There are so many different trapeze ropes to choose from. What are the differences? Which one should I choose? Let’s have a closer look at them…
Nylon Rope Trapeze (basic, solo, dance and duo options available)
A nylon-rope trapeze is a great choice for a circus school/studio as it is well suited to high-use scenarios and it doesn’t cost a fortune. It is also a great “starter” trapeze for someone getting into the art. These trapeze ropes do not have an inner core rope like the other ropes (see below), which means they will have some stretch with use. Nylon material is also more slippery in the hands and hard on the skin.
Downsides: sometimes the ropes stretch unevenly. The ropes are slippery and less pleasant on your body.
Upsides: economical and durable. Thinner ropes also available for kids! Check out our kids trapeze here.
Cotton-dyneema Rope Trapeze (solo, dance and duo options available)
Cotton-dyneema rope trapezes are very stable and comfortable. The ropes will never stretch unevenly. In fact, due to the inner core of dyneema, the ropes won’t stretch at all!
The combination of stability and strength of the dyneema core makes this a great choice for dynamic solo and for duo work. The cotton rope is very easy to grip and kinder to the skin than the nylon-rope construction.
This trapeze is also very durable, however you must keep the cotton out of damp conditions or it will get moldy and breakdown.
Downsides: more expensive than nylon-rope trapezes and involves more care.
Upsides: stays level with use and kinder on the body.
Corde Lisse Trapeze (solo and dance options available)
Corde lisse trapezes are much more comfortable than either of the above. The ropes are soft and very kind to the body. Like the cotton-dyneema trapeze, it also has a dyneema core. This means that it won’t stretch beyond the inner dyneema length (generally 2.5m or 3m). However, along with the softness, this trapeze has some “bounce” properties. The inner packing that makes the ropes so soft also shrinks the ropes upwards so that when it is not in use, it measures up to 25cm shorter than when in use. This “bounce” makes the trapeze very comfortable and soft to use but may not be the best choice for a dynamic-focussed act. This trapeze is a really great choice for dance trapeze or anyone who wants to focus their choreography in the ropes. It doesn’t have padding/elbows at the bottom so it isn’t great for “clix”/ankle tricks.
Downsides: not great for “clix”/ankles tricks or dynamics and expensive.
Upsides: super comfortable, delux, yummy, delicious and great for rope work.
Tissu Trapeze (solo options available)
Tissu trapeze is new and it’s fabulous! It has a world of possibilities, both for dynamic drops and for contorted choreography. The ropes are hammocks so they are made from our luscious “mesh-style” tricot material. This means the trapeze can come in any colour you’d like to choose from our wide selection of tricot silks material!
Downsides: the material can be thick in the hand, so it’s not a great choice for a child’s trapeze. The lifetime of the fabric is shorter than any of the other trapeze ropes, but it can always be replaced (at the customer’s cost).
Upsides: it’s beautiful, comfortable, open to interpretation and comes in many colours.
Straps Trapeze (solo, dance, duo and sliding options available)
Much like the tissu trapeze, this object is a relatively new and super cool invention. Our regular straps trapeze comes with either padded or unpadded straps-style ropes. The padded version is a lot easier to grip and is made in a similar fashion to our padded lyra strap. The unpadded version is made the same way as our stirrup straps and our continuous lyra strap. There are several different options for padding and rigging, so depending on what your needs are, we can personally guide you with these decisions. You could even have the straps set on the bar in the same manner as the tissu trapeze, opening up similar dynamic and creative possibilities.
Downsides: the unpadded material can be a little harder to hold. This trapeze is also one of the higher-end, more expensive trapezes in our range.
Upsides: so many variations that you can create something truly unique!
Kids trapeze (solo options available)
We have designed this trapeze bar with small hands in mind 🙂 It is a kids version of our basic/solo trapeze. These ropes are also nylon, but a bit thinner than the standard adult size rope; allowing for small hands to grip comfortably. Being nylon ropes, they will stretch with use and may become uneven over time. These ropes are also more slippery than natural fibre ropes (especially when brand new) but you can always use grip aids (such as Grip Tech and resin) to make them easier to work with. With use, the ropes will become more grippy.
Downside: slippery and may stretch uneven with use
Upside: designed for your little one! Thinner ropes and narrower bar allow for a safer and more successful trapeze experience for your children.
Things to consider:
- Budget: if you don’t have a lot of cash and you want a good starter bar that is super durable, then nylon is a great option.
- Rope work: how much time do you want to spend in the ropes? If you want to roll around in the ropes, definitely spend the money on a corde lisse trapeze.
- Are you buying for a kid: then you need to consider purchasing a kid’s size trapeze.
- Dynamics: if you want to do dynamic work, cotton-dyneema is a great choice.
- Imagination: maybe you want to create something new and original with the tissu or straps trapeze.
Tough choices! It’s nice to have options but sometimes they can be overwhelming. Feel free to contact us to discuss your needs further.
