I've always been one of those people that bought the cheapest kind of hose whenever I needed one.  I don't do much in the way of gardening, nor wash my car that often.  So investing in a really good quality hose didn't make that sense to me.  The only flaw in that logic is cheap hoses have a habit of breaking and leaking just sitting there on the reel, whether you use them or not.  So in the long run you don't save much.  That, and the fact that cheap hoses also make you feel like you are wrestling a snake when using them for they are so stiff and kink like crazy.  When I decided to buy a better hose I came across this one and liked it immediately.  It's very well made and just about as flexible a hose you can buy without going for one of those new fangled shrinking hoses.  (I'm not sold on the long term quality of those).  This thing is a pleasure to use, as well as making it much simpler a task of rolling it up when you're done.  It kinda reminds me of what my cheap hose felt like when it was sitting out stretched in the sun for a while.  It would feel much softer and more flexible.  Something this does with or without sun.  Though its true that getting that flexibility carries with it a little more weight in the hose itself, its such a pleasure to use that I feel the trade off is well worth it.  It only takes a short time to get used to it being a little heavier anyway, and I love being able to roll it up on the reel when done so easily.  A top notch hose that carries a generous amount of quality, convenience, all for a fair price that I highly recommend... : )