The Best and Worst Ways to Store Extension Cords

We’ve spent dozens of hours researching and testing the best extension cords, and along the way we’ve picked up tips from experts in consumer safety, electrical engineering, and construction trades to keep cords at their best. In descending order from our favorite method (the over-under coil) to our least favorite (the around-the-arm coil) we break down the pros and cons of each method below. If you take good care of your extension cords, they should last for many years.

The over-under coil

Pros: Won’t damage the cord, leaves it ready to use next time
Cons: The method doesn’t come naturally, so you’ll need to get used to it

A regular coil, making loop after loop on top of one another, actually bends an extension cord out of its natural curve, making it more cumbersome to handle over time and stressing the wires inside. But using the over-under method works with the cord’s natural curve instead of against it, so your extension cord gets to rest stress free. I first learned about the over-under method while working as a photo assistant—properly done, you can easily throw a 50-foot over-under-coiled cord in a straight line while standing in one place. A handy time-saver, and a great way to impress bystanders. If you use a Velcro strap to keep the finished coil together, you can easily store the whole thing on a utility hook, or transport it in a tool or gig bag.

Velcro cord wraps

If you’re going to store your cords in a coil, you’re going to want some cord wraps. If you don’t already have a few, take a second to add some to your shopping cart, either online or the next time you’re at the hardware store. For a couple of bucks, you can get a handful of reusable Velcro straps like these, but any larger options will work just as well. Whichever ones you pick up, be sure to find the kind with a small hole or clip that lets you keep the strap wrapped around the cord when not in use. Long, cut-to-fit rolls seem like a good deal, but having a strap that stays put when you unwrap your cord is much better.

The chain-link

Pros: Leaves cord ready to use, nothing to buy
Cons: Takes practice, may twist the cord over time

The chain-link method takes a little practice, but does a nice job of keeping your cord organized and easy to transport for next time. It stores just as well on a wall hook or in a 5-gallon bucket without a problem. That puts it above the dreaded around-the-arm-coil at the bottom of our list, but it still introduces a lot of twists into the cord that may not stretch out if your cord is stiff or stored in the cold. Plus, you can’t stretch it across a workspace in a single throw like you can a cord in an over-under coil.

Mounted cord reels

Pros: Leaves cord ready to use
Cons: Expensive, can’t replace the cord easily, may damage the cord over time, some models are unreliable

If you keep an extension cord in one spot like your garage or workshop, it might make sense to mount the cord on a retractable cable reel. It’s the easiest way to have an extension cord on hand at all times, and makes putting the cord away just as easy. Unfortunately, most cable reels come with cords that are too thin for their length, or include a multi-outlet “banana tap” that’s convenient—but also easy to overload and turn into a fire hazard. Plus, if your cord does break or wear, you might not be able to easily replace it inside the reel. This Iron Forge cord reel is a good example of what’s available, and includes a properly sized 12-gauge cable (which we like) and a three-outlet tap (which we don’t), and is twice the price of our favorite 50-foot extension cord.

Spools

Pros: None
Cons: Requires unspooling cord before use, bad for the cord, and a waste of a few dollars that could be better spent on anything else

Next to the extension cords in virtually every hardware and home store you’ll find a variety of cord wrapping spools tempting you. But these Sirens of cord management will only lead you to ruin on the rocks of unfulfilled promises. Simple spooling plastic frames are awkward to use, and make even more of a chore out of wrapping or deploying your cords. We don’t recommend them to anyone.

Winding reels like this one can be slightly better, but you still need to hold them while pulling cord out or cranking it back in. In our experience, cranking the handle is more work than just using the over-under method, especially for reels that aren’t anchored in any way.

The around-the-arm coil

Pros: Quick and easy, nothing to buy
Cons: May damage the cord over time, often results in tangles, and cord is not easy to use the next time

This might be the default method that everyone uses, but it really shouldn’t be. You grab the cord end in one hand, pull it taut around the same arm’s elbow, and start whipping it around tighter and tighter. Then, faced with the dangly end, you either toss the coil into a pile so that it can magically tangle itself up sometime between now and when you need it next, or you wrap the end around the whole coil, which adds even more stress to the jacket and cord. This makes an arm-coiled extension cord a pain to use the next time you need it, and stresses the cord into tight curves. Give the over-under coil method we recommend a few tries and you’ll be able to leave the arm-coil method behind.