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Whether youre hanging outdoor lights or running power to an unreachable corner of your yard, a durable outdoor extension cord is a vital component of home life.
Be careful not to move your indoor cords outside, for using power tools or enjoying your deck. If not just to prevent electrical shocks, or worse. A quality outdoor cord should effectively transmit power and safely withstand daily wear and tearrain, snow, tall grass, creeping critters, and just about any other annoyance.
After hours of exploring different options, weve determined that the Voltec Pro 12-gauge outdoor extension cord (available at Amazon) is the best extension cord money can buy. It combines an impressive power capacity, a useful length of 50 feet, a fortified wall outlet locking component, and overall value that makes it a clear front-runner. However, there are many other great extension cords of varying lengths and power capacities that are certainly worth looking into.
Credit: Reviewed / Jessa Rose Photography
Credit: Reviewed / Jessa Rose Photography
During our testing, the Otimo cord quickly established its versatility. It's the most familiar gauge and most comfortable to access. This lightweight cord is rated for medium duty to carry current safely to small appliances and household tools.
Its flexibility, ease of use and ease of storage make it a must have for any homeowner. The current remained unaffected by driving over it with a Chevrolet Impala, and its bright orange casing makes it easy to see in many medium duty applications.
Affordable
Versatile
Practical
None that we could find
The Southwire Heavy Duty Outdoor Extension Cord is built for larger power transfers than the more common 16-gauge power cords. It has a durable construction, is resistant to chemicals and oil, and has lighted connections.
The Southwire had a more flexible feel and would handle the extreme cold conditions better than most cords. The cord was easy to move and manipulate through the tasks and is durable enough to deliver great results.
Heavy duty
Flexible
Lighted plugs
None that we could find
U.S. Wire & Cable, whose 12-gauge cable was our top value pick, also makes a 100-foot extension cord that performed very well during our tests. Although its rated for a lower power capacity, the value of an extension cord of 100 feet at an affordable price cannot be overstated.
This cord boasts all of the features of our top value pick, minus the 12-gauge rating, and is surprisingly compact for a 100-foot cable. While it wont hold up to the heaviest electrical jobs, this is the best 100-foot extension cord we reviewed and a very useful cord to have on hand in the garage.
Link to Mingda
Affordable
Lengthy
Useful to have on hand
Lower power capacity
UltraPro is one of the best extension cord and surge protection brands on the market., Their extension cord is an entry level extension cord for powering small appliances and other household electrical applications. While its three-outlet power strip is convenient, it can be easily overloaded by overzealous homeowners.
Its small gauge and 13 amp capacity means that its best place is powering multiple household items such as lights, TVs, and home entertainment systems. It can be used as an indoor extension cord, and it's quite handy during blackouts when used with a portable generator. When electrical outlets are limited, its multiple outlet strip makes powering numerous lights that much easier.
Durable
Convenient
Practical
Can be overloaded
The Clear Power Heavy Duty Outdoor Extension Cord is a very capable product that can power larger home tools such as table saws and electric chain saws. While not as easy to tote around as small extension cords, this outdoor extension cord means business.
This water-resistant cord boasts a heavy duty casing thats weather, flame, and oil resistant with lighted connections and a plug locking system. With the advent of more corded snow blowers, lawn mowers, and chainsaws, this cord is up to the task. The lighted plugs allow quick identification when the power goes out and it is plugged into the generator. The lighted plugs are also helpful at night when operating an electric snowblower.
Lighted plugs
Locking plugs
Heavy
In the simplest terms, the amount of power a cord can hold is related to the size of the wiring inside of the cord and the length of the cord. The longer the distance that power needs to travel, the thicker the internal conductive copper wiring needs to be. Cable thickness is measured in AWG, or American Wire Gauge, in which lower numbers signify thicker cables. For example, a 12-gauge cable has thicker conductive wiring than a 16-gauge cable.
Because of the increased thickness of the conductive wires, lower gauge cords are rated to carry a higher amperage. Typically, short extension cords offer lower gauges and higher power ratings, while longer extension cords have thinner high gauge wiring that makes the cord easier to manage.
Most of the top cords on our list are rated for 15 amps (15 A) and can hold and safely transmit power for just about any application. Some cords are rated for lower amperage but are still useful in lower-power applications.
Credit: Reviewed / Jessa Rose Photography
Its important to note that each cord is rated for a certain number of amps. Constantly over-powering a low-rated extension cord is not only less effective but can also be dangerous. Running too much power through a low-power rated extension cord, such as a 100-foot 16-gauge cord, can actually cause damage from voltage drop and even fire from the overload.
While we still considered some 16-gauge extension cords because of their useful length and affordability, these cords dont have any safety features for heavy machinery or other high-power applications.
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