Best Jump Ropes for Boxing

Why Buy a Jump Rope for Your Workout?

One of best pieces of exercise equipment to invest in is a jump rope. Jump ropes are small, affordable, and easy to use. Whether you want to use it at the gym or in front of the TV, it’s one of the best workouts you can participate in, which is why it’s so popular among boxers. Advantages specific to boxing include improved footwork, better endurance, greater punching power, and much more.

In my opinion, one of the most difficult (but important) aspects of boxing is keeping a relaxed upper body. It’s very common among beginner boxers to feel rapid shoulder fatigue, and the best way to counter-act this fatigue is to get in shape and learn how to stay as relaxed as possible without dropping your hands. Skipping is an amazing way to do both, as it’s both an easy and effective warm-up, cool-down, or all-out workout.

Don’t care about being in “boxing shape”? That’s fine, even though this page is called the best jump ropes for boxers, skipping is a great all-around workout that can be performed nearly anywhere by anyone.

Check out our reviews of the best jump ropes for boxing. Of course, personal preference comes into play, but we will aim to provide feedback on different types of jump ropes, allowing you to make a more informed decision on the best jump rope to buy for your workout. For reviews of jump ropes specific to CrossFit, please click here.

Looking for the best jump rope to buy? Here are some tips:

90 Degree Connection:

A 90 degree connection is preferred by many, as it creates an easier spin with way less chance of the rope kinking. They are often easier to adjust as well. Although it’s not necessary, I would personally recommend this especially if in the same price range of other jump ropes (which they usually are).

Handles:

Given that ‘feel’ is a major factor in skipping, a lot of these characteristics will end up being a matter of personal preference, but I’ll go ahead and offer my opinions anyway. Some jump ropes come with small plastic handles, and some with larger handles with foam. In my opinion the smaller handles are best. I think it offers better feel facilitating the control of spin speed, ultimately rhythm.

That being said, I don’t find the difference to be thaaaaat noticeable. I know some people prefer the larger cushioned handles as well, but if I were making a new purchase today I would lean towards smaller handles.

Rope:

Material and thickness of the rope will affect it’s performance. Generally speaking, thinner ropes made of plastic spin quite easily, while thicker leather ropes can feel more sluggish. In my opinion, I would choose a thinner plastic or wire rope just because of the effortless spin (relatively speaking) and faster spin speeds.

I’ve used a lot of leather ropes at the boxing gym and I don’t really mind them that much. Sometimes the slower heavier spin can be a nice change, but I don’t think I would buy one to have as my own.

One thing I always wondered too is if the jumping surface affects them more. Whenever I used the leather rope on the hardwood you can hear it a lot more than a plastic rope when it hits, and I wonder if using one on carpet would cause way too much drag?

In any case, some like the leather, but I steer away from it.

Price:

There’s something about paying a lot of money for a jump rope that seems ridiculous to me. Maybe it’s because it’s a jump rope. That’s why I’ve only reviewed jump ropes listed under $20 on this page.

The phrase “you get what you pay for” may apply to jump ropes to a certain extent, but unless you’re an expert skipper, do you really need something that fancy? Value-plays are for real.

Individual Reviews

Valeo Neon Jump Rope

Available in multiple colors, this is a cheap, but good, jump rope. If you’re not looking for anything fancy, are a beginner, or just want to try and get a feel for the rope before making a larger purchase, this jump rope is a bargain.

With small light plastic handles and a PVC rope, this is a good quality rope for the price. There have been some questionable reviews on durability, for example, some people find the handle cuts into the rope after lots of use. Additionally, the 9ft length is pretty standard, but making any adjustments could be difficult.

All this being said, at the cheapest price, it could be worth a shot, and is definitely one of the best jump ropes for beginners.

Crossfit Jump Rope

This top rated jump rope has been well reviewed and is suitable for almost everyone. Equipped with a 90 degree handle turn, small plastic handles, and a wire cable rope, it feels great to skip with.

The rope can be adjusted (wire cutters may be necessary!), is portable with a carrying case, and is less prone to kinking/tangling/stretching. It also comes with a free workout Ebook.

The main drawback is that the handles can be a little slippery with sweaty palms, but not sure how much of an issue that really is. Overall, this is one of the best jump ropes for crossfit workouts and mstering duoble-unders, and most other workouts as well.

SKLZ Weighted Speed Rope

The unique aspect of the jump rope is that it contains removable weights in the handles to provide that extra burn. Although I’ve tried a weighted rope and noticed a difference, I’m not 100% convinced it provides extra benefit (I only tried it once at a community center gym).

I’m not saying it doesn’t provide benefit, I just haven’t seen it for myself, so no promises. Either way, it’s a cool aspect of the jump rope that might be worth trying.

Given there are removable weights, the handles have to be slightly larger and are padded with foam. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but will have to be taken into account given it depends largely on personal preference.

Overall, this is a well reviewed jump rope, with the general consensus that people got what they expected. One thing to note, by default the adjustable rope is at it’s longest length, so many people will have to adjust it before using it. Not a big deal.

Everlast Leather Weighted Jump Rope

The rope is made of genuine leather, the handles are slightly larger and made of contoured and polished wood, and it uses precision ball bearing to help increase the spin speed.

People who like the slightly slower spin speed and added weight highly recommend this product, but again, that’s personal preference. One consistent concern is that it’s a pain to adjust, but if you only have to do it once then maybe it’s ok.

CSX Pro Speed Cable

This top rated easily adjustable jump rope (with screwdriver) is known for fast spin speed. The ball bearing handles allow for smooth rotation, and CSX provides a lifetime guarantee on the handles.

Given the ultra fast spin speed, this probably isn’t the best rope for beginners, but if you’re looking to build up to a faster spin this is a highly recommended jump rope. Easily one of the best jump ropes for double-unders, reviews state it may be tough at first, but can be worth the adjustment.

One of the drawbacks is that it can only be used indoors, as abrasive surfaces will wear at the cable quite easily. If you’re looking to use it outside, it is suggested to use some type of mat.

Click here for more information on jump rope terminology and techniques.

For information on learning to use your jump rope, proper skipping technique, and jump rope exercises, check out this great tutorial:

How to Skip / How to use a Jump Rope – Update

Due to some recent requests, we will provide some more information on how to use skip. More specifically, we will focus on how to use a jump rope for beginners. Often times, people want to know how to jump rope like a boxer. However, it’s not so much learning how to jump rope like a boxer, as much as it is learning how to jump rope fast and for longer periods of time. Boxers can often do fancy tricks and make skipping look easy, but this is simply a result from them using a jump rope everyday and eventually becoming excellent at it. Therefore, instead of wondering how to jump rope like a boxer, we simply suggest learning how to jump rope to improve your fitness, and the rest will come naturally. That being said, we do provide some general guidelines below on how to jump rope that we hope you will find beneficial.

Slow or Fast Skipping

First things first, it may take a little while for you to figure out what type of jump rope is best for you. For example, some people like like fast 90 degree jump ropes that allows for smooth and very fast rotations. On the other hand, some may prefer heavier leather jump ropes that spin more slowly and feel like they have more “resistance”.

We recommend borrowing a friend’s jump rope when you are first learning, or worst case, buying two cheap jump ropes that are known to be quite different. Fortunately, they aren’t usually that expensive, so maybe this is your best option when first learning.

How to pick the proper size jump rope

Again, this differs based on preference, but there are some general guidelines that may be useful to follow when selecting the right jump rope. In order to measure the length of the jump rope with respect to your body size, simply stand on the jump rope in the middle of the rope, grab the handles, and pull them up beside your body. The handles should reach anywhere from your hips to your armpits. Longer jump ropes may spin a little bit slower and require a little more effort from your upper body, whereas shorter jump ropes may spin faster and feel easier. However, the shorter jump ropes are more likely to get caught on your feet, which may lead to more energy exertion out of the lower body in order to avoid this.

Skipping rhythm – How to time the jump rope

The biggest obstacle when first learning how to jump rope is timing it correctly, especially when continuously jumping. It’s often a good idea to first practice the jumping technique (see video below), even with the jump rope in hand and stationary. The idea is to slowly work up to all moving parts. So, start with the jumping, then visualize swinging the rope, then pretend like you have a jump rope in your hands and visualize timing it right, then move on to the whole movement.

Don’t worry about screwing up at first. Like anything else, practice makes perfect. If you find you are definitely improving, but are still having problems with the rope hitting your feet, it could be a good idea to try a longer rope. Furthermore, if you get to the point where you want to move your arms faster and pick up the pace in general, but the rope won’t allow for it, maybe you need a jump rope that is known for a faster spin speed.