by Benson Garden Hose Guide: Textile vs PVC, Which Length to Buy, and How to Make It Last

Most of us buy a garden hose the same way: grab the green PVC one at the hardware store, fight with it for three summers, then throw it out when it splits by the tap. by Benson is a Swedish brand built on the idea that the hose doesn't have to be the ugliest thing in the garden. Anna Benson started it in 2017, and its textile hose was named Sweden's Garden Product of the Year in 2022. It isn't the cheapest option, so it's worth knowing what you're paying for.

Textile vs PVC: what's actually different

A classic PVC hose is a thick plastic tube. It's cheap and tough, but it's heavy, it remembers every loop you coil it in, and it goes stiff in cold weather. Leave it in the sun for a few seasons and it starts to crack.

The by Benson Garden Hose Deluxe is built differently. The outside is a woven textile jacket and the inside is a tube of natural latex. It weighs much less, it hangs in soft loops instead of springy coils, and it looks more like a piece of rope than a piece of plumbing. That's most of the appeal: you can leave it on a hook by the back door and it doesn't look out of place.

There are trade-offs. A textile hose doesn't enjoy being dragged over gravel or rough concrete for years on end. You also can't cut it to length and fit a new connector the way you can with PVC. by Benson says so plainly, so pick your length carefully before you buy.

15 m or 25 m?

Walk the route, don't guess. Start at the tap, follow the path you'd actually take with the hose (around the patio, not through the flower bed), and go to the far corner you water most. Add a couple of metres so you aren't pulling it tight.

• 15 m is enough for a balcony, a terrace, a courtyard or a small town garden.
• 25 m suits a typical family garden with a lawn and beds on more than one side of the house.
• If the far end needs more than 25 m, a second tap or a water butt in that corner will be easier to live with than a very long hose.

Longer isn't automatically better. A long hose is heavier to carry, takes longer to empty, and loses a bit of pressure on the way.

Nozzles, spray guns and sprinklers

The hose is only half the job. What you put on the end decides how you water. by Benson sells a metal Spray Gun Deluxe with a 7-setting head, and a Multi Spray Nozzle set with 10 spray patterns. Use a soft shower or mist for seedlings and pots, and save the jet for rinsing paths and garden furniture. For a lawn, a sprinkler is far less work than standing there with the gun, and the hose sets that come with a sprinkler head and holder are the easiest way to get everything matching in one go.

Pruning tools and gloves

by Benson isn't just hoses. Its Bypass Deluxe branch shears handle branches up to 35 mm, and there's a Premium pruning saw for anything thicker. Bypass shears cut like scissors, which leaves a cleaner cut on living wood than the anvil type, so they're the right pick for roses, shrubs and fruit trees. For gloves, there's a basic pair in 100% cotton for weeding and potting, and a deluxe pair in calfskin that copes better with thorns and rough work.

Watering well (whatever hose you use)

The Royal Horticultural Society's advice is to water thoroughly and less often, rather than a light sprinkle every day. A good soak gets water down to the roots and encourages them to grow deeper, which makes plants tougher in a dry spell. Water in the early morning or evening, when less is lost to evaporation, and aim at the soil around the plant rather than the leaves. Pots and new plantings are the exception: they dry out fast and may need water every day in summer.

Looking after a textile hose

• Empty it after each use. Open the nozzle, lift the hose from the tap end and walk the water out.
• Hang it up instead of leaving it in a heap on the lawn. A wall holder keeps it off the ground and out from under the mower.
• Keep it out of direct sun when you're not using it. UV is hard on any hose.
• by Benson gives an operating range of 0 to 80°C for the Deluxe hose, so don't leave it at the tap through a frost.

Winter storage

Before the first frost, drain the hose completely and bring it into a shed, garage or cellar that stays dry and above freezing. by Benson's own advice is that cold makes a hose stiffer and more brittle, the same way strong sun does, and any water left inside can freeze. Take the spray gun or nozzle off and store it with the hose so its seals don't freeze either.

Warranty and buying

by Benson's FAQ lists a 1-year warranty on its water hoses. There's no coupon code in its affiliate feed right now, so any sale prices will be on the product pages themselves. See the by Benson deals page for current links to the hoses, tools and bestsellers.