These are the Mammut 9. For this review, we chose to test "single" climbing ropes between 8. While using ropes in this manner is somewhat common in the UK and can offer some great advantages for alpine or ice climbing, we chose not to include them in this review because they are a specialty piece of equipment that fewer people use, and it would complicate comparisons within this review. Diameter is the easiest and most obvious way to understand a rope.
When you hold a climbing rope in your hand, the thickness is probably the first thing you will notice. Therefore, it tends to be the feature that consumers focus on the most when purchasing, with the current trend being towards thinner and thinner ropes.
However, we think focusing solely on diameter can be somewhat misguided. Many people look for a skinny rope because they want one that is lightweight, but modern technology has allowed manufacturers to produce thinner cords with the same amount of materials and therefore the same weight as the thicker ropes of yesteryear. Though this thinner diameter can still improve the rope's handling, we think that it is probably more important for people to look at the weight of a rope rather than fixate on diameter.
Also, manufacturers measure their diameters differently, and some ropes are even slightly oval-shaped, so they're measured under slight tension to achieve the stated diameter. That's why you might have two ropes of the "same" diameter that feel noticeably different in hand. As you can see, the 8. This shouldn't be surprising since they are also the thinnest, but what is also interesting is that they are not the same diameter, yet they weigh the same. The Fusion Nano IX could be considered a light 9.
While low weight alone might make your purchasing decision for you, considering the shorter lifespan of these thinner lines, many people will want to beef up slightly more. A climbing rope is typically the heaviest single piece of climbing equipment used. The difference between the 8. These differences add up more when you get into longer 70m and 80m ropes and when you're climbing longer pitches where more of the weight is hanging from your harness instead of sitting on the ground.
Using a lightweight rope can keep your pack lighter on the approach and reduce the strain of clipping the chains when you're reaching the end of a mega pitch. Rating the catch of a rope is a highly subjective affair. We took a lot of falls on each line, with years of experience to draw upon to consider whether a catch felt hard or soft. In many instances, it was challenging to feel the difference between the different models in this review. There are so many other factors involved that influence whether a catch feels hard or soft, which we'll discuss below, so a particular catch cannot always be isolated strictly to the performance of the rope.
That being said, there are some significant differences between the way different ropes catch falls, enough that it warrants a testing metric. Climbing ropes help absorb the impact of your fall which is really your deceleration by stretching. This value is measured during the standard UIAA drop tests that rely on unrealistic scenarios for everyday use, so the specific numbers are not especially relevant, except in how they relate to each other.
Instead, you will probably find yourself 5 feet down due to a combination of rope stretch and any extra slack in the system. While the dynamic elongation figures do give a good indication of the stretchiness of the rope, we couldn't always tell the difference when falling. In fact, we believe some of our hardest falls happened with ropes that are advertised with near-average dynamic elongation.
After falling on all of the ropes multiple times and noting if anything seemed out of the ordinary and considering how much they seem to stretch while top-roping, we "liked" falling the best on the Mammut 9.
Interestingly, these lines feature similar impact ratings and dynamic elongation 8. These ratings seem to lie within a sweet spot between providing a soft catch, stretching just enough but not too much, and not feeling like a bungee cord when top-roping. Although we mentioned that you aren't likely to reach the full dynamic elongation in a real-world scenario, an extra foot or two of stretch could sometimes result in hitting a ledge or the ground, so the ropes with the highest stretch should be used with caution.
As with the maximum dynamic elongation figures, the UIAA impact force ratings are from testing in a very controlled and unrealistic scenario. The impact force is related to but not directly equal to the elongation. That means that two ropes might have the same elongation but different impact force due to the specifics of the construction and materials. However, models with lower stretch do tend to have higher impact forces and vice versa. The Maxim Pinnacle had the highest impact force rating in this review While we didn't notice this during our test falls — the catches all felt fine and soft — this does mean that there is the potential for greater forces on your protection with this line vs.
If you're only falling on well-placed, trustworthy bolts, that might not be a huge concern, but this higher impact force may be something to consider for trad climbers because smaller wire nuts are often rated between 2 and 6 kN.
We like the catch of the Beal Booster III and Sterling Velocity , though the Booster is on the stretchy sides, so care should be taken when top-roping. This leads us to a final spec to consider: the static elongation.
Static elongation is probably the easiest rating to observe in real-world use, although again, the number on the package may not be exactly what you experience. The UIAA test for this figure involves hanging an 80 kg mass on the end of the rope, with no other source of friction in the system.
A rope with a larger static elongation percentage, such as the Beal Booster III , will stretch more than one with less, like the Maxim Pinnacle. You are most likely to feel this characteristic firsthand when top-roping — we have all sat down on a tight top-rope, only to sag a few extra feet until the holds are just out of reach.
If top-roping is your jam, consider a rope with lower static elongation. As a final note for catching falls, there are many things that both the climber and belayer can do to decrease the forces of a fall, including a dynamic belay action jumping up a bit when the climber falls or having sufficient rope out but not too much — typically a gentle c curve is sufficient.
Switching ends between burns can also help, as does switching ropes if you're climbing on back-to-back days. Deciding which climbing rope to purchase can be a difficult decision. It can also be a challenge to try one out before you buy. Since the way a rope handles could influence your decision more than anything else, checking out your friends' ropes at the crag or gym might give you a better idea of what type feels best to you.
We hope we've helped fill in the blanks on the rest of your purchasing questions and that you can now make an informed decision on which one will suit your climbing needs the best. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products.
And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers.
No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison. Best Rock Climbing Ropes of We put climbing ropes from Sterling, Petzl, Edelrid, Mammut, and others through head-to-head testing to find the best options for you. Photo: Cam McKenzie Ring. Share this article:. Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more.
Looking for the best climbing rope for your needs? We bought 11 of the best ropes available today and tested them side-by-side, building on the over 30 different models we've tested and reviewed in the past nine years. This comparative, head-to-head review describes which ropes feel the best, last the longest, weigh the least, and offer the softest, most dynamic catches. This info has come at the expense of lots of whippers by our expert climbing gear testers, who certainly aren't shy about taking falls.
We test ropes year-round on our local sport crags, at famous destinations, and in the big mountains such as the Bugaboos and Yosemite, all so we can bring you the very best recommendations, regardless of the diameter or length that you seek.
Top 11 Product Ratings. Displaying 1 - 5 of Mammut 9. Sterling Helix. Petzl Volta. Edelrid Swift Eco Dry. Maxim Pinnacle. Show full specification details Hide full specification details. See all prices 3 found. Handling 8. Handling 7. See all prices 2 found. Feels thicker although not heavier than other 9. Rated as single, half, and twin, making it especially versatile for guiding.
Score Product Price Our Take Beal Booster III. Climbing Ropes. Contact Us. Edelweiss Thruster 9. Beal Legend 8. Edelrid Swift Protect Pro Dry 8. Beal Joker Unicore Golden Dry 9. Fixe Siurana 9. Beal Joker Unicore Dry Cover 9. Edelrid Parrot 9. Beal Stinger Unicore Dry Cover 9. Fixe Zen Full Dry 8. Fixe Fanatic DRY 8. Load More Products. View all Kids Clothing Kids Footwear.
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