LED Jump Rope Guide: Sizing, Tricks and Which Light-Up Rope to Get

What an LED jump rope is: light in the rope, not on it

Most light-up ropes are a strip of small LEDs or EL wire inside a plastic tube, running off coin cells in the handles. They glow, but softly, and usually in a handful of fixed colors.

Ours works differently. The rope is a side-glow cable, which carries light along its whole length and lets it out through the sides, and the light comes from an RGB Critter BT screwed into each handle. It's like EL wire, but brighter, thicker and far more durable, and it can be any of 16.7 million colors.

Because the light lives in the handles, you control it like any Critter: modes, playlists and exact colors in the free app, or 20 stored modes on the buttons with no phone at all.

Sizing: match the rope to your height

The Jump Rope Kit comes in two lengths:

• 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in: the 9 ft (2.7 m) rope.
• 6 ft 0 in to 6 ft 4 in: the 10 ft (3 m) rope.

A quick check that works for any jump rope: stand on the middle of it with both feet and lift the handles. They should come up to about your armpits.

Shorter than 5 ft 4 in, or right between sizes? Go with the 9 ft. A rope that's a little long is easier to learn on than one that's short, and it still clears your head. If you're unsure, email support@antsonamelon.com with your height and we'll tell you which one.

Weight and feel: built for flow, not speed records

With both lights in, the 9 ft rope weighs 22.7 oz (1.42 lb) and the 10 ft weighs 23.4 oz (1.46 lb). That's heavier than a gym speed rope, and it changes how it turns: the weight sits in the handles, so the rope swings in a steady, even arc you can see and feel.

The dual rotating bearings keep the cable from twisting as it swings, which matters more on a lit rope than a plain one, because a twisted cable shows. It's made for freestyle, flow and performance more than for racing double unders.

What to look for in any light-up rope

• A light you can see under festival lights. Brightness comes from the light source. Coin cells and small LED strips fade fast next to stage lighting.
• Rotating bearings. Without them the rope winds itself up and the glow kinks.
• Real color control. Fixed presets get old. Look for exact colors and modes you can change.
• A rechargeable, replaceable battery. Each RGB Critter BT charges over USB-C and runs about 7 hours of color on its 2500mAh 18650, and a spare cell is $9.95.
• A cable that survives the ground. Ours is scratch-resistant and water-resistant enough for outdoor festivals and performance.

Tricks that look best lit: start simple

Every move you already know looks different with light in the rope, because the eye follows the glow instead of your feet. Work through these in order:

• The basic bounce. Small, even jumps with the rope turning at the same speed. Lit up, it reads as a steady ring around you.
• The boxer step. Shift your weight from foot to foot as the rope passes. Easy on the legs, so you can keep the light going for a whole song.
• The side swing. Bring both handles to one side and let the rope pass beside you without jumping. Each pass draws a full circle of light, and it's the move that makes people stop and watch.
• Side swing into a jump. Swing left, swing right, then open into a jump. Strung together, it looks like the rope is drawing figure eights.
• The criss-cross. Cross your arms as the rope comes over, jump through the loop, then uncross. The light folds into a figure eight in front of you.

Each handle is its own light, so you can run both together from the app as a group or set each one on its own.

Photographing an LED jump rope

Put the camera on a tripod in a dark spot and start from ISO 200, f/8, a 10 to 25 second shutter, manual focus and Daylight white balance. Then try three looks, one per frame:

• Jump in place. A few seconds of jumping stacks every turn into a glowing shell around the jumper.
• Side swings. Each pass prints a clean circle, and a few at slightly different angles layer into a sphere.
• Walk while you turn. Move slowly across the frame and the rope stretches into a tunnel of light.

If the trails come out white instead of colored, turn the brightness down in the app or close the aperture to f/11. Our light orb tutorial covers the sphere in more detail, and the camera settings cheat sheet has every other scene.

Looking after it

Charge both lights before you head out, since each runs on its own battery. Wipe the cable down after an outdoor session, and coil it loosely rather than folding it tight. For storage longer than two or three weeks, take the batteries out of both Critters; an 18650 left inside slowly drains even when the light is off.

Which rope to get

New to RGB Critters

Jump Rope Kit, $295.00

Both lights included, 9 or 10 ft. Was $339.85, save $44.85.

Already own two Critters

Jupiter Jump Rope Accessory, $39.95

The rope on its own, 9 or 10 ft, for the lights you have.

Bikes, backpacks and light trails

Jupiter Rope Kit, $169.95

A 6 ft side-glow rope on one Critter. Not built for jumping.

LED jump rope FAQ

What size LED jump rope do I need?
The 9 ft rope fits jumpers from 5 ft 4 in to 5 ft 11 in, and the 10 ft rope fits 6 ft 0 in to 6 ft 4 in. Standing on the middle of the rope, the handles should reach about your armpits.

How long does an LED jump rope last on a charge?
Each RGB Critter BT in the handles runs about 7 hours of color on a full charge and recharges over USB-C. The batteries swap in seconds if you want to keep going.

Can I use the jump rope without the app?
Yes. Each light has 20 stored modes on its three buttons, so it works with no phone. The free app adds exact colors, more modes and playlists.

Is the LED jump rope waterproof?
It's water-resistant enough for outdoor festivals and performance, but it isn't sold as waterproof, so keep it out of puddles and pools.

How is it different from an EL wire jump rope?
It's brighter, thicker and far more durable than EL wire, and it can show any of 16.7 million colors instead of one fixed color.