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Loading...Fifteen bungee cords, from 50-cent multipack cords to $4 singles, were run through the same four measurements. Ten are conventional jacketed cords with a woven sleeve over an elastic core; five are solid EPDM rubber straps. Each cord was anchored to a lag bolt and pulled on a scale so the hook lined up at 6, 12, 18 and 24 inches of stretch, giving a force reading at every point in its range. Every cord was then weighed, held at a foot of stretch for 24 hours to see how much force it gave back, sprayed with brake parts cleaner and left overnight for a chemical-resistance check, and — on a second set — stretched a foot and left outdoors in direct sunlight for nine months.
Strength and durability turned out to be almost unrelated. The solid rubber straps dominate every force measurement, with the $0.70 Harbor Freight Haul-Master EPDM pulling 40.8 lb at a foot against 14.6 lb for the strongest jacketed cord — yet three of the five EPDM straps, that one included, cracked apart before the nine-month exposure was over. A cord that is cheap and stiff today is not the same thing as a cord that is still holding a load next summer.
Best Overall
$3.00 per strap, average finish 1.6
Average Finish: 1.6
Purchased for: $30
$30 for 10 straps, or $3 each, claiming 1.8 times maximum stretch over its original length, over 106 lb of load and 100% EPDM construction; 128 g. Second only to the Haul-Master EPDM when new, at 27.8 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 36 lb at a foot, 50.8 lb at 18 inches and 71.2 lb at 2 feet. It holds that force better than any other strong strap, finishing 24 hours at 24.4 lb and shrugging off brake parts cleaner at 24.2 lb. Nine months outdoors is where it separated from everything else: no visible cracking on either side of the strap, about 7 inches of permanent stretch, 24 lb at a foot for a 33.3% loss, 44 lb at 18 inches, and 64 lb at 2 feet — only 10.1% below new. Average finish 1.6, the best in the test.
Strong when new at 71.2 lb at 2 feet, and after nine months in the sun it still pulled 64 lb there — a 10.1% loss, with no visible cracking in the rubber.
Best Jacketed Cord
$3.50 per cord, average finish 3.4
Average Finish: 3.4
Purchased for: $14
$14 for four cords at Home Depot, or $3.50 each, with a core of high-grade all-natural latex rubber. At 54 g it is the lightest cord in the test. It is modest in raw tension — 6.4 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 9 lb at a foot, 11.2 lb at 18 inches and 15.2 lb at 2 feet — but it keeps what it is given better than any jacketed cord here: 8 lb still on the scale after 24 hours stretched a foot, an 11.1% loss, and no measurable change at all from brake parts cleaner. It also showed the least color fade of the group after nine months outdoors, took on only about 3 inches of permanent stretch, and still worked afterwards at 5 lb at a foot, 6.6 lb at 18 inches and 9 lb at 2 feet. Average finish 3.4.
The lightest cord here at 54 g, and the steadiest: an 11.1% loss over 24 hours, no change from brake parts cleaner, and only 3 inches of permanent stretch after nine months.
Most Consistent
$4.00 per cord, average finish 4.0
Average Finish: 4
Purchased for: $16
$16 for four cords, or $4 each, claimed marine-grade, with a Dacron polyester sheath meant to survive heavy friction and sunlight; 84 g. It reads 5.6 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 8.4 lb at a foot, 10.6 lb at 18 inches and 13 lb at 2 feet, almost identical to the Nite Ize. It held 6.2 lb after 24 hours at a foot and 5.8 lb after brake parts cleaner. Nine months of sun left it in very good condition with about 4 inches of permanent stretch, 6 lb at a foot for a 28.6% loss, 8.2 lb at 18 inches, and 9.8 lb at 2 feet — only 24.6% below new, among the best retention of any jacketed cord. Average finish 4.0.
Gave up 28.6% of its force at a foot and 24.6% at 2 feet after nine months outdoors, and lost only 0.4 lb to brake parts cleaner.
| Name | Purchased for ($) | Purchased for, Per Piece ($) | Average Finish | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing Straps EPDM | $30.00 | $3.00 | 1.6 | Search on Amazon | |
$30 for 10 straps, or $3 each, claiming 1.8 times maximum stretch over its original length, over 106 lb of load and 100% EPDM construction; 128 g. Second only to the Haul-Master EPDM when new, at 27.8 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 36 lb at a foot, 50.8 lb at 18 inches and 71.2 lb at 2 feet. It holds that force better than any other strong strap, finishing 24 hours at 24.4 lb and shrugging off brake parts cleaner at 24.2 lb. Nine months outdoors is where it separated from everything else: no visible cracking on either side of the strap, about 7 inches of permanent stretch, 24 lb at a foot for a 33.3% loss, 44 lb at 18 inches, and 64 lb at 2 feet — only 10.1% below new. Average finish 1.6, the best in the test. | |||||
| Husky EPDM | $1.50 | $1.50 | 2.1 | Search on Amazon | |
$1.50 each at Home Depot, sold as single straps, claimed abrasion, crack and sunlight resistant, and the heaviest cord in the test at 136 g. Second strongest when new: 21.8 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 34.6 lb at a foot, 51.2 lb at 18 inches and 63 lb at 2 feet. It is the best strap here at holding real load — 27.8 lb still on the scale after 24 hours stretched a foot, more than anything else in the group, and 27.2 lb after brake parts cleaner. One of only two EPDM straps to survive nine months outdoors, with about 5.5 inches of permanent stretch and roughly half its original force: 14.4 lb at a foot, 23.6 lb at 18 inches and 34.4 lb at 2 feet, though the rubber picked up a lot of small cracks along the way. Average finish 2.1. | |||||
| HDX | $14.00 | $3.50 | 3.4 | Search on Amazon | |
$14 for four cords at Home Depot, or $3.50 each, with a core of high-grade all-natural latex rubber. At 54 g it is the lightest cord in the test. It is modest in raw tension — 6.4 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 9 lb at a foot, 11.2 lb at 18 inches and 15.2 lb at 2 feet — but it keeps what it is given better than any jacketed cord here: 8 lb still on the scale after 24 hours stretched a foot, an 11.1% loss, and no measurable change at all from brake parts cleaner. It also showed the least color fade of the group after nine months outdoors, took on only about 3 inches of permanent stretch, and still worked afterwards at 5 lb at a foot, 6.6 lb at 18 inches and 9 lb at 2 feet. Average finish 3.4. | |||||
| Smartstraps 390 | $8.00 | $4.00 | 3.6 | Search on Amazon | |
$8 for two cords, or $4 each, with over-molded steel hooks that will not scratch or mar and a double jacket for wear resistance and UV protection; 56 g. Its defining trait is short travel: 5.8 lb at 6 inches of stretch and 14.6 lb at a foot, where the jacket is already at its limit — the most force of any jacketed cord at that point, but the end of its range. That jacket is also why it relaxes more than anything else in the test, dropping to 6.4 lb over 24 hours. It survived nine months outdoors with only about 3 inches of permanent stretch and actually read higher at a foot than when new, at 16.4 lb, as the jacket shrank and its range of motion narrowed further. Average finish 3.6. | |||||
| Haul-Master EPDM | $14.00 | $0.70 | 3.9 | Search on Amazon | |
$14 for 20 straps at Harbor Freight, or 70 cents each — the cheapest solid-rubber EPDM strap here. It is 21 inches rather than the 24 inches most of the group runs, and weighs 92 g. It is the strongest cord in the test by a clear margin when new: 32.6 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 40.8 lb at a foot, 68.8 lb at 18 inches and 79 lb at 2 feet, where it is well past its comfortable range. That strength does not hold: over 24 hours at a foot it fell to 20 lb, keeping only 49% of its force, more relaxation than any strap here. Nine months of weather opened very large cracks in the rubber and it did not survive. | |||||
| Keeper EPDM | $36.00 | $1.80 | 4 | Search on Amazon | |
$36 for 20 straps, or $1.80 each. Claimed sunlight, ozone and weather resistant, non-brittle down to minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit, with zinc-plated steel hooks that will not bend, break or rust; 112 g. It pulls 17.8 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 26.2 lb at a foot and 43.6 lb at 2 feet, dropping fast at full stretch. Its real strength is holding a position: over 24 hours at a foot it lost only 8.4% of its force, finishing at 24 lb — the smallest relaxation of any cord in the test — and brake parts cleaner cost it barely 2 lb more. Nine months of sun produced a lot of very fine cracks in the rubber and it did not survive. | |||||
| SGT Knots | $16.00 | $4.00 | 4 | Search on Amazon | |
$16 for four cords, or $4 each, claimed marine-grade, with a Dacron polyester sheath meant to survive heavy friction and sunlight; 84 g. It reads 5.6 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 8.4 lb at a foot, 10.6 lb at 18 inches and 13 lb at 2 feet, almost identical to the Nite Ize. It held 6.2 lb after 24 hours at a foot and 5.8 lb after brake parts cleaner. Nine months of sun left it in very good condition with about 4 inches of permanent stretch, 6 lb at a foot for a 28.6% loss, 8.2 lb at 18 inches, and 9.8 lb at 2 feet — only 24.6% below new, among the best retention of any jacketed cord. Average finish 4.0. | |||||
| Nite Ize | $4.00 | $4.00 | 4.1 | Search on Amazon | |
$4 each, claimed to offer advanced weather protection, with an integrated steel hook at each end that keeps its hold with or without tension; 82 g. Tension is on the low side: 5.6 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 8.2 lb at a foot, 10.2 lb at 18 inches and 13 lb at 2 feet. It relaxes little, holding 6.8 lb over 24 hours for a 17.1% loss, second best of the jacketed cords. After nine months of sun it carried 4.5 inches of permanent stretch and roughly half its force at a foot, at 4.4 lb — but at full stretch it was the only cord in the entire test to lose nothing, reading 13.2 lb at 2 feet against 13 lb when it was new. | |||||
| XSTRAP EPDM | $28.00 | $1.40 | 4.9 | Search on Amazon | |
$28 for 20 straps, or $1.40 each, claimed heavy-duty and long-lasting. It is 21 inches long and weighs 114 g. Middle of the EPDM group in strength: 13.8 lb at 6 inches against the Haul-Master EPDM's 32.6 lb, then 21.2 lb at a foot, 28.4 lb at 18 inches and 40 lb at 2 feet. It holds a set stretch reasonably, finishing 24 hours at 14.2 lb, and lost 2 lb to brake parts cleaner. Nine months outdoors covered the rubber in a mass of fine cracks — rather than the large splits the Haul-Master EPDM developed — and it did not survive the exposure. | |||||
| Haul-Master | $3.00 | $3.00 | 5.4 | Search on Amazon | |
$3 each at Harbor Freight, sold singly, with a spring-gate hook that closes around the anchor point, a UV-resistant jacket and rust-resistant aluminum hardware. At 64 g it is one of the lightest cords here. It runs 6.4 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 9.2 lb at a foot, 13.6 lb at 18 inches and 28.2 lb at 2 feet, so there is plenty of range in it. It held 6.2 lb after 24 hours at a foot and 5.8 lb after brake parts cleaner. Nine months of sun faded it noticeably and added close to 5 inches of permanent stretch, but it stayed elastic — 6.2 lb at a foot and 13.6 lb at 18 inches — before giving up short of 2 feet. | |||||
| Rhino USA | $26.00 | $0.93 | 5.5 | Search on Amazon | |
$26 for 28 cords, or 93 cents each, with claims of 185 lb maximum break strength, UV resistance and military-grade elastic shock cord; 74 g. In tension it tracks the Cartman closely: 8.2 lb at 6 inches, 11.4 lb at a foot, 16 lb at 18 inches and 31.4 lb at 2 feet, where it is over-stretched. It held 7 lb after 24 hours at a foot, 61.4% of its starting force. It came through nine months of sun looking better than any other jacketed cord, with close to 7 inches of permanent stretch, but the force at a foot had fallen from 11.4 lb to 6 lb and the cord was close to breaking. | |||||
| Cartman | $15.00 | $0.63 | 5.9 | Search on Amazon | |
$15 for 24 cords, or 63 cents each. ABS-coated hooks and an anti-UV polymer jacket for outdoor use, at 70 g. The strongest of the jacketed cords at short stretch — 8.8 lb at 6 inches — then 13 lb at a foot, 17.8 lb at 18 inches and 27.2 lb at 2 feet. Held at a foot for 24 hours it dropped to 7.4 lb, the second most force of any jacketed cord even though it lost 43% getting there. Nine months of sun cost it about 9 inches of permanent stretch and most of its strength: 4 lb at a foot, 6.4 lb at 18 inches, and it broke before reaching 2 feet. | |||||
| Horusdy | $15.00 | $0.50 | 7.7 | Search on Amazon | |
$15 for 30 cords, or 50 cents each, the cheapest cord in the group. ABS-coated hooks are meant to keep the cord from scratching paint, several lengths are offered, and the 24-inch version tested weighs 74 g. It is the softest cord here when new: 3.6 lb of force at 6 inches of stretch, 5.8 lb at a foot, 9 lb at 18 inches, and visibly over-stretched by 2 feet at 21.8 lb. It settles well under sustained load, holding 4.6 lb after 24 hours stretched a foot — 79.3% of its starting force, third best of the group — and brake parts cleaner changed nothing at all. Nine months in the sun was a different story: the cord disintegrated completely. | |||||
| HyperTough | $10.00 | $0.50 | 8.2 | Search on Amazon | |
$10 for 20 cords at Walmart, or 50 cents each, tied with the Horusdy for the lowest price per cord. Coated steel hooks and a claim of being ideal for securing loads; 70 g on the scale. It pulls 4.2 lb at 6 inches of stretch, 6.8 lb at a foot and 18.2 lb at 18 inches, and it was not taken to 2 feet. It gives up more force than almost anything here when held at a set stretch, falling to 3 lb over 24 hours. Nine months outdoors left it in one piece but badly faded, with about 11 inches of permanent stretch — the most of any cord in the test — down to 1.2 lb at a foot and no holding force at all by 18 inches. | |||||
| Stalwart | $10.00 | $0.83 | 8.5 | Search on Amazon | |
$10 for 12 cords, or 83 cents each, 24 inches long and claimed to be long-lasting virgin rubber; 74 g. It offers a lot of travel at very little tension: 4.4 lb at 6 inches, 6 lb at a foot, 8 lb at 18 inches and 11.2 lb at 2 feet, the least force at full stretch of anything in the test. It is stable once set, holding 4.6 lb after 24 hours at a foot — 76.7% of its starting force — and 4.4 lb after a soaking in brake parts cleaner. It started bright red, faded badly outdoors, and after nine months the rubber had degraded to the point where it broke under stress. | |||||
Ex. 20 bungee cords for $20 is $1 per cord
Price per cord is the only fair comparison here, because pack sizes run from two to thirty. It spans eight to one, from 50 cents for the Horusdy and HyperTough to $4 for the Nite Ize, Smartstraps 390 and SGT Knots — and it predicted durability far better than it predicted strength. Both 50-cent cords were among the worst performers after nine months outdoors, while the $3 Amazing Straps EPDM and $3.50 HDX finished on top of their respective groups. The strongest cord in the entire test, the Haul-Master EPDM, costs 70 cents.
What the pack or single strap cost at the register
This is the amount actually spent on each product, which is a different question from the price per cord: the $36 Keeper EPDM pack is 20 straps, while the $1.50 Husky EPDM and the $3 and $4 singles are one cord each. The tools table above lists both figures side by side.
Pounds of force with the hook 6 inches from its resting position, new cords
At a short stretch the group splits cleanly in two. All five solid EPDM straps sit above every jacketed cord, with the Harbor Freight Haul-Master EPDM at 32.6 lb — more than nine times the 3.6 lb of the Horusdy at the other end. Among the jacketed cords the Cartman and Rhino USA lead at 8.8 and 8.2 lb, and the rest cluster between 3.6 and 6.4 lb, which is the difference between a cord that will actually clamp a tarp down and one that mostly takes up slack.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haul-Master EPDM | 32.60 |
| 2 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 27.80 |
| 3 | Husky EPDM | 21.80 |
| 4 | Keeper EPDM | 17.80 |
| 5 | XSTRAP EPDM | 13.80 |
| 6 | Cartman | 8.80 |
| 7 | Rhino USA | 8.20 |
| 8 | Haul-Master | 6.40 |
| 9 | HDX | 6.40 |
| 10 | Smartstraps 390 | 5.80 |
| 11 | Nite Ize | 5.60 |
| 12 | SGT Knots | 5.60 |
| 13 | Stalwart | 4.40 |
| 14 | HyperTough | 4.20 |
| 15 | Horusdy | 3.60 |
Pounds of force with the hook a foot from its resting position, new cords
A foot of stretch is the reference point every later test uses, and the split holds: the Haul-Master EPDM offers the most force of the solid straps at 40.8 lb, with the Amazing Straps EPDM and Husky EPDM close behind at 36 and 34.6 lb and both carrying more range left in them. Among the jacketed cords the Smartstraps 390 tops the chart at 14.6 lb, with the Cartman and Rhino USA at 13 and 11.4 lb — but the Smartstraps is already at the end of its travel here, while the other two have another foot to give.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haul-Master EPDM | 40.80 |
| 2 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 36 |
| 3 | Husky EPDM | 34.60 |
| 4 | Keeper EPDM | 26.20 |
| 5 | XSTRAP EPDM | 21.20 |
| 6 | Smartstraps 390 | 14.60 |
| 7 | Cartman | 13 |
| 8 | Rhino USA | 11.40 |
| 9 | Haul-Master | 9.20 |
| 10 | HDX | 9 |
| 11 | SGT Knots | 8.40 |
| 12 | Nite Ize | 8.20 |
| 13 | HyperTough | 6.80 |
| 14 | Stalwart | 6 |
| 15 | Horusdy | 5.80 |
Pounds of force with the hook 18 inches from its resting position, new cords
Stretched to 18 inches the solid rubber straps pull away completely, with the Haul-Master EPDM at 68.8 lb and the Husky EPDM and Amazing Straps EPDM both above 50 lb — four to six times what most jacketed cords manage. The Smartstraps 390 does not reach this point at all; its double jacket bottoms out at a foot. Among the cords that do, the HyperTough's 18.2 lb is a warning rather than a strength: it is already at the edge of breaking, and it was not taken any further.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haul-Master EPDM | 68.80 |
| 2 | Husky EPDM | 51.20 |
| 3 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 50.80 |
| 4 | XSTRAP EPDM | 28.40 |
| 5 | HyperTough | 18.20 |
| 6 | Cartman | 17.80 |
| 7 | Rhino USA | 16 |
| 8 | Haul-Master | 13.60 |
| 9 | HDX | 11.20 |
| 10 | SGT Knots | 10.60 |
| 11 | Nite Ize | 10.20 |
| 12 | Horusdy | 9 |
| 13 | Stalwart | 8 |
| 14 | Smartstraps 390 | 0 (DNF) |
Pounds of force with the hook 2 feet from its resting position, new cords
Two feet is double the resting length of most of these cords, and several are plainly past their working range by the time they get there — the Haul-Master EPDM reads 79 lb but the number is falling fast as it is held, and the same is true of the Keeper EPDM at 43.6 lb. The Amazing Straps EPDM at 71.2 lb and the Husky EPDM at 63 lb are the two solid straps still behaving properly at full stretch. On the jacketed side the spread narrows to 11.2 to 31.4 lb, and the Rhino USA's 31.4 lb is the highest of them.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haul-Master EPDM | 79 |
| 2 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 71.20 |
| 3 | Husky EPDM | 63 |
| 4 | Keeper EPDM | 43.60 |
| 5 | XSTRAP EPDM | 40 |
| 6 | Rhino USA | 31.40 |
| 7 | Haul-Master | 28.20 |
| 8 | Cartman | 27.20 |
| 9 | Horusdy | 21.80 |
| 10 | HDX | 15.20 |
| 11 | Nite Ize | 13 |
| 12 | SGT Knots | 13 |
| 13 | Stalwart | 11.20 |
| 14 | HyperTough | 0 (DNF) |
| 15 | Smartstraps 390 | 0 (DNF) |
Grams on the scale, one cord
Weight is a close proxy for how much rubber is in a cord, and it lines up with the force charts almost exactly: the four heaviest products here are all solid EPDM straps, led by the 136 g Husky EPDM, while the 54 g HDX and 56 g Smartstraps 390 sit at the bottom. The one product that breaks the pattern is the Haul-Master EPDM, which is the lightest solid strap at 92 g and yet pulls harder than any of them — it is also 21 inches rather than 24, so there is less cord doing more work.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Husky EPDM | 136 |
| 2 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 128 |
| 3 | XSTRAP EPDM | 114 |
| 4 | Keeper EPDM | 112 |
| 5 | Haul-Master EPDM | 92 |
| 6 | SGT Knots | 84 |
| 7 | Nite Ize | 82 |
| 8 | Horusdy | 74 |
| 9 | Stalwart | 74 |
| 10 | Rhino USA | 74 |
| 11 | Cartman | 70 |
| 12 | HyperTough | 70 |
| 13 | Haul-Master | 64 |
| 14 | Smartstraps 390 | 56 |
| 15 | HDX | 54 |
Inches the cord grew after nine months held at a foot of stretch outdoors
Each cord was stretched a foot and left in direct sunlight for nine months; this is how much of that stretch it never gave back. Five of the fifteen — the Horusdy, Stalwart, Haul-Master EPDM, XSTRAP EPDM and Keeper EPDM — broke outright before the nine months were up. Of the survivors, the HDX and Smartstraps 390 grew only about 3 inches and the SGT Knots about 4, while the HyperTough sagged by roughly 11 inches, which is most of its useful travel gone. Permanent stretch is not the whole story on its own: the Amazing Straps EPDM took on 7 inches and still had more holding force left than anything else in the test.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HDX | 3 |
| 2 | Smartstraps 390 | 3 |
| 3 | SGT Knots | 4 |
| 4 | Nite Ize | 4.50 |
| 5 | Haul-Master | 5 |
| 6 | Husky EPDM | 5.50 |
| 7 | Rhino USA | 7 |
| 8 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 7 |
| 9 | Cartman | 9 |
| 10 | HyperTough | 11 |
Pounds of force at a foot of stretch once the nine months outdoors were over
This is the same measurement as the 12-inch chart above, taken on cords that spent nine months stretched in the sun. The Amazing Straps EPDM leads the solid straps at 24 lb, a 33.3% loss from its original 36 lb, and it was the only one to come out without visible cracking. The Smartstraps 390 tops the jacketed cords at 16.4 lb, which is about 2 lb more than it read when new — its jacket shrank as it aged. Five cords broke during the exposure and hold nothing at all, and the HyperTough is barely better at 1.2 lb.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 24 |
| 2 | Smartstraps 390 | 16.40 |
| 3 | Husky EPDM | 14.40 |
| 4 | Haul-Master | 6.20 |
| 5 | Rhino USA | 6 |
| 6 | SGT Knots | 6 |
| 7 | HDX | 5 |
| 8 | Nite Ize | 4.40 |
| 9 | Cartman | 4 |
| 10 | HyperTough | 1.20 |
| 11 | Horusdy | 0 (DNF) |
| 12 | Stalwart | 0 (DNF) |
| 13 | Haul-Master EPDM | 0 (DNF) |
| 14 | XSTRAP EPDM | 0 (DNF) |
| 15 | Keeper EPDM | 0 (DNF) |
Pounds of force at 2 feet of stretch once the nine months outdoors were over
Pulling a weathered cord out to 2 feet is the harshest thing done to any of these, and most of the group could not do it — some had already broken during the exposure, the Cartman and the Harbor Freight Haul-Master snapped on the way there, and the Smartstraps 390 never had the travel. The Amazing Straps EPDM is extraordinary here at 64 lb, down only 10.1% from its 71.2 lb when new, with the Husky EPDM second at 34.4 lb, about half its original strength. Among the jacketed cords the Nite Ize is the standout: 13.2 lb against 13 lb new, meaning it lost nothing at all at full stretch.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 64 |
| 2 | Husky EPDM | 34.40 |
| 3 | Nite Ize | 13.20 |
| 4 | SGT Knots | 9.80 |
| 5 | HDX | 9 |
| 6 | Cartman | 0 (DNF) |
| 7 | Haul-Master | 0 (DNF) |
| 8 | HyperTough | 0 (DNF) |
| 9 | Smartstraps 390 | 0 (DNF) |
| 10 | Horusdy | 0 (DNF) |
| 11 | Stalwart | 0 (DNF) |
| 12 | Haul-Master EPDM | 0 (DNF) |
| 13 | XSTRAP EPDM | 0 (DNF) |
| 14 | Keeper EPDM | 0 (DNF) |
Pounds of force remaining after a new cord was held at a foot of stretch for 24 hours
Every elastic relaxes when it is held stretched, and this is the number that matters for a load that stays tied down overnight. The Husky EPDM keeps the most at 27.8 lb, with the Amazing Straps EPDM at 24.4 and the Keeper EPDM at 24 not far behind. Among the jacketed cords the HDX comes out on top at 8 lb, with the Cartman at 7.4 and the Rhino USA at 7. The Haul-Master EPDM's collapse is the headline: strongest of anything when new at 40.8 lb, it gives back more than half of that in a single day.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Husky EPDM | 27.80 |
| 2 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 24.40 |
| 3 | Keeper EPDM | 24 |
| 4 | Haul-Master EPDM | 20 |
| 5 | XSTRAP EPDM | 14.20 |
| 6 | HDX | 8 |
| 7 | Cartman | 7.40 |
| 8 | Rhino USA | 7 |
| 9 | Nite Ize | 6.80 |
| 10 | Smartstraps 390 | 6.40 |
| 11 | Haul-Master | 6.20 |
| 12 | SGT Knots | 6.20 |
| 13 | Horusdy | 4.60 |
| 14 | Stalwart | 4.60 |
| 15 | HyperTough | 3 |
Percent of the new cord's force still present after a day at a foot of stretch
The same 24-hour test viewed as a percentage, which rewards consistency rather than raw force. The Keeper EPDM is the best cord in the test at holding a set position, giving up only 8.4%, and the HDX leads the jacketed cords at an 11.1% loss with the Nite Ize second at 17.1%. At the other end the Smartstraps 390 and HyperTough shed well over half their force in a day. Note that a cheap, weak cord can score well here — the Horusdy keeps 79.3% of what little it had — so this chart is only worth reading alongside the absolute figures above.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keeper EPDM | 91.60 |
| 2 | HDX | 88.90 |
| 3 | Nite Ize | 82.90 |
| 4 | Husky EPDM | 80.30 |
| 5 | Horusdy | 79.30 |
| 6 | Stalwart | 76.70 |
| 7 | SGT Knots | 73.80 |
| 8 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 67.80 |
| 9 | Haul-Master | 67.40 |
| 10 | XSTRAP EPDM | 67 |
| 11 | Rhino USA | 61.40 |
| 12 | Cartman | 56.90 |
| 13 | Haul-Master EPDM | 49 |
| 14 | HyperTough | 44.10 |
| 15 | Smartstraps 390 | 43.80 |
Pounds of force 12 hours after the stretched cords were sprayed down with solvent
The cords from the 24-hour test were left stretched, sprayed down with brake parts cleaner and checked again 12 hours later. Almost nothing happened: the HDX and Horusdy read exactly what they did before, the Amazing Straps EPDM moved from 24.4 lb to 24.2, and the Husky EPDM lost less than a pound. The largest change was the XSTRAP EPDM at 2 lb, which is around 14% of what it was holding. Solvent exposure is simply not a meaningful failure mode for any of these — sunlight is.
| Rank | Product | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Husky EPDM | 27.20 |
| 2 | Amazing Straps EPDM | 24.20 |
| 3 | Keeper EPDM | 22 |
| 4 | Haul-Master EPDM | 19 |
| 5 | XSTRAP EPDM | 12.20 |
| 6 | HDX | 8 |
| 7 | Cartman | 7 |
| 8 | Rhino USA | 6.20 |
| 9 | Nite Ize | 6 |
| 10 | Haul-Master | 5.80 |
| 11 | Smartstraps 390 | 5.80 |
| 12 | SGT Knots | 5.80 |
| 13 | Horusdy | 4.60 |
| 14 | Stalwart | 4.40 |
| 15 | HyperTough | 2.80 |
The Amazing Straps EPDM is the pick for best overall, with an average finish of 1.6 across the test. At $3 a strap it is not the strongest cord here when new — the 70-cent Haul-Master EPDM pulls 40.8 lb at a foot to its 36 lb — but it is the only strap that was still doing its job nine months later. After that exposure it held 24 lb at a foot, a 33.3% loss, 44 lb at 18 inches, and 64 lb at 2 feet, which is only 10.1% below where it started, and the rubber came out with no visible cracking on either side. The Husky EPDM at $1.50 is the value alternative in the same class: 34.6 lb at a foot when new, the most holding force of any cord after 24 hours stretched at 27.8 lb, and an average finish of 2.1. It survived the nine months too, at about half its original strength, but its rubber picked up a lot of fine cracking on the way.
Among conventional jacketed cords the HDX is the pick, at $3.50 each and an average finish of 3.4. It is one of the weaker cords in raw tension at 9 lb at a foot, and that is rather the point — it holds what it is given. It kept 88.9% of its force over 24 hours, the best of any jacketed cord, showed no change at all from brake parts cleaner, faded the least outdoors and took on only about 3 inches of permanent stretch. The Smartstraps 390 finished a close second at 3.6 and is the strongest jacketed cord at a foot at 14.6 lb, but that is also the end of its travel; if the load needs more than 12 inches of give, it is the wrong cord. SGT Knots is the steadiest of the group over time, losing 28.6% at a foot and 24.6% at 2 feet after nine months, and the Nite Ize was the only product in the entire test to lose nothing at full stretch, reading 13.2 lb against 13 lb when new.
Two findings should shape any purchase. First, price per cord predicts durability far better than it predicts strength: both 50-cent cords were among the worst performers after nine months, with the Horusdy disintegrating entirely and the HyperTough sagging roughly 11 inches and dropping to zero force at 18 inches of stretch. Second, solid EPDM rubber buys enormous strength and tells you nothing about weather life — the Haul-Master EPDM, XSTRAP EPDM and Keeper EPDM all cracked apart before nine months were up, and the Haul-Master EPDM also gives back more than half its force in the first day under load despite being the strongest cord in the test on day one. For an indoor or short-term job, almost any of these will do and the cheap multipacks are fine. For anything that lives outside, the Amazing Straps EPDM and the HDX are the two that earned it.