Battle ropes, originating from the Wave System created by John Brookfield have made a huge jump into mainstream fitness due to the large appeal of hard ass cardio and grip strengthening. This is a seriously hardcore functional strength and fitness workout that can be done almost anywhere. It’s an extremely low impact exercise that can impact and work out your entire body – akin to riding a bicycle except it works even more of the body and you only need a simple set of ropes. So what are the best battle ropes for rope training? That’s what we’re here to find out.
On the search for the best battle rope we’ll look at features like the type of type, how thick the rope should be, the length of rope, and we’ll also consider how you’ll fix them to the walls and the price of the ropes too. Here are some great battle rope workouts to get you started as well! For our review article let’s start off with a simple table:
Best Battle Ropes Review Table:
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Battle Rope Length
Almost always you’ll see ropes sold at 50 feet. This means the ideal length away from your anchor target is 25′ per hand. Through experience, creators of these rope systems have found that this is an adequate length to start out with for the difficulty. Depending on the other characteristics of the rope, a longer rope often translates to a more difficult workout.
On that same note, using a shorter battle rope gives you an easier workout, so kids or beginners may want to look into 30 or 40′ ropes that doubled over will translate to 15 or 20 feet per hand to battle with. If you plan to actually BATTLE with the ropes – i.e. one person on each end then you’d also want 30-40′ ropes so that each person can hold onto one hand and have an adequate difficulty workout.
You can get multiple length usage out of one rope! To shorten a rope simply tie a knot in the center to shorten the length – this let’s anyone take use of the longest ropes and get them at the appropriate size for that trainee.
Rope Thickness
For ropes, 1.5″ is standard and I think is the best option to start out with. It’s versatile and almost anyone can use it. It’s the most popular size, however if you’re looking to up your grip strength or have really big hands you can go up to 2″, and beyond for the ultimate battle rope challenge.
What’s the Best Rope Type?
If you’re thinking “a rope is a rope!” you’re wrong, but I thought the same way as you before so don’t worry we’ll get you sorted out. The options available today are nylon, poly, and manila – let’s take a look at each type.
Poly – Poly is the best option in my opinion, however it is the most expensive. They have the longest life span, use it indoors and outdoors, it’s mold and mildew resistant, and it’ll never let you down. These are also available in pretty well any color you want so it’s all around the best battle rope material type out there.
Manila – Manila rope is cheap, and probably what you think of when you think of a traditional rope. It’s the least expensive option and has some downsides. It’ll shed when you first get it, with a break in period of a few days to weeks depending on how often it’s used. They might feel slippery due to absorbing moisture – what you need to do is let it dry outside then use a cloth and rub the entire thing down. This also helps remove the shedding that I talked about earlier. I’ve heard on the bodybuilding.com forums that putting chalk on the rope can help as it absorbs moisture. The main point is to keep the rope dry or it will rot.
Nylon – Nylon is the most gentle rope material on the hands. Manilla and Poly have the potential to shred your hands if you battle rope frequently enough, but Nylon will keep you silky smooth. The only downside of nylon ropes is that they can get a bit rough looking and disgusting after a while of use. Priced in between poly and manila this is a viable rope option for any gym.
So what rope should you get? Poly for quality and long lasting, Manila for cheap and workable, and Nylon if you want to save your hands. The standard and my recommendation is a rope 50′ long and 1.5″ thick!
Battle Rope Reviews
Here we’ll go into some of the best options available for battle rope right now. Since poly ropes have become cheaper and cheaper to make, the prices are quite reasonable and manila as a rope material is becoming quite dated.
Garage Fit Poly Battle Ropes [usr 3.5]
Here we have a heavy duty battle rope system sold in 1.5″x50′, and 2″x30,40,50′ – quite a few options and it comes in my standard recommended size. This is a poly rope with heatshrinked vinyl grips so you’re really getting the best of both worlds. This rope is about 1/10th of the price of the others on this list so it’s really a budget option without the budget features.
- Comes in 1.5″x50′, 2″x30′, 2″x40′, 2″x50′
- Heat shrink grips make for a long lasting rope
- Unfortunately doesn’t come with an anchor system
- Best budget battle rope, in poly, and in my opinion the best battle ropes.
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Zeny Poly Dacron Battle Rope [usr 4]
Here’s a more high quality poly battle rope, but it also weighs in at a much higher price point than the Garage Fit option above – almost making it not worth it. The one plus of this rope is it will be very resistant to wear, and it comes in a few more size options that the Garage Fit rope doesn’t for the 1.5″ size. It also comes in 30 and 40′ options at the 1.5″ thickness. If you need a 30 or 40′ length at 1.5″ this is the Poly rope for you.
- Comes in 1.5″ and 2″ thickness both at 30′, 40′, and 50′ lengths
- Heat shrink grips, poly dacron material
- No anchor system
- High-quality poly battle rope
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Titan HD Manila Rope [usr 4]
Here’s our first challenger in the manila rope category – a solid battle rope coming in all of the desired length options at both 1.5″ and 2″ thicknesses. Heat shrink grips following suits with all of the other battle ropes on this list, this rope is heavy weighing in at 17lbs for the 1.5″x50′ option.
- Best price for manila ropes
- Heat shrink grips for durability and comfort
- Available in 1.5″ and 2″ thicknesses at 30, 40, and 50′ lengths
- Can be used for climbing too
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USA Made Manila Training Ropes [usr 4]
A very similar option to the Titan HD ropes above, except these suckers are made in the USA which I understand is a valuable feature to have for many American customers. These have all of the same features as the Titan HD and are actually the same price for a North American manufactured item – what a steal!
- Great price for quality manila battle ropes
- Heat shrink grips
- 1.5″ and 2″ thicknesses for 30, 40, and 50′ lengths available
- Comes with a training video
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Best Battle Ropes Anchor
So there are 4 great options for both nylon and manila battle ropes – but one thing you notice is that these ropes don’t come with anchors. So let’s take a quick sidetrack to see what the best battle rope anchors are. I’ll show you two options, one actually screws into the wall/surface and the other can simply be attached to an existing structure like a pole or piece of fitness equipment – these should cover all your needs.
Mounting Battle Ropes on a Wall
In this package you’ll receive the wall mount, and heavy duty screws/anchors to get it hooked up to a wall. This is best going into a concrete wall or a fairly robust stud, probably bigger than 2x4s. Judge accordingly whether you want this mount system or an object mount system we’ll review below.
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Best Battle Rope Anchor for Poles/Objects
Here’s in my opinion the best battle rope anchor for an existing device or attaching it to a pole. Here you see the strap wrap around this pillar and it secures the rope. This is an easy no-drilling option that gets you battling with your ropes ASAP. Easy to set up, and cheap.
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Best Battle Ropes 2017 Conclusion
Out of all of the options presented, it’s hard to go wrong with the Garage Fit 1.5″x50′ rope for under $20. The other options are great if you want specifically a manila rope, or a certain length in the case of the Zeny poly rope. With all of the available ropes, remember that the best battle rope to start with is usually that 1.5″ thick and 50′ long rope. Happy battling!
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