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Jump Ropes for CrossFit
Earlier in the year we published our review of the best jump ropes for boxing. One note we made prior to that review was that we would not review any jump ropes priced over $20. Our justification for this was that we were focusing on jump ropes for boxing. Generally speaking, skipping is a warm-up and cool down exercise in boxing, and when it is used as a full on exercise, boxers tend to focus more on endurance rather than sheer speed (although this isn’t always the case). Given our site focuses heavily on good value and sticking with a budget, we felt $20 was more than enough to spend on a jump rope.
However, now that many boxers are cross training, particularly those who box purely for recreation or fitness purposes, lighter jump ropes with higher spin speeds are often desired. Particularly, for workouts of a more CrossFit style, the lightweight and fast action of high performance jump ropes is crucial, but as you may have guessed, this typically comes at a slightly higher cost. Therefore, this article is intended to provide a focused review of some of the best CrossFit jump ropes available.
Master of Muscle Crossfit Jump Rope
This was one of the jump ropes that we have previously reviewed in brief. However, given the overall quality and respectable price point, we feel a more thorough individual review is warranted.
There is great value in this Crossfit jump rope, as it provides solid quality for a very reasonable price. Even if you were to know absolutely nothing about jump ropes or what you’re looking for in a jump rope, the fact that it’s so popular and is well-reviewed overall by customers is very reassuring.
Instead of PVC or leather jump ropes, the rope in this case is made of wire. Depending on how much you adjust it, you may need a pair of wire cutters to eliminate any excess rope that you don’t want, but these are easy enough to find or borrow from a friend. Cutting isn’t necessary for adjustments, just eliminates unnecessary wire that you don’t need after adjusting. The wire rope is great to ensure fast spin speed and no kinking or tangling, plus it’s really lightweight, with the whole things weighing in at a mere 7oz.
The handles are nothing special, but lots of people actually prefer this. Made of plastic with average durability, these handles are thin and lightweight with no added grip (like a soft rubber material). Additionally, the 90 degree handle turn that connects the handle to the rope also ensures fast spin speed and no kinking or tangling.
As a bonus, this CrossFit jump rope comes with a free ebook that is received via email. This, combined with the fast spin speed, 90 degree handles, awesome value, and consistently great customer reviews, we definitely recommend this jump rope for CrossFit.
Fit Skuad Speedure Jump Rope
This is a pretty gnarly jump rope for cross training. This jump rope was not included in our reviews of the best jump ropes for boxers simply because it exceeded our $20 ceiling limit. However, it’s not that much more expensive, and we really don’t have anything bad to say about this jump rope, so we figured it was definitely worth reviewing in this article.
This jump rope is somewhat similar to the Master of Muscle Crossfit Jump Rope that we reviewed above. The main difference is some added subtle features that enhance the quality and performance slightly. For example, the steel wire rope is coated in PVC for added protection and durability, but is still light enough to offer extremely fast spin speeds.
The handles on the Fit Squad jump rope are also quite thin, but they are a bit longer which allows for easier maintenance of high spin speeds, with claims of up to 320 rotations per minute. They also have a thin rubber coating for better grip, which is an advantage especially if you have sweaty palms. Additionally, this crossfit jump rope utilizes an efficient ball-bearing system to facilitate these extremely high spin speed.
The cable is 10 feet long, but it can be easily adjusted (the screws are extra large), so it’s suitable for many sizes, including kids. As a bonus, it also comes with a carrying bag and a free ebook for mastering double-unders.
Overall, this jump rope is extremely well reviewed, and for good reason. It’s high quality, high performance, and although the price is somewhat high relative to other jump ropes, it’s still a very affordable way to get a great workout! Additionally, customer complaints are sparse, and when complaints are made, they are extremely minor, e.g. checking the screws periodically to make sure they aren’t becoming more loose over time. However, short of being absolutely perfect, this is an awesome cross training jump rope.
Sonic Boom Speed Jump Rope
The Sonic Boom Speed Rope is a little bit more expensive than the Fit Skuad jump rope, but the difference is basically negligible. This rope is awesome for any sort of jump rope exercise, especially CrossFit.
The spin speed with this rope is excellent and utilizes a patent-pending internal ball bearing system for smooth rotation. The wire is made of high quality steel and coated with PVC, which will reduce the friction as it hits the ground and also serve as a protective mechanism for the rope, allowing you to get the most out of your jump rope workouts for a long time.
The company claims that this rope is good for anyone between the heights of 4’6″ and 6’9″, which covers a lot of people, but not everyone. Generally speaking, it’s fine for kids to use if they are tall enough, but it’s really not necessary for general play. If you’re getting this jump rope, it will be best used for workouts.
The handles of this jump rope are great. They are balanced in a way that they act as a counter weight to the rope, which helps decrease any wobble and increases the balance of the swing. The “counter weight” doesn’t add any additional weight that you would notice. It’s still an extremely lightweight jump rope and is unreal for any type of training, whether it be pure skipping, boxing, CrossFit, or anything in between. Furthermore, the handles have a unique grip that allows for increased performance and comfort, especially with sweaty palms.
Overall, this is a very high quality rope and you definitely get what you pay for. It’s on the upper end of the price range for jump ropes, but jump ropes aren’t very expensive to begin with, so it could be a worthwhile investment if you are focusing on fast spin speeds, double-unders, or simply do a ton of skipping. Very well reviewed by many customers, we highly recommend this jump rope if the budget allows.
Elite Surge Jump Rope
This Crossfit jump rope is quite similar to the Fit Skuad jump rope that we reviewed above. In this case, the double ball bearing mechanism allows the rope to spin more “freely”, or in other words, there is less resistance being applied to the rope during the rotation. This isn’t a night and day difference, but will simply allow for the rope to last longer and provide a slightly more comfortable spin.
The lack of resistance and friction also leads to very fast spin speeds, but all of the ropes we review in this article are good for that. However, one thing to note about this rope is that it probably is more suitable for CrossFit athletes than someone looking for an all-purpose jump rope. This rope spins so fast and so easily, that it can be difficult for inexperienced users to adjust their cadence to different speeds, and faster speeds are easier to maintain (that is, until you become exhausted). Additionally, it is recommended that this rope be used indoors or on a protective mat.
The handles are made of aluminum, so they are lightweight (only 4oz) and quite durable. An added grip to the handles helps improve comfort and performance and the flared ends help gauge where you’re gripping, which will help with any mid-skip adjustments. Additionally, there is a two year warranty on the handles.
Overall this is a really good jump rope for CrossFit, but isn’t the best as an all purpose jump rope. With fast and smooth spin speeds, nice handles, and the dual ball bearing mechanism, we recommend this rope to CrossFit athletes or expert skippers.
Vegeta Fitness CrossFit Jump Rope
A couple bucks cheaper and this CrossFit jump rope would definitely have made the cut for our more comprehensive jump rope review. This jump rope packs good bang for your buck, and combines a few different styles.
The rope is made of lightweight durable steel covered in a PVC coating for additional protection and friction reduction. With a 90 degree connection to the handles, the rope will maintain a smooth fast spin and is pretty easy to change cadences. Additionally, the rope is adjustable at the handles, so it accommodates a wide range if heights.
This CrossFit jump rope is very well reviewed by customers, but unlike the Elite Surge jump rope, this can also be used for other activities, whether it be warming up for a workout, crushing double/triple-unders, or just playing around. There’s nothing overly advanced or special about this rope, just solid quality, durability, and spin speed.
The main thing about this jump rope that may affect your decision are the handles. They are a much wider grip than the ones we reviewed above, and although it is still very lightweight, some simply prefer the feel of thinner handles. The grip on these is excellent and the handles have a groove closer to the end where the rope attaches for a comfortable grip.
Overall, we would definitely recommend this jump rope for CrossFit, as well as boxing or any other activity. There’s nothing super advanced about it and no blatant strengths/weaknesses, which can actually be an advantage if you are a little unsure of what features you want to emphasize. Therefore, if you like the wider handles, don’t want something too expensive, and are still exploring what features you prefer in a jump rope, then we definitely recommend it!
Final Notes
Generally speaking, jump ropes don’t cost too much, even for really nice ones, so it’s a great way to squeeze in an effective workout. If you are looking to buy a jump rope for CrossFit and don’t know what you need, we always suggest talking to your coach or trainer first, as they may have some good input that is specific to your workout regime. If you end up getting a new jump rope, we suggest sticking with it for a little bit to try and learn it and become accustomed to its characteristics. Worst case, you find out out what it is that you don’t want, and that will serve as useful information for the future. Happy skipping!