The Finest Climbing Ropes of 2024

How We Tested Climbing Ropes

Our GearJunkie testers and writers are avid climbers, with decades of combined experience climbing in all disciplines — sport, trad, big wall, ice, and alpine climbing. We’ve climbed all over the world, from Mexico to South America, France, Canada, and beyond. We’ve climbed on and retired dozens of ropes, taken hundreds of whips, belayed hundreds of partners, and we know that it’s the best feeling to buy a rope that actually lives up to the hype. 

Our lead tester, Miya Tsudome, spent years working and climbing in Yosemite Valley as a climbing guide, eventually making her way to the high desert of Bishop, California where she can climb year-round. As a more experienced climber, she owns several ropes that all serve different purposes and thus knows the small details that make a good climbing rope.

Miya tested this lineup of ropes over the course of a spring season, taking them out to her local crags of the Owens River Gorge and Pine Creek Canyon and evaluating them based on a series of metrics such as length, diameter, feel, durability, and design. She examined the feel of their sheath, tested each of them with lead and top rope falls, and observed how they handled through various belay devices to bring you an unbiased review of each of their strengths and weaknesses.

Whether you’re looking for an all-around workhorse of a rope that will last more than a season, or you want a thin line for sending your hardest sport climbing projects, we’ve got you covered in our extensive review. Be sure to compliment your kit with a reliable harness and a solid climbing helmet.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose a Climbing Rope

Most likely the first thing you’re going to consider when buying a climbing rope is its length and diameter. The size of your climbing rope matters for many reasons. Firstly, what the average pitch length is at the crag where you plan on climbing? And secondly, what type of climbing do you plan on doing most?

Length

Whether you’re climbing at your gym or on the infamously long sport routes of Spain, the length of the rope you buy is important. If you only climb in the gym, or want a dedicated rope just for that, you’ll want to buy a 40-meter rope. Many manufacturers will make their popular ropes in this length, but the more specialized ropes will usually only come in 60, 70, and 80-meter lengths. 

60 meters used to be the gold standard, as many of the classic climbing routes are typically no longer than 100 feet, or 30 meters long. But this depends greatly on the climbing area, and how modern the routes are. 70 meters, or 230 feet, seems to be the new standard and is an especially good rope length to have if you are climbing multi-pitches that require rappelling. 

80-meter ropes are more specialized and, of course, more expensive. We would only recommend buying this rope length if you are climbing someplace where it is specifically required or nice to have. And it’s nice to have this length rope in a smaller diameter to cut down on weight, which is why the Black Diamond 8.9 Dry or the Sterling Aero 9.2 are great choices for this rope length.

Diameter

The ropes in our review vary from 8.9 mm for the Black Diamond 8.9 Dry to 9.8 mm for the Edelrid Boa Eco 9.8, but the range for single ropes on the market can be as thin as 8.5 or as thick as 11 mm. Thinner ropes will offer a lighter climbing experience and a softer catch, which is ideal for climbing hard sport routes where falls are inevitable and weight matters. Thicker ropes will be more durable and easier to handle while belaying because of the friction, making them more suitable for top rope or gym climbing, where handling and durability are more important. 

It’s also essential to double-check the minimum diameter your belay device can handle. For example, the popular (though no longer in circulation) GriGri 2 works best on ropes from 9.4 to 10.3 mm, while the newer GriGri can handle ropes as thin as 8.5 mm. This information will always be printed on a belay device.

It’s also important to mention that rope diameter certifications have a tolerance of +/- 0.3 mm, which is why some ropes of the same diameter can feel thinner or thicker than one another, and weigh substantially more or less. With first use, ropes will always feel thinner and slicker before they give way to abrasion, where the sheath inevitably fuzzes up and thickens over time. 

Rope Types

Twin and Half Ropes

For mountaineering, ice climbing, and some alpine climbing, you’ll see folks using twin or half ropes. Twin ropes involve climbing with two thinner ropes, usually between 7-8 mm in diameter, whereby the climber clips both ropes into each piece of protection. This allows the climbers to each carry a rope, provides some redundancy, and allows them to rappel using two ropes instead of one. Every rope will have an indicator on its end to show what type of rope it is. The symbol for a twin rope is:

Half ropes are also typically between 7-8 mm in diameter, the difference being that the climber will alternate clipping each rope into different pieces of gear to reduce rope drag, lower the fall force on each piece of gear, as well as provide the same rappelling advantages of twin ropes. One of the main takeaways here is that twin and half ropes are not rated for single use, which means they cannot safely handle a fall on their own, due to their extremely small diameter. The symbol for a half rope is:

Single

Every rope in our review is a single-rated rope, which is the most common rope type, and means they are rated to be used on their own and can sustain many lead falls. Single ropes typically range in diameter from 8.9-10.1 mm, but some go as low as 8.5 mm and as high as 11 mm. Each end of the diameter extreme is more reserved for specialty use. A skinny rope is good for alpine climbing, where being light and fast is essential. A super thick rope is usually used in gyms and in any rope access-type work where durability is the biggest concern. The symbol for a single rope is:

Feel

While “feel” might seem like a subjective metric, it is an important one that some would like to consider before they purchase an expensive rope. There are a few factors that give a rope its own “feel,” the first one being its diameter. The smaller the rope, the more quickly and easily it will pull through a belay device, and the more it will require an attentive, experienced belayer. The thicker the rope, the more friction it will have, thus providing an easier, safer handling experience.

Sheath Construction

The sheath construction also gives a rope its own individual “feel.” This comes down to many specific variables in the manufacturing process, but to simplify things a bit, the sheath-to-core ratio significantly influences a rope’s feel. A thicker sheath-to-core ratio will typically cause a rope to feel stiffer but will increase its durability, like with the Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry DuoTec 9.6. A thinner sheath-to-core ratio will cause a rope to feel more smooth and supple but will be more susceptible to wear and tear over time. 

Whether or not a rope has a dry treatment will also affect its feel. A typical dry treatment involves dipping the whole rope in a chemical bath. This causes the sheath to have a slick, somewhat “gummy” feel to it. However, rope manufacturers are now treating the individual filaments of the core and sheath, as found on the Sterling IonR 9.4 BiColor XEROS and the Trango Agility Duo Dry 9.1, which creates a more supple product overall.

The feel of a rope will also change significantly over its lifespan. A fresh rope will always feel slick out of the package, but as the sheath gets worn and abraded over time, it will fuzz up and thicken. We find this happens the most significantly with the Black Diamond ropes. In our experience, Sterling ropes, such as the Sterling Aero 9.2 XEROS Rope, maintain its size and feel quite well over time, remaining soft and not thickening too much with use.

Durability

Several factors play into how durable a climbing rope will prove to be over time. This category has some objective components, like the aforementioned total diameter of the rope, or the core-to-sheath ratio, but there are less easily measured factors that come into play as well, such as how the rope is used and what types of falls it catches. Here are some aspects that contribute to the durability of your rope:

Diameter: Generally, the thicker the rope, the more durable.

Sheath-to-Core ratio: The sheath ratio of a climbing rope is typically between 35-45%. Ropes that are used frequently such as gym top ropes, will want to have a sheath of at least 45% to increase their lifespan. The sheath percentage of a rope is a good indicator of its durability, and the Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry DuoTec is a rope marketed specifically for its higher sheath-to-core ratio. However, a thicker sheath will make a rope feel more stiff.

Usage: How frequently and in what conditions the rope is used greatly impacts its durability. Frequent falls, lots of top roping, sharp edges, and exposure to dirt and moisture all contribute to wear and tear. It’s good practice to make sure your rope doesn’t run over sharp edges that could cause dangerous abrasion. Always inspect your hardware and a route’s hardware for any sharp grooves, and frequently change which side of the rope you use to balance out its wear.

Environmental Factors: Exposure to UV radiation from sunlight can degrade the rope’s fibers over time. Extreme temperatures can also weaken the material. Storing the rope properly when not in use helps mitigate these effects. Never put your rope on surfaces where it could pick up dirt or chemicals, like parking lots where oil could seep into the rope.

Dry vs. Non-dry Treatment: If you’re like us, you might have thought that dry-treated ropes were only for those into ice climbing and mountaineering. But they actually serve a purpose beyond just defending your rope from getting soaked and can be a great option for the everyday climber who wants a more durable rope.

Having a dry-treated rope will also protect the sheath and core from grit and dirt, which will quickly shorten the lifespan of your rope through mico-abrasions over time. The Mammut Crag We Care Classic 9.5 and the Edelrid Boa Eco 9.8 are the two ropes we reviewed that are not dry-treated but are also significantly less expensive as a result.

Types of Climbing and Falls: Lastly, the type of climbing you do will also affect the durability of your rope. If you plan on doing a lot of top roping, your rope will be susceptible to more external wear as it rubs continuously through anchor hardware. If you do a lot of projecting, your rope will also be susceptible to wear from hang-dogging and working moves, plus inevitably taking decent lead falls. It’s important to switch the ends of the rope you climb on often during this type of climbing to disperse the wear.

Proper Care and Maintenance

Regular inspection and proper care can greatly extend the lifespan of a climbing rope. This includes using a rope tarp, avoiding stepping on the rope, keeping it clean, storing it away from sunlight and chemicals, and even giving it a bath and a scrub every once in a while if you’re really dedicated. Additionally, always inspect the rope for any soft or flat spots that might indicate a torn core. If this happens close enough to the end of your rope, you can always take it to a gear shop and get it cut, making sure to note how long your rope is afterward. 

UIAA Fall Rating

This is actually not a direct measure of durability, but it is important to note as there is some confusion around what a fall rating for a rope means. The UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation) fall rating is a standardized measure used to indicate the number of simulated falls a climbing rope can sustain under controlled laboratory conditions before it fails to meet safety standards. All single ropes must withstand a minimum of 5 UIAA falls to be certified. 

But these falls are not normal top rope or lead falls. These simulated falls are extremely bad falls with a fall factor of 1.7, which rarely occurs in climbing and would mean that you would be falling 2x the distance of the length of the rope in the system. The UIAA test involves doing a drop test with a weight on a rope to create a fall factor of 1.7, and is repeated every 5 minutes until the rope fails, which would be next to impossible to happen in a real-world climbing scenario.

While all climbing ropes have to go through this testing and certification process, the only thing this tells us is that each rope has passed an intensive testing process in a controlled setting and has a safety margin way beyond what would occur in the real world. And though some ropes we tested, such as the Trango Agility Duo Dry, have a fall rating of 8 while the Sterling IonR 9.4 BiColor XEROS has a fall rating of 5, there are so many other factors that contribute to the durability of a rope, such as the ones listed above that the fall rating is not one we really look for in relation to this metric.  

Overall, the durability of a climbing rope depends on a combination of all of these factors, and proper attention to care and maintenance can significantly extend your rope’s lifespan.

Design

When considering buying a rope, there are some design features to certain ropes that can increase their margin of safety. Most ropes come with a middle marker, where the middle of the rope is marked with black ink. Unfortunately, this mark will fade over time and become harder and harder to locate as the sheath gets worn down. You can buy a rope marker, like the one made by Black Diamond, to safely darken the middle again, though you’ll likely have to keep applying this time and time again.

This is where bi-pattern ropes come in. Ropes such as the Sterling IonR 9.4 BiColor XEROS or the Edelrid Tommy Caldwell Eco Dry DuoTec are half-solid, half-patterned so you can permanently identify the middle of the rope. These ropes are great for multi-pitch climbing, where you can quickly shout up to your climber when they are approaching halfway, and for when you’re making multiple rappels and need to consistently find the middle while threading the rope through rap rings.

Another design trend that we hope catches on can be found on the Trango Agility Duo Dry with its “Red Flag” treatment in which the last 5 meters of each end of the rope are colored bright red as a warning. Most climbing accidents occur while rappelling, and these rope designs significantly increase the likelihood that you won’t make as many mistakes during this dangerous process. It’s still a very good idea to always tie knots at the ends of your rope for extra precaution while rappelling or lowering someone, but we are a big fan of ropes that integrate safety into their designs.

Bi-pattern ropes cost a pretty penny more than their solid counterparts because the manufacturing process takes longer. But the peace of mind and increased efficiency they provide can be well worth their extra cost.

FAQ