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It can be frustrating to find a piece of gear that you like, and then have no buying options. This filter aims to ease that problem. In the future we plan to add non-US retailers to this list and possibly call out each retailer directly.
We feel a little weird calling out Amazon separately as we're not huge fans of this mega-corp. We do this because we're partners with Amazon in multiple countries, so if somebody from the US, Canada, or UK clicks an Amazon link, it'll go to their country-specific Amazon page (when possible). At the moment, this is the only way to find non-US buying options on the site.
In grams per meter, the weight, as stated by the manufacturer/brand.
Interestingly, not all ropes are cut exactly to length. Since ropes shrink slightly over time (as the fibers tighten) some brands cut a bit more, which could increase the overall weight.
The full retail price in US dollars as stated by the brand/manufacturer/US distributer.
With non-US products, we have statically converted the price to US dollars.
This static conversion also means it's possible that there will be some misleading figures at times. The original price and currency will be noted on the individual product pages.
Generally speaking, the thicker the rope, the less likely it is to be cut on a sharp edge
Really only used in gyms or by rescue teams and other more professional uses.
Just two years ago, in the US, this was THE go-to standard for a climbers first rope. It would be very rare to hear suggestions to go smaller. Today, many climbers still choose it as the most durable option, especially when a lot of top-roping is involved. This “fatter” style rope also works slower in most belay devices which also makes it easier to control.
This is becoming the new standard for a workhorse rope. Manufacturers often market this size as great for projecting. It is quite a bit smaller than standard gym ropes, so it may feel slipperier to handle. If this is your first rope, take extra caution during first few uses.
This skinny diameter is beneficial for easily passing through bolts and protection. The rope itself is also much lighter (particularly noticeable on 70/80m ropes) and these reasons combine to make it an ideal “final send” rope size.
Here, you’re really getting into specialty ropes. These thinner diameter ropes are often in the pursuit to move light in fast. This range is not ideal for new climbers as these ropes are much harder to handle with their small diameter. They also have significantly higher elongation rates.
Rope diameter certifications have a tolerance of +/- .3 mm. This means there could be over half a cm of difference between two ropes of the same size. And can explain why some 9.8’s can feel as thick as a 10.2 and while other 9.8’s can feel particularly skinny.
49 m and under is considered short. Reasons to use:
The old standard. This length was popular when Fred Beckey was putting up first ascents. Now, it’s mostly reserved for twin/half ropes, where you’re climbing with two ropes - like many ice climbers use. Using two ropes on rappel makes up for the shorter overall length.
50m single ropes could also be used indoors, or at short crags like Reimers Ranch, TX or UK Gritstone. It would not be advised to buy a 50 m single rope for multi-pitch climbs (you would not hit the rappel stations, especially at Red Rocks, NV).
The standard and most common rope length. This length will get you up and down the majority of climbs in the US.
70 m is a lot heavier than 60 m, so if you’re not planning to climb in tall wall areas, a 60 m rope is plenty and will save you lots of work pulling up all the slack to find the middle. Not to mention the extra $$ saved.
Uncommon for the average US climber. This length can be helpful if you climb on overhanging terrain on very tall walls like in Spain.
Generally, this length comes on spools. Climbers who like to cut ropes to their own length may get this size. Very few climbers will ever use/need 90m as a single rope.
There are 3 types of dynamic ropes that are used by climbers. They are known as Single, Half (Double), and Twin. The type of rope preferred varies by climbing style, location, and region.
By far, the most common type of rope. Great for indoors and out. In the US, it is the most common sport and big wall and are also used for trad cragging. The handling is simple and the diameter options are quite varied.
The best cure for a meandering route, only one of the ropes will clip into each piece of protection so a mindful climber can can reduce rope drag considerably. You can also rappel twice the distance, it’s easier to safely protect traverse pitches and there is a smaller chance that both ropes would become damaged (by rockfall, crampons, etc).
Both ropes must be clipped through each piece of protection. This is the lightest style of (two) ropes. They excel for rappels, going twice the distance vs a single rope, but do not have the ability to mitigate rope drag even though there are two ropes.
It is unlikely both ropes will be damaged at once, and is why many alpine, ice and mixed climbers choose twin and/or half ropes.
Dry treatments don’t mean water proof, they’re more water resistant. No matter the level of coating, your rope will still get damp/wet when exposed to the elements. What will change is how wet.
Non-dry ropes can be used in wet conditions, but they will be harder to manage (as the rope swells full of water), will freeze faster, and will be miserable to belay/rappel with.
Pros: Dy treatment helps keep your rope dry in wet conditions, and it also can increase a ropes life by making sure other crud (sand, dirt, etc) can’t get in either. And, with the slick (literally) treatment, it will help your rope slide over sharp edges and reduce the amount of agitation to the rope.
Cons: Can easily cost $50 more.
~46% water absorption
This is the cheapest option. If you don’t climb in wet areas or sandy areas, this makes for a great way to save money. Perfect for gym lead ropes.
~36% water absorption
When only the sheath is treated. Some climbers report better handling on dry treated ropes; it feels smoother with the Teflon™ like dry coating. The treatment will also reduce rope abrasion.
Often less than 5% less water absorption (the UIAA dry test standard) -- 1-15%
If you often head into cold, damp, wet and snowy conditions, this is the rope for you. Treating the sheath and the core is the only way ropes will pass the UIAA Dry test .
A moist rope decreases its ability to absorb impact so the less water the rope absorbs in wet and/or wintery conditions, the better. Dry treatment will wear off over time; f you are a climber who uses your rope in wet conditions, it would be ideal to only use the rope in wet times and not to “waste” the dry treatment on rock.
No data available for water absorption levels
This treatment increases durability as it protects against water and dirt from the inner fibers.
To pass the UIAA Dry test, a rope must absorb less than 5% of its weight in water following a specific UIAA procedure. You can read about the test procedure, watch video explanations, and hear our take of the UIAA test in this in-depth blogpost.
bluesign® APPROVED: Is when a product uses material(s) that are certified to use non-toxic chemicals and processes during manufacturing. There are strict standards for resource use, occupational health and safety, water and air emissions, and consumer safety.
bluesign® PRODUCT: Must contain at least 90% bluesign® APPROVED materials. The standard is 90%+ (not 100%) because metals and plastics are not certified and most textile products have zippers or buckles. Since ropes are all textile, they are likely made of 100% bluesign® APPROVED materials.
Have you ever used a rope and loved it, but not known the brand or model name? Or seen a sexy rope from afar and wondered, what are they climbing on?! Now there is hope to find your beloved rope by color!
If you'd like to narrow down your search by what others consider to be, "The Best Gear" this is your filter. We’re including all the media awards from the magazines like Climbing, Rock and Ice, and Alpinist, along with online resources like Gear Junkie, Outdoor Gear Labs, and more. We scour the internet for new awards quarterly.
If you know of some reputable awards that we’re missing, send us a note so we can look into it.
The list of manufacturers and brands that we have all the technical specs for.
If a brand is missing from this list, scroll to the bottom of this page to see all the unfilterable gear we track, and ideally it'll be there.
If you don't see the brand you're looking for in the unfilterable products area, definitely send us a note so we can look into it further.
We do our very best to find and display every technical spec for every piece of climbing gear in the world. But sometimes we just can’t dig up a spec or two (usually it's the official price and weight). Sadly, this means not every product is available for filtering and sorting :(
If we allowed products that are missing key specs to display in the results above, these incomplete products would need to appear no matter what filters you chose. This would make the filtered results cluttered and misleading. So instead of leaving out these incomplete products entirely, we're listing them below:
