12 Best Steel & Metal Hose Reels [Carts & Wall Mounted]

Metal and stainless steel hose reels provide a level of durability that can last much longer than plastic hose reels. And whether you need a metal hose reel cart, or a wall mounted metal hose reel, you have plenty of options. I like the Liberty Garden Multi-Directional Garden Hose Reel because it comes almost fully assembled and has a 360-degree carriage that provides the multi-directional versatility that is often needed when working in the yard.

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These are our choices for best metal garden hose reels:

Liberty Garden Steel Multi-Directional Wall Mounted Metal Hose Reel (click here to view)
Eley Portable Garden Hose Reel Cart (click here to view)
Liberty Garden 4-Wheel Never Flat Metal Hose Reel Cart (click here to view)
Giraffe Heavy Duty Retractable Metal Garden Hose Reel Box (click here to view)
Strongway Parallel or Perpendicular Wall-Mount Steel Garden Hose Reel (click here to view)
Giraffe Stainless Steel Wall Mounted Hose Reel with Crank (click here to view)
Eley Free Standing Garden Hose Reel (Model 1042) (click here to view)
Liberty Garden Steel Decorative Wall Mount Garden Hose Reel (click here to view)
Suncast Commercial Steel 200 ft. Pro Hose Reel w/ No-Flat Tires (click here to view)
Yard Butler Metal 2-Wheel Hose Truck (click here to view)
Liberty Garden Never Flat Decorative Metal Garden Hose Reel Cart (click here to view)
Suncast 200 ft. Decorative Metal Hose Cart (click here to view)

Probably the first thing you need to determine when shopping for a metal garden hose reel is do you want a wall-mounted reel, or a metal hose reel cart? Wall-mounted hose reels are easier to keep up out of the way, but obviously when you mount a reel to a fence or wall, you’ll only be able to use that reel in that area of your yard.

Metal hose reel carts really come in handy for those who need something that can be easily maneuvered place-to-place around a bigger yard. Most all hose reel carts come with never-flat tires and feature a design that makes it reasonably easy to transport your hose around the yard or work site.

You’ll also need to make sure you find a hose reel that has the storage capacity to fit the length of hose needed for your yard. A standard garden hose diameter is 5/8″, and most hose reels can store 100+ feet of 5/8″ garden hose, but it’s always best to double check and confirm. In this article let’s take a closer look at the best metal hose reels so you can find an option that fits your needs.

Table of Contents

Best Metal Hose Reels

Liberty Garden Multi-Directional Wall Mounted Metal Hose Reel

The thing I like the most about this Liberty Garden steel wall-mounted hose reel is its responsiveness. It is built with a 360-degree rotating multi-directional carriage that makes it easy to maneuver the hose as you work around the yard. Here’s what this Liberty Garden wall mounted steel hose reel looks like:

This is the current price of this Liberty Garden hose reel available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this reel:

Benefits – This wall mounted metal garden hose reel has a 360-degree rotating multi-directional carriage to make things easier on you as you navigate the yard. It has a small storage basket for storing essentials like work gloves or a hose nozzle. Perhaps the nicest benefit with this hose reel is it comes almost fully assembled, you just have to attach the handle and mount to a wall.

Material – Yes, this is a steel garden hose reel. It is made using 18-gauge steel construction and has a powder-coated finish to help prevent rust and corrosion. It has a brass swivel fitting that is shaped at a 90-degree angle to help prevent damage.

Storage Capacity – This reel can store up to 125 feet of 5/8″ diameter hose. A standard garden hose has a 5/8″ diameter, but if you are using a larger diameter hose (for example, 3/4″), be sure to take that into account when determining your storage capacity needs. You’ll also want to make sure this reel has the strength to handle the PSI of your hose if using a larger diameter hose.

Assembly – As I mentioned above, one huge benefit about this Liberty Garden hose reel is it involves very little assembly. You just attach the handle and then mount it to wall or post. Please note that mounting hardware is not included with the purchase of the reel (this means you’ll need your own mounting screws). This reel does not come with a lead-in hose.

Click here to buy this Liberty Garden hose reel available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). There are other designs available for this reel that all have unique benefits to fit your specific needs.

Liberty Garden 4-Wheel Never Flat Metal Hose Reel Cart

If you are looking for a steel hose reel cart, this Liberty Garden reel is made with powder-coated 13-gauge steel and features never flat tires to give you the dependability you need for rugged terrain. In my experience, garden hose carts like this can make sense for both residential or commercial use. Here’s what this Liberty Garden steel hose reel cart looks like:

This is the current price of this Liberty Garden steel hose cart available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this cart:

Benefits – This cart has never-flat tires that can maneuver around the hard with you. That means if you need to change spigots, this cart offers versatility that a wall-mounted reel doesn’t. This cart has a storage basket for essentials like a bottle of water, work gloves, garden tools, and nozzles. The large wheels combined with the low center of gravity help prevent tipping.

Material – Yes, this is a steel garden hose cart. It is made using 13-gauge steel construction and has a powder-coated finish to help prevent rust and corrosion. It has a brass swivel fitting that is shaped at a 90-degree angle to help prevent damage.

Storage Capacity – This cart can store up to 250 feet of 5/8″ diameter hose, so it is great for big yards. A standard garden hose has a 5/8″ diameter, but if you are using a larger diameter hose (for example, 3/4″), be sure to take that into account when determining your storage capacity needs. One thing I like about this cart is it also includes a 5 foot inlet lead-in hose.

Assembly – Unfortunately, yes, due to the size of this cart, there will assembly required. It would be safe to assume assembly process will take approximately an hour to lay it all out, get it organized, assembled, and ready for use.

Click here to buy this Liberty Garden metal garden hose cart available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, this hose cart can make sense for both residential and commercial purposes.

Giraffe Heavy Duty Retractable Metal Garden Hose Reel Box

If you are searching for a metal garden hose reel box to set on your deck or patio, this metal Giraffe reel box is made with a rust-resistant finish to help ensure longevity, and the box itself weighs 30 pounds which allows the box to stay in place as you pull the hose around the yard. Here’s what this Giraffe heavy-duty garden hose reel box looks like:

This is the current price of this Giraffe hose reel box available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this reel:

Benefits – If you don’t want to mount a hose reel, this metal garden hose reel box made by Giraffe is a nice option. It blends in nicely on a patio or deck and has enough weight to hold itself in place as you work. The lid to the box opens so you can inspect the hose inside if needed.

Material – This box is made with a durable metal housing that has been coated to help prevent rust and corrosion. The connectors are made of aluminum. The box weighs approximately 29 pounds. The hand crank is made of a combination of iron and plastic (the hand grip portion is plastic).

Storage Capacity – This metal hose reel box will hold up to 130 feet of 5/8″ diameter hose, which is enough to cover most city yards. It can hold up to 200 feet of 1/2″ hose. The diameter of a standard garden hose is 5/8″, but some prefer the smaller diameter hose because it can reduce weight.

Assembly – There will be a small bit of assembly required with this unit, which includes attaching the crank handle and prepping for the hose.

Strongway Parallel or Perpendicular Wall-Mount Steel Garden Hose Reel

What I really like about this Strongway wall mounted metal hose reel is you can mount it parallel or perpendicular, and it can be setup both for right-handed orientation or left-handed orientation, meaning you can really customize this reel’s setup to fit your specific needs. Here’s what this Strongway hose reel looks like:

This is the current price of this Strongway metal hose reel available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about this reel:

Benefits – Mounting versatility is the strength of this reel. It can be mounted both perpendicular and parallel to the wall, and you can customize the handle to fit your preferred hand orientation. This reel also comes with a 6-foot lead-in hose.

Material – This is an industrial strength hose reel that is larger than the cheap plastic hose reels you find at the local hardware store. Yes, it is made with powder-coated steel. Just expect this reel to take up a bit more space than the smaller, less durable reels.

Storage Capacity – This metal hose storage reel is made to hold 150 feet of 5/8″ diameter hose, which is long enough to cover most city yards.

Assembly – Although the unit is assembled, there is some small assembly left when you receive this unit. And part of the assembly process for this unit will be deciding if you want to mount it parallel or perpendicular to the wall or fence, and which hand orientation you want to set it up for.

Click here to buy this Strongway metal garden hose reel available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). This reel is rated for 150 PSI.

Other Metal & Steel Hose Reels to Consider

Eley Portable Garden Hose Reel Cart – Eley is a Nebraska-based brand and is known for making premium hose reels. This metal hose reel cart is made with diecast heavy-duty aluminum and features never-flat tires and a design that resists tipping. It has the storage capacity to handle a 150-foot 5/8″ diameter garden hose. The carriage on this hose reel sits higher than it does on other hose reels. Click here to visit the Eley store at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).

Giraffe Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Hose Reel with Crank – This Giraffe wall-mounted stainless steel hose reel has 130-foot capacity for a 5/8″ diameter hose and features a heavy-duty design that blends in nicely with a wide range of materials. This reel has brass connections and a guide system that helps evenly distribute the hose around the reel when rewinding. Click here to view this Giraffe stainless steel hose reel at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).

Liberty Garden Steel Decorative Wall Mount Garden Hose Reel – Looking for a decorative metal garden hose reel? This Liberty Garden steel hose reel has extra design details to make it look more appealing than a standard hose reel. It stores up to 125 feet of 5/8″ diameter hose and has a storage tray at the top. It comes fully assembled but does not include mounting hardware. Click here to view this Liberty Garden steel hose reel at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).

10 Things to Consider When Buying Metal Hose Reels

Storage Capacity

When buying a metal hose reel or a metal hose reel cart, probably the first thing you need to consider is how long of a hose do you need to store? For most city yards, 50 foot hoses should get the job done. For larger yards you will want a 100 foot hose.

And part of this comes down to whether you buy a wall-mounted hose reel, or a hose reel cart. A hose reel cart allows you to move the hose from spigot to spigot around the outside of your house, meaning you don’t necessarily need a long hose. If you’re using a wall-mounted reel, you lose the ability to move your hose to an alternate spigot, so a longer hose may be necessary to reach all parts of the yard.

For most all reels, storage capacity is based off a 5/8″ diameter garden hose. This is the size of a standard garden hose. For larger diameter hoses, not only will you have to take into consideration that you can’t fit as much hose on the reel for storage, you will also have to make sure the reel has the strength to take on the increased PSI of a large diameter hose.

PSI

Always make sure the hose reel can handle the PSI for your setup. For most standard 5/8″ diameter garden hoses, this will not be something you need to worry about. But if you plan to use a larger diameter hose for increased flow rate, make sure the hose reel is sturdy enough to handle it. Most all units should list the PSI limits.

Assembly

All things considered, assembly is generally not that bad for hose reels. Some of the smaller units may be shipping almost completely assembled, and you may just simply have to attach a crank handle and/or mount the unit to the wall.

If you are buying a wall-mounted unit, be sure to confirm that the unit comes with mounting hardware. Many wall-mounted hose reels do not provide the mounting screws, so you might be making a trip to the hardware store.

Large hose reel carts tend to have more assembly required because they are too large to ship assembled. This assembly process will be quite standard and involve mainly screws, bolts, and washers. If you hate assembly and want something super simple to store your hose, you might want to consider a garden hose hanger.

Inlet Hose

The inlet hose (also called the “lead-in hose”) is the hose that connects from your spigot to the hose reel and allows you to supply water the hose your have stored inside your reel. You will need to consider what length of inlet hose you need.

A couple things go into this decision. First, if you are mounting on a wall, how far away will the hose reel be from the spigot? Second, if you are using a metal hose reel cart, how far away from the spigot do you want to maneuver the cart.

Obviously, the farther away from the spigot you go, the longer the inlet hose needs to be. Most inlet hoses fall in the 3 to 7 foot range, but there can be exceptions. Many (but not all) hose reels provide an inlet hose with purchase.

Maneuverability

If you are going to use a hose reel cart because you need to maneuver around a yard or work site, make sure you consider the build of the cart and if it will be easy to maneuver. Some styles are built almost like a dolly hand truck and you can easy maneuver even with added weight.

Also, probably best to confirm the unit has never flat tires so you are dealing with low tire pressure. Most all hose reel carts will use never flat tires.

Hand Orientation

Hand cranking as hose back into the reel can be a pain if the setup doesn’t fit your natural hand orientation. Not all hose reels allow you to customize the hand-crank setup.

If you need a hose reel that offers this type of customization, I would suggest the Strongway hose reel on our listed because it can be mounted both parallel or perpendicular, and it can be setup both for right-handed orientation or left-handed orientation.

Weight

If you are interested in a metal hose reel cart, be sure to consider the weight of the unit. Some hose cart are built for industrial purposes and not only have a strong, heavy from, but have a large storage capacity which also increases weight. If you are working on a small yard, this added weight might just be a nuisance.

Rust Resistance

If you are buying a metal or steel hose reel, you will definitely want to ensure that the reel has been treated to prevent weather damage. Most metal garden hose reels use a powder-coated finish to protect the metal, but it is always best to double check. You can also buy metal garden hose pots which are rust-resistance.

Hand Crank

Most metal hose reels use a manual hand crank to reel the hose back into place. In my experience, most units are not that hard to operate. But if you don’t like to hand crank a hose, then you might want to consider an automatic garden hose reel that automatically retracts the hose. To read more, visit our article about the best automatic garden hose reels.

Height

This is something that is easy to overlook, but can be critical for ease-of-use. For a wall-mounted hose hanger, height is customizable since you can mount at any height. But for metal hose reel carts, you will want to consider the overall height of the units.

Some units sit low to the ground, and that means bending over awkwardly to hand crank the hose back into place. If you want or need to take stress off your back, buying a unit that sits a bit higher might be best.