I had cheap one from Walmart, but with consistent use against concrete you will wear away the plastic surrounding the rope. There is really no way around this as over time any material will be worn away. But this year I needed one for myself and a few as inexpensive stocking-stuffers for other. I ordered these jump ropes from amazon and after trying them out, I really like them. First, they are FAST. Second, they are really easy to adjust the length as it only took me about 30 seconds for each side; unscrew and remove the cap, pull the excess through, then retighten and rescrew. Third, the weight feels evenly placed on both sides and the grips help keep them firmly in place. My kids seem to like them too although the speed on these really whips them around, so it may take some time to adjust. Overall, I'd get them again.