4 Best Jump Ropes for CrossFit (2024)

In my 20+ years as a jump rope competitor and coach I've worked with thousands of athletes looking to improve their skill with double unders. I get asked all the time for my recommendation on CrossFit jump ropes.

A few years ago it was much easier to give a recommendation, because CrossFit programming focused exclusively on double unders (where you pass the rope under your feet twice with one jump). But more recently WODs and competitions have worked in different jump rope skills, including single unders, double unders with heavy ropes and, most recently, the double under crossover, which debuted at the 2022 CrossFit Games.

Games rookie Nick Matthew came from behind to win Event 3 by getting through the double under crossover better than any other athlete.

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This means we need to expand our definition of a CrossFit rope from one that simply goes really fast for double unders to jump ropes that also offer versatility for slower jumping and freestyle movements. With that said, here are my recommendations for each category.

The Best CrossFit Jump Ropes

Category	Model	Image	Price
Best Overall (fastest)	Bullet COMP®		9
Best for Beginners	Performance Rope		$49.99
Best on a Budget	Spark Rope		$19.99
Best for Double Under Crosses	Freestyle Beaded		$26.99

Bullet COMP® - Best Overall

Best for Competitive Athletes: The Bullet COMP® is the speed rope used by the top speed jumpers and CrossFit athletes in the world. It was used to set a double under world record (40,980 double unders in 12 hours!) in 2021 and an Octuple under world record in 2022, and was the rope used by Nick Mathews to win the double under event in the 2022 CrossFit games. This is also the rope used by top athletes Justin Medeiros (2x winner of the CrossFit Games) Sam Kwant, Kyra Milligan and Will Moorad.

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Why this jump rope? It features ultra light 1oz machined aluminum handles and a smooth dual ball bearing spin that makes spinning it effortless. Light weight handles unlock longer double under sets, and the handles have a self adjusting sizing system making micro size adjustments easy. No dealing with screws. It comes with a handy Joey Bag for quick and efficient storage after use.

(Justin Medeiros using the Bullet COMP in workout 24.2 for the CrossFit Games↓)

Our recommendation: Grab this rope if you're a competitor or aspirational. We often go to CrossFit events and see people set double under PRs on their first try. 

CrossFit Coach Says: "The Bullet COMP has to be the best handle for double unders, that I have seen in 15 years of coaching CrossFit and owning a gym. Pair the Bullet COMP with the bare steel cable and the combination makes double unders incredibly easy. I have used it to teach athletes double unders for years." ~Randy Malikowski, Perdido Bay CrossFit

Price: $79.99 - website

Sports Performance Rope - Best for Beginners

Best for Developing Skill: The one issue we notice with the Bullet COMP is it can be "too fast" and "too light" for beginners. It can be hard to master the rhythm of double unders with lightweight handles and cables because you can't "feel" the spin. We developed the Sports Performance Rope bundle to help solve these problems. Longer 6.5" handles weigh 2oz and feel much more substantial in the hand. This rope also comes with a variety of cord thicknesses for developing skill at slower RPMs.

Swap out to thinner speed cables as you improve.

Longer handles also make practicing movements like the double under cross easier.

Customers say: "I have been working on developing my double unders for the past 2 months and have been struggling with the rope I have been using. I have been sampling other ropes of members of my local CrossFit box of various price ranges. Then I came across your product which was rated well and was a much more affordable price range compared other ropes I have tried. I have been using this rope now for about a week and love the feedback I get through the handles which seems to have helped me string together more double unders then in the recent past." ~Jason Kamora, Philadephia, PA

Specs:

• Handle weight: 2oz (each)
• Handle length: 6.5"
• High grade aluminum handles with dual ball bearings for an effortless spin. Nylon coated USA-made steel cable.

Price: $49.99 - website

Spark Rope - Best on a Budget

Best Value: The Spark Rope is a great starting spot for anyone getting into the sport and wanting to get their own rope for double unders on a budget. It's a no fuss, classic speed rope with grippy plastic polymer (essentially unbreakable) handles and a USA made nylon coated speed cable. This rope will get you started and go as fast as you need.

Why this rope: This is an ultra durable, no frills starting spot that anyone doing CrossFit will be happy with getting started on their double under journey. The handles are made of an unbreakable, lightweight plastic that can be thrown on the ground or in gym bags with no issues.

Customers Say: "Always awesome. my favorite speed rope...hands down. There is no need to buy an expensive rope for jumping. This one has been my favorite for the almost 6 yrs." ~Taryn Joyner

Specs:

• Handle weight: .6oz (each)
• Handle Length: 5.35"
• Handle Construction: Unbreakable Plastic

Price: $19.99 - website

Freestyle Beaded - Best for Double Under Crosses

Best for Double Under Crossovers: It may be beaded, but this is no kid's jump rope. The Freestyle Beaded Rope features long 8" handles that make reaching "across" for the cross easier. The beads have just the right weight for making a cross without getting tangled or tripping you up. The weight of the beads also helps you "feel" where the ropes is at when you're learning the crossing movements.

This is the rope favored by CrossFit athlete Kyra Milligan for crossover training.

I've found the longer 8" handle is more comfortable for most beginners. Like the Performance Rope the Beaded Freestyle is a great choice for beginners trying to practice and improve double unders.

Customers say: "I own several ropes, this one immediately went to my favorite. You can feel this rope, very few errors and easy to learn tricks. Nailed my first crossover."

Specs:

• Handle weight: 1oz (each)
• Handle length: 8"
• Construction: Unbreakable polymer plastic handles with grip tape (like on tennis rackets). Kink resistant PVC coated USA-made steel cable.

Price: $26.99 - website

How this List Was Generated

Some background on these recommendations.

• Elite Jumps ropes: With apologies to other brands, all the recommendations here are for Elite Jumps products. Why? Because of course we're confident in our products, but also because we know our products best: We have years of feedback on these specific products during CrossFit clinics, talking to our customers and working with professional CrossFit athletes.
• Light weight handles are better: As you progress in skill you start to notice the limiting factor in completing long sets of double unders isn't your leg stamina, it's the burn you feel in your forearms and hands. That's why a light weight handle is important: the lighter the weight, the more reps you can complete before failure.
• Easy resizing: If you're just starting out with double unders, you'll constantly tweak the length of your rope (typically shortening) as your skill improves. You will also wear through cables the more you jump. It's nice to have handles that make cable replacement and size adjustments quick and easy.
• Durability: You want a rope you can throw on the ground, or in your gym bag, without risk of it breaking. The biggest difference we see between all the jump ropes on the market now is durability. Look for high quality steel ball bearings and unbreakable plastics. Beware ball bearing ropes that cost less than $20.

More from our Double Under Mastery Series:

• How to Size for Double Unders
• Jumping & Landing Technique
• Proper Hand Placement
• Mastering the Double Under Rhythm