Type W and SOOW both deliver temporary or portable power through a flexible, rubber-jacketed cable — and that's where the similarity ends. One is a hard-service 600V cord; the other is a 2kV mining-grade power cable. Picking the right one saves money on one end and prevents failures on the other.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| SOOW | Type W | |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage rating | 600V | 2000V (2kV) |
| Standard | UL 62 / CSA flexible cord | ICEA S-75-381 portable power cable |
| Sizes | 18 AWG–2 AWG, multi-conductor | 8 AWG–500 MCM, single & multi-conductor |
| Jacket | Oil-resistant CPE/EPDM | Heavy-duty double-layer CPE |
| Typical life in hard service | Good | Excellent — built for dragging over rock |
| Relative cost | $ | $$$ |
What the Letters Mean
SOOW decodes as: Service (hard service, 600V), OO (oil-resistant insulation and oil-resistant jacket), W (weather and water resistant, outdoor rated). It's the workhorse cord for tools, temporary power, pumps, compressors, and equipment connections. We stock SOOW alongside its junior variants (SJOOW at 300V).
Type W is a different class of product: a single- or multi-conductor portable power cable rated 2000V, built to ICEA standards for mining and heavy industrial service. Thicker insulation, a heavier two-layer jacket, and large conductor sizes (up to 500 MCM) let it feed serious loads — generators, substations, crushers, stage rigs — while surviving being dragged, run over, and re-coiled daily.
Choose SOOW When…
- The circuit is 600V or less (that's nearly all tool and equipment power)
- You need multi-conductor flexibility in smaller gauges (18–2 AWG)
- Budget matters and service conditions are normal job-site duty
Choose Type W When…
- You need more than 600V — Type W is rated 2kV
- Conductors bigger than 2 AWG are required (generator feeds, distribution)
- The cable will live outdoors in mining, quarry, marine, or utility service where abrasion kills lesser cords
- You're feeding temporary power distribution for events or construction (Type W is the entertainment industry standard for feeder)
A Note on Single-Conductor Feeders
For generator and distro feeders, single-conductor Type W in 4/0 AWG is the de facto standard (often with cam-lock connectors). DLO cable plays in the same space with a UL listing that Type W lacks — see our DLO comparison guide for when that matters.
