Skip to content

Hosepipe attachments come in many different forms, with a range of different names and purposes. You can buy garden hose fittings online in a variety of styles and materials. In this guide, we will walk you through the most common hose pipe tap fittings that UK homeowners need, so you can be sure you’re purchasing the right type of hose pipe connector for your gardening and irrigation needs.

What are hose fittings?

A hose fitting also referred to as a hose coupling, hosepipe fitting, or hose pipe connector, is a piece of equipment used in gardening and irrigation to connect and join hosepipes to faucets, adaptors and other equipment. Hosepipe couplings come in many forms, sizes and styles, and depending on your needs, there will be a certain hosepipe fitting suited to your hosepipe watering system.

What are hosepipe fittings made of?

Most commonly in the UK, hosepipe fittings are made of brass or plastic. Both materials have their advantages and disadvantages, and we will discuss these in more depth in this article.

Plastic hose fittings

The use of plastic in hose pipe attachments has helped to reduce the cost of hose pipe connectors over the years, and today, you can purchase a wide variety of good quality plastic hose pipe fittings that are durable and reliable. Depending on their usage and external conditions, hose attachments can last for years and years, but as with any outdoor irrigation equipment, harsh weather conditions and continual use can reduce their sturdiness over time. When buying plastic hose fittings, you need to inspect the quality of the plastic used. Cheaper hose fittings will use a cheaper plastic, whilst more expensive hose end fittings will use ABS plastic, much tougher and more durable that will perform well for years rather than only a few months.

Shop Hozelock hose fittings

Shop Claber hose fittings

 

Brass hose fittings 

Brass hose couplings are usually more expensive than plastic hose couplings, as they are a heavier, sturdier material and cost more to manufacture than their plastic counterparts.

If you are looking to invest in hose attachments that will last for a long time, brass hose fittings may be your best bet. The quality of brass hose fittings vary massively. Cheaper brass hose fittings don’t share the same attention to detail as their more expensive counterpart. Cheaper brass hose fittings tend to fall apart after heavy use. We only stock the best brass hose fittings money can buy.

Shop brass hose fittings

 

What’s the best material for my hose attachments?

This will depend on various factors, including your budget, your personal preferences, and how much you plan to use your garden hose fittings. Brass is considered the best type of metal to use for hose attachments, and plastic is also a great choice as it contains no metal so has no risk of water damage. However, some plastic hose fittings are better than others, and depending on how much you’re happy to pay, the stronger, more durable hose pipe fittings will cost you more.

Do brass hose fittings corrode?

Brass is a corrosion-resistant material, which is great for gardeners who live in wetter parts of the country where they can expect a lot of rainfall. Unlike some metals, brass doesn’t rust due to its low iron content. Its corrosion-resistant qualities mean the fitting will be long lasting as opposed to some other less durable options on the market, such as aluminium or steel.

What are the most common types of hose pipe connectors?

Versatile, hardwearing and designed for optimum use, hose pipe connectors service different purposes depending on your exact irrigation needs. Below we take you through the most common hose pipe fittings and provide examples of when you may need them while gardening.

Types of hose pipe fitting

Hosepipe fittings are either classed as male or female. The female hose connectors are used on the ends of hose (hence the name hose end connectors) and the male is used on the taps and watering accessories such as spray nozzles and lawn sprinklers.

Hose fittings can generally be used for the following purposes:

  • To connect your hose to an indoor or outdoor tap
  • To connect your hose end to a garden hose accessory such as a sprinkler or spray nozzle
  • To control the water flow into multiple hoses using a three way connector
  • To attach two pieces of hosepipe together if a section is removed due to a leak
  • To attach a hose to a hose reel
  • To connect watering devices directly to an outdoor tap

Different types of hose fittings explained

Hose tap connector

Arguably a gardener’s bread and butter, a hose tap connector is used to connect a hosepipe to an outdoor tap. Designed to be watertight to prevent leaks, most garden hose tap connectors will fit standard outside taps.

Hose tap connectors are designed to easily screw onto your outside tap, to allow you to quickly and easily attach your garden hose with minimal fuss.

What do hose tap connectors do?

Garden hose tap connectors allow water to flow through the faucet through the hose without any leakage and can be used to attach garden hosepipes and irrigation systems with ease. Most hosepipe connectors are made from either plastic or brass. Easy Garden Irrigation has a vast selection of hose tap connectors, including products from top brands such as Hozelock and Claber hose. Our brass tap connector is compatible with all Hozelock style end hose connectors and is fits standard outdoor taps.

Hose couplings 

A hose coupling is a piece of equipment that connects, or ‘couples’ the end of a hose to another hose appliance, such as an irrigation sprinkler, or tap. Unlike a tap connector, hose couplings offer multi-purpose use and are found in a number of different designs and finishes depending on your needs. Hose couplings such as the Claber Easy Grip Hose End Connectoror Hozelock End Connector Pro are another useful hose pipe attachment.

Ergonomically designed for easy grip, with the ability to handle high water pressures of up to 40 bar, hose couplings are designed for easy use with long-lasting results. Hose couplings are widely used in garden irrigation systems and can help secure your irrigation systems for leak-free, consistent results. With both plastic and brass models depending on your needs, hose couplings are designed for minimal damage from UV rays or rain for long-lasting results.

 

Hose repair connector

Hose joiners do what they say on the tin - they’re used to join two hoses together! Hose joiners are great for those who need to extend the reach of their water flow beyond a single hose length. For leak-free results, a hose joiner allows for two male hose ends to be connected and features two female connectors. Hose joiners are available in different materials, including plastic and brass, both of which we stock. High quality plastic hose joiners such as the Claber Easy Grip Hose Joiner offer long-lasting results with a good performance life, with an ergonomic design for ease of use. 

Brass hose joiners are suitable for most standard size garden hoses and are professionally designed to allow you quickly connect two hosepipes together with ease. Hose joiners and hose repair connectors are also helpful as they can be used to quickly repair a broken or damaged hose.

You can use a hose repair connector to easily repair a damaged hose if you find your hose has a split, crack or leak in it. Easily connect two pieces of hose back together after the damaged section has been removed from the hose. Designed with strength and durability in mind, hose repair connectors save you the need of replacing your entire garden hose so your irrigation needs are interrupted as little as possible. 

Trying to fix a broken hose? Just follow the instructions in our hose pipe maintenance guide and use a hose repair connector to solve the issue.

Our metal hose connectoroffers a professional quality design, with chrome-plated features for long-lasting, leak-free results. We also stock Claber hose repair connectorsand Hozelock hose repair connectors, so whatever your preference in style, material or cost, you can find the right hose repair equipment for you.

Accessory adaptor

Hosepipe accessory adaptors convert a female hose end into a male connection, allowing you to connect the hose to another attachment with ease for a watertight seal. Accessory adaptors come in many different styles and designs, but with the sole purpose of connecting hosepipe accessories to a hosepipe. 

Depending on the width of your hosepipe and the specific hosepipe accessory you are attaching, you may need a certain size of accessory adaptor. Hose accessory adaptors look similar to tap connectors, but serve a different purpose! You can explore some of our most popular hose accessory adaptors below.

 

Two-way tap adaptors

Available from Easy Garden Irrigation in multiple designs and styles including the Claber Two Way Tap adaptor and the Claber two-way metal adaptor. A hassle-free solution, these hose pipe fittings are designed to help you get the most out of your outdoor tap and maximise the way you use your water supply. 

Two-way tap adaptors are useful hose pipe tap fittings that allow you to split the direction of water flow to allow for multiple uses. Two-way tap adaptors mean you can direct water flow to different hose applications and appliances, depending on your specific irrigation needs. Hose splitters or two-way tap adaptors are designed for multi-purpose use, allowing you to direct water flow to different applications at the same time. Connecting directly to the outdoor tap, two hoses can be connected to your tap at once, with the ability to shut off one hose using the in-built valves. Available from Easy Garden Irrigation in multiple designs and styles including the Claber Two Way Tap adaptor and the Claber two-way metal adaptor. A hassle-free solution, these hose pipe fittings are designed to help you get the most out of your outdoor tap and maximise the way you use your water supply. Two-way tap adaptors are the ideal garden hose tap fitting to manage other watering needs such as washing the car or filling up a bucket. With water timers conveniently incorporated into the design, two-way tap adaptors allow you to have complete control and manage all your outdoor tap needs without disturbing your irrigation system.

Tap adaptors tend to be made of plastic, with simpler, sturdy brass designs also available, which can be known as tap splitters. This allows for far more freedom and flexibility with your garden hose use. At Easy Garden Irrigation, we supply brass hose splittersfor quality and long-lasting results.

3 way hose connector

Take your water irrigation to the next level with a 3-way hose connector! Designed for larger gardens, or homeowners with extensive garden irrigation systems, a 3-way hose connector allows you to connect multiple different garden hoses or sprinklers to your water source. You can use a 3-way hose connector to connect three female hose ends together, to allow you to disperse your water flow to multiple areas of your garden. 

For homeowners that need easy access to water without disturbing garden irrigation systems, a 3-way hose connector offers even more freedom and flexibility. Easily control your outdoor water supply with a 3-way hose connector, and join up to three garden hoses that are in different directions.

At Easy Garden Irrigation, we stock the Claber 3-way hose connector as well as the Hozelock brass 3-way hose connector and many more. There you have it! An extensive guide on the most common garden hose connectors and fittings and their uses, to help you decipher the hosepipe fitting you need.

You can explore our entire range of hosepipe fittings, or head to our help and advice page for more information on all things garden irrigation.