Learning the ropes

The basic rope TKO All Purpose Beaded Skip Rope, $8 at SportsAuthority.com
The shtick There are no bells and whistles to this old standby.
The workout It’s the real deal: You’ll huff and puff after a few minutes of jumping, and that torches more than ten calories a minute.
The drawback There aren’t any. If you’re looking for cheap, straight-up cardio, this old-fashioned rope is for you.—Liz Plosser

The digital rope Digital Jump Rope, $20 at BodyTrends.com
The shtick A digital display tracks your sweat-session deets: time spent jumping, number of jumps and calories burned (you can program in your weight before your session, so the numbers are pretty accurate).
The workout There’s nothing unique about the jumping, but it’s fun to see the burned-off calories add up.
The drawback You’re constantly tempted to stop jumping and check out the number of calories you’ve burned. Also, the rope is made of hard rubber—God help you if you accidently whip yourself with it.—LP

The weighted rope Golds Gym Alpine Tech Adjustable Weight Jump Rope, $20 at GoldsGear.com
The shtick It comes with two one-pound cylindrical weights that can be inserted into each handle for upper-body conditioning, or removed for an old-school cardio workout.
The workout This rope makes you work much harder than you do with a typical jump rope. Expect your triceps and forearms to burn, your heart rate to spike, and your jumps to feel labored and sluggish—all within a minute. It’s a hardcore upper body workout.
The drawback It’s a long rope, so unless you’re taller than six feet, there’s no easy way to alter the length other than to tie knots (you’ll probably need a few). Also, the rope’s material and braid are quite thick, so it makes an unusually loud swooshing sound that some people may find distracting.—Cecilia Wong

The invisible rope JumpSnap, $60 at JumpSnap.com
The shtick It’s a jump rope minus the rope: two handles with weighted balls simulate the “rope.” With each rotation you’ll hear it click. It’s perfect for tiny spaces (like your hotel room or a Chicago apartment).
The workout You can add up to three weights to the handles, or follow along with one of two included workout DVDs. On novelty alone, it’s likely to get a couch potato moving.
The drawback Occasionally, the weighted balls can painfully whack your hands, and small-handed people might find the handles unwieldy.—Annie Tomlin