The Best Bungee Cord

Buying Guide

One very common and useful tool that you will find in garages and trunks all across the land is a bungee cord. When you need to strap something down to the roof of your car or on a travel trailer, the bungee cord steps up and gives you a perfect solution. Bungee cords have developed a lot since the days when they were simply one piece of thick, black rubber with a metal hook on each end. These days, you can get bungee cords in many useful sizes and configurations that can cater to your specific needs as the user.

Bungee cords are like stretchy ropes that have hooks on either end. If you want to tighten something down without using fancy knots, a bungee cord will usually get the job done in a simple and intuitive fashion.

The length of your bungee cord is very important in determining how effective it will be at various tasks. A bungee cord will stretch to a good tautness that is roughly 50% longer than its original length. That means a bungee cord that is 4 feet long might stretch safely to around 6 feet, where it will be nice and taught, which is when it’s working the best. If you stretch a bungee cord too far, you run the risk of breaking the rubber components inside and ruining the bungee cord, but it is usually very difficult to stretch one to that point, so don’t be scared to give it a good tug when you’re affixing it to something. If the cord is too loose, it might come undone while you’re driving, or during a wind storm, and the cord will fail to secure your items once it has fallen off.

The type and size of the hooks on the end of a bungee cord are not always the same and some may be better for your needs than others. A bungee cord with a cheap plastic end can be a liability of you’re securing something important with it. Look for hooks that are made from metal or have metal inside of their plastic covering if you desire something stronger. Some smaller or light-duty bungee straps have plastic hooks, and that can be perfectly fine when you don’t intend for much tension to be on the hooks themselves. For a more secure approach, some companies put carabiner-style hooks on the end of their bungees to give it a bit more security once it’s attached to something.

Some bungees are one continuous look of elastic roping that is affixed to a sold plastic ball at the end. These loop-style bungees are meant to feed through something like a tarp eyelet and secure it firmly to something like a fence post or railing. These are handy when you need them and sometimes you can find a few of these mixed into a multi-pack of the traditional style bungees, giving you the best of both worlds.

• Using bungee cords with plastic tips will save you from scratching the paint on a car or truck. Just be sure that the hooks are still sturdy and not made entirely from flimsy plastic
• Get a variety of sizes so you can choose the right one for the job. A loose bungee is not a secure bungee.
• A carrying case is a great addition if you’re looking for ease-of-use and portability. These can often fit nicely into your trunk or truck bed and be there whenever you need them.