The Edelrid Boa Eco 9.8mm is one of the best climbing ropes and it is also sustainably made. It provides a supple feel and is suitable for top roping, sport climbing, and trad climbing.
We first used the 40 meter Boa Eco as an indoor climbing rope. We first fell in love with the rope because of the unique color pattern made from leftover yarns. But came to enjoy its ease of use when we were clipping bolts and its smooth feed while we were belaying.
Edelrid Boa Eco Review
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Pros
- Sustainable nylon sheath made from recyclable materials
- Every sheath pattern is unique due to being made from recycled yarns
- We experienced a soft catch thanks to the rope stretch during our testing
- Commonly available at REI and other outdoor gear stores at affordable prices
- Available in a variety of lengths (40m, 60m, and 70m)
- The Edelrid Boa Eco fed very well through our GriGri and other assisted braking devices
Cons
- When lowering fast the rope did cause some pain in our hands
- The rope did get twisty quickly just from gym climbing
- Not bi-patterned or dry treated
- We found some concerns with the abrasion resistance of the sheath on granite
Edelrid Boa Eco 9.8mm Tech Specs
| Weight | 62 g/m |
| Diameter | 9.8mm |
| Sheath Proportion | 40% |
| Static Elongation | 9.3% |
| Dynamic Elongation | 32% |
| Material | Polyamide |
| Bluesign Certified | Yes |
| Rope Style | Dynamic |
| Rope Type | Single Rope |
| Middle Marking | Yes |
| Available Lengths | 40m, 60m, 70m |
| Dry Treated | No |
| Sheath Construction | Nylon |
Features
- Unique sheath colors and pattern on every rope
- This rope is made using sustainable practices. Edelrid puts a lot of money towards producing and innovating on sustainable climbing gear
- Treated with the Edelrid Thermo Shield treatment which helps keep the rope supple and compact.
One of my favorite features on the Boa Eco is that every single rope has a different sheath color and pattern.
Thanks to the sustainable practices Edelrid follows when they construct the Boa Eco, they use left over nylon yarns during sheath construction. Every time a new rope is made, the color and pattern of the sheath is randomly determined just due to whatever is leftover at the factory.
Edelrid Thermo Shield Treatment
The Boa Eco also goes through the Edelrid Thermo Shield treatment. In my mind, this treatment reminds me of heat shrinking a solder sleeve around a solder joint.
Edelrid ropes go through this heat treatment to help fuse the sheath of the rope to its core. The treatment will make the rope more compact and prevent any shrinkage in the future.
In our testing, we found that we didn’t have any issues feeding the rope through a GriGri as the rope got more use. I think the treatment played a huge part in keeping it compact throughout the rope’s lifespan.
Click For Best PriceHandling
The Edelrid Boa Eco handles well out of the packaging. We didn’t have any issues with the rope being slippery or too stiff.
Our figure of eight knots were easy to tie and they were well dressed and compact. We primarily used our Boa Eco as an indoor climbing rope. The main knots we tied in it were the figure of eight follow through, double fisherman, and a barrel stopper knot.
One downside of the Boa Eco is that the rope did cause some pain in our hands when lowering. For whatever reason, the sheath felt a little fuzzier than other ropes we’ve used and that caused some slight friction burn on our hand when lowering. This is easily mitigated by using belay gloves. But it’s something to keep in mind. This never caused an issue when we were climbing and clipping.
Durability
We primarily tested this rope as an indoor sport climbing rope and we found it to be a durable rope for our use case.
This rope is 9.8mm which helps give it extra durability and longevity. Modern climbing ropes have followed a trend where they get thinner and thinner. The first rope I bought was 10.1mm and my current workhorse rope is 9.5mm.
One downside we found with the Edelrid Boa Eco was that we did find some fuzzy nylon strands on the sheath. Every rope is going to develop fuzzies, but since we primarily tested our 40 meter Boa Eco indoors, we felt it was worth making a note. If you plan on doing a lot of outdoor climbing with the Boa Eco, then be aware you may develop some fuzz quicker than expected.
Click For Best PriceWeight
The Boa Eco weighs 62 grams per meter which comes in at ~5.5 pounds (40M), 8 pounds (60m), and 9.5 pounds (70m).
It is not the lightest climbing rope on the market. Thinner ropes, which means a small diameter, can weigh much less, 56 or even 51 grams per meter. To calculate the total weight, multiply the grams per meter by your total rope length.
In my experience, I will sacrifice extra length if it means more longevity in my climbing rope. Especially if the rope is dedicated for training like the Edelrid Boa Eco I used was. If you’re looking for a redpoint rope or weight is a crucial ranking factor in your search, check out ropes with a thinner diameter.
Catch
The Boa Eco provides a soft catch thanks to how stretchy it is out of the packaging.
It has a dynamic elongation value of 32%. This value is determined by a test performed in the lab by the manufacturer. A climbing rope must have a value less than 40% but greater than 10%.
When I fell on the Boa Eco, the fall always felt soft and I never spiked hard into the wall. Two huge factors played a part in this. The first I attribute to the quality of catch provided by the Boa Eco. The second is that my wife is my belayer (and the best belayer) and she weighs much less than I do.
My wife has fallen on the Boa Eco many times and also experienced soft catches every time despite me weighing at least 60 pounds more than her. I don’t consider myself the best belayer in the world, but I would do my best to provide a soft catch.
Value
Click For Best PriceThe Edelrid Boa Eco provides a ton of value for the cost. The 70 meter version of this rope will cost under $200
It is one of the more affordable ropes on the market and it has all the functionality and durability you get with other ropes. Best of all, environmentally conscious climbers will be pleased to see the sustainable practices followed by Edelrid when they are producing their ropes.
Belaying
The primary belay device we used during our testing was the Petzl GriGri, but we also tested with the Wild Country Revo and the Petzl Reverso.
The rope fed smoothly through all of the devices tested. One complaint we did have was with the Wild Country Revo. Since this specific belay device does not have a lot of friction when lowering, we did feel some chafing and burn when lowering. But this was easily mitigated with belay gloves.
But we did not run into any other issues when belaying with the Boa Eco. It fed smoothly through our devices and did not get stuck in any devices.
Versatility
We found the Boa eco to be a rope that is versatile enough to handle top roping, sport climbing, and trad climbing.
But since other ropes can come in a bi-pattern and with dry treated, there are better options suited for ice or alpine climbing. The Boa Eco would not be my first choice for any style of climbing where there is potential for the rope to get soaked.
Click For Best PriceFrequently Asked Questions
Yes the Edelrid Boa Eco is Bluesign certified due to its sustainable and environmentally conscious manufacturing process
The Boa Eco comes in a few different lengths: 40 meters, 60 meters, and 70 meters
It is a dynamic, single climbing rope that is suitable for top roping, sport climbing, or trad climbing.
