You really want to wash your car, but your child is throwing a tantrum because they want the hose so they can play in the sprinkler.
Or maybe you want to wash your car but your lawn (or garden) needs watering.
Or maybe you’re just sick and tired of wearing out your hands disconnecting your hose every time you need to fill your watering can.
A hose splitter can save these problems, save you time, and eliminate power struggles with your toddler (at least when it comes to who gets to use the hose…)
Hose splitters can also save your hands from wear and tear by removing the need to screw and unscrew hoses frequently. This is particularly important for older gardeners and people with joint problems. Once a hose splitter is installed, it moves the hose attachment point away from your wall, which can help prevent cuts and grazes if your hoses bib is mounted on brick or cement.
Read on to discover the best garden hose splitters to save you time and hassle.
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Table of Contents
Why do I need a hose splitter?
Hose splitters save time. Having two hoses connected at once prevents the need to undo and re-connect the second hose.
Hose splitters also allow you to do two water-related tasks at the same time. You can wash your child’s muddy feet off at the spigot without disconnecting your law sprinkler or you can wash the car while your child plays in the sprinkler.
Hose splitters are a necessity if you need a hose for a set purpose. For example, if you have a soaker hose for your garden or running to a utility sink a hose splitter removes the chore of undoing one hose, applying plumber’s tape, and tightening the second hose in place (only to swap it back again later).
How do hose splitters work?
Hose splitters do what their name says: they split the main hose bib into two or more usable ports. They does not draw anymore water from the tap. The extra tap is useful for having two or more hoses connected at the same time without having to re-attach the second hose.
They also have very handy shut-off valves which allow you to divert the water to one or all hoses at the same time.
You can secure water to one tap and leave it flowing to others or go all out and irrigate your lawn, fill your watering can at the spigot with ease, wash your car, and fill your child’s kiddie pool…all at the same time.
Okay, so running all four hoses at one time will dramatically decrease your water pressure in each hose, but not having to undo and redo hoses constantly is a huge timesaver. It also saves hurting your fingers and wrists and wasting water with leaks from improperly tightened hoses. We use a four way splitter to control water to multiple gardening areas and an outdoor shower.
Lead-Free Hose Splitters
The concern for lead in our water supply systems is always a topic of discussion. The truth is that no matter the metal, there will always be trace amounts of bad stuff in there.
The good news is that most hose splitters are made of brass with very low concentrations of lead. Some even go as far as to claim a really small percentage of lead in the metal such as the 2Wayz All Metal Garden Hose Splitter, with only 0.0019% lead in their metal.
The best garden hose splitters
ELEY 2-Way Brass Y Valve
ELEY has some phenomenal gardening products. One of those is the Brass Y Valve, aka hose splitter. This one takes the prize because of its versatility, functionality, and ruggedness.
The construction of this hose splitter is beefy. From solid brass to the over built valve handles, this hose splitter is going to last a lifetime. Here is a customer who updated their review multiple times and vouches for the brand 100%: “Much easier to shut on or off than standard design. Extremely well made. Weighs a ton. (I need to check out what else these people make).”
This model allows you to add another Y Valve to the assembly to increase your gardening abilities. This hose splitter easily turns into a 4-way hose splitter by using the add-on function.
😃 High quality construction
😃 Versatile, will fit whatever the needs of your garden are
😃 Easy to operate and will last a lifetime
😖 Price point is a little high but worth the cost
- The most durable & versatile Y-valve on the market.
- Rated at 90 PSI max pressure. 10 year Warranty
- Reliable, commercial-grade brass construction.
2Wayz Garden Hose Splitter
The 2Wayz Garden Hose Splitter hose splitter is easy to use and install securely, even if you don’t have super strong hands.
The design blends the ease of use with functionality. Attaching is a breeze with the hand tightening collar. Just pre-wrap the spigot with some plumber’s tape and then hand tighten the hose splitter. That should be all you need to guarantee no leaks.
The best part are the large handles. This makes operation of the valves super easy, even for older hands, and you can tell which valve is open or shut from a distance.
😃 Large handles for easy operation
😃 Redesigned in 2020 to eliminate plastic parts that were prone to breaking in older models
😃 Virtually lead free
😖 Older reviews complain of failing parts, but the hose splitter has been redesigned since then
- NEWLY UPGRADED (2020), LIFETIME GUARANTEED, BOLTED COMPONENTS. Inlet & outlet will never fall even after extensive use. After many months of lab...
- SEAMLESS INSTALLATION, SMOOTH OPERATION: The 2wayz Garden Hose Splitter has long handles (4 cm!) which allow for smooth and easy shut on and off....
- FAMILY SAFETY FIRST. Heavy duty metal splitter with <0.007% lead in the alloy
2Wayz 4 Way Heavy Duty Hose Splitter
The 2Wayz 4 Way Hose Splitter is a hose splitter for serious gardeners and people with irrigation systems. The main reason to have this is for soaker hoses for different zones.
We really like the lead free construction. This product claims 100% lead free construction. It does have hardened pvc parts and rubber components but at least the metal won’t leach any lead if you are using it for drinking.
On the down side, several customers have had issues with leaking joints. It seems there are more internal unions than meets the eye, making it a likely candidate for serious leaks. It also does not do well with freezing temperatures, adding further to the leaks.
If you live somewhere with really winter temps, consider removing your hose splitter for the winter and storing it inside. This will protect your investment and ensure you can use your hose splitter again next year.
😃 Great for serious watering needs like irrigation systems
😖 More prone to leaks than 2 way splitters due to the extra joints inside. Remove the splitter for the winter to help prevent cracks and leaks.
Twinkle Star Garden Hose Splitter 2 Way
The Twinkle Star Garden Hose Splitter 2 Way is a great hose splitter. We love the simple construction. There is no need to ever worry about leaks from failing plastic parts that can corrode in the sun.
Installation is a breeze with the hand tightening knob. There is no need for any extra tools to install. Operation is also super easy with the valve operators. Remember, in line with the pipe means open, perpendicular means shut!
😃 Solid brass construction is sturdy and classic looking
😃 Includes washers to help prevent leaks
😖 Always disconnect the splitter for the winter – brass will not protect the water inside the splitter from freezing and hard freezes could damage the splitter
- Universal: This 3/4" hose splitter fits for all standard faucet and garden hose.
- Material: Made of premium brass, very solid and durable for long use.
- 2 way Y hose splitter with 3 connectors and 2 valve.
Twinkle Star 4 Way Heavy Duty Brass Garden Hose Splitter
The Twinkle Star 4 Way Hose Splitter is the ultimate hose splitter. If you need a 4 way hose splitter, you gotta know what you are doing. You probably have a few soaker hoses or are just really excited about hose splitters.
The solid brass construction of this hose splitter ensures you won’t have any leaks from the body of the product. This truly is a long lasting hose splitter.
Some customers reported the threads coming off the body due to design flaws. This is a serious failure, but his issue isn’t reported often.
😃 Solid brass body without plastic parts and unions to leak
😃 Perfect for soaker hose irrigation systems
😖 Smaller plastic handles may be difficult to use if you have older hands
- 4 Way Hose Splitter: Converts a single water outlet into 4 ways, very convenient for you to control the work in different places at the same time. 1...
- High Quality: Made of high quality heavy duty brass materials, solid and durable, corrosion proof and has a long service time.
- Individually Controlled: All the hose connector can be turned on and off individually, so you can use one or others according to your need.
Hommit 2 Way Garden Hose Splitter
The Hommit 2 Way Hose Splitter is sleek looking. If you’re tired of junky looking lawn and garden equipment detracting from your home’s exterior appearance, this is your hose splitter. It is solid brass construction with a nickel plated exterior which gives it a very fancy look.
The hose splitter is brass, but everything is nickel plated: the body, the collar, even the handles. This ensures none of the components rust or age.
You may have trouble tightening the splitter onto your hose bib because the collar is a classic style but there is nothing a good pair of garden gloves can’t handle, (Need good garden gloves? Be sure to check out the best cut-resistant gardening gloves).
😃 Sleek, modern appearance
😃 Comes with 4 rubber washers to prevent leaks (most hose splitters only come with 2, if any)
😖 You may need a wrench and/or gloves to install securely
Avoid: Trazon Water Splitter 2 Way
The Trazon 2 Way Water Splitter seems awesome at first glance. It has great ratings…but if you take a look, you’ll see that the questions, pictures, and reviews are about other products.
When we first came across this hose splitter, we were sure we’d found a real winner. Then we noticed that literally every question, review photo, and written review we could find either referred to a handheld steamer or a cake icing spatula.
Maybe this issue is a mixup in the Amazon system, or maybe it’s “review hijacking” as described in this post by Consumer Reports.
As a result, we cannot recommend this product. We included it because it seems so tempting at first glance and we don’t want you to be tricked into buying a crummy product.
How to install a hose splitter
Installing a hose splitter is easy, but people sometimes skip important steps in the process. This can cause the hose splitter to leak, racking up unnecessarily high water bills.
Hose splitters are attached like a regular garden hose. Most hose bibs have a male end where you attach the hose. This is where you start.
Next, clean the connection with a brass brush. Make sure to remove any old plumbers tape that’s left on there. Also clean the female end of the hose splitter to remove any excess debris. Don’t damage the rubber gasket at the bottom of the female fitting.
- 7-3/4, brass, wire scratch brush with Wood handle, strong & durable with solidly imbedded brass bristles, will not rust
- Adds a great value
- Manufactured in China
Now that the tap is clean, apply some plumber’s tape to the male connector. Make sure to wrap in a clockwise direction if you are looking into the hole of the tap. Wrap it tightly until the threads are just barely visible through the tape, about 7 or 8 times around.
- For use in wrapping pipe threads to create air and water tight connections
- 520" long, 3/4" wide, and 3.5 mil thick for multiple uses. Thickness: .09mm
- Operating temperature range of -212 to +500 degrees F
Now, you are ready to attach the hose splitter.
Simply place the attachment onto the water tap and turn it clockwise. You can turn pretty hard but there is no need to use a pipe-wrench. Those pipes can take a good cranking.
Up next is the leak test. With the isolation valves turned off on the hose splitter, open the main water valve (usually a small 2 inch diameter wheel), turn this one counter clockwise. Everything should hold tight and no water should be coming out of any location. If the leak is just a few drops, you are in good shape.
If there’s a substantial leak, you need to either crank down harder on the splitter, check for a proper gasket seating at the bottom of the splitter, apply more plumber’s tape, or you may have cross threaded the union. All of these except for cross threading are easy to fix.
Place a rubber hose washer in the female end of your hose before screwing it onto the hose splitter. Many hose splitters come with washers, but they’re inexpensive to buy if you don’t already have some.
Over time, this washer will probably break down and need to be replaced. If your hose union suddenly starts leaking more than normal and tightening doesn’t fix the leak, you could have a worn out washer. Simply replace the washer to fix the leak.
- Package Include: 30 pieces red garden hose washers, fit all standard 3/4" garden hose fittings.
- Material: Made of heavy duty rubber, durable and suitable for all types of weather.
- Widely Use: Standard 3/4" garden hose rubber washers fit all standard 3/4 garden hoss fittings.
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Angel is a Cuban immigrant who grew up with backyard chickens and a yard-loving abuela. He is our “gear guy” who can never have too many pairs of gloves or weed whacker attachments.
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