Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review

Remeber the pocket hose commercials? The hose that was going to change the industry.  While the concept was great and I bought into it, the product turned out to be junk, a rip off in my eyes. Ever since the Pocket Hose came to market, manufacturers have been trying to create the perfect hose, lightweight but still durable. Turns out it’s tough to create a hose like this. You need lightweight materials to keep the weight down, but it’s hard not to sacrifice the durability. Stanley has a new hose to market that claims to be lightweight and tough so let’s take a look at the Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review.

Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review Overview

Over the years I have been suckered into these lightweight hoses only to be disappointed.  While they are all lightweight, the durability is never there. In a week or two, they break.  Sure it’s great for the perfect yard that only has grass. But with my yard, I have concrete and bricks where the hose always rubs against and breaks.

Another week point I have found is with the fittings, they are always plastic. I am not easy on my stuff and don’t want products I have to be. I can honestly say this Stanely Fatmax Exo Jacket seems like a product has finally arrived that is lightweight and tough.

Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review Features

The Exo jacket is a little different than other lightweight hoses on the market. While they rely on water pressure to expand the hose, the Exo doesn’t not but you still get the flexibility. The hose uses a two-ply system with an otter fabric that is made for heavy abuse and protects the inner tub. The hose is designed to take up to 500 PSI worth of pressure which is more than your traditional home that puts out 60 psi.

On both ends of the hose, there is a thick rubber overmold that allows you to tighten and loosen the fitting from the spigot or watering adapter. Plus this offers protection in case something is dropped on the fitting.

One huge feature to this hose is the metal ends. While most manufacturers go with plastic, Stanely uses a metal fitting that won’t break or cracks. This is a huge plus for me.

Connecting the hose to the spigot or adapter is easy with the rubber grip. For the adapter, the rubber part of the hose gives it a great surface area to grab and use the hose, which is always a plus.

When the hose doesn’t have any water, it will lay flat. As you can see, the nylon braiding offers plenty of protection from debris getting in the hose line and putting pinholes in the line and causing leaks.

When the hose lays flat on the ground and water enters the hose line, it does a decent job of not kinking which as you know is annoying.

One feature of this hose that I did not test as a user is being able to repair the hose if it does get a leak or is damaged. The hose is set up with a convenient quick repair coupling that is titanium coated aluminum that allows you to make a repair in three easy steps.

1. Pull back on the plastic overmold and remove the quick coupling from the end of the hose.
2. Cut damage section away
3. insert the coupling back into the hose and push the overmold plastic grip back into place.

This is identical to hose repair kits work when you buy them off the shelve. The only difference is this repair system uses a metal coupling while most repair kits are cheap plastic repairs that last a month or two.

Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review Performance

I have been using this hose for about a month now and love it. The hose is lightweight and easy to move around. I love at the end of the day, it’s easy to roll up. For me, the biggest plus is the tough aspect of this hose. I have used a lot of other lightweight hoses only to be disappointed as they easily break and leak. The Stanley has gone up against some tough abuse and still keeps going. I have a 100′ hose that gets dragged against concrete and brick corners and is still not leaking.

As of now, this has been the best hose I have used. It has held up where other hoses have failed. I love how light the hose is to move around and don’t have to deal with the heavy rubber hoses, but I still get the durability.

Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review Value

You can pick up the Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket on Amazon for $50 for a 50′ hose. If my math is right, that is a $1 per foot. This is more expensive than some of the traditional rubber hoses on the market and also some of the lightweight hoses. But if you look around, you will find more expensive hoses.

I need 100′ of hose to get around my property so I am would have to fork out $100. For me, that is a hefty price for a hose but when I look at what I am getting, I would spend the money.

I like a hose that doesn’t weigh a ton when trying to move it around. The construction of the hose is of high quality. The fittings are all metal and if I do wreck the hose, I can repair it. So in the end, yes it will be high upfront cost, but well worth it in the long run.

Stanley Fatmax Exo Jacket Review Final Thoughts

I love this hose. While it’s on the pricey side, it’s worth the cost. The hose is lightweight and a quality hose compared to the junk on the market nowadays. The hose is easy to move around and doesn’t weigh a ton when rolling it up when done for the day. Considering I can repair it when needed, that a big plus.