A good garden hose spray gun should feel comfortable in your hand, provide a powerful spray with a long reach and have multiple spray patterns for different watering needs.
A hose spray gun makes watering flowers, your kitchen garden, or the lawn easier and faster compared to using just your hose.
While it won’t deliver the deep cleaning of a pressure washer, a garden hose spray gun is perfect for lighter cleaning tasks. You can wash your car, patio, steps, wall, garden tools, bike, and other surfaces and items.
In this buying guide, I’ll guide you on how to choose the best garden hose spray gun and recommend the top five spray guns you can order online in the UK this year.
Features to Consider When Choosing a Garden Hose Spray Gun
A. Comfortable Handle
A comfortable and easy to grip handle reduces strain on your hand, especially when you are using the spray gun for an extended period.
The best hose spray guns have a soft grip handle with curved slots on the inside where you rest your fingers. This not only makes the spray gun easier to hold, it also ensures your hand doesn’t slip when it gets wet.
B. Spray Patterns
Get a hose spray gun with at least 5 spray patterns including mist, jet, shower and flat. Multiple spray patterns allow you to use the spray gun safely for different applications.
A powerful jet is ideal for getting dirt and muck off the steps, a shower or cone pattern waters flowers and veggies without damaging them and a mist is ideal for watering extra-delicate seedlings.
Some spray guns have up to 8 spray patterns for added versatility. Budget spray guns can have as few as 3 patterns.
Don’t forget to check how easy it is to change the spray pattern. You should be able to adjust it on the fly without having to pause your watering or cleaning.
C. Lockable Trigger
Most pressure washers have a trigger that you have to keep pressed to release water. That’s for safety reasons.
Hose spray guns spray water at a much lower pressure that’s harmless. So most include a trigger lock that lets you keep the trigger in the open position without holding it down.
This makes using the spray gun less tiring, especially when you have to water a large lawn or wash your car.
D. Hose Connector
A spray gun attaches to the end of a garden hose using a connector. Most hose spray guns don’t come with a connector.
If your garden hose already has a connector, you probably don’t need to buy one. If it doesn’t have it, you can get one for cheap at a local store or online. Just make sure it is compatible with the size of your hose and the spray gun.
Best Garden Hose Spray Guns: Top 5 Reviews
1. Draper 25342 7 Pattern Aluminium Spray Gun
The aluminium construction of the Draper spray gun makes it hardy and lightweight.
The soft and contoured handle fits comfortably in your hand. For added comfort when watering a large lawn or garden, you can lock the trigger in an open position to take the strain off your hand.
The spray head includes settings for seven different spray patterns to cater to different watering and cleaning needs.
How far you spray with the Draper spray gun depends on your water pressure. With adequate pressure, a water jet can reach 10-15m.
The Draper spray gun doesn’t come with a connector, but it works with all standard hose connectors including Hozelock connectors.
What I like about it:
- Lightweight.
- Soft anti-slip handle.
- 7 spray patterns.
- Lockable trigger
2. Hozelock Multi Plus Spray Gun
The Hozelock Multi Plus spray gun also has a metal construction to ensure it lasts long. The metal is powder-coated to prevent rusting.
With eight spray patterns, the Hozelock spray gun is more versatile than most other brands. Pattern options include the usual ones like mist, jet and flat and some unique ones like cone and fine rose.
Whether you are washing your car, watering your lawn or watering seedlings, there’s a perfect flow pattern for each job. Patterns are marked on the spray head so you know exactly where to set it.
You can also vary water flow using the trigger. This gives you better control, especially when watering delicate plants. Just squeeze the trigger harder to increase water flow.
The trigger is lockable. You can lock it at 100% flow or 40%.
Several customers say the trigger sometimes gets stuck. This is likely because of debris stuck underneath the trigger. Rinsing the spray gun after every use will keep the trigger working.
Limescale build up from hard water can also jam the trigger. If you live in a hard water area, dip the spray gun in a limescale remover solution. That should un-stick the trigger.
What I like about it:
- Soft grip handle.
- Variable flow trigger.
- Two-stage trigger lock.
- 8 spray patterns.
3. Spear & Jackson BWF26 Multi-Function Spray Gun
The Spear & Jackson BWF26 is another good choice if you are looking for a versatile spray gun that’s suitable for a wide range of applications. With 7 spray patterns, there’s a setting for every job. Spray settings include mist, soaker, flat and jet among others.
The settings are labeled clearly on the spray head. You simply turn the head to switch to another pattern. Grooves around the spray head make it easy to adjust it with wet hands.
The main body of the Spear & Jackson BWF26 is metal. The handle is covered by soft rubber that provides a comfortable grip. It also has notches for your fingers to keep your hand from slipping.
A durable brass connector attaches to standard hose fittings, including those from Hozelock.
The plastic trigger is easy to operate and you can lock it in an open position to avoid straining your hand.
What I like about it:
- Durable metal construction.
- Comfortable handle.
- Lockable trigger.
- Seven spray patterns.
4. Karcher Multi-Spray Gun
Shopping on a budget? The Karcher multi-spray gun is one our most affordable picks. It is all-plastic, so it may not last as long as other metal spray guns. It’s ideal for occasional use.
For a lower price, you also get fewer spray patterns – just three instead of the usual seven or eight. The three patterns are shower, point and cone.
While the Karcher spray gun is not as versatile as the others, many customers say the three spray settings are enough for their watering and washing needs.
In addition to adjusting spray setting, you can also adjust water flow using a control at the top. This allow you to change how strong the spray is and how far the water shoots.
Being all-plastic, the Karcher multi-spray gun feels very light in your hand. You can water an entire lawn without getting tired.
The handle features a lockable trigger, so you don’t have to keep depressing it to spray water.
If you already have a hose connector, you can buy just the spray gun. If you don’t, there’s a spray gun + connector combo available.
What I like about it:
- Ultra-light.
- Low price.
- Water flow control.
5. GRÜNTEK Ultralight Spray Gun
The best feature of the GRÜNTEK Ultralight Spray Gun is the thumb control at the top. It replaces the traditional trigger – which breaks easily – in other spray guns.
A slider that you control with your thumb lets you turn the sprayer on or off, and adjust water flow.
The slider is designed that you can easily operate it while holding the spray gun in one hand.
You can also adjust the spray setting. The spray head has five spray patterns labeled on it. You rotate it to select a specific pattern. Options include flat, jet, shower, mist and micro jet.
The contoured handle is comfortable to hold and has a soft anti-slip material covering it.
What I like about it:
- Easy one-handed operation.
- Five spray patterns.
- Adjustable water flow.
- Comfortable handle.