The 10 Best Gym Climbing Ropes

video play icon

This wiki has been updated 21 times since it was first published in May of 2018. We promise we're not trying to conjure up nightmares from your high school gym class with this list. The fact is that these climbing ropes offer an incredible workout, helping you to build upper body and core strength, develop a formidable grip, and improve your balance and coordination. Just be sure that you have plenty of mats or cushions at the bottom before you begin. When users buy our independently chosen editorial recommendations, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.

1. Perantlb Outdoor

2. Fitness Solutions White

3. Aoneky Manila

Editor's Notes

June 12, 2020:

Gym climbing ropes are an excellent way to build upper body, core, and grip strength, as well as a great way to increase confidence in one's abilities. There is something primal about getting all the way to the top that most people will find very motivating, no matter how challenging it may be. Of course, in order to give yourself the best experience possible, it is important to choose a rope that fits your needs and ability.

Along with thickness and overall durability, one of the most important factors to consider when buying a climbing rope is material. Natural fibers, specifically sisal and help, are going to provide the most traction, which makes them good for beginners or anyone else without a lot of grip strength. On the other hand, their coarseness, which is what provides the traction, also means that they can be very rough on the hands, especially if you slip. That being said, we still recommend the Perantlb Outdoor, Aoneky Gym, The550CordShop Grade A, and Power Guidance 1.5-Inch for inexperienced climbers who haven't yet built up the hand strength for a synthetic option. Of these, the Perantlb Outdoor and The550CordShop Grade A stand out for having a nylon cover on the looped end that can help prevent wear in this susceptible area. Alternatively, if you already have a small metal anchor in your gym, or are willing to buy and install one, you pay prefer the Aoneky Manila, which includes an integrated D-ring and strong metal carabiner.

Those who can deal with the limited traction a synthetic model offers can look to the Fitness Solutions White, Crown Sporting Goods 1.5 Polydac, Pellor Nylon, AmazonBasics ER-30FT, and RopeFit Poly Dacron. The Fitness Solutions White, Crown Sporting Goods 1.5 Polydac, AmazonBasics ER-30FT, and RopeFit Poly Dacron are all made from a polyester material. while the Pellor Nylon is, obviously, made from nylon. Both materials offer a high tensile strength, but the polyester ones will be more resistant to stretching over time. We highly recommend one of these if you climb often, since they will be more gentle on your hands. For those who want a synthetic rope even though their hand strength isn't quite up to par, we recommend using a grip strengthener to aid in the needed muscle development.

Special Honors

Rogue Fitness Knotted Climbing Rope The Rogue Fitness Knotted Climbing Rope is a good choice for beginners. Its available in five lengths, all of which have the knots spaced in 16 inch increments, which is a comfortable distance for most people. Not only does this help with climbing, but it can greatly limit rope burn if you slip. roguefitness.com

Valof Fitness Sisal CLR-25 The Valof Fitness Sisal CLR-25 is looped on one end, so you can quickly hook it over any number of anchor points, and it has a heat shrunk vinyl sleeve on the other. While its maximum weight capacity is a bit low, at just 300 pounds, it is made by a well-respected company in the workout equipment industry and there is no reason it shouldn't last through years of use. valorfitness.com

4. Crown Sporting Goods 1.5 Polydac

5. The550CordShop Grade A

6. Sgt. Knots UnManila

7. Pellor Nylon

8. AmazonBasics ER-30FT

9. Power Guidance 1.5-Inch

10. RopeFit Poly Dacron


Brett Dvoretz
Last updated by Brett Dvoretz

A wandering writer who spends as much time on the road as in front of a laptop screen, Brett can either be found hacking away furiously at the keyboard or, perhaps, enjoying a whiskey and coke on some exotic beach, sometimes both simultaneously, usually with a four-legged companion by his side. He has been a professional chef, a dog trainer, and a travel correspondent for a well-known Southeast Asian guidebook. He also holds a business degree and has spent more time than he cares to admit in boring office jobs. He has an odd obsession for playing with the latest gadgets and working on motorcycles and old Jeeps. His expertise, honed over years of experience, is in the areas of computers, electronics, travel gear, pet products, and kitchen, office and automotive equipment.


Thanks for reading the fine print. About the Wiki: We don't accept sponsorships, free goods, samples, promotional products, or other benefits from any of the product brands featured on this page, except in cases where those brands are manufactured by the retailer to which we are linking. For more information on our rankings, please read about us, linked below. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees when you use our links to these websites. These fees will not increase your purchase price, which will be the same as any direct visitor to the merchant’s website. If you believe that your product should be included in this review, you may contact us, but we cannot guarantee a response, even if you send us flowers.