In a practical sense, this means a much safer cord. Like all of the cords we tested, the U.S. Wire & Cable 50 FT. Cords like these arent meant to be used outdoors or with high-power tools and equipmenttheyre intended only for low-power use around the home or office. It has thick, 12-gauge wires inside that can handle up to 15 A of electricity, and it was the most flexible and floppy cord of any we tried. In 2021, we tested an additional six options. Because it has hardly any shape memory, the U.S. Wire & Cable cord feeds handily into a nice, even loop, making it easier to unravel the next time you use it. Through our research, we found that the best cords for home use are designated as SJEOW and SJEOOW. Weve seen it priced anywhere between $50 and $75, which may induce some serious sticker shock, but its a reasonable price for a high-quality extension cord that can survive even the harshest conditions and has a lifetime warranty. Purchases from these Sellers are generally covered under our. 12/3 Contractor Grade Indoor/Outdoor Extension Cord, and the Bergen Industries 50 ft. SJTW Yellow 12/3 Outdoor Extension Cord are all SJTW cords and stiffer than our picks. For indoor cords that wont be subjected to much more than phone chargers, lamps, or small speakers, a 15 A power rating isnt as important. America's Largest Inventory Network for All Home Improvement Supplies Nationwide. All of our picks have firm and secure plug ends, but in certain situations, its a good idea to eliminate the tension on the connection. While it lacks a lighted end, it was one of the floppier SJTW cords we tested. Senior staff writer Doug Mahoney spent 10 years in high-end home construction as a carpenter, foreman, and jobsite supervisor in the Boston area. Long-term test notes: Wirecutter senior editor Mark Smirniotis has had the U.S. Wire & Cable 50 FT. During that time, he frequently consulted with electrical engineers and safety organizations like UL. Quality extension cords cost more, but they can last you a lifetime. We love that its available in a multitude of colors, especially neutrals. Easy Online Shopping. If youre looking for a cheaper investment and dont mind a stiffer cord, we like the Iron Forge Tools 12/3 SJTW Heavy Duty Yellow Outdoor Extension Cord. The U.S. Wire & Cable cord had a floppiness the otherseven the SJEOW-listed cords we testeddidnt. Stiff cords that loop and twirl across a yard or floor create tripping hazards that can be made exponentially more dangerous if, say, the cord is plugged into a running table saw. This safety feature makes it harder for an inquisitive child or a clumsy adult to stick something inside and shock themselves. It's simple. Ninja Performance 1000-Watt Blender - BL710WM, OtterBox Defender Series Pro for iPhone 11 Pro Max - Black, Straight Talk SAMSUNG Galaxy A11, 32GB Black - Prepaid Smartphone, NETGEAR AC1900 WiFi Range Extender EX6400 - Essentials Edition - Wi-Fi range extender, Sony Playstation Network Card: $50 Gift Card, Hoover Power Scrub Carpet Cleaner, FH50135, Red Dead Redemption 2 Special Edition, Rockstar Games, Xbox, [Digital Download]. If your cord is plugged in around a corner or otherwise out of sight, its nice to know at a glance when the power is on and when it isnt. It has 16 gauge thickness, one grounded outlet and is rated for 125V, 13A or 1625W, making it suitable for many applications. The Husky 50 FT Cold Weather Indoor/Outdoor Extension Cord is available at Home Depot nationwide, making it a solid choice if you need a cord today, or if our top pick is out of stock. Our favorite is the Southwire 1638SW0061 Polar/Solar Supreme Extension Cord. For indoor cords, we recommend flatter plugs that sit flush to the outlet. The biggest problem with an undersized cord is that it can actually start a fire. Dexter Global LLC. This difference is manifested in their general handling at any temperature. Perhaps most telling: A general contractor working on Marks house needed a cord, and Mark offered the U.S. Wire & Cable (on pain of death if it wasnt returned). Though GE makes the GE Designer Cord Pro with similar construction and features as our indoor pick, the Cordinate Dcor, it lacks the internal outlet covers that help lower the risk of electric shock if anything is jammed into the outlets. Unlike many of its competitors, the Cordinate indoor cord has a sleek look and a flat plug that wont get bent or pulled from an outlet. The thick, 12-gauge wires inside are rated to handle up to 15 ampsas much as most residential breakers will allowmaking it safe to use with most tools and equipment. Coiling them in at the end of the day is also much easier, as they fall naturally into even loops. Connections are rarely waterproof, so if youre using them outdoors for a few days, consider getting weatherproof connection boxes to reduce the likelihood of water infiltration. Doug Mahoney is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter covering home improvement. Extreme All-Weather Extension Cord, Cordinate Dcor Extension Cord with 3 Grounded Outlets, Clear Power CP10091 50 ft TPE Rubber Heavy Duty Extension Cord, Iron Forge Tools 12/3 SJTW Heavy Duty Yellow Outdoor Extension Cord, how to pick the best extension cord at your local hardware store, Our pick: U.S. Wire & Cable 50 FT. Its still in great shape. The downside to any indoor extension cord is that many of the common ways people want to use them are exactly the kind of things safety experts told us not to do with an extension cord: running one behind a (flammable) couch, through dusty (flammable) corners, and kinked around a hard turn. *At the time of publishing, the price was $75. Even in low-power uses, it pays to use common sense and some extra caution. To decide on our final picks, we tried out six indoor/outdoor cords and three indoor cords, examining each one and using them in a variety of environments to see which cords would survive trouble-free for years to come. Plus, the added grounding pin and wire makes it less prone to electrical shocks and shorts than ungrounded, two-prong variations. The Iron Forge cord doesnt cost as much as our other picks, but its not as easy to coil. The same can be said for SJTW cords, which can cost up to $75. When we repeated this on the more-common thermoplastic SJTW cords, the worst ones recoiled like a spring, and others kept some of their stiff curves as they reached across the floor. Extreme All-Weather Extension Cord is rated for 15 A, making it hardy enough to handle any tools or equipment powered by a standard household plug, including larger items like compressors and table saws. Oftentimes youll get away with these indiscretions, but thats what everyone thinks right before a fire starts. Though its understandable to need a cord from time to time, or even for a few days, you shouldnt use an extension cord for any installation thats likely to be permanent. Unlike some cheap indoor cords with only a single layer of protection around each individual conductor, our Cordinate pick has a PVC jacket, plus a fabric wrapping for added durability, kink resistance, and a nicer look. We then tested how well each cord could be stretched out, which ones kept their coiled shapes too tightly, which ones were usable, and which ones were too stubborn to get back into a tidy coil once we were done. Its also the most flexible cord weve ever used, so its as easy to work with in the height of summer heat as it is the depths of a near-zero-degree winter. John Drengenberg, the consumer safety director at UL, accepts these types of cords as a necessity when you need to plug in a lamp or a phone charger, but he told us that they are often pushed beyond their limits. Stay up to date on the latest in Deals & Clearance. In the Instacart app or website, you can report: The price for this product is set by the individual retailers and varies among them. Hyper Tough 10FT 16AWG 3 Prong White Indoor 3-Outlet Extension Cord. We independently review everything we recommend. These include the Bad Ass 50 Foot 12/3 SJEOW Cold Weather Lighted Extension Cord and the Iron Forge Tools 50 FT 12/3 SJEOW Heavy Duty Lighted Outdoor Extension Cable. If youve always just bought whichever extension cord happens to be sitting on the shelf at your local hardware store, youre missing out on cords that are safer, more durable, and more flexible than the ones most commonly available at brick-and-mortar retailers. After spending more than 40 hours researching over 55 different extension cords, talking with two safety experts, and testing 12 of the most promising for flexibilitysome even in zero-degree tempswe recommend, For a more stylish indoor option, we like. This may seem trivial, but it can either add to the discretion of an extension cord (which are usually black, brown, or white) or create a purposeful pop of color. Both the 50- and 100-foot versions use a 16-gauge wire, making the former safe up to only 13 A and the latter safe to just 10 A. All Rights Reserved. Learn more. The hook and loop strap makes for easy storage or to contain extra length that's not in use at the time. The high visibility yellow coating offers a safe and durable extension for power to electric tools and devices. In addition to heavy-duty and outdoor cords, we also considered indoor extension cords for all the other light-duty needs that come up in everyday life. If something isn't right, you've got options. A 12-gauge, 50-foot wire can handle 15 amps, which matches most residential breakers and many older fuses. Elastomer cords perform much better in extreme temperatures, too. Safety. We also consulted with Jeff Lutke, principal engineer of ULs Wire & Cable division. Heres more information about the features we looked for in an extension cordand why theyre important. Drengenberg was adamant about explaining this rule of extension cords first: If youre running them all over your house, inside or out, youre greatly increasing all of the variables that contribute to fire. If youve always just bought whichever extension cord happens to be sitting on the shelf at your local hardware store, youre missing out on cords that are safer, more durable, and more flexible than the ones most commonly available at brick-and-mortar retailers. The Hyper Tough line of tools and power equipmentprovides men and women woodworkers andcrafters with quality parts and tools they can depend on. Pulling too much power through a too-small cord will cause it to heat up, eventually melting the jacket and exposing the bare wiring underneath. The thick, 12-gauge wires inside are rated to handle up to 15 ampsas much as most residential breakers will allowmaking it safe to use with most tools and equipment. That can make it too easy to accidentally pull out a plug while youre using a tool. Ratings for extension cords are set for the length of the cordthey dont carry over when chained together. Extension cords are for temporary use. But the standard plug sticks out from the wall, which makes it more likely to be pushed and bent and also puts more strain on the cords neck. Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time). Some other indoor cords share these characteristics, but what really sets the Cordinate apart is that its available in a wide array of colors. Contactless delivery is available with our "Leave at my door" option. Its a decent feature, but we have suspicions about the mechanisms long-term durability. If an order never came, or you get someone else's order, you can reach out to Instacart Care. High-end extension cords are not cheap, but theyre durable, safe, and far easier to use than the generic orange cords youll find tangled in garages nationwide. Industry approvals: ETL listed. The specifics of this testing are held in a seemingly random string of letters printed on the side of the cord. *At the time of publishing, the price was $60. For home use, a 50-foot extension cord with a 12-gauge wire thickness offers the best in portability and power. After spending more than 40 hours researching over 55 different extension cords, talking with two safety experts, and testing 12 of the most promising for flexibilitysome even in zero-degree tempswe recommend the U.S. Wire & Cable 50 FT. If the U.S. Wire & Cable cord is unavailable, we had very good experiences with the SJEOW cords we tested: the Southwire 1638SW0061 Polar/Solar Supreme Extension Cord and the Clear Power CP10091 50 ft TPE Rubber Heavy Duty Extension Cord. The biggest problem with an undersized cord is that it can actually start a fire. It wasnt the worst or the best in any category. There are two knots to use, both of which are prominent on construction sites: the single overhand knot and the more-stable doubled-up overhand knot. We whittled down that list based on the cost per footour choices ranged from 50 per foot to $1.50 per foot, though some competitors sold for up to $2.00 per foot. As of 7/17/2022, Your credit card will be charged once fulfillment of your order is complete. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. If you feel strongly about having a separate holding bracket, there are many third-party cord locks available. All that said, if you absolutely have to, make sure to follow our next rule. Drengenberg has been with UL for more than 50 years, over which time he earned the nickname Mr. We even froze it to nearly 0 F for two days, after which we stretched it out flat without a problem and coiled it without kinks. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company. But as a cord gets longer, its amp rating starts to drop. An aesthetically pleasing fabric wrap is a welcome bonus, as is the wide variety of colors that it comes in. provides extra reach for your appliances and power tools, It has 16 gauge thickness, one grounded outlet and is rated for 125V, 13A or 1625W, making it suitable for many applications, this general use extension cord is the ideal cord for powering outdoor equipment or lights at home, professional or social events and much more. This allowed us to get a better sense of their flexibility, how flat they sat, and how easy they were to coil properly. Its a nice-to-have feature, but it often adds bulk to the plug end, making it incompatible with recessed outlets such as those found on electric snow blowers or lawn mowers. Putting a cord underneath, behind, or through something puts it at higher risk of physical damage and, more catastrophically, can cause heat to build up. The outlet end has a small LED that lights up when the cord is live. It also doesnt come in as many colors. Because it sits flush against wall outlets, a flat plug is less likely to get bumped completely or partially out of the socket, which can make the connection more prone to electrical shocks if someone tries to unplug it. Weather resistant isnt the same thing as waterproof. Learn more about how to place an order here. The 12-gauge wire inside is thick enough to deliver the proper voltage from end to end, and the coating on the entire length of the cord (a jacket made of a rubbery elastomer instead of a plasticky vinyl) is not only weather resistant but also oil resistant. The Southwire cord is nearly identical to our top pick, but its just a little stiffer and typically costs a bit more. If you need an extension cord right now and cant wait to order a better one online, here are our tips for selecting the best one at your local hardware store. We enlisted the aid of San Diego Cold Storage, which has a million cubic feet of cold storage warehouses, with some getting as cold as 0 F. If you live in a warmer climate and dont need a cord thats flexible through the cold depths of winter, we also like the Iron Forge Tools 12/3 SJTW Heavy Duty Yellow Outdoor Extension Cord. Even if all three of those items were plugged in, its unlikely theyd use more than 7 A. Thats why other features, like flush-mounted plugs and grounding pins that reduce the risk of shocks or fire, are more important for indoor cords. Some cords also include locking brackets or switches to keep a plugged-in tools power cord firmly attached to the extension cords outlet. If there is a downside to the U.S. Wire & Cable extension cord, its the cost: Weve seen it priced anywhere between $55 and $75. A lighted end: We like extension cords that include a small LED light at the plug end to let you know when the cord is powered. Weve updated this guide with three new picks. The longer the strain reliefthe little plastic turtleneck that runs up the cordthe better the wires can resist pulling out the back of the receptacle from repeated bending at tight angles. And if youre planning on doing any home-improvement or maintenance projects, the cords we recommend are properly sized and rated for as much power as a home outlet can produce, making them compatible with larger tools such as portable table saws and air compressors. That can cause safety issues of its own (slow saws wont cut cleanly, which can make them harder to control). Subscribe now for unlimited access. All of the cords we tried were reasonably flexible at room temperatures, so we decided to test them in more challenging conditions. Some of the cords we dismissed without testing include: AmazonBasics 16/3 Vinyl Outdoor Extension Cords are much thinner than the U.S. Wire & Cable and carry less power less safely. These temperature numbers on the SJTW cords may sound impressive, but Jeff Lutke, principal engineer of ULs Wire & Cable division, explained that these numbers only indicate that the cord can be wrapped around a test spool without cracking or breaking. We deliver - town to town, door to door. If you need a longer cord, say, behind a media center, look for a surge protector with a built-in cord of that length. This can mess up different types of equipment in a few ways: Lights may dim, saws may not spin as fast, and some motors just wont work at all. Plus, its the most flexible cord weve tested, even in freezing temps. That makes it more versatile and more reliable, no matter what projects pop up years down the line. So a cord like our pick, which can handle 15 A at 50 feet, can still power 15 A at 100 feet, but only for short periods of time. Not only will that additional flexibility make our pick much less difficult to work with, whether youre dealing with high summer temps in the Southwest or brutal winter lows in Minnesota, it should also make the cord easier to stretch out after long periods stored in a coil. A little water wont hurt an extension cord, and a durable cord thats been well cared for, with no cuts or wear in the jacket, will be safe if it gets wet temporarily. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home. The added connection has a small chance of causing a problem, but you should avoid plugging a surge protector into an extension cord, and vice versa. But compared with the rest of the SJTW cords we looked at, the Iron Forge was the loosest and sat the flattest against the ground once unspooled. We would expect them to be very nice cords and perform within the range presented by our other SJEOW picks. Daisy chain multiple cords for even more reachand extend your work area by up to 50 feet. Our picks are noticeably better, whether youre plugging in an extra fan in the summer, inflating a tire, or powering a wireless speaker for a party. Vinyl jacket resists moisture, abrasion, and chemicals. The best extension cords arent typically sold in physical stores. Unlike our other picks, this isnt an SJEOW or SJEOOW cord, so it lacks the super-flexible elastomer jacket. In our tests these two were a little stiffer than the U.S. Wire & Cable, but not by much. We considered 90 more cords that we didnt test, either because they didnt meet our strict safety requirements; they were too expensive, with no extra features to warrant the higher price; or they were much thinner and less capable than our picks. After two days coiled in a deep freeze at SD Cold Storage, we threw the end of the U.S. Wire & Cable cord, and it snaked out without any indication of what it had been through. Power taps in a compact design. We always recommend a flat plug for indoor cords. If youre going to own only one extension cord, the 50-foot version is versatile enough to maneuver across a two-car garage, run between two rooms indoors, or stretch deep into a yard or driveway. Overly tight outlets can make it difficult to get a plug all the way in, resulting in a poor connection and a higher risk of shocks or shorts, especially when exposed to any moisture. ), there are some things to keep in mind to help ensure the longevity of the cord as well as your own safety.

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hyper tough 50 foot extension cord