I have used a lot of different types of jump ropes over the decades. The Ballistyx jump rope is the best I have used so far. It weighs a bit more than a lot of jump ropes (the handle weight I noticed immediately, but have grown to like this heavier weight). Therefore, for the light weight rating I gave it 5 stars because I like the heft – some of my other jump ropes seem too light now in comparison. There are a number of aspects that I appreciated. The cables are flexible enough that the wires don’t end up with a permanent bend in them near the handles. I have used some other jump ropes that have that issue. The cables don’t seem to get tangled as much as other ropes I have used. I keep my jump ropes on hooks in a closet rather than coiled up, but some other cables seem to retain the curl from when they were made and shipped. There is a tradeoff between thinness of the cable and speed. Thinner cables have less wind resistance, but there is not enough mass/density to twirl them fast enough. The two cables that are providded (one for speed and one for power) are a nice touch to solve this physics problem. I like the handles’ thickness also. I am 73 and the thicker handles are easier to hold than some jump ropes that have relatively thin handles. I have jump ropes with longer handles, but these seem long enough to me. I normally jump on the concrete patio in our back yard, and I have not noticed any abrasion of the jump rope cables in the week I have been using them. Of course, I try not to hit the cement with the jump rope (!), but it does occur often enough that it is something to consider. Nevertheless, I took advantage of the coupon that came with the jump rope to get a free speed cable. The engineering that went into the issue of adjusting the lengths of the cable and the smoothness of the twirling is well done. Also, I have not had any problems with the cables coming loose during exercise. I am very pleased with this product. Jump roping is a terrific exercise for all ages (I have severe arthritis in both knees from Viet Nam injuries, but if you jump rope properly it actually is a fairly low impact exercise), and this is a great jump rope to get started with again if you haven’t jump roped in a while, or to replace an older jump rope. Watch the free videos on line to learn the finer points of jump roping. They were a good review for me, bringing up some points I had not thought about in a while, including how long the jump rope should be.