If you’ve ever tried to pump up a tire or run a vacuum outside your RV or car you’ll know how annoying plugging them in can be. More times than we can count we’ve had almost but not quite enough cord length to get the job done. Thankfully there are now tons of great 12V extension cords that make it far easier to plug in all kinds of appliances and tools around your RV. Today we’re covering the best 12V extension cords to find the ones most suited for your needs.
Table of Contents
- 1 Best 12v Extension Cords
- 1.1 BESTEK 12V 24V Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
- 1.2 EPAuto 12V 12 Foot Heavy Duty Extension Cord
- 1.3 TireTek Premium 13’ 12V Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
- 1.4 Nilight 12V 14’ Extension Cord
- 1.5 AstroAI Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
- 1.6 Cable Matters 2-Pack 12V Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
- 1.7 SPARKING 25’ Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
- 1.8 Prime Products 25′ Adapter Plug Extension Cord
- 2 Final Thoughts
Best 12v Extension Cords
- BESTEK Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
Buy from AmazonRead Our Review - EPAuto 12V Heavy Duty Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
- TireTek Premium 12 Volt Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
- Nilight 12v 14ft Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
- AstroAI Cigarette Lighter Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
- Cable Matters 12V Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
- SPARKING 25FT Cigarette Lighter Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
- Prime Products Adapter Plug Extension CordBuy from AmazonRead Our Review
Extension cords of all stripes are pretty simple things and 12V extension cords are no exception. They only need to do three things to succeed.
These are make the distance you need, carry enough power for the task at hand, and do both safely and reliably. So long as an extension cord was able to do those three things we gave it high marks.
Below you’ll find a list of the best 12V extension cords picked from a range of good contenders. We tried to find good examples for every needed length and rated current.
BESTEK 12V 24V Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
The BESTEK Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord is a 12V/24V cord designed for use with DC systems. It’s 12.1 feet long and made from high-quality materials with a safety and performance first approach.
It uses 12 AWG wire rated for a continuous 20 Amp load with a surge of up to 25 Amps. One thing we really liked was the inclusion of a battery clamp adaptor.
This allows you to hook the extension cord directly to a car or storage battery. You can then use it to power things like a small air compressor, inverter, or similar small appliance.
EPAuto 12V 12 Foot Heavy Duty Extension Cord
The EPAuto 12V Extension Cord is an extra long 12V power cord designed for RV use. It’s fully 12 feet long and is far more resistant to damage than many less robust extension cords.
Unlike many 12V extension cords made from light cables, the EPAuto uses a thick 16 AWG wire encased in heavy-duty plastic. It also includes a 15A fuse to help protect against shorts and other damage.
Altogether this gives the EPAuto much greater durability, a longer working lifespan, and the ability to power heavier appliances like 12V refrigerators.
TireTek Premium 13’ 12V Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
The TireTek 12V extension cord offers 13 feet of quality wire to extend the reach of your power system. It’s made from high-quality materials and includes multiple important safety features.
The wire itself is 14 AWG and designed to carry a load of about 20A. It includes an inline 20A fuse plus a bright red indicator light that lets you know when it’s live.
This allows you to run larger and more powerful appliances within and outside your RV. It also makes it a whole lot easier to set up things like lights, a TV, and other comfort items outside.
Overall we thought the TireTek Premium 12V Extension Cord was a reasonably priced and well-made product.
Nilight 12V 14’ Extension Cord
The Nilight 12V is a 14 foot extension cord rated for up to 15A of operating current. It’s designed to be durable and easy to setup and store when needed.
At 14 feet long the Nilight is a good length for use in and around your RV. It includes important safety features like an inline 15A fuse, heavy-duty insulation, and outlet ends designed to bend thousands of times without incident.
All in all the Nilight is a dependable 12V extension cord good for powering things like vacuums, lighting, and other appliances.
AstroAI Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
The AstroAI Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord is durable and highly efficient. It provides you with 12 feet of additional distance from an outlet and offers some really nice premium safety features.
To start with it has 16AWG braided copper wire in both the positive and negative wires. It’s a much more reliable and durable material that combines well with the 15A inline fuse and integrated outlet caps.
They also used both a longer contact area on the male plug and a real copper spring to provide the lowest impedance possible.
If you’re looking for a durable and reliable 12V extension cord it’s hard to go wrong with the AstroAI.
Cable Matters 2-Pack 12V Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
The Cable Matters 15-foot Extension Cord comes in a pack of two for twice the value. Each cable is 15 feet long and designed to connect securely with standard cigarette style DC ports.
They use 16AWG wire and an inline 15A fuse to provide excellent energy transfer without fear of a short or overheating. There’s also a molded cap on each of the plugs to prevent damage from bending and moving the cable.
There’s an old saying “one is none, two is one” and it applies with 12V extension cords. Having a spare on hand is a great way to protect yourself if something should happen to one cord while you’re out in the boonies.
SPARKING 25’ Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord
The SPARKING 25-foot Cigarette Lighter Extension Cord is an extra long 12V cord designed for car and RV use. It’s right at the edge of length restrictions for 12V cables.
Made from 16AWG wire, the SPARKING includes several key safety features such as an inline 15A fuse and a red light indicator. It allows you to see right away if there’s power in the cable and makes it a lot easier to monitor your usage.
At 25 feet we’re right at the limit of 12V transmissions. Anything longer than this and you start to suffer pretty noticeable line loss.
If you like the flexibility of a longer extension cord it’s hard to beat the 25-foot SPARKING 12V extension cord.
Prime Products 25′ Adapter Plug Extension Cord
The Prime Products Adapter Plug Extension Cord is a 25-foot 12V extension cord built for use with cars and RVs. Its longer than average length offers additional flexibility for where and how it’s used.
It includes an inline fuse but is made from lighter 18AWG wire. This reduces the amount of draw you can pull through it substantially.
It’s still a good option if you want to wire some lighting or a similarly low and constant draw appliance at a distance.
| Some more great RV guides |
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| ⚡ 12v Splitter |
| ⚡ Solar Generator |
| ⚡ Portable Inverter Generator |
Final Thoughts
Picking out 12V extension cords is really easy.
It comes down to how much distance you need, what amount of current it has to safely carry, and the extra features you want.
The market is absolutely flooded with reasonably good models, with the ones we profiled some of the best you can find.
