My Favorite Jump Ropes

Boy, I have let this thing slide. A lot had changed in a few months, I am now an Assistant Professor of Biology. Okay, it's really "Adjunct Assistant Professor", just sounded cooler without the adjunct...

One thing that hasn't changed is my love of jumping rope. In fact, I've probably picked up a few more tricks since the last time I updated my blog. Thought I'd write about some of my favorite jump ropes that I've used in my 2+ years of jumping rope. There are also a few that I wasn't too crazy about that I won't mention. But remember, you should be able to at least do most of the basic jumps with any rope. Ultimately, it's not the rope, it's the jumper. If you can't skip rope with a cheapo brand that you bought at Walmart, buying a $40 Buddy Lee jump rope won't magically transform you into an elite jumper (for the record, I have never tried a Buddy Lee jump rope). Like anything in life, there are some brands that you will inexplicably gravitate toward. I probably can't even explain why I prefer some ropes over another but I'll try.

One thing I really want to stress is that for the most part, a plastic (PVC or "licorice") speed rope that costs around $5-$7 are the best ones to buy. Don't get caught up in getting some special "ball bearing handles" and most sales person at sporting good store don't know anything about jump ropes so don't listen to them if they try to push a more expensive rope with ball bearing. One guy tried to steer me toward a ball bearing rope and told me that it's faster. This guy didn't look like he's jumped a day in his life and his ignorance showed. Now on to some of my favorite ropes...

Lifeline Speed Rope. My all time favorite and I am sad that they discontinued this model (they just sell their beaded and heavy ropes). Very simple rope that they sold for around $6. One thing I realized with this rope is that further up the point where the rope meets the handle is, the faster you spin and the lighter is feels. I'll try to explain this point better. A lot of rope, especially the ones sold in sporting good store, the ropes "stopper" (which prevents the rope from going through the handle) is at the end of the handle. But in the Lifeline speed rope, the rope meets the handle somewhere in the middle. I think this is similar to "choking up" on a baseball bat. Also, in physics term, the point of axis of rotation is closer to you so you can exert more force and the rope spins faster. Another thing I love about this rope is the plastic cord. It's not super pliable, some might find it a little bit on the stiff side but I can still do all the crosses and wraps (I've had some real stiff rope that you couldn't do wraparounds with). I also feel as though the cord is like a hybrid PVC and cable which also contributes to the fast spinning nature. Because the material isn't super pliable, it gives the cord a nice density which facilitates faster spinning. I wish Lifeline would bring this back...I did buy up a lot from a distributor so I have some stocked up plus another thing I like about this rope is that it lasts a bit longer than other PVC ropes. I'm sure if others tried this rope, they won't like it as much as I do. But it's like finding the perfect dance partner, it just seems like this rope was made for me.

Ex-U-Rope licorice speed rope. This is a recent buy, brought on by trying to find a replacement for the sad day that my supply of Lifeline rope runs out. Like the Lifeline rope, the point where the rope meets the handle is higher up so it feels lighter than if the rope met the handle at the end. The handle is also well made, actually a bit better than the Lifeline. It's molded to fit your hand better. I haven't had this long enough to see how durable it is. However, and this is something which I didn't mention with the Lifeline but it's also applicable to the Lifeline rope, the handle seems to be coated with rubber. Therefore, the friction between the rope and handle (which is what causes the rope to snap) is not as harsh than if the handle was pure plastic. The cord is more pliable and slightly lighter than the Lifeline but doesn't spin as smoothly. It doesn't whip through the air like the Lifeline. Still, this is a nice rope, pretty inexpensive (I've seen it as low as $3) and probably my replacement for the Lifeline at some point.

Championship Freestyle from buyjumpropes.net (PVC version, not the cable one). I think your best bet is to buy jump ropes from a company that doesn't manufacture a million different products (e.g. Altus). This company is awesome, great service and products. This rope is specially made for jumpers that like to do a lot of tricks. The handles are extra long which makes some tricks easier to perform. Due to my relatively broad back from lifting weights and shoulder inflexibility, I'm a bit hit or miss with a trick like the front/back cross (AKA the EB) using ropes with a "regular" handle. The longer handle gives some solid length which makes it easier to do the front/back cross. So this rope has that going for it. Until I found Lifeline speed rope, this was my #1 rope. I'm not super crazy about the cord, it's a bit too light and thin for me. This is just a preference, some people might like it lighter. I can't spin this rope as fast as the Lifeline and Ex-U-Rope. Might be due to the longer handle and also the rope meeting the handle and the end of the handle (I know this is a very esoteric point). Mostly, I like this rope because it makes executing tricks easier.

Beaded rope with regular handle from buyjumpropes.net. I started off with a beaded rope. I rarely use beaded ropes now, every once in a while when I skip outdoors, I like to whip out the beaded. I don't use plastic ropes on concrete because the concrete can wear out the PVC but the beads, if they are well made, is durable enough to withstand this contact. I also think it is the best rope for beginners. It's slower than a plastic speed rope and since it's a bit heavy, if your feet hit it, there is enough weight to keep it going. It's also the best rope to learn tricks with. The bead helps the rope keep a nice arc and makes crosses easier to do. The first rope I ever jumped with was the Lifeline beaded rope that was in my gym but these days, that rope is a bit too heavy. Plus I have relatively small hands and the handles are a bit too bulky. But the beaded rope from buyjumpropes.net is a lot lighter. Plus they have a lot of different color beads so you can make some cool looking ropes. A nice change of pace from the speed rope.

Bodyfit Professional Speed Rope from Sports Authority. Even though I pretty much offered you money to avoid speed ropes with ball bearing, the first rope that I truly loved was this rope which have ball bearings. I've had a few of these types of ropes, most notably from Altus and Harbinger, but this one was far superior. It turned a lot smoother and the cord was very pliable. I never use this rope anymore because after I tried the Championship Freestyle and the Lifeline Speed rope, it is just too heavy. It is also a bit more expensive than the others I mentioned (around $12) but since I can just go to the store as opposed to ordering from the internet, I save on shipping.

This isn't an exhaustive list of ropes I've used in my brief time skipping rope and I'm sure I'll experiment with others in the future. Anyway, the picture on this blog is of me with my Lifeline speed rope (I call it the Fanta Orange rope because a bottle of Fanta Orange soda has a green cap like the handles. Most will probably think it's a Carrot Rope...)