Every rope decision starts with fiber. This table is the whole category on one screen; the sections below give the one-line decision rule for each material.
The master table
| PP | PE | Nylon | Polyester | Cotton | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floats | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Relative strength | Low–mid | Low | Highest | High | Very low |
| Stretch | Moderate | Moderate–high | High (elastic) | Low | Low |
| UV resistance | Moderate* | Moderate* | Good | Excellent | Poor |
| Strength when wet | Unchanged | Unchanged | Reduced ~10–15% | Unchanged | Reduced; rots |
| Hand feel | Stiff | Soft | Smooth, dense | Firm | Softest |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Low | High | Mid–high | Low–mid |
* with UV stabilization, which should always be specified for outdoor use.
One-line decision rules
- Polypropylene — the default: cheap, floats, rot-proof. If no special requirement exists, PP usually wins on price.
- Polyethylene — the soft one: fishing, aquaculture, cold handling, all-day knot work.
- Nylon — the shock absorber: anchor, mooring and dock lines where elasticity protects hardware and boats.
- Polyester — the outdoor veteran: low stretch and the best UV life for flagpoles, rigging and permanent installations.
- Cotton — the natural one: decoration, crafts, pet products and packaging where feel beats strength.
- Blends & specialty — tuned recipes: PP/PE utility blends, polyester-cover floating ropes, electric fence polyrope with conductors.
What the table does not tell you
Material is half the specification. The other half is construction — a twisted and a double braided rope in the same fiber differ in strength, handling and price. See twisted vs braided rope, then build the full specification with the RFQ guide.