Type W and SOOW both deliver temporary or portable power through a flexible, rubber-jacketed cable, but the similarity mostly ends there. 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). For the full family tree, see our portable cord letters guide.
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 like generators, substations, crushers, and stage rigs while surviving being dragged, run over, and re-coiled daily.
Choose SOOW When…
- The circuit is 600V or less, which covers 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.
