In this video I’m going to show you the difference between common, PVC coated wire for electronics, and the new breed of silicone coated wire. If you’re only used to this tried and true stuff, stick around, because the difference is dramatic.

You can pick up this same assortment for around $17.

Here’s the stuff I’ve been using for years. It’s an assortment of 22 gauge stranded hook-up wire I got from Sparkfun. It has served me well, and the wire guage is just right for wiring into through-hole project boards like Arduino.

The problem with this stuff is that it’s stiff. And it turns out that’s entirely due to the type of coating on the outside of the wire. In this case, it’s PVC, which is very common.

The wire is made up of a braid of smaller wires, so it’s not as stiff as solid core wire. But when you have rats nest of project wires you need to cram into a small enclosure, you begin to realize exactly how much space this stuff takes up.

Silicone coated wire is the same stuff, but with an ultra flexible silicone rubber coating on the outside instead of PVC. This one change makes it behave much differently. On the left you can see the PVC wire and how it responds to flexing. On the right I have the equivalent 22 gauge silicone coated wire.

It feels more like an overcooked noodle than a wire and it freaked me out a little at first. It honestly felts a little flimsy at first compared to the PVC stuff. But when you look at the bare wire, you see it’s really the same on the inside. And that harder coating isn’t really doing anything to protect your project or your connections.

And once you make the switch, you realize what a pain in the butt PVC wire is when it comes time to close up your electronic projects. These silicone wires squish up so nicely, tight fits aren’t a problem.

Another advantage is that silicone is much more heat-resistant than PVC. If you’ve ever singed a wire with your soldering iron or trying when you go to heat shrink it, the silicone holds up much better.

Here’s what PVC wire looks like when it gets torched. And here’s silicone. Not only is it less likely to get solder burns, but it should hold up better in outdoor applications where temperatures can get really hot or cold.

So there you go, that’s a look at silicone coated wire for electronics. This company, Striveday, offers up variety packs like this in a wide range of gauges. They come mounted on a wooden dowel and the box includes holes you can thread the wire though to keep everything tidy.

You can pick up a box using the Amazon link in the description. And remember, you can see thousands of reader-recommended tools like this at cool-tools.org.

-- Donald Bell 10/2/18

(Cool Tools has a YouTube channel with many more tool reviews — editors)