The Best Soaker Hose Choices

Soaker hoses are a great and inexpensive DIY home irrigation solution. They can be moved around your garden and/or landscaped beds with ease. They reduce fungal and bacterial infections when compared to overhead sprinklers and are significantly cheaper than drip irrigation systems. They also save loads of time over hand watering and they conserve water. So, what are the best soaker hose choices for 2022? If you have a backyard at home that needs a lighting system then solar lights can help you in this regard. These lights are durable, waterproof, and easy to install as there is no need to stick yourself to a complex wiring system. A promising benefit of solar lights is they are free. Moreover, they use solar energy to become operational. Solar lights run without any additional support as they convert sunlight into energy which is stored in the batteries.

Quick Guide to the Best Soaker Hoses for 2022

Best Overall
Flexon Soaker Hose
Best Budget
Gilmour Flat Weeper Soaker Hose, 50 feet
Element 3/8-in x 25-ft-Duty Kink Free Rubber Black Soaker Hose
Runners Up
Miracle-Gro SMG12828 50′ Garden Soaker Hose
Generic Heavy Duty Garden Soaker Hose
Unique Solutions
Waterhoop Portable Water Sprinkler

The Best Soaker Hose Choices for 2022

1. Flexon Soaker Hose

This 50 foot soaker hose is our top choice for the best soaker hose of 2022. Flexon Soaker Hoses are lightweight and come in 25 and 100 feet lengths as well. This soaker hose is made from recycled rubber and has a non-clogging pore design. It can be used above ground or underground. This soaker hose does have a Prop 65 warning. 

2. Miracle-Gro SMG12828 50' Garden Soaker Hose, Black

The Miracle-Gro Smart Soaker is made of 90% recycled material and is environmentally friendly. This soaker hose manages pressure and conserves water with its Smart Disk design. Trim to your ideal length. The included connection pieces are easy to use and prevent leaks. We didn’t find any Prop 65 warnings so we assume this soaker hose is compliant.

3. Generic Heavy Duty Garden Soaker Hose, 100ft

This soaker hose comes in multiple sizes. It has great reviews and is made from 100% recycled rubber that is infused with UV protectors. It has durable lead-free couplings that won’t rust or warp.

4. Gilmour Round Soaker Hose 5/8", 50ft, Black, 827501-1003

The Gilmour Round Soaker Hose is made of weather-resistant vinyl material that provides flexibility that makes it easy to maneuver while also maintaining enough rigidity that it stays in place. It can be buried or placed on the ground. This soaker hose does have a Prop 65 warning.

4. Element 3/8-in x 25-ft-Duty Kink Free Rubber Black Soaker Hose

This Element soaker hose is ideal for smaller gardens, beds, and foundation plantings. This hose is eco-friendly and is made of 70% recycled rubber. This soaker hose is compliant with Prop 65. It is also available in 50 and 100 feet lengths. An EZ connect system is included.

6. Water Right SKR-050-MU Soaker Garden Hose, 50-Foot, Bristle Grass

The Water Right Soaker Hose is manufactured in the US and has lead-free brass fittings that won’t rust or tarnish. The unique color of this garden hose is perfect for sandy climates. 

7. Waterhoop Portable Water Sprinkler

We love this unique irrigation solution! It isn’t exactly a soaker hose, but it works in much the same way. It works great for shrubs, trees, plants, flowers, raised beds, and more.

8. Rocky Mountain Goods Soaker Hose, 50ft

This heavy duty soaker hose is made from recycled rubber and has an impressive warranty. You can extend this hose with ease because of the included reinforced fittings. This garden soaker hose is ideal for gardens and flower beds.

9. Gilmour Flat Weeper Soaker Hose, 50 feet, Black (870501-1001)

This flat soaker hose is very affordable and is a great option if you will be moving your soaker hose around your yard. It is made of 100% recycled vinyl and comes with a 7 year warranty.

10. Taisia Soaker Hose 25 ft with 1/2’’ Diameter

This soaker hose is flexible and customizable and can be installed above or underground. It is lead-free and made from 100 recycled materials (70% rubber and 30% polyethylene).

Conclusion

Our winner of the Best Soaker Hose Choices for 2022 is the Flexon Soaker Hose. Our runners up are the Miracle-Gro SMG12828 50′ Garden Soaker Hose and the Generic Heavy Duty Garden Soaker Hose
Gilmour Flat Weeper Soaker Hose, 50 feet and Element 3/8-in x 25-ft-Duty Kink Free Rubber Black Soaker Hose are our best budget hoses
The Waterhoop Portable Water Sprinkler is our winner for innovative irrigation solutions.
It’s clear that soaker hoses are a wonderful and inexpensive tool for your landscape, yard, and garden. We hope you found lots of useful information in our blog “The Best Soaker Hose Choices for 2022.” 

Shopping Guide to Soaker Hoses

A soaker hose is a hose that drips water through many tiny pores. Soaker hoses are a great alternative to drip irrigation systems. They are much easier to use for the home gardener and can be moved around like a regular hose whereas drip systems are much less flexible and are usually installed by a professional.

The length of time you run a soaker hose depends on a lot of factors, so it is likely your ideal time will be achieved with some trial and error. A newly landscaped bed needs a lot more water than an established one. Your veggie garden needs more water than your landscape. Hotter climates need more water than cooler climates. Sunny spots need more water than shady spots. And on and on. When using a soaker hose on your newly landscaped plants I would start with an hour a few times per week or 90 minutes twice per week for the first month and gradually cut back.  For newly planted trees and shrubs a longer run time less often is ideal because it helps the roots establish faster and grow deeper creating a stronger plant overall. Most plants have established their roots in about 3 months, but some (ie: larger trees) may take closer to a year. Established plants probably need more like 30 minutes twice weekly or even an hour once weekly. If you have a decent amount of rain you can skip watering established plants that week.

 

The key is to watch your plants. If you see yellowing or flaccid leaves, you may be overdoing it. If you see crispy brown leaves or wilted leaves and stems, your plants likely need more water. Water more in the summer and less (if at all) in winter. Plants and trees do benefit from water in winter, even dormant ones, but they don’t need much. Usually rain and snow provides what they need.

For a very basic set up just lay the soaker hose near the plants you want to water. Soaker hoses work best on flat ground. If your water pressure isn’t great, stick to shorter hoses for best results. 

Installing a soaker hose is a breeze. Simply attach the soaker hose to your traditional garden hose and place it where you want to water. Use anchoring pins to help keep your hose in place and mulch over your soaker hose(s) for a stationary system. If you are moving your soaker hose between watering sites you can skip the anchor pins and mulch. Add an automatic timer to your soaker hose system and save yourself even more time!

The term soaker hose and drip hose can be used interchangeably. However, drip irrigation systems use tubing with water emitters that attach to your main tubing line.

Yes! Soaker hoses are an inexpensive and simple DIY option for your landscape and garden.

You can. It will help lose less water from evaporation. Mulching your soaker hose is another option that will help with that. It also conceals your irrigation system which is particularly useful in your front yard where others will view your landscape more often. But burying your soaker hose isn’t necessary and for those of us who want the versatility of moving our soaker hose(s) around, it’s not a great option. 

Round soaker hoses tend to last longer and kink less than flat soaker hoses. If you are burying your soaker hose definitely go with the round hose. Flat hoses are less expensive and some prefer the less bulky look of them when they are not in use. Overall our preferred type of soaker hose is a round soaker hose. But if you are moving your hose around a good bit, you may prefer a flat soaker hose.