The Liano Gardena is the only snake I want in my garden
7/6/2023
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
Gardena’s new Liano isn’t an expandable garden hose, but it’s still quite handy. It takes up little space, is very durable and easy to handle. But that comes at a price.
My garden isn’t particularly large. Even so, I’ve got something of a collection of garden hoses. No, that’s not my strange addiction. I’ve just yet to find the perfect hose.
Source: Martin Jungfer
And so, when our buyer in the garden range showed up at my desk with the Liano, a new type of textile hose from Gardena, I had no choice but to say yes.
According to the manufacturer, three things make the Liano special:
- high flexibility
- low weight
- long service life
This does, in fact, appeal to me. The PVC hoses I’ve used so far are neither particularly flexible nor particularly lightweight. The only thing I can’t complain about is their durability, though that’s certainly helped by the fact that I winter them indoors to protect them from frost. In the summer, I keep them in a hose box or hung up in a shady place to protect them from the sun.
Liano scores with its low weight
What I’m really interested in is the Liano’s flexibility and weight. And indeed, the Liano is a real featherweight. The 15 metres of hose that I free from its environmentally friendly cardboard packaging doesn’t even ring up 1.5 kilos. For comparison, a PVC hose of the same length and also 13 millimetres in diameter weighs just under 2.5 kilogrammes. That puts the new Liano at a weight advantage of around 40 per cent.
Same inner diameter, better protection and lighter – how’s that possible? Gardena relies on a special plastic for the inner hose that’s thinner and particularly flexible. The fabric around it is light, but particularly resistant. In a nutshell, these elements reduce the weight and offer more stability.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Despite its light weight, the Liano is made for extreme pressure. My test hose – the «Xtreme» variant – is supposed to be able to withstand up to 35 bar water pressure. I can’t test for this using my outdoor faucet; the water only has a pressure of three to four bar. What I can do, however, is turn off the spray nozzle at the front but not the faucet to increase pressure. Older hoses especially were wont to break apart at any connection points under pressure. With the Liano, Gardena relies on extended locking nuts that prevent the hose from slipping off.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Flexible like a snake
Without water, the Liano hangs limp, saving plenty of space when hung up. As soon as I attach it to and turn on the faucet, the hose fills up and gets hard. Even so, it’s flexible enough that I can easily pull it around any tight curves. What I especially appreciate is that even when rushing through the garden like a madman, the hose doesn’t kink. I can’t be the only one to have experienced the problem of interrupted water flow. In any case, this doesn’t happen with the Liano.
It also helps that, thanks to its textile cover, the Liano slithers as elegantly as an adder over the ground and along obstacles. Only the edge of a raw stone wall in our garden managed to briefly slow down the Liano during testing. A quick jerk and the hose was free to move again. I’m not afraid to give it a good yank. After all, the Liano is supposed to be particularly robust, with the manufacturer highlighting that it can withstand rough surfaces. The jagged edge of the wall really doesn’t seem to faze it; I can’t find a single scratch on the hose.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Accessories and variants
The Liano from Gardena is available in two versions: the weaker «Life» version with a maximum pressure of 22 bar and the «Xtreme» version for pressures up to 30 bar. In addition to various lengths, each with a diameter of 13 millimetres (½ inch), there’s also a thicker hose available with a diameter of 16 millimetres (¾ inch).
If the lengths offered still aren’t enough for you, you can connect two hoses with a so-called hose repairer. What I recommend you get in any case is the TapFix hose storage, which you can purchase separately or in a set with the hose. It’s mounted directly on the faucet and is perfect for keeping your hose stowed away. It’s not quite as neat as a hose reel, but it’s also less bougie. If you’re more of an out-of-sight, out-of-mind type, the set including a storage bag might be right for you. It even offers two side pockets to neatly store the water sprayer and the tap connectors.
The lowdown
I underestimated the Liano before testing, light and thin as it appeared at first glance. A mistake, because this new Gardena hose can do everything I’d long hoped for. When I don’t need it, I can store it in a super space-saving way. If I won’t be using it for a longer time, it slips into the convenient bag; for shorter breaks, I can keep it on the practical HoseFix directly on the faucet. I’m also a fan of the grey-turquoise fabric. But, of course, that’s a matter of taste. I like how the hose slithers through my garden.
I was previously sceptical of garden hoses that expand. The constant expansion and contraction places a higher load on the material. In addition, the connections and couplings must be processed particularly carefully so that nothing drips or flies off. Gardena had long resisted the expanding hose trend. And the Liano isn’t one of those supposed magic tubes that are especially popular in teleshopping; it doesn’t lengthen when water flows through it. It has a defined length but is thin, flexible and more resilient – the perfect solution if you want to save space.
Source: Martin Jungfer
There is only one thing to criticise: the price. The Liano costs nearly twice as much as a standard PVC hose from Gardena. Unfortunately, I can’t help you decide whether an upgrade is worth that much money. But the 30-year warranty that Gardena gives on the Liano Xtreme is at least a promise that the higher purchase price will be recouped over the hose’s long service life.
Header image: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
