How to use a retractable hose reel
Updated: October 2026
How to use a retractable hose reel is the order for a normal watering: walk it out, lock it, water, turn the tap off, open the nozzle, then walk the end back while you still hold it. The [wall mounted hose reel comparison](/hub/garden-watering/wall-mounted-hose-reel) is where the nine listings differ. This page assumes the reel is fitted. The Products Compared editorial team used the Hozelock Auto Reel booklet, the Hozelock FAQ, and the listing notes from 15 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
How to use a retractable hose reel is the order for a normal watering: walk it out, lock it, water, turn the tap off, open the nozzle, then walk the end back while you still hold it.
How to use a retractable hose reel is the order for a normal watering: walk it out, lock it, water, turn the tap off, open the nozzle, then walk the end back while you still hold it. The wall mounted hose reel comparison is where the nine listings differ. This page assumes the reel is fitted. The Products Compared editorial team used the Hozelock Auto Reel booklet, the Hozelock FAQ, and the listing notes from 15 October 2026. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Length lock | Rewind | Before rewind | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Hozelock Hozelock Fast Reel 40 m | n/a | Manual handle | n/a | 8.3 | about £109.97 | View offer |
| Best value |  ROYWEL ROYWEL 20 m RY20MBK | Self-locking | Automatic, slow return | Tap off and fit an attachment | 8.1 | about £59.59 | View offer |
 Hozelock Hozelock Auto Reel 30 m | Yes | Automatic | n/a on the listing | 8.2 | about £135.97 | View offer |
On this page
Pull out and lock
Walk the hose towards the bed rather than yanking it from the gun. On a spring cassette the lock stops the drum taking the hose back while you are still crossing the patio. Bietor and ROYWEL UK-35100NB describe automatic rewind in the bullets and say manual in the operation-mode field, so follow the tug behaviour of the unit in your hands.
Any-length lock, where the listing states it, means the hose should stay where you stopped. The Fast Reel has no spring latch. If the hose creeps back at once, you have not found the latch, or the latch has failed. A loop around a downpipe is how a later rewind stops short.
Tap off, then rewind
Turn the outdoor tap off before you ask the spring to finish the job. ROYWEL’s bullets, on the best value 20 m reel, say mains pressure left in the hose stops the last few metres retracting, and they tell you to fit an attachment before the hose will come fully in. Hozelock’s booklet for Auto Reel models 2401, 2402 and 2403 says the same idea: if rewind struggles, turn the tap off and open the gun.
A shut gun on a charged hose is a stiff pipe. That stop is pressure, not yet a broken spring. The Auto Reel booklet says pull about 15–30 cm at the reel to release the latch. Do not copy 15–30 cm onto a Giraffe, a ROYWEL, a Bietor, a LYMIN or a SUNPOW.
Walk the end back
Hold the nozzle and walk towards the cassette. Letting go is how the hose flies. Hozelock’s FAQ says never let an auto reel fly, because that can damage the reel. Giraffe Tools reviews include a hose that came off the internal spool when rewind was not controlled. A slow-return bullet is a claim about speed, not permission to release the end.
If the hose is gritty, pull it out, wipe sand and dirt, and walk it back. Do not open the case. Hozelock says the pre-2016 30 m Auto Reel is sealed.
The Fast Reel and the end of the season
The Hozelock Fast Reel 2496 does not use this spring sequence. You turn the handle, and the layering guide feeds the hose onto the reel. Turn the tap off anyway, so you are not winding a pipe full of pressure. Reviews say the wind gets heavy near the end of 40 m. Whether that handle is the reel you wanted is on the auto rewind versus manual hose reel page.
Before frost, drain the hose and store it. The Royal Horticultural Society’s October advice is to drain plastic hoses and put them away. Shut the tap and disconnect, and do not leave the end in a water butt, a pond or a pool. Drilling belongs in the wall mounted hose reel buying guide, if the bracket is not up yet.
Common questions
How do I lock the hose at the length I need?
Walk it out to the plant and let the any-length lock take the tension, where the listing states that lock. SUNPOW, LYMIN, Giraffe Tools, the ROYWEL titles and the Hozelock Auto Reel describe a lock. If the hose creeps back at once, seat the latch before you open the tap. The Fast Reel has no spring lock. You stop turning the handle.
How do I start the rewind?
On a spring reel, turn the tap off, open the nozzle, then use a short outward pull while you hold the end. Hozelock’s Auto Reel booklet specifies about 15–30 cm at the reel. Other brands in this set only get a tug if their own listing says so. On the Fast Reel you turn the handle. The layering guide does not start a spring.
Should the tap be off before the hose goes back?
Yes. Pressure left in the hose swells the last few metres, which ROYWEL states on the listing and Hozelock’s booklet covers by opening the gun after the tap is off. A hose that stops short with the tap still open is not evidence that the spring has failed. Empty it, then walk it back.
Why must I walk back instead of letting go?
A flying hose can jump the spool or collapse the spring. Hozelock’s FAQ says not to let the reel fly. Giraffe Tools reviews describe a hose off the drum when the return was not held. Slow-return claims are not a tested time, except Bietor’s own 10–12 second claim, which reviews say is faster in use.
What is different about the Hozelock Fast Reel?
You crank 40 m plus 2 m. There is no spring latch and no auto rewind. The layering guide only lays the hose on the drum. Wind with the tap off, and expect the handle to feel heavier once most of the hose is on the reel. A stiff crank is not the fault described for a dead spring.
What if the last few metres will not go in?
Turn the tap off, open the nozzle, pull the hose out in a straight line and walk it back while you hold the end. If it still stops short, stop. Do not open the case. Before frost, drain the hose and disconnect it. A frost-resistant claim is not a charged hose left out.
Related pages
Sources
Sources checked for this comparison; listings and public pages read on 15 October 2026.
- Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Water Regs UK, backflow protection for hose taps (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Southern Water, plumbing guide (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Ofwat, hosepipe bans and non-essential use bans (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Met Office, hosepipes and hidden health risks (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Royal Horticultural Society, October structures (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Hozelock, measure your tap and choose a connector (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Hozelock, Auto Reel with 20 m or 30 m hose (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the ASINs in this comparison (retrieved 15 October 2026)