When I accepted the review of the $19.99 Renpho Smart Jump Rope, nothing could prepare my calf muscles for the punishment they would endure while I tested the device. "Pfft," I thought, "skipping is easy." Well, how wrong could I be? Very, it turned out. Skipping is a punishing exercise, but it is also an excellent cardio workout, and I knew it would be a great facet to add to the post-COVID lockdown exercise regime I've undertaken recently, to shift some additional timber and get my fitness back up to scratch.

But, does a skipping rope need to be smart? Does this "smartness" bring anything else to the table? Let's take a closer look at Renpho's smart jump rope.

What's in the Box?

It probably isn't that difficult to guess what is going to be in the box before you even receive your jump rope. You get:

• Two handles
• One metal jump rope with plastic coating
• Two spring-buckle rope clamps
• Two rope aglets
• Two AAA batteries
• Quick start guide

And that is it, really. What more did you expect?!

Looks Like... a Jump Rope

I'm pretty sure everyone knows what a jump rope looks like, but for the avoidance of doubt, I'll describe the thing.

The handles come in black, with a non-slip foam grip covering to make sure you don't throw your skipping rope handle at the dog's head while you're frantically jumping into the air. The remains of the handles are black plastic, with a rotating eyelet at the end, through which you feed the rope.

One handle is a blank i.e. it doesn't do anything other than allow you to hold on to the rope and skip, so it has an eyelet at the end that rotates with the rope. The other handle features a clear LCD display which has several display modes—we'll talk about that later—and a power/mode button. The chamber for the AAA batteries is also in this handle, and you access it via a screw cap at the base of the handle. Again, at the top end is an eyelet to thread the rope through.

The rope is 3 meters (9.85 feet) long and is stainless steel coated in PVC. You can adjust this length to suit your height, and you pop the little aglets on the loose ends of the rope to finish the product off.

Thanks to these eyelets, the rope is adjustable, and when you install the rope and adjust it to the correct length for your height, you hold it in place with the clamps you get in the box.

The handles and rope are fairly lightweight. Other than all that, you've got a regular-looking jump rope.

How Does the Renpho Smart Jump Rope Work?

The concept of a smart jump rope is pretty simple. You jump, the rope counts your jumps for you. However, it isn't that basic, as the rope works alongside the Renpho Fit app, which you can use to track your skipping workouts automatically.

I'll explain the mechanics of the actual rope first. As mentioned, the smart handle has a rotating eyelet at the end. Every time you swing the rope one full revolution, the handle counts a jump on the LCD screen. Before starting your workout, you can select three different modes using the mode button; free jump, timed jump, and target jump.

The former allows you to jump as many times as you like, for as long as you like. The timed jump sets a time limit on your workout. Target jump obviously sets the number of jumps required, and you don't stop until you get there. You can use a different mode depending on your goals and how you want to incorporate the rope into your exercise regime.

When paired with the app, and using Bluetooth, the smart handle will send all the data from your jump rope to the app, which then allows you to see how close you are to your goals.

So, a pretty straightforward concept, with the addition of tech helping you keep on track with your exercises.

The Renpho Fit App

If you want to tailor your workout or keep tabs on how you've been performing with your jump rope, the app is where the magic happens. It is worth noting that the app will also read data from other Renpho smart exercise devices, like the treadmill and smart exercise bike, for a complete fitness experience.

First, you'll find the home screen. Here, you cen set and view weekly jump targets, activity time targets (i.e. how long you jump rope for in total per day/week) and set how many days you exercise for that week. As you can see, this is the start of a new week and I've completed my skipping work out today. I have set Monday-Friday as my workout days, with the weekend off, and I have skipped a total of seven times while I have been testing the device.

You can also see your accumulated jump time, with how many workouts you have completed, how many jumps you've completed, and how many calories you burn. These figures will keep growing the more you use the jump rope. You can also launch the free jump, time countdown, and numbers (jump) countdown from the home screen.

Aside from this, you can access fitness articles relating to Renpho devices, and also the "Me" page, which collects your devices together and also displays your cumulative data.

It is worth noting that you can connect the Renpho Fit app to Google Fit, allowing you to track it along with your other workouts, if you use the Google Fit app.

I like the app, as it is easy to navigate and tailor your workout depending on your intended goals.

Does the Renpho Smart Rope Work Well?

As far as a jump rope goes, the Renpho device does the business. Plus, the addition of the jump counter and exercise targets in the app is a real boon for tracking your workout, so you don't have to do it yourself. You might think "yeah, but you only have to count." While this is true, keeping your focus on the physical aspects of your exercise is paramount when you're working out. Lose focus, and you might find you hit a wall and don't want to continue.

So, in fact, the smart aspects of this rope are really handy. You don't need to worry about losing count if you miss a skip and stop for a second, or if fatigue sets in and you need a quick breather. Plus, with all the data collected in-app, you can see how you are progressing with your jump rope exercises, and modify your goals as you become more proficient.

In practical terms, I found the rope to be an excellent addition to my new exercise regime. I'm not at the level where I can use it for extended periods of time, but I know I'll get there and I can use the app to gee me along with my targets when I feel despondent about exercising. With that in mind, I have been using the rope as a warm-up prior to getting on the exercise bike, which I then follow up with some core exercises (planking, basically).

I set myself an achievable target of 200 skips a day, which is enough to get the heart pumping and warm up the leg muscles prior to hopping on the bike. It is also easy to complete 200 skips pretty quickly, so you're warmed up for your next exercise in a few minutes. The more you practice, the faster you'll get, obviously.

Skipping, as I said, is excellent cardio exercise but without the physical impact of, say, running on concrete. As someone who struggles with persistent knee problems due to wear and tear in my youth, I find skipping to be a great way to warm up that won't put my knees under any undue stress (a reason I chose the exercise bike over running). Skipping also burns hella calories, and you'll find out why when you first use a jump rope to exercise. It is hard work, but power through it and you should start to see the results of your graft; a great incentive to continue jumping rope.

There are extended benefits to having a smart jump rope that go beyond its actual use as a jump rope. If you still don't feel comfortable heading to the gym given that COVID is still very much around, or you don't feel confident heading to the gym just yet, then you can bring the gym to your bedroom or backyard. The addition of the smart features makes it like a gym workout, where you can track your activity on the running machine or exercise bike, for example.

Or if you're like me and will make any excuse not to use your gym membership (now expired), then the smart rope removes some excuses from your repertoire, like "I can't be bothered leaving the house to go to the gym before or after working all day," which is my go-to. Obviously, there's no guarantee that you'll then use the rope, but it means you can work out at home, is the point I'm making.

I have one gripe about the device, and that is the power source. Unless you recycle batteries, these AAAs you're loading the smart rope up with will end up in landfill, causing untold destruction as they leak heavy metals and other harmful chemicals into the environment. I can't help but feel that the screw cap on the end of the smart handle could instead be a USB Type-C socket, so you can charge the smart rope via USB instead. Sure, it might bump the price up a notch, but it is way more convenient and much better for the environment. Of course, you can also pop some rechargeable ones in after these are used.

So, to answer the question, yes, I believe the Renpho Smart Jump Rope works really well, especially for someone who struggles with the commitment required to hit the gym and throw myself into exercise with gusto. Now I can use the rope as part of my home workout, and I don't have to step foot in a gym building, or sign up to a gym membership either!

Renpho Smart Jump Rope: A Great Addition to Your Exercise Regime

There we have it; if you're looking for an inexpensive way to add something new to your exercise regime, or you want to track your jump rope exercises, then the Renpho Smart Jump Rope represents an excellent option. Just remember that, if you haven't jumped rope for exercise before, you might find it difficult at first. But, keep going and you'll see the results you want to see. If you want to get started on some cardio that is easy on the knees, skipping is the way to go.

Oh, and always keep a few spare rechargeable AAA batteries close to hand.