EXCEPTIONAL PRODUCT

The Flexzilla Flexible Hybrid Polymer garden hose with SwivelGrip (bend restrictor and coupler rotator) is an exceptional product. It has two things that make it stand out from other hoses: the couplers, and the fact that I couldn’t get it to kink under pressure (unlike some other hoses I own).

The hose I tested was 5/8 inch by 50 feet, but it comes in lengths from 3 feet to 100 feet in this same 5/8 inch diameter.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Maximum working pressure: 150 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) @ 70⁰F
• Drinking water safe
• Lays flat (no twisting memory in the hose)
• No kinking when the hose is under pressure
• Flexibility in a wide range of temperature extremes
• Lightweight
• Coils easily
• Anodized aircraft aluminum fittings (crash resistant)
• Abrasion-resistant outer cover
• Bend restrictor
• SwivelGrip rotating couplers at each end

THE SWIVELGRIP SLEEVES MAKE IT EASY TO ATTACH

The Flexzilla Hose couplers are made of high strength, crush resistant aircraft grade aluminum, and have plastic sleeves (the SwivelGrips) that slide up over them. These sleeves fit snugly over the shape of the outside of the couplers, and come down far enough on the hose that the user’s entire hand will fit on them.

This means that you can use your entire hand strength to turn the coupler, rather than just your finger strength. As someone with age and work damaged hands, I really appreciate this feature! In the past I have found myself resorting to channel lock pliers to remove hoses screwed onto faucets over zealously; I cannot see this happening with this hose. The hose would be great for people with arthritis.

The couplers also turn independently from the hose, so you don’t have to fight with the hose flopping around as you tighten it to the faucet or another hose. This also means that as you work, and turn around corners or turn the nozzle or sprayer end to different angles, the hose doesn’t fight you but turns so there is no stress on it. No more sprinklers flipping over after you put them down.

The hose is easy to install with the SwivelGrip and aircraft grade aluminum fittings

Strong Yet Flexible

The Flexzilla hose feels soft but is very strong. It has a tensile breaking strength of over 25,000 lbs. and will stand up to 150 PSI (at 70⁰ F) without bursting – not many people have water systems with the pressure that high. I tried this hose in 95⁰ F weather and at 40⁰ F, and it was flexible at both temperatures.

Although I couldn’t test it at below freezing temperatures (up to –40⁰ F), the company claims that the hose remains flexible even at this extreme. There’s a video on the Flexilla website that demonstrates how flexible it remains at this low temperature. Standard vinyl and some rubber hoses shatter at this temperature.

DURABLE

Despite this seeming softness at a variety of temperatures, the Flexilla hose is strong enough not to kink. I dragged it all over the yard, around planters and shrubs and porches, and it did not get pinched off. I even dragged it around concrete blocks and the exterior sheath of the hose saw no wear.

Another durability aspect of the hose is abuse from hot metal objects. My husband accidentally put a hot lighter chimney for our BBQ grill on it, and while it melted through the outside abrasion layer, the inner layer is still fine and held up with no swelling under the 70 psi our water system is set at.

EASY TO COIL AND UNROLL

You can coil this hose up any old way, and then drag one end out, and it will just uncoil, rather than getting kinks as it gets pulled out. I found that quite impressive. The key is to hold onto the sheath covering the coupler at the end of the hose; this allows the SwivelGrip coupler to turn freely and pull any kinks out of the hose.

When under pressure, however, the hose is more difficult to coil. I recommend turning the water off and releasing the pressure at the hose nozzle or sprinkler before trying to coil the hose.

I do not own a hose reel, so I can’t comment on how it will perform when unrolling. But I think that a hose reel would make it even easier to unwind without kinking. Just be sure to follow the instructions carefully – you’ll need to stretch the hose out flat before winding it onto the hose reel the first time.

The hose coiled easily and did not kink when unwound or while dragging it around the garden

DRINKING WATER SAFE AND AN IMPROVED WASHER

The Flexzilla hose is also drinking water safe. That’s good since we have animals. It’s a trademarked chartreuse color that makes it easy to see, even in grass. And the hose comes with an upgraded O-ring washer that virtually eliminates leaks at the spigot and nozzle ends of the hose. In my testing, there were no leaks at all.

WARRANTY

The Flexilla hose with SwivelGrip has a limited lifetime warranty (that it is free of defects in material and workmanship for life from date of purchase under normal use), but the terms are daunting – you must ship the entire hose back to them, along with proof of date of purchase and the original retail label (the cardboard carrier that the hose is packaged in).

The Flexzilla hose is made by Legacy Manufacturing, based in Marion IA, but the hose is actually made in Taiwan. Legacy can be contacted via their website.

RECOMMENDATION

The Flexzilla hose is filled with features. I liked the green color that showed up in the grass. It made it super-visible and unlikely to be hit with a lawn mower or tripped over.  Its high-quality aluminum ends gave the hose a real feeling of quality and the coupler grips (SwivelGrip) make for easy fastening and unfastening of the hose from spigots and nozzles. In my tests, I couldn’t get it to kink even after dragging it through my garden, around corners and coiling and uncoiling it. And, finally, I appreciated the true flexibility of the hose at low temperatures. Overall, it’s a great hose that I would recommend to anyone.

[Editor’s Note: We’ve seen reports about the Flexilla hoses developing a black coating on the exterior of the hose. It’s not clear what this is (dirt? mold? degrading plastic?) but it doesn’t appear to wash off.]

WHERE TO BUY

The Flexzilla hose with SwivelGrip (model # HFZG550YWS) can be bought from Amazon for $48.49. SwivelGrip™ Flexzilla® Hose, 50′ is also at Gardener’s Supply, but it doesn’t appear that the SwivelGrip comes in the green color. A similar model without the SwivelGrip (HFZG550YW) is available on multiple sites for less, but we recommend the SwivelGrip as it helps eliminate kinks.

Price Reduction

The Flexzilla hose with SwivelGrip (model # HFZG550YWS)

The Flexzilla hose with SwivelGrip (model HFZG550YWS, not to be confused with HFZG550YW which doesn’t have the SwivelGrip ends) is top quality, high tech hose that’s truly kink free and built to last.

$54.98
−$6.03
$48.95

See it on Amazon