Extension Cord Reel Buyer’s Guide
You’re probably visiting this site because you’re unsure about which extension cord reel to buy, and you’re looking to make an educated decision before buying the right reel. You’ve come to the right place.
We’ve reviewed every extension cord reel currently on the market, and have included in our reviews the price of each real, product features, and where you can buy it at the best price. Before you sift through the reviews on this site, it’s important to know what kind of extension cord reels there are before you make a decision to buy one.
Extension cord reel types:
- Regular reels
- Hind wind reels
- Wall mounted reels
- Bucket reels
- Retractable reels
These are the kind of reels that you spin and it winds onto or into a spindle container. These are the most common and most economical extension cord reels on the market. They’re also the easiest to use. We recommend these for the 50 ft extension cable you use with your leaf blower, or other power tool found in the garage.
Hand wind extension cord reels
These reels are the kind that you wind the cable around by hand. These are the cheapest kind of reel and are just a step above winding a cable without a reel - no fun. They’re helpful to quickly wind your cable, but not the easiest to use.
Wall mounted extension cord reels
Wall mounted reels are very heavy duty reels that can be mounted to a wall, as the name suggest. Most reels are capable of being mounted to a wall or bench. These are higher end reels and are typically more expensive. These can be very handy in a garage or shop and can wind longer lengths of cable. Don’t use these if you expecting to take your extension cable with you to different places, as these are mounted to a wall.
These reels wind your cable into a large bucket that can easily be transported to another location. These work great for long and light extension cables. They’re very mobile and come highly recommended as well.
Retractable extension cord reels
Retractable or spring-loaded reals wind themselves. These are the best kind of reels in our opinion, though they come at a premium. When you’re done with your cord, just tug on it and the reel does the rest. Not to worry, there is a self lock mechanism that keeps it from winding the cord while you’re using it. These reels are great!
Now head on over to our top ten review page to see which reels we recommend over all others.