What are the different jump rope types?

As simple as a workout tool as a jump rope is, there are a few variations on the age-old design. Each type of jump rope has its purpose. No one jump rope is objectively better or the best; it’s all about context and application.

BEADED ROPES

Beaded ropes comprise a thin nylon cord with a 1-inch bead threaded on it. They are designed for a freestyle jump rope and are used extensively during training and learning. They are kink-free and slightly weighted, meaning better rope control for the user. Due to their design, one rope can last years, making them a very wise investment.

PVC ROPES

PVC ropes are solid flexible cords. Sometimes with a nylon cord embedded inside. They're designed for freestyle jump rope, like beaded ropes. Except they have a trade-off between rope control for speed. They're lighter in design compared to beaded ropes, making them a good choice for competition and performance when the objective is to make the routines as easy as possible. PVC ropes are also brilliant for those looking to get into speed training due to their lightweight design since purpose-made speed ropes are often hard to control at first.

CABLE ROPES

Cable ropes, known as speed ropes, are a thin rigid steel cable. Cable ropes are made for speed training and competitions, where the goal is to jump as fast as possible with a rope that offers the minimum resistance possible. Due to their ultra-lightweight design and inflexible cord, they're not suitable for freestyle and can take some adaptation when first used.

WEIGHTED ROPES

Weighted ropes use either thick cables of steel, PVC or a combination of both. They are designed to increase the intensity of a jump rope workout by adding more weight to the cord, thus slowing it down. Weighted ropes range from ½lb (250g) to 2lb (nearly 1kg). These ropes are sometimes used for freestyle. However, caution is advised since the weight and substantial nature of the cord can lead to significant injuries such as sprained ankles. 

CORDLESS ROPES

Cordless ropes are two handles with a short cord protruding from each separately. Each containing a weight at the end to simulate the feedback of a normal rope. They are designed for improving a jumper's form by enabling them to focus solely on how they turn the rope. They are used extensively by jump rope athletes looking to optimise their form for speed training where efficiency is key.

LONG ROPES

Long ropes, as the name suggests, are beaded or PVC ropes which are longer than normal single-person ropes. The extra length is designed for multi-person jump ropes such as Wheel and Double Dutch where multiple ropes, and people are used in different configurations. Both speed and freestyle are performed with long ropes.