Top 6 compared
The best jump ropes
Cardio from a rope that packs into a gym bag, for the basement, the driveway or a hotel room.
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The top 6 at a glance
A jump rope is a cord or cable between two handles, swung over the head and under the feet, and it gives a hard cardio workout in a small space. PVC ropes are the all-rounders, quick to turn and simple to start on. Beaded ropes have plastic segments that hold their shape and click on the ground, weighted ropes carry extra mass in the cable or the handles, and thin steel speed ropes turn fastest.
Some ropes turn on ball bearings in the handles for a smoother spin, but they aren’t needed to learn any skill, even double-unders (two turns of the rope in one jump). A session needs only a clear patch of floor and enough room overhead for the swing.
What matters
- A length that adjusts, or the right size ordered by your height.
- Grips that won’t slip once your hands are damp.
#1Elite Jumps 6 mm PVC Jump Rope (white)
$30–$50
- String-core cord stays straight
- Rated for jumpers to 193 cm
- No anti-slip grip
A 6 mm PVC cord with a little weight to it, so the rope can be felt going round and the timing comes quickly. Its string core won’t kink or hold a coil, and PVC is kinder than a thin steel cable when a missed jump catches a shin.
What owners say: Owners call it great quality, light and well balanced, and good for workouts, and changing the length gives them no trouble.
A closer look: Elite Jumps rates the 3 m (10 ft) cord for jumpers up to 193 cm (6 ft 4 in). To shorten it, loosen one end, cut off the spare cord and refit the snap locks. It works indoors or outdoors, so it can go along for a warm-up before a run.
Best for: No kinks or coils
- Cord
- 6 mm PVC
- Length
- 3 m (10 ft)
- How the length adjusts
- Cut to fit
- Handle grip
- Plastic, no grip tape
#2Leeboom Soft Beaded Jump Ropes (3-pack)
$10–$20
- Three ropes in the pack
- Rubber anti-slip grip
- Beads tick to keep time
Three soft beaded ropes in green, pink and blue, so siblings or friends can jump together. The beads hold each rope’s shape as it swings and tick on the ground, which helps children find the rhythm, and the ropes don’t tangle.
What owners say: Owners say the ropes make exercise more fun, adjust easily and feel well made for the money, and the weight and colours suit them. Durability draws mixed reports.
A closer look: Each rope shortens quickly from its full 2.8 m (9.2 ft), so one pack can be set for three different heights. The soft beads are gentle if a rope catches a leg, and with each rope a different colour, every jumper can keep track of their own.
Best for: Children
- Cord
- Soft beads on nylon (3 ropes)
- Length
- 2.8 m (9.2 ft)
- How the length adjusts
- Shortens (how not stated)
- Handle grip
- Rubber, wavy anti-slip
#3Elite Jumps 1-inch Beaded Jump Rope (black)
$30–$50
- Shatterproof plastic beads
- Beads last on rough surfaces
- No anti-slip grip
Shatterproof plastic beads 2.5 cm (1 in) long run the length of a 3 mm cord, and Elite Jumps makes them to last on rough surfaces. The maker says the way the beads spread the weight suits freestyle tricks as well as plain fitness skipping.
What owners say: A quality rope that’s simple to resize, owners say, and they like the weight of the beads, finding it intuitive and good for training most days.
A closer look: These short 13 cm (5 in) handles are the size Elite Jumps suggests for tricks where a handle is let go and caught again. Elite Jumps says the rope suits beginners and experienced jumpers alike, and also makes it with 20 cm (8 in) handles wrapped in grip tape.
Best for: Freestyle tricks
- Cord
- 2.5 cm (1 in) beads on cord
- Length
- 3 m (10 ft)
- How the length adjusts
- Cut to fit
- Handle grip
- Plastic, no grip tape
#4PICSIL Sphinx Speed Jump Rope
$30–$50
- Double ball-bearing handles
- Thin steel speed cable
- Grip band on each handle
A thin PVC-coated steel cable on handles that turn on double ball bearings, so the rope spins fast for quick footwork. PICSIL makes it in Spain for CrossFit workouts, HIIT and boxing, and the cable length adjusts in moments.
What owners say: Owners describe a light rope that spins fast and works well. Some have had it tangle, and opinions on the grip vary.
A closer look: PICSIL asks for it to be kept off abrasive surfaces and wiped with a soft, dry cloth, so a gym floor or a rubber mat suits the coated cable better than rough pavement. The 14 cm (5.5 in) handles are shaped to ease grip fatigue through a long session.
Best for: Fast turns
- Cord
- 2 mm PVC-coated steel
- Length
- 3 m (9.8 ft)
- How the length adjusts
- At the handle
- Handle grip
- Shaped plastic, grip band
#5Redify Weighted Jump Rope (1 lb, cotton and PVC ropes)
$30–$50
- Two swappable 9 mm ropes
- Sliding lock resets the length
- Double ball-bearing handles
Two weighted 9 mm ropes share one pair of handles, one of braided cotton and one of solid PVC, so the same set swaps between them. Double ball bearings sit in its aluminum handles, and Redify sells it for boxing and MMA training.
What owners say: Owners like the heft, feel it in their arms and find the length easy to set. Some question how solid the handles are, and comfort and durability divide them.
A closer look: Redify says the silicone protective tube helps the cotton rope last longer, and calls the solid PVC rope the more wear-resistant of the two. The lock moves freely, so the length can be reset quickly for each jumper.
Best for: Switching between two ropes
- Cord
- 9 mm cotton or PVC (2 ropes)
- Length
- 3 m (10 ft)
- How the length adjusts
- Sliding lock
- Handle grip
- Aluminum, raised silicone
#6Sportisimo Adjustable Jump Rope (2.9 m)
$10–$20
- Anti-slip handles
- Tangle-free PVC cord
A tangle-free PVC rope on light, contoured handles that Sportisimo says stay dry and secure through a sweaty session. It suits anyone from a beginner learning single bounces to an athlete drilling double-unders, and it works for warm-ups, HIIT and everyday cardio as well as boxing footwork.
A closer look: To size it, stand on the middle of the cable and pull the handles up: Sportisimo says they should reach the armpits, and the cable can be trimmed shorter as the jumping gets faster. Trim a little at a time, since a cut cable can’t be lengthened again.
Best for: Contoured grips
- Cord
- PVC, thickness not stated
- Length
- 2.9 m (9.5 ft)
- How the length adjusts
- Cut to fit
- Handle grip
- Contoured PVC, anti-slip
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1Elite Jumps PVC | #2Leeboom 3-pack | #3Elite Jumps beaded | #4PICSIL Sphinx | #5Redify weighted | #6Sportisimo PVC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $10–$20 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $10–$20 |
| Cord | 6 mm PVC | Soft beads on nylon (3 ropes) | 2.5 cm (1 in) beads on cord | 2 mm PVC-coated steel | 9 mm cotton or PVC (2 ropes) | PVC, thickness not stated |
| Length | 3 m (10 ft) | 2.8 m (9.2 ft) | 3 m (10 ft) | 3 m (9.8 ft) | 3 m (10 ft) | 2.9 m (9.5 ft) |
| How the length adjusts | Cut to fit | Shortens (how not stated) | Cut to fit | At the handle | Sliding lock | Cut to fit |
| Handle grip | Plastic, no grip tape | Rubber, wavy anti-slip | Plastic, no grip tape | Shaped plastic, grip band | Aluminum, raised silicone | Contoured PVC, anti-slip |
| Best for | No kinks or coils | Children | Freestyle tricks | Fast turns | Switching between two ropes | Contoured grips |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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