Costco Reviewers Say You Should Probably Avoid This Garden Hose

If you've been maintaining a yard or garden for any amount of time, you know that nothing can put you in a rotten mood quite like a hose that refuses to cooperate. Mysteriously low water pressure, kinking, leaking, and potentially difficult-to-repair holes in the hose. Any number of issues can turn what should be a quick and painless task into an annoying, soggy-shoe sort of misadventure. To avoid potential headaches, it's important to consult reviews before purchasing equipment like hoses, even when they seem too reasonably priced to pass up. For example, Costco offers the Flexon 5/8 in. x 100 ft. Contractor Grade Hose with Guard & Grip at a less-than-your-DoorDash-burrito-order price of $34.99. But according to reviews on the website, the hose's tendency to kink and other issues mean you may want to just buy the burrito and save yourself the trouble. If you've already got this hose and are experiencing issues, don't worry. There are plenty of ways you can repurpose it. You can even DIY your own durable outdoor rug with an old garden hose.

Looking at the statistics, the hose has an overall rating of 3.4 stars out of five, which may seem like it falls into the realm of "okay for the price," until you examine the numbers more closely. Of the 546 total reviews, 135 are one-star. That's quite a lot of unhappy customers! On the other end of the spectrum, the hose also has 255 five-star reviews. That means the majority of reviews fall on either extreme of the spectrum, which tells a story of a pretty polarizing product.

According to many displeased reviewers on Costco's website, although the swiveling male coupling, internal dowel, and spigot attachment are meant to prevent kinks from forming in the hose, these parts just don't deliver on that promise. "This is the worst hose I have ever used," fumes one reviewer, noting that it kinks with such frequency that it just isn't worth the money they paid for it. The review is accompanied by photographic evidence, and it's not the only one. Another review, titled "Worst hose I have ever had," also shows photos of kinks in parts of the garden hose, adding that the hose's kinking habit, combined with water pressure, had caused the hose itself to deform and expand to the point where the reviewer worried it might pop like a balloon.

In the five-star camp, one reviewer remarks, "I saw bad reviews after I bought this and considered returning it." However, they go on to explain that the hose has actually held up well after four months of use, showing no signs of the kinking other users complained of. This reviewer adds, pointedly, "Maybe it is because I actually installed it following instructions." It's up to you whether you'd like to buy this controversial hose or if you'd prefer to try Costco's more highly rated garden hose.