Hi Greg!
I don't use hose reels and don't really have a rec. for you - sorry. I see a lot of them left out with the trash and most are the cheap ones, FWIW.
At my place and at my Mom's, where I help out with maintenance, I have been using expandable hoses. I started using them several years ago when they first came out and the quality wasn't that great - but the new ones they have now are pretty good, when given proper care.
I realize they are not an apples to apples substitute for a conventional garden hose, but I bet in many situations they would do the job just fine and even better when you consider the advantage of not having to unpack and pack the hose each time it's used.
I've found that the 25' lengths work good for most applications. They shrink back up to only about 6-8' when not in use, so I just loop them over a simple hose hanger like this one:
Never a problem with kinking and they are very lightweight and easy to handle. I get mine from Amazon and here is one for around $20. that I recently purchased:
MyM Expandable Garden Water Hose Improved Leak Resistant Heavy Duty Double Latex Core Design Expanding Retractable Flexible and Lightweight for Home Use (25ft)
There are quite a few other brands and models and I always check out the ratings and comments before making a decision on what to buy.
Also - I do have a longer hose that I never roll up. Its about 50-60' long and is an old spray hose I salvaged from a lawn spray truck around 25 years ago. It's got a very thick sidewall and can handle being walked on, unlike other hoses. I use it almost every day here so leaving it laid out suits my situation very practically. I have a circular drive so lot of driveway and room for the hose.
Sorry I don't have any specifics on a hose reel but I know there are quite a few on the market so maybe you can select one based on your needs and any customer ratings posted on the product page.
Please keep us posted on your results as I know it would be of interest to us all.
Good luck!