Which Bungee Cord And Tie-down Strap Brand Wins?
A head-to-head test of 15 bungee cord and tie-down strap options with the measured results for each. See how they ranked and watch the full test video.
Amazing Straps EPDM tie-down strap
Price shown in test: $30 for 10 straps or $3 each
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Weight | New strength at 6/12/18/24 in of stretch | 9 month UV exposure | Post-UV strength at 12/18/24 in | 24 hour sustained 12in stretch test | Chemical resistance (brake parts cleaner, +12 hours) | Average finish (EPDM strap group) | Average finish (regular bungee cord group) | New strength at 6/12 in of stretch | Post-UV strength at 12 in | Post-UV strength at 12/18 in | New strength at 6/12/18 in of stretch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Amazing Straps EPDM tie-down strap$30 for 10 straps or $3 each | 128 g | 27.8 lb / 36 lb / 50.8 lb / 71.2 lb (best of all brands at 12, 18, and 24 in) | survived with no visible cracks in the rubber on either side; about 7 in of permanent stretch | 24 lb (33.3% loss, best of the EPDM straps) / 44 lb (best yet) / 64 lb (best for solid rubber straps, only 10.1% loss) | continued to perform well at 24.4 lb | very little change, from 24.4 to 24.2 lb | 1.6, best of the EPDM/tarp-strap group | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Husky EPDM tie-down strap$1.50 each | 136 g (heaviest of all brands tested) | 21.8 lb / 34.6 lb / 51.2 lb / 63 lb (second most at 24 in behind the Haul-Master strap) | the first EPDM cord to survive the 9 month test intact; about 5.5 in of permanent stretch; lots of smaller cracks in the rubber | 14.4 lb (about half original) / 23.6 lb / 34.4 lb (about half original strength) | dropped 20% to 27.8 lb | lost less than 1 lb, to 27.2 lb | 2.1, second in the EPDM/tarp-strap group | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 3Haul-Master EPDM tie-down strap (21 in)$14 for 20 straps or 70 cents each | 92 g | 32.6 lb (strongest of all brands at 6 in) / 40.8 lb (strongest EPDM strap at 12 in) / 68.8 lb / 79 lb (described as over stretched at this point) | did not survive; rubber developed very large cracks | not tested | not tested | not tested | counted as a broken strap, treated as a fifth place finish per the narrator's scoring convention | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 4Keeper EPDM tie-down strap$36 for 20 straps or $1.80 each | 112 g | 17.8 lb / 26.2 lb / not stated (see note) / 43.6 lb (described as dropping fast at this point) | did not survive; a lot of very small cracks in the rubber | not tested | only dropped 8.4% to 24 lb, best percentage result of the EPDM group at this specific test | lost just over 2 lb | counted as a broken strap, treated as a fifth place finish per the narrator's scoring convention | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 5Xstrap EPDM tie-down strap (21 in)$28 for 20 straps or $1.40 each | 114 g | 13.8 lb / 21.2 lb / 28.4 lb / 40 lb | did not survive, though with a bunch of smaller cracks rather than the large cracks seen on the Haul-Master strap | not tested | dropped from 21.2 to 14.2 lb | lost 2 lb, to 12.2 lb | counted as a broken strap, treated as a fifth place finish per the narrator's scoring convention | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 6HDX regular bungee cord$14 for four straps or $3.50 each | 54 g (lightest of all brands tested) | 6.4 lb / 9 lb / 11.2 lb / 15.2 lb | survived with the least color fade of all brands up to that point in the narration; only about 3 in of permanent stretch, the best (least) yet | 5 lb / 6.6 lb / 9 lb | only dropped 11% to 8 lb | no change, held at 8 lb | not tested | 3.4, best of the regular bungee cord group | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 7Smart Straps regular bungee cord$8 for two straps or $4 each | 56 g | not tested | survived, some color fading, about 3 in of stretch (very close to HDX); maxed out again at 12 in but now reading 16.4 lb, about 2 lb more than new, attributed to jacket shrinkage | not tested | dropped from 14.6 to 6.4 lb | dropped from 6.4 to 5.8 lb | not tested | 3.6, a very close second to HDX in the regular bungee cord group | 5.8 lb / 14.6 lb, described as stretched to the limit/maxed out at 12 in, so 18 and 24 in were not tested for this brand | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 8Sgt Knots regular bungee cord$16 for four straps or $4 each | 84 g | 5.6 lb / 8.4 lb / 10.6 lb / 13 lb | survived in very good condition, about 4 in of stretch | 6 lb (28.6% loss) / 8.2 lb / 9.8 lb (24.6% loss) | dropped from 8.4 to 6.2 lb (once referred to in transcript as 'Sargeant Outdoors', an evident naming drift for the same brand) | dropped from 6.2 to 5.8 lb | not tested | fourth place in the regular bungee cord group | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 9Nite Ize regular bungee cord$4 each | 82 g | 5.6 lb / 8.2 lb / 10.2 lb / 13 lb | survived, slightly more fading than HDX but better than most other brands, about 4.5 in of stretch | 4.4 lb (about half original strength) / 7.2 lb / 13.2 lb (no loss in holding force versus new, attributed to the integrated steel-hook jacket providing support) | only dropped 17% to 6.8 lb | dropped from 6.8 to 6 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 10Rhino USA regular bungee cord$26 for 28 cords or 93 cents each | 74 g | 8.2 lb / 11.4 lb / 16 lb / 31.4 lb (described as over stretched at this point) | described as in the best shape of all brands up to that point in the narration; about 7 in of permanent stretch | not tested | dropped from 11.4 to 7 lb | dropped from 7 to 6.2 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | 6 lb, described as very close to breaking | not tested | not tested |
| 11Cartman regular bungee cord$15 for 24 bungee cords or 63 cents each | 70 g | 8.8 lb / 13 lb / 17.8 lb / 27.2 lb (best yet at 2 ft, at that point in the narration) | badly faded but held up better than Hyper Tough; about 9 in of permanent stretch; broke before reaching 24 in in the post-UV retest | not tested | dropped from 13 to 7.4 lb | dropped from 7.4 to 7 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 4 lb / 6.4 lb (about to break) | not tested |
| 12Haul-Master round bungee cord with spring gate hook$3 each | 64 g | 6.4 lb / 9.2 lb / 13.6 lb / 28.2 lb | survived with plenty of elasticity remaining, quite a bit of fading, about 5 in of stretch; gave up before reaching 24 in in the post-UV retest | not tested | dropped by about half, to 20 lb (see note on brand identity) | dropped from 6.2 to 5.8 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 6.2 lb / 13.6 lb | not tested |
| 13Stalwart regular bungee cord$10 for 12 cords or 83 cents each | 74 g | 4.4 lb / 6 lb / 8 lb / 11.2 lb (narrator notes this brand offers a lot of stretch at low strength) | did not survive; started off bright red, badly faded, rubber degraded and breaks when stressed | not tested | dropped from 6 to 4.6 lb | dropped from 4.6 to 4.4 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 14Hyper Tough regular bungee cord20 bungee cords for $10 or 50 cents each | 70 g | not tested | survived intact but jacket badly faded; about 11 in of permanent stretch | not tested | dropped from 6.8 to 3 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | 1.2 lb (down from 6.8 lb new) / 0 lb (down from 18.2 lb new) | 4.2 lb / 6.8 lb / 18.2 lb; broke before reaching 24 in of stretch when new |
| 15Horusdy regular bungee cord (24 in)$15 for 30 bungee cords or 50 cents each | 74 g | 3.6 lb / 5.8 lb / 9 lb / 21.8 lb (described as over stretched at this point) | did not survive; completely disintegrated | not tested | dropped from 5.8 to 4.6 lb (once referred to in transcript as 'Horze Ski', an evident naming drift for the same brand) | remained the same at 4.6 lb | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
How it was tested
- new-condition tensile strength at 6, 12, 18, and 24 in of stretch (force in lb)
- 9 month outdoor direct-sunlight UV exposure test (survival, permanent stretch, and post-exposure force at 12/18/24 in)
- 24 hour sustained 12in stretch test on fresh cords (force retained/percent loss)
- chemical resistance test (brake parts cleaner sprayed on the cords from the 24 hour test, force checked 12 hours later)
Data notes and caveats
This video tests two distinct sub-categories of stretch cord under one umbrella: 5 EPDM flat tie-down straps (Amazing Straps, Husky, Haul-Master strap, Keeper, Xstrap) and roughly 9 regular round bungee cords (HDX, Smart Straps, Sgt Knots, Nite Ize, Rhino USA, Cartman, a second unlisted round-cord Haul-Master product, Stalwart, Hyper Tough, Horusdy). The narrator gives separate average-finish rankings for each sub-category rather than one combined winner: Amazing Straps topped the EPDM strap group (average finish 1.6, Husky second at 2.1, with Haul-Master strap/Keeper/Xstrap all breaking during the 9 month UV test and being scored as automatic fifth-place finishes); HDX topped the regular bungee cord group (average finish 3.4, Smart Straps a close second at 3.6, Sgt Knots fourth). Because there are two clear but separate sub-category winners rather than one overall winner, winner/runnerUp/budgetPick are left null per the per-use-case convention, with both sub-category results preserved in the relevant products' notes. All price-per-unit math checks out internally with no garbled digits (verified by dividing every stated total price by its stated unit count). All UV-exposure and 24-hour percent-loss figures the narrator states were independently cross-checked by this extraction against the corresponding new-versus-exposed force values and match. Notably, the transcript contains TWO physically distinct products both called Haul-Master/Hallmaster from Harbor Freight: a flat 21in EPDM tie-down strap (14 dollars for 20, 92g, new 12in force 40.8 lb, broke during the UV test) and a separate round rubber bungee cord with a spring gate hook (3 dollars each, 64g, new 12in force 9.2 lb, survived the UV test). The description's single Haul-Master product link does not disambiguate which of the two it points to; both are recorded as separate product entries here since their specs never overlap and both receive full, independently trackable data throughout the video. The Keeper brand's 18in new-strength value is missing from the transcript due to an apparent caption dropout ('and and pounds at 18 in') and was left out rather than guessed.