Product test
My Ohropax odyssey: is a pillow with a hole the solution?
by Darina Schweizer
This wireless skipping rope is a strange solution to an inexistent problem
12/11/2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
A jump rope that doesn’t have a rope puts a smile on my face. But as is often the case with love at first click, a reality check revealed that it’s actually pretty rubbish. Yet the solution would be so simple and is even included in the delivery.
A courageous approach
Rope skipping is no exception. After all, the rope’s a pivotal part of it. Namely the part that’s used to rhythmically jump over, accelerate by the wrists and rotate around your body without getting it entangled. Leaving out the eponymous part is bold, as this means losing a large slice of its raison d’être. In other words, the actual goal of the exercise is now no longer attainable.
Solution looking for a problem
To create a problem, this skipping rope relies on a display and a story. The display that spits out information when it detects movement seems to serve as justification for holding two handles but no rope. And the story creates the problem that justifies said solution without a rope.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the following situation: no sooner have you started your indoor workout than your conventional skipping rope takes down a vase before accidentally strangling your cat. Wherever a rope let loose could pose a risk, a wireless version will avert any such accidents. It won’t destroy anything. At most, your self-respect. So let’s get stuck in. Time to unbox this beast.
Less wire, less fun
Admittedly, the elegant blue packaging is appealing. But as soon as it’s open, it exudes that unpleasant plastic odour you’d expect from looking at the picture. The set includes two handles, one of which features a display with four buttons the size of a grain of rice.
With them, you can enter how many times you’d like to jump over the rope that isn’t there, or how long you’d like to jump for. It also wants to know your weight, so it can display a value for the calories you might have burned. As a bonus, so to speak.
In addition, the box includes two cable-like rope replacement bobbles, the ends of which are threaded into the handles. So strictly speaking, the skipping rope isn’t wireless, but simply requires less wire. The best bit seems to be the spare battery. A wee screwdriver completes the package.
My express test reveals that skipping with two pom-poms makes me feel so daft I stop after fifteen seconds. And that was without anyone watching me. Having said that, it didn’t feel completely phoney to be hurling two balls around instead of a rope. You can definitely pretend you’re jumping rope. But it’s void of any joy and therefore pointless.
There’s no whizzing through the air, no slaps to the ground. All the handles do is sit sadly in your hands. It’s a dry run, like swimming strokes on the beach.
Take a running jump
And so, this short test would end with the suspected disappointment. If there weren’t something else in the box – a rope! It’s a rope reminiscent of a power cable and could prove to be a real killer feature. So, after quickly replacing the bobbles with a rope, lo and behold, this thing suddenly makes sense and is also a coordinative challenge. Mikamax should advertise more aggressively that there’s a rope included. It’s a game changer.
But since the selling point is precisely no rope, I’m getting a second opinion and putting the two bobble handles in the hands of my seven-year-old son. He waves them around as he jumps about before stopping dead in his tracks and looking at me with an uncomprehending look: «It’s no use without a rope». This makes me realise that the wireless rope isn’t necessarily for beginners either.
Despite this flop, I continue to look through Mikamax’s range with enthusiasm – from the «Angry Mama» to the branding iron for steaks to the mermaid tail blanket and so much more I’ve never dared to dream of. Bring on the festive season!
Michael Restin
Senior Editor
Michael.Restin@digitecgalaxus.chSimple writer and dad of two who likes to be on the move, wading through everyday family life. Juggling several balls, I'll occasionally drop one. It could be a ball, or a remark. Or both.
