So many acronyms in the wire world, so little time! SOOW stands for Service, Oil-resistant insulation and jacket, and Water/Weather resistance. It's essentially a big, tough extension cord.  

Also known by the shortened "SO," as in SO cable, SO cord, or simply by it's category-- portable cord-- SOOW cable is a go-to product that you've likely already seen in use, whether you realized it or not. 

A rubber-jacketed cord for use in harsh working conditions, SOOW cable is almost always black and looks like the round cords you see running to power tools or other equipment used in the field during construction. It's flexible, easy to handle, and tough enough to be stepped on, dragged across the ground and exposed to weather.

While SOOW is rated to 600V, many tools found in the home might have power cords that are only rated to 300V, earning them the "junior" designation, with acronyms like SJOOW, SJTOW or SJEOOW. More on those another time.

To learn about SOOW cable, what it's made of and how its materials perform, check out our in-depth article about it here.