[ TL ; DNR ] ; hyperbolic touting of the hose material that is simply a PVC compound ; has high phthalates levels, toxic chemicals capable of disrupting health ; large outer and inner growth of black mold not long after installation. UPDATE: By July 2022 none of the health risks have decreased and remain a matter of concern. ____ This review applies to the Flexzilla hoses distributed by Weems Industries Inc. doing business as Legacy Manufacturing Co. In reality, the hoses are manufactured by Jieh-Ming Plastics, a Taiwanese company (also d/b/a Mr. Hose in Taiwan, and Jieh-Ming Polymer Materials in China) specializing in hose production and PVC compounding. Jieh-Ming has been listed in the past as a buyer of recycled plastic scrap. (My thanks to D.T. for help in verifying the real manufacturer's name.) MATERIAL: The tube wall of the hose has three layers. The material of the innermost layer is described as a hybrid polymer (i.e., a substance comprising synthetic polymers and inorganic or organic components, or both), whose undisclosed components are touted as safe for water drinking. No information is given on the materials of the other two layers. As described below, however, a 2016 laboratory analysis listed all three layers as just PVC, and detected in all of them rather high concentrations of chemical additives used for making PVC flexible (phthalates). The presence of PVC throughout the entire hose wall is also indicated by the levels of chlorine concentration, ~330,000 ppm, found in these layers. The touted "flexible hybrid polymer" therefore consists simply of PVC, the most environmentally damaging plastic. WATER SAFETY: By and large, hoses without PVC are less likely to contain toxic contaminants, such as heavy metals, flame retardants or phthalates, than hoses with PVC, particularly when the PVC is recycled instead of pure. I was unable to find *verifiable* evidence in the Web (with Legacy and Flexzilla websites included) supporting the sales pitch that the hose is water-drinking safe. Despite this, when replying to a 2017 query about water potability in the Q&A section here [see amzn.to/2LCiKT6], Legacy claimed "the hose meets or exceeds the standards set by the National Sanitation Foundation." Currently, this foundation --actually, a testing and certifying organization whose name changed to NSF International some 30 years ago-- does not have any certified product with the brand Flexzilla in its database. As such claim could have also meant the hose was analyzed against the NSF/ANSI-61 water standard by a third-party laboratory, I further searched for Flexzilla water-test reports over the last decade, reports that are typically valid for only 12 months. Alas, I did not find any. What I did find, however, was the _Garden Hose Study 2016_ of the Ecology Center (Michigan), which included a 50-ft Flexzilla garden hose whose material is listed as PVC. Using IR spectroscopy, a laboratory analytical technique, this study detected multiple phthalates (suggesting a recycled PVC) in all three layers. Contrary to Legacy's claims of safety, the levels of phthalates in the Flexzilla hose were so high as to receive the negative rating of "high overall level of concern" (see one of my figures). This is bad news to those planning to use a Flexzilla hose for water drinking, watering vegetables, or letting children play with it. TOXICITY: Phthalates are chemical additives ("plasticizers") used to soften the PVC's vinyl and make it flexible. They are water soluble and unbound to the vinyl, so they easily leach from a PVC hose into those drinking from it. Absorbed phthalates can disrupt hormonal function, affecting children --both in utero and born-- as well as adults. A decade after the EU's 1999 phthalate ban, several phthalates were PROHIBITED here in 2009 (15 US Code §2057c) above 0.1% in products for children under 3 years of age and toys for children under 12, and some other phthalates were provisionally BANNED. Canada adopted similar restrictions in 2011. The reason for this prohibition is that phthalates may increase the risk of allergic illnesses (asthma or eczema) and of IQ/behavioral alterations in kids, and of pubertal breast changes in boys and girls. They are considered a risk of male genital defects during fetal development and of reduced sperm counts in men. In 2018, a report from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that chemicals in plastic such as phthalates and BPA put children’s health at risk. Any product sold in California that contains any of six phthalates as well as a number of other toxic substances must display the Proposition 65 Warning : "this product contains one or more chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm." Legacy's reaction to Q&A-section queries on the presence of phthalates has ranged from simply ignoring them, as in a 2014 query [see amzn.to/3cbugD9], to replies bordering on fraudulence, as in a 2017 reply [see amzn.to/2D5xQjT] that the hose is "phathalate [sic] free", notwithstanding the Ecology Center study had been published the year before. Parsimoniously, such a misleading reply, and the fact it has not yet been corrected, can be interpreted as deceptive. Because heat increases leaching, with those phthalates leached from the hose's inner layer mixing with the water output, and those from its outer layer accumulating on the hose surface, it is left to one's imagination what is the exposure risk in the image that Legacy shows here of a child (it used to be a toddler in a prior version of the page) drinking from this PVC hose held in his hand out in the sun. Despite Legacy's familiarity with the Prop-65 warning, it did not provide it in its several Amazon pages over many years. Finally, perhaps relenting to criticisms of its very non-transparent selling practices, it put the warning here in 2021 in a "Legal Disclaimer" just above the Consumer Q&A section. Not all together unsurprisingly, it was sloppily done -- in June 2021, this warning did not appear when the 100-ft hose was selected; now, in July 2022, it does not appear for the 50-ft, 75-ft, and 100-ft hoses. I wonder if Legacy considers this an improvement. BLACK MOLD INVASION: About 4 months after I attached the hose to a reel (kept dry off the grass or any other wet surface), it began to be invaded by a black mold. This is shown in an attached picture taken after rubbing the hose with a dry paper towel to remove dirt (as well as some mold) -- the inset shows the same hose when it was installed. This fungal invasion is neither an isolated nor a rare case as proven by the number of US-reviews complaining of it. Handling the moldy hose left black sticky stains on the hands. Any mold invaded object is a health risk: mold not only can produce mycotoxins but also release millions of tiny spores that become air- and water-borne, causing lung, ocular, and skin reactions in those sensitive to them. The plasticized PVC is susceptible to fungal attack because the additives can serve as a nitrogen or carbon source, and, at least for several plasticizers, mold can degrade and deteriorate the plastic, making it brittle and allowing the mold to penetrate it even further. Of course, mold developing in the inner surface of a water hose is a MAJOR water-safety risk, and the hose needs be flushed to remove the black-mold flecks in the standing water inside. I contacted Legacy and a Tech Support agent informed me over the phone, with the polite laconism recommended in cross-examinations, that they do not offer a solution for getting rid of the fungus. After pressing the issue, I was told that "no mold was found in the inner surface of a moldy hose" that they claim to have dissected (though, curiously, neither the dissection nor its results are publicly available). In contrast, some reviews here show that mold can develop inside the hose. With a melamine sponge I could remove some black-mold surface stains or flecks but not others, or those deeper in the wall. Cleaning the surface does not remove deeper fungal growth reaching inner layers, and is merely a temporary cosmetic fix, since the mold returned after I removed the hose from the spigot and kept it in the garage. This is seen in my third picture, taken some months after removing the molding hose (the hose was hung in position for the sake of taking the picture). WARRANTY: Its terms, written in High Pidgin Legalese, are user-UNfriendly. A defective hose would be repaired or replaced if --and only if-- you ship it with the transportation charges prepaid to an authorized service center along with a proof of purchase date and, on a separate document, the original retail label and your name and address. In addition to the distrust of clients implicit in these terms, Legacy shows very little confidence on these Taiwanese hoses it sells: compared to the warranties of hoses water-drinking safer than Flexzilla, the terms are not just draconian but costly as well, as you have to prepay shipping for a hose that can weigh up to 14+ lbs (100-ft). No coverage is allowed for the rather likely possibily that the non-anodized aluminum intake fitting of the hose can *fuse* to the threads of a brass spigot due to galvanic corrosion. This happens when metals in opposite ends of the electropotential series, like aluminium and brass, are in pressed together in the presence of an electrolyte, like tap water, so brass acts as a cathode [-] and aluminum as an anode [+], which leads to corrosion and a costly spigot repair. According to Legacy, though not legally affirmed by judicial opinion, the invasion of black mold is not covered by warranty -- tough luck for those customers who bought hoses that became Moldy Black. (I bet Weems will not put a trademark for this color.) It is censurable that Legacy imitates the three legendary Japanese monkeys, albeit changing the proverb to SEE NO MOLD, HEAR NO MOLD, SPEAK NO MOLD, and is fair to conclude that it considers the Moldy Black issue too frequent to be covered even by its unfriendly, penny-pinching warranty._I have bought a 100ft hose from Home Depot 3 times in the last 11 years at a average cost of $40. Yes they were cheaper than the Flexzilla brand $64 at Amazon but in my experience the material they use in those hoses wears and doesn't last here in Florida and kink worse with age. Yes they are lighter in weight than the Flexzilla but with the time and effort spent dealing with all of the kinking I will happily deal with the extra weight of the Flexzilla which has not kinked on me and may aid in its longevity by appearing to be made of a thicker material. Except when I attempted to unpack it after receiving it by just cutting the plastic straps keeping it coiled up in the shipping box then grabbing one end of the Flexzilla and start walking with it to stretch it out to its full length. Boy was that a mistake. This was an absolute 10+ minute nightmare of wrestling with it as I had to unkink it 1 foot at a time as it kept kinking up tighter and stronger than a Boa Constricter. Being coiled up in a 1 cubic ft. Box For who knows how long after manufacturing I'm sure didn't help.. I mentioned this so if you order one be very careful not to just cut the plastic straps grab one end and start pulling thinking you can just pull to extend the hose to its full length. Carefully unwind the hose foot by foot after removing it from the shipping box and cutting the straps which keeps the hose coiled in position. I thought constantly while going through this unpacking the hose nightmare what a mistake I had made buying this hose after reading all the good reviews about it not kinking. I have had the hose for a couple months now, have used it many times and with much relief can tell you that it's true that it does not kink. Yes it weighs more than my previous hoses but that little extra effort pulling to me is more than worth it to not have to stop and go back and deal with the kinks that can happen at any point in the length of the hose of the other brands I have used. I am also relieved that I didn't buy the Flexzilla Hose model that has the "swivel ends" that claim to eliminate kinks at a cost of $35 more than what I paid for the model I bought which has yet to kink on me. (just can't bear spending $100 on a hose in Florida with the heat and humidity that claim so many hoses lives). The only question left is the longevity of the Flexzilla I purchased. I Will post a update to that question hopefully no sooner than 5 years or more from now.I've been using mine for two summers. The bright color fades a bit in the sun. Most light weight hoses kink easily, but these don't. I would buy again, but wish they were available with brass fittings instead of aluminum. The aluminum fittings corrode slightly in brass faucets and nozzles, and I had to use pliers to remove at the end of the season. This year, I put a dab of silicone grease on the threads, which helps a bit.It says I bought this Dec 2018, it’s now July 2022, had my first failure, so not all bad. I included a picture, the factory compression crimped end blew off with no notice while we were out. Came home to a river coming down the driveway and the yard flooded. But this is also a 4 year old hose that sees a lot of use, maybe I’m being nice.The other picture included just shows how the hose absorbs dirt and grease, the grease came from cleaning the bbq. The hose material is a soft rubber, it doesn’t kink easily or often which is a big improvement over the junk from Depot. But it’s ability to absorb or retain dirt is kind of unappealing.Overall I wanted this hose originally because it’s rated for potable water which made sense over using a plastic or chemical leaching material to provide water for the kids and dogs. But honestly we all grew up drinking hose water out of any old hose and we did fine, so does it really matter, I don’t know.Good hose, mostly durable, easy to use, rated for potable water, stays pliable and doesn’t kink easily.Hose is durable and flexible. Unlike vinyl hose it will not get permanent kinks. If you turn on water before you pull it out it never kinks. It will occasionally kink if it is not pressurized. I've had it a year and love it, planning on buying a second one.If Dante were alive today, he'd make watering flowers with my previous hose the final punishment in the Ninth Level of Hell. My children learned most of their swear words watching me use that hose. It was rigid, unyielding, and kinked even when laid out in a straight line. And it wasn't my first. Didn't matter how much I paid. Every previous hose was a form of passive aggressive torture. Hose manufactures must be angry people.The Flexzilla is everything those hoses were not. It is the nearly perfect hose. It's soft, easily flung about, and doesn't try to curl up into a ball. Money well spent.This hose is low quality junk sold at a premium price tag. The one I received came in brown box with Chinese QC stamp on it and "Made in China" print. Reported false advertisement to Amazon but they obviously did nothing since this product sells really well. It also easily develops mold. The one I've got had some of those uncleanable dark spots right out of box. Needless to say that drinking water compatibility statement also seems to be clear misinformation. There is absolutely no material evidence these hoses where ever certified for that.The hose is probably good but I am unable to use it because I cannot find suitable connector for it in UK.Most uk connectors are 1/2 or 3/4.The hose size is 5/8.Lack of accessories for it in UK makes it less desirable.I bought a Flexzilla hose last year from a local tool store and it is the best hose I have ever owned - it is flexible even when cold, it doesn't retain its last bends and it doesn't kink and block the flow of water. I was planning on buying another this year so when I saw it on Amazon at a discounted price I jumped at it (the base price was comparable to the tool store). It is the same colour, but otherwise it is very inferior - it has a cheap feel and kinks badly.Full of bends and kinks. "No memory" they tell you but when you try to coil it up its a mess. For the amount of money this cost you think it'd be better than a $20 dollar big box hose.Had it for a few weeks.