UK shoppers use the phrase, is an expandable hose: a latex or rubber core in a woven jacket that lengthens when the tap is on and shortens when you drain it.
Comparison guides
Flexible garden hose 15m
Expanding kit for a small garden
A flexible garden hose 15m is the hose you buy for a small UK garden when you want reach from an outdoor tap without a heavy coil.
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Flexible garden hose 30m
Expanding hose for a medium garden
A flexible garden hose at about 30 m is a fabric hose that lengthens with the tap on and shortens when you drain it.
Comparison guides
Garden hose
Cold mains water from an outdoor tap
A garden hose (hosepipe) carries cold mains water from a UK outdoor tap to beds, a cleaning job, or a sprinkler.
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Garden hose 1 inch
Nominal 25 mm bore, not a tap thread
A 1 inch garden hose, in UK pump and irrigation catalogues, is a hose with a nominal internal bore of 25 mm.
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Garden hose 3/4 inch
Internal bore of about 19 mm
A 3/4 inch garden hose, in UK trade language, is a hose with an internal bore of about 19 mm.
Comparison guides
Garden hose 30m
Usual bare length for a medium garden
A 30m garden hose is the usual bare length for a medium or large UK garden once you have measured the route from the outside tap and added slack.
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Garden hose 50m
Long reach from a distant outdoor tap
A garden hose 50m is the long reach you buy when a UK outdoor tap sits well away from the far border, the greenhouse or the driveway you wash.
Comparison guides
Garden pump
Mains surface pump beside a clean source
A garden pump is a mains surface pump that sits beside a water butt, an IBC, or another clean source.
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Garden shower
Outdoor rinse from a hose or a column
A garden shower is an outdoor rinse for a UK garden, used to rinse off, cool down, or wash where water already reaches the garden.
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Gardena hose
Fixed-length hose, usual bore 13 mm
A fixed-length garden hose carries cold mains water from a UK outdoor tap to beds, a patio, or a reel.
Comparison guides
Gardena hose box
Enclosed store for an outdoor tap
A Gardena hose box is an enclosed hose store for a UK outdoor tap.
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Gardena oscillating sprinkler
Hose-end bar for a rectangular lawn
An oscillating sprinkler is a hose-end bar that waters a square or rectangular lawn by sweeping left and right.
Comparison guides
Gardena sprinkler
Hose-end head for a lawn or a bed
A hose-end sprinkler throws water from an outside tap across a lawn or a bed.
Comparison guides
Gardena submersible pump
Sits in the water and pushes through a hose
A submersible pump sits in the water and pushes it out through a hose.
Comparison guides
Gardena water timer
Countdown shut-off or a scheduled valve
A Gardena water timer on a UK outside tap is either a countdown shut-off or a battery watering computer that opens a valve on a schedule.
Comparison guides
Güde dirty water pump
Mains submersible for a short muddy drain
A dirty water pump is a mains submersible for a short drain of sandy or muddy water, such as a cooled hot tub, a pond or a cellar.
Comparison guides
Holiday watering
Globes, spikes or a wick while you are away
Holiday watering keeps pots and baskets moist while you are away for a weekend or a fortnight.
Comparison guides
Hose connector
Joins a tap, two hose ends, or a spray gun
A hose connector joins a UK outside tap to a garden hose, joins two hose ends, or clicks a spray gun on and off.
Comparison guides
Hose reel
Stores and pays out a hosepipe
A hose reel stores and pays out a garden hosepipe instead of leaving a tangled coil on the lawn.
Comparison guides
Hose reel cart
Freestanding drum you wheel between beds
A hose reel cart, often called a hose trolley in the UK, is a freestanding drum you wheel or tow so a garden hose stays off the path.
Comparison guides
Hose reel cart with hose
Wheeled trolley sold with hose in the box
A hose reel cart with a hose is a freestanding wheeled trolley sold with garden hose in the same box, usually with tap and hose-end fittings.
Comparison guides
Hose reel cart without hose
Wheeled drum for a hose you already own
A hose reel cart without a hose is a wheeled drum for a garden hose you already own.
Comparison guides
Hunter hydrawise
Wall controller for piped solenoid valves
A wall irrigation controller switches 24 V solenoid valves on a piped garden system.
Comparison guides
Impulse sprinkler
One jet clicked round a circle or a sector
An impulse sprinkler, also called an impact or pulse sprinkler, throws one jet and uses a spring arm to click the head around a circle or a sector.
Comparison guides
Irrigation system
Tubing and outlets sharing one feed
An irrigation system is a run of tubing and outlets that shares one feed across pots, a greenhouse or a bed.
Comparison guides
Metal sprinkler
Hose-end head with a metal body
A metal sprinkler is a hose-end lawn sprinkler with a zinc, brass, or mixed-metal body.
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Metal watering lance
Hose wand for baskets and the back of a border
A metal watering lance is a garden-hose wand with a metal shaft.
Comparison guides
Oscillating sprinkler
Nozzle bar that sweeps a rectangle
An oscillating sprinkler uses mains pressure through a garden hose to sweep a nozzle bar back and forth, so water falls in a rectangle.
Comparison guides
Outdoor shower
Portable wash away from the bathroom
An outdoor shower is a wash you set up away from the bathroom.
Comparison guides
Pop-up sprinkler
Buried head that rises under pressure
A pop-up sprinkler is a buried lawn head that rises under water pressure and drops flush so you can mow over it.
Comparison guides
Rain barrel pump
Sits in a water butt and feeds a hose
A rain barrel pump, which UK shops usually call a water butt pump, sits in collected rainwater and feeds a hose.
Comparison guides
Rain collector
Soft tank or hanging cloth for roof runoff
A rain collector stores roof runoff or open-sky rain so you can water the garden.
Comparison guides
Sector sprinkler
Hose-fed head you can limit to an arc
A sector sprinkler is a hose-fed lawn sprinkler you can limit to an arc, so the water stays on the grass and off a path, fence or wall.
Comparison guides
Soaker hose
Porous pipe that weeps beside the tube
A soaker hose, also called a seep hose or porous pipe, weeps along its wall so water reaches the soil beside the tube.
Comparison guides
Soil moisture sensor
Relative reading for pots and beds
A soil moisture sensor tells you whether the root zone is dry enough to water.
Comparison guides
Solar shower
Dark bag hung so gravity feeds a hose
A solar shower for a UK pitch is a dark PVC bag you fill, leave in direct sun, then hang so gravity feeds a short hose.
Comparison guides
Spiral garden hose
Short spring hose for a patio or courtyard
A spiral garden hose, also called a coil or recoil hose, is a short watering hose made as a spring.
Comparison guides
Submersible pump
Sits in the water and pushes it out
A submersible pump sits in the water and pushes it out through a hose.
Comparison guides
Water timer
Screws onto an outdoor tap on a schedule
A garden water timer, also called a hose timer or tap timer, screws onto a UK outdoor tap and opens or closes a hose on a countdown or a digital schedule.
Comparison guides
Spray hose
Handheld gun or expandable kit
Compare 10 spray hoses on amazon.co.uk, from about £6.83 to £28.99. The top pick is the Onarway metal gun; best value is the Ibergrif ABS gun at £6.83.
Comparison guides
Suction hose
Inlet pipe for a washer or pump
Compare 10 suction hoses on amazon.co.uk, from about £9.39 to £23.99. The top pick is the TOPWAYS 3 m kit; best value is the YUET inlet, after a length check.
Comparison guides
Tree watering bag
Slow drip for a new tree
Compare seven tree watering bags on amazon.co.uk, from about £9.69 to £56.94. The top pick and best value is the baumbad 75 litre sleeve at about £12.97.
Comparison guides
Wall hose holder
Hand-coiled hook, not a reel
Compare 9 wall hose holders on amazon.co.uk, from about £6.48 to £18.99. The top pick is the SMARYONG hook at £8.28; best value is the Navoys tap hook.
Comparison guides
Wall mounted hose reel
Bracket, cassette and hose
Compare nine wall mounted hose reels on amazon.co.uk, about £50.99 to £135.97. Top pick: 15 m SUNPOW for a short run. Best value: 20 m ROYWEL at £59.59.
Comparison guides
Water butt
Roof rain in a slimline or tank
Compare 11 water butts on amazon.co.uk, from about £33.69 to £79.99. The top pick is a 100 litre Pluto kit if you will drill; best value is a Bowers slimline.
Comparison guides
Watering can
Litres you can lift
Compare 10 watering cans on amazon.co.uk, from about £6.49 to £28.98. The top pick is the Zuvo 6.5 litre can; best value is the Ward 6.5 litre at £6.94.
Comparison guides
Watering can with fairy lights
Solar lantern, not a real can
Compare 11 watering cans with fairy lights on amazon.co.uk, from about £9.32 to £20.78. The top pick is GIGALUMI; the best value is the Daknswte IP65 can.
Comparison guides
Watering globe
Reservoir for a short trip
Compare 12 watering globes on amazon.co.uk, from about £7.19 to £18.99. The top pick is a 500 ml Ruichi four-pack; best value is a small 14-pack at £7.19.
Comparison guides
Watering indicator
Dial or stick, no water added
Compare 10 watering indicators on amazon.co.uk, from about £7.69 to £24.30. The top pick is the XLUX T10 dial; the best value is the Yizerel two-pack.
Comparison guides
Watering lance
Reach for baskets and borders
Compare nine watering lances on amazon.co.uk, from about £7.19 to £33.99. The top pick is the AOOWU at £9.34; the best value is the Draper 670 mm shower.
Comparison guides
Watering spikes
Bottle inserts for pots
Compare 12 watering spikes on amazon.co.uk, from about £5.99 to £24.69. The top pick is the Bamworld six-pack; the best value is the Artiwell eight-pack.
Comparison guides
Watering system for indoor plants
Holiday kits without a garden tap
Watering system for indoor plants: 12 amazon.co.uk kits from about £7.64 to £49.99. Top pick is the beday pump; best value is Forever Speed at £18.99.
Comparison guides
Watering timer
Battery valve on an outside tap
Compare 12 watering timers on amazon.co.uk, from about £14.95 to £119.99. The top pick is a Johgee clock timer; the best value is a Gardena preset knob.
Comparison guides
Garden watering guides
View all articles →A hose, a timer, a sprinkler and a pump are different jobs. The water source, the pressure at the tap, and whether a temporary use ban is in force decide which comparison to open.
Store garden hose over winter UK: drain it properly
The first hard frost can expose a job you meant to do weeks earlier. Water left in a hosepipe, connector or spray gun can freeze, expand and damage pa
Expandable garden hose vs normal hose: which to buy
You finish watering, turn off the tap and watch an expandable hose pull itself into a small, light bundle. That helps when a bulky coil blocks a narro
Hose spray pattern for seedlings: water without damage
A hose spray pattern for seedlings should wet the compost without digging holes, exposing roots or folding soft stems. That usually means a fine mist