Scenes of boxers using skipping ropes have featured in almost every fight montage scene in every fighting film ever made.
Now, that may be a slight exaggeration but there’s no denying that they’re a very common sight in both film and in gyms across the world. This is because skipping works.
If you want to improve your cardiovascular health and endurance, then skipping will work wonders. Road work, or jogging/running, is a common practice undertaken by boxers and MMA fighters alike when getting ready for a match.
But jumping rope for the same length of time as you would running will actually burn more calories than the jogging would. Hence, you would be getting a better and more efficient cardio workout in less time.
Martial arts are all about coordination. If your hand-eye and foot-eye coordination is off, then your strikes just aren’t going to land when and where they should. With bad coordination, you will find yourself sitting right in your opponents firing zone and at risk of getting hurt or even knocked out.
With skipping, your coordination needs to be spot in otherwise you’ll lose your rhythm and get caught in your own rope. Practicing skipping frequently will help your coordination come along in leaps and bounds.
As you can from above, skipping is an essential tool in your training arsenal and you’d be a fool not to take advantage of it. However, just grabbing your little sisters skipping rope and trying to squeeze a quality workout out of it will not do.
Below, we’ve researched what we believe to be the best skipping ropes on the market, in terms of usability, durability, price, style, etc.
These ropes are in no particular order and you can’t do wrong by picking any of them.
Our Favourite Skipping Ropes
Fitness Factor Adjustable Rope With Carrying Pouch
- Smooth & Fast - The ball bearing system avoids the twisting, winding or bending like other fitness ropes, it ensures stable and relaxed rotation, as our skipping rope can bear heavy load, which...
- Sports Fitness - Our exercise skipping rope can shape your cardio endurance, stamina and speed, while improving the muscle tension of your whole body. A great choice for boxing, MMA and crossfit jump...
- PVC Embedded Wire Rope - The braided steel wire rope is coated with PVC, which features durable and smooth, ensures the maximum service life and avoids cracking or breaking
- Maximum Comfort - The gym skipping rope constructed with light weight ergonomic handles coated with 5.5 inch soft EVA memory foam grips for extra comfortable and strong grip, so that you can You can...
- Adjustable Length - Design with 10 feet long of the rope, it can be adjusted quickly according to your height. Suitable for adults and children
You might be a bit apprehensive when using a skipping rope. Some people might make it look easy but it can be a difficult task to learn and master. You might even remember a time when you were younger and couldn’t help but get tangled up in your own rope.
This is a tangle-resistant rope complete with ball-bearing handles. You can expect a smoother skipping session regardless of your skill level and even progress quicker than you would with a other sub-par jump ropes.
It’s also adjustable. You can be as short as 4ft9 and as tall as 6ft6 and have no issues with it. Fitness Factor also offer a free lifetime guarantee as they’re so confident in their products construction.
Fitness Master Premium Quality Jump Rope
- MADE FOR SPEED - This isn't your ordinary jump rope! Achieve the maximum number of rotations per second (up to 6 or 7!) and double-unders, for an incredibly intense workout. Appropriate for any...
- EASILY ADJUSTABLE - Cable quickly adjusts to your desired length or height. Cut off any excess cable with wire cutters. Suitable for heights up to 6". Complete instructions along with a spare screw...
- LIGHTWEIGHT AND PORTABLE - Compact, lightweight with a carry case included. This is a high quality jump rope with easy grip handles for MMA training, mastering double unders, bodybuilding, boxing,...
- 90 DEGREE SMOOTH HANDLE TURNING - Ensures fast spinning - no friction, no tangling - like the typical long ropes. The unique handle design (cord exits perpendicular to the handles) and steel cord...
- MANUFACTURER'S LIFETIME WARRANTY - If there are any issues with your product, simply contact us and we will give you a full refund and send you a new replacement. You don't have to return the product.
This rope is made for speed. It will work perfectly even if you’ve never skipped before, but it’s more attuned to the seasoned jumper who wants the most efficient and effective rope workout they can get.
With most ropes, the rope comes straight out of the handles like tassels. But with this Fitness Master rope however, they come out perpendicular. This allows the rope to spin much faster than usual but without the rope itself getting caught and twisted, causing you to get tangled and trip or just simply break your vital rhythm.
This handle design is also a lot easier on the wrists. If you have weak wrists or a pre-existing wrist injury but still want to jump rope, this will be perfect for you.
A lot of ropes come in different, but fixed sizes. It can be difficult to know exactly what size you need. The sizes are often listed by height but give little indication to how they will work for people with different arm spans and things like that.
This rope from PharMeDoc is fully adjustable so you can experiment with different lengths to see just how much rope you need to fit your specific body type.
The rope itself is made of heavy duty stainless steel so you don’t have to worry about it fraying or breaking apart with use like the skipping ropes from your childhood.
But if by some disastrous act of god, the rope breaks, you have a spare 9ft rope included in the set to replace it with. The kit also comes with a stylish carrying cash and a spare screw kit. But judging by the quality construction, it’s doubtful that you’ll have to change the ropes or screws at all.
Survival and Cross Boxing and MMA Jump Rope
Another rope for the veteran jump ropers out there. This is the rope you buy when you want speed. If you want to have the most brutal and tough skipping rope workouts then opt for this Survival and Cross item.
The perpendicular cord outlet and the 90 degrees smooth handle motion allow this rope to spin at high speeds without tangling. Even at high speeds, the handle rotates as smooth as can be without any hitches or stuttering.
Anyone that’s skipped for any period of time knows how vital it is to get a good rhythm going and to keep that rhythm. Survival and Cross make this very easy for you.
But even if you’re brand new to jumping, you still can’t go wrong by picking this quality product.
- THE MOST COMFORTABLE HANDLES. Our jump rope handles are made of durable & comfortable EVA foam that provides a strong grip even after sweating for a long period of time. Burn calories, slim down and...
- EXTRA LONG JUMP ROPE. Adjustable plastic jump rope from 9.8 ft down to your desired length! All ages (Adults, Men, Women, Children, Kids, Boys and Girls) can use this jump rope. Just follow the sizing...
- LIGHTWEIGHT & PORTABLE. This jumping rope is easy to carry and easy to bring outdoors or to your gym. Make the most out of your cardio or HIIT routines by adding 10 minutes of warmup with this...
- SMOOTH & EFFORTLESS SPINS. Our adjustable jump rope's unique ball-bearing system makes each jump smoother. This skipping rope is easy to untangle and flatten out after every use, making this perfect...
- NEXT-LEVEL AEROBIC EXERCISES. This portable jump rope can be used for boxing, aerobic exercises, jumping, speed and agility training, jogging and other lower-impact activities. Improve your...
This is a great starting rope for those just getting into it. You can wrap the cords tightly around the handle and chuck it in your bag. It’s very small and compact and you can travel with it without worrying about it getting damaged in transit.
The Limm rope comes in one adjustable size which you can change to suit your height and body type without compromising the quality.
You can enjoy total comfort with ergonomically designed handles. Skipping for extended periods of time can begin to tire your hands and wrists. This is even more of a problem when your hands and wrists tire out before you heart does. But with these handles it won’t become an issue.
Another reason that makes the Limm rope a great first choice, is that they offer a 100% satisfaction, money-back guarantee. So there’s literally zero risk to buying this rope.
If for whatever reason you don’t like it, you just send it back and get a refund. Easy.
Overall
As I’ve mentioned, jumping rope can be incredibly beneficial to building endurance and coordination, as well as a great exercising tool for weight-loss.
Due to the low impact nature of the exercise, it can even be beneficial to rehab small injuries or as a way to exercise whilst injured without making things worse for yourself.