The best climbing rope – that which perfectly suits your specific requirements and its intended uses – serves as your lifeline.
You need to choose a good piece of climbing rope, one which is guaranteed to be sturdy and durable, as this gives you a hundred percent assurance that you’ll stay safe in all your extreme adventures, especially those that involve climbing.
Top 5 Best Climbing Rope Reviews
The problem is with the numerous options for climbing ropes at present, you may find it too overwhelming to determine which one you need. You may even find the task of picking the best bewildering.
Remove all your worries as we will present you five of the best climbing ropes today plus a short buying guide that will help you make the right choice.
1 Singing Rock R44 NFPA Static Rope – For General Use
This Type A rope is specifically designed for general use, which requires rope access.
It works well for purposes like rescuing the injured, manipulating objects and working at heights.
That said, it is no longer surprising why it perfectly meets the requirements of specialists, firemen and rescuers who need to work at height.
There are some flaws in this static rope from Singing Rock, though, such as the fact that you may find it harder to feed the 11-mm into the ATC.
Some also complained about the stiffness of the rope. It has a lot of stretch for some of the static applications that you may use it for. The rope also tends to get a little bouncy once it reaches more than a hundred feet.
Even with the mentioned flaws, you will still fall in love with this rope as it is designed with your safety in mind.
It makes use of a unique and patented sheath braiding technology, which provides the rope with a more perfectly round shape while also allowing the sheath to have the right combination of durability, thickness, as well as handling traits.
PROS
- Ideal for general use – especially activities that require you to climb on heights
- Beautifully made with good performance
- Not hard to tie knots or bites
- Minimal stretch
- Smooth and comfortable to use without sacrificing durability and thickness
CONS
- A bit expensive for some
- Tends to be bouncier once it reaches a certain height
- Tends to get heavy when it gets wet
2 GM CLIMBING 20ft / 50ft Accessory Cord Rope – Ideal for Outdoors and Recreation
Ideal for outdoor and recreational activities, such as mountaineering, caving, ice threads for climb, arborist, lanyard making, this rope from GM climbing is a good investment.
It is versatile plus easy to use in that you can easily tie knots from it.
It also makes use of the double braid technology. Expect it to come with not only a braided core but also a braided cover.
Its construction is properly elaborated, allowing the rope to become much firmer.
Also, it features a sturdy and durable sheath, further improving its abrasion resistance ability and promoting a much longer life.
One problem of this product is that its actual color is not exactly the same as what is usually shown in the pictures.
Also, it has quite a subpar finish on its ends. This tends to have rough ends and sharp points that come from melted material.
You can deal with this issue, though, by cutting the sharp and rough points and refinishing the ends.
Though there are issues, it’s still safe to say that it’s one of the best performing climbing ropes in the market today. It boasts of its high abrasion resistance ability.
The fact that it has a compact design and a lighter weight also makes it an ideal choice.
PROS
- Can resist moisture and abrasion
- Ability to adapt to outdoor environment well
- Sturdy and durable
- Compact and lightweight design
- Versatile enough that you can use it in a number of creative applications
CONS
- Tends to have sharp points and edges at the end because of subpar finishing
3 FMS Super Soft Triple-Strand – Good as a Tent-Line or Hammock Rope
One thing that you’ll instantly notice about this climbing rope is that it is made of natural cotton, which is gentle and soft to touch while also promoting ease in tying knots and splicing.
It works well not only as a rope for hammock and tent lines but also for harness, tug of war, awning, and halter.
It also works as a decorative and bondage rope.
The problem with this climbing rope is that it has multi-colored interiors plus thin, white rope threads are too close to the surface, causing a snag to prevent the interior color from showing through.
It would be better if the chosen color only comes with a small amount of surface fibers. Also, there is a constant need to secure the knots at the end to prevent yourself from unraveling too quickly.
The mentioned problems, though, are mainly on the design and look, and don’t greatly affect the role’s overall performance.
Furthermore, you can easily overlook the flaws because of the products many great features.
For instance, it features a triple twisted design plus it boasts of not having any harmful dyes or chemicals.
It’s also multifunctional in that you can use it for other purposes.
In fact, its easy to work features make it possible for you to use the rope in creating fun craft and jewelry projects.
PROS
- Sturdy and safe to use
- Soft, mainly because it’s made of cotton
- Works perfectly well for indoor climbing projects
- Multifunctional
- Nice twisted design
- Reasonably priced
CONS
- Has some design flaws, particularly the color
4 Sterling Rope Evolution Velocity Climbing Rope – Good for Tough and Challenging Routes
Sterling Rope Evolution Velocity Climbing Rope takes pride of it being a sturdy and all-around rope while still being lighter.
The fact that it is lightweight also further improves the versatility of the rope.
The good news is that it does so without sacrificing its durability.
It has a one-size, fits-all design, which is a good thing if you want to use it for an entire climbing class or for your whole family.
A couple of downsides can be expected from this rope, though. One is that many people might find its color too loud.
This means that this flaw is more on its design and color. It has also been discovered that it has worse handling ability when compared to skinner ropes.
Still, you will never regret investing on this climbing rope as it has several useful features.
It is an ideal option if you’re in need of a rope, which you can use in tougher and more challenging routes.
That said, expect it to work efficiently when used in your preferred sport, hard-mixed routes, steep ice and trad.
Another great feature of this climbing rope is its silky smooth sheath. Its presence is an advantage as it ensures that you can resist abrasion.
Whether you’re a beginner in climbing or an experienced sports enthusiast and athlete, the rope is still a great choice for you.
PROS
- Works for both beginners and experienced athletes
- Versatile, which is one of the main reasons why many consider it as an all-around rope
- More lightweight for its diameter
- Sturdy and durable enough that it can serve you for a long time
- Capable of resisting abrasion due to its smooth sheath
CONS
- Colors are a bit loud
- Has lower handling efficiency and ability than skinnier ropes
5 Sterling Rope Slim Gym 10.1mm Climbing Rope – Ideal for Normal Climbing
This multipurpose rope is ideal for use on normal climbing, mixed climbing and ice climbing.
With its small 10.1-mm diameter, you will have an easier time holding it fast without worrying about too much rope drag.
It’s also a lightweight rope, so expect it to be of great use for artificial outdoor climbing.
Note, however, that it’s only ideal for shorter stuff on the rock. It may not work well if used on extremely challenging climbing scenarios.
Also, you will also notice that it is quite stiffer when compared to other ropes. This is, however, could be due to its ability to resist abrasion.
Those are just minor issues, though, compared to the functionalities and capabilities of this climbing rope. It is a great rope that you can use to test your indoor lead skills, regardless if you use it in an urban jungle or during a rainy day.
Its small diameter is also an advantage because it ensures that it can clip quickly with minimal rope drag.
Moreover, it comes with a tough and sturdy marathon sheath. This further improves the durability of the rope while also lengthening its life.
It is capable of safely tying your body, thereby ensuring your safety.
With its good dynamic elongation plus its low impact force, expect accidental falls from ruining the proper fit of your harness.
PROS
- Multipurpose, which means that it caters to more than just climbing
- Good quality and well-made
- Tough construction
- Small diameter, making it light and capable of clipping quickly with lower risk of rope drag
- Helps ensure your safety
CONS
- Only works well for shorter rock climbing – its efficiency for longer ones is still a bit questionable
- Stiffer than other ropes
How to Choose the Best Climbing Rope?
Choosing the best climbing rope does not have to be overwhelming. With the following factors in mind, you’ll surely be able to pick the right choice.
1. Types of Rope
Note that climbing ropes come in different types – the single ropes, static ropes and the twin ropes.
The single climbing rope is ideal for sports climbing, top roping, big wall climbing and trad climbing. It is referred to as single because it is designed in such a way that you can use it by itself – without the need of another rope.
Twin ropes work well for trad climbing, ice climbing and mountaineering. It uses a 2-rope system but there is a need for you to clip the two strands through every piece of protection. It’s an ideal choice for non-wandering routes.
Static ropes, on the other hand, are perfect for caving, rescue work, hauling loads and climbing fixed lines. It’s a good choice for you if you plan to use a rope, which does not stretch.
Study about the different types of climbing ropes and determine the specific activity where you will most likely use the rope the most. This will let you decide on the most suitable type of climbing rope for you.
2. Diameter
When checking the diameter, you have to keep in mind that the thinner the rope is, the less forgiving and durable it is going to be.
That said, it is necessary to look for a rope, which is quite beefy – around the 10-10.55 mm mark. This specific diameter and thickness will ensure that the rope can take up a lot of abuse plus it will last longer.
Use this if you’re still a beginner. Once you become more comfortable in handling and climbing the thicker rope, you can go for the thinner ones that are more lightweight, easier to clip and smoother.
3. Length
In most cases, climbing ropes are around 50, 60, 70 and 80 meters long. Today, the standard used in the majority of single-pitch climbing activities is the 60-meter rope.
It is crucial for you to consider the type of activity where you’ll be using it on, as this can help determine the right length from all the choices out there.
4. Pattern
Check the pattern and determine if a bi-pattern rope is a good choice for you.
The good thing about bi-pattern ropes is that they’re easier to track, which is beneficial if you want to ensure your safety. You can also go for the bi-color pattern.
5. Dry Coating
Do you want to make sure that your rope does not absorb water?
Then one with dry coating is a good choice. It’s a finish applied into the rope to prevent it from absorbing water.
If most of your activities involve winter and ice climbing then a rope with this finish is a great choice.
Conclusion
With all these details, you will be guided accordingly in your journey towards finding the most suitable climbing rope for your specific needs.
