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Aside from being incredibly useful, paracord bracelets are also increasingly popular among veterans and civilians alike. Originally designed for use with parachutes during WWII, paracord has since found its home as the do-it-all survival rope for anyone looking to leave the beaten path. Made from nylon or polyester, paracord is a braided sheath with as little as one or up to 48 core strands depending on the strength rating. This makes a paracord a versatile rope and, since it’s available in tons of colors, it makes great bracelets. In addition, paracord bracelets can be weaved or knotted into fancy designs with varying colors and accessories.
To help you always remain prepared, we examined some of the best paracord bracelets on the market. Read on and find out which of the best paracord bracelets is right for you.
- Best Overall: The Friendly Swede Trilobite
- Best Value: X-Plore Emergency Bracelets
- Most Patriotic: TRU550 American Flag
- Honorable Mention: Nexfinity One Survival Bracelet
- Best Shackle: The Friendly Swede Cobra
- Best Watchband: Onewly Watch Band
- Best Apple Watchband: Kordiz Explorer
- Best Beginning Kit: Werewolves Kit
- Best Jig Kit: BBTO Jig Kit
Methodology
I’m a bit of a paracord hobbyist and made my first cobra bracelet in 2009 with OD green 550 cord and a button from a pair of old cammies that I cut the center out of. Since then, I’ve made bracelets, keychains, dog collars, and a dog leash in varying patterns and colors. Throughout my hobbying, I’ve spent countless hours reading the resources at Paracord Planet and watching videos by professionals like Weavers of Eternity.
When selecting the products for this best paracord review, I specifically looked at the quality of each bracelet to see how consistent the weaves are and for a clean finish. I combined my personal knowledge and experience with customer reviews for good measure. The research and selection process was similar to work I’ve done in my previous articles on backpacking sleeping pads and camping chairs.
If you’re looking to build or improve your survival kits, Task & Purpose’s library has great selections including emergency food kits, survival radios, wilderness survival books, and, of course, survival knives. You can read more about how Task & Purpose gear reviews work here.
Best Overall
The Friendly Swede Trilobite
Best Value
X-Plore Emergency Bracelets
Most Patriotic
TRU550 American Flag
Honorable Mention
Nexfinity One Survival Bracelet
Best Shackle
The Friendly Swede Cobra
Best Watchband
Onewly Watch Band
Best Apple Watchband
Kordiz Explorer
Best Beginner Kit
Werewolves Kit
Best Jig Kit
BBTO Jig Kit
Our verdict on best paracord bracelets
With two entries on our list, The Friendly Swede offers the best quality choices with the trilobite and cobra bracelets. Emergency preparedness has never been easier with the X-Plore Emergency Bracelets and Nexfinity One Survival Bracelet. You can express your patriotism in style with the TRU550 American Flag bracelet. If you don’t want more to wear, you can utilize the Kordiz Explorer or Onewly Watch Band in lieu of the band that came with your watch. And, of course, you can jump down the rabbit hole of paracord hobbying with the Werewolves Kit and BBTO Jig Kit.
What to consider when buying paracord bracelets
When anyone says “paracord,” it undoubtedly brings up images of the seven-strand, 550-pound rated version most of these bracelets are made from. There are other sizes and different types of material that fall under the paracord label, too. To ensure you’ve got the best survival cord available, let’s take a look.
Types of paracord bracelets
Mil-spec
To start with, there is paracord made to military specifications and paracord that isn’t. One of the key requirements is that the cord be made from nylon. For the 550-rated paracord, there must be seven to nine core strands as well. Unless your cord is marked, it can be difficult to clearly identify paracord as mil-spec.
Nylon
Having been around for many decades, nylon is commonly found in clothing and various other products. It is a plastic-based fiber that is stronger than other naturally occurring fibers. Nylon will melt when exposed to a flame.
Polyester
Another synthetic fiber, polyester, is often cheaper than nylon. This is the material of choice for lesser-quality paracords as it’s more affordable. The downside is that it isn’t as strong as nylon, which is why polyester paracord doesn’t cut the mil-spec mustard.
Key features of a paracord bracelet
Diameter
There is a direct correlation between the paracord’s diameter and its strength. Common 550 cord features seven core strands and a four-millimeter diameter. That’s smaller than the ¼-inch shock cord available that has 48 core strands. The extra core strands enable the shock cord to hold up to 1,200 pounds, much stronger than the common 550-pound rated cord. Inversely, nano cord is only 0.75 millimeters in diameter with a make rating of 35 pounds. Paracord Planet has a great comparison chart for more details.
Weave
When you look at paracord bracelets, the weave or knot pattern is what stands out first. There are countless ways to tie paracord. It can be used for almost anything you can imagine, including aesthetically impressive bracelet patterns. Typical patterns for bracelets are cobra, trilobite, king cobra, solomon, fishtail, and more.
Clasp
How the bracelet secures to your wrist can be just as important. The most common clasps are plastic buckles. These are cheap and effective, but they’re not ideal for rapid deployment. Shackles are a neater-looking clasp that enables rapid deployment and can even be used (depending on the shackle’s ratings) for survival scenarios. Cobra buckles are less common as they’re more expensive.
Accessories
Paracord bracelets can have any number of accessories built into them or attached to them. Common accessories are compasses, flint and strikers, emergency whistles, charms, and dog tags.
Pricing of paracord bracelets
Any price tag can be added to paracord bracelets, which is why you need to be aware of what you’re buying. Any paracord bracelet priced higher than $20 needs to cure cancer or fund something just as important. If you’re looking at something priced under $10, then you’ll want to double-check the details to ensure you’re getting quality material. The goldilocks zone is between those price ranges and is where you should look at buying from.
Tips and tricks
As with something you do for decades upon decades, you pick up a few tips and tricks along the way in terms of selecting the right product, and/or using it. That’s the case with us and paracord bracelets. To help you bridge the information gap, here’s a selection of what we’ve learned along the way.
- Using a lighter to burn the ends of paracord keeps the core intact.
- Removing the core strands allows the sheath to be tied tighter on tools.
- The core strands can be used as fishing line.
- Paracord makes great bootlaces.
- The paracord’s sheath can be used on dog tag chains to silence them.
FAQs about paracord bracelets
You’ve got questions. Task & Purpose has answers!
Q: How can you use paracord bracelets?
A: Paracord and its core strands are perfect for survival tasks like setting snares/traps, fishing, creating shelter, or starting a fire. You can really use it for any task you need rope for, even replacing bootlaces.
Q: How can you wash your paracord bracelet?
A: Since I’ve only ever worn dark-colored paracord bracelets, I’ve never had to wash mine. That being said, the Paracord Guild has some great tips on keeping your fancy paracord fancy.
Q: How much weight will the paracord hold?
A: This depends on the thickness and rating of the cord. Common paracord is capable of holding up to 550 pounds.
Q: What do paracord bracelets represent?
A: They can represent anything the wearer wants them to. Typically, there are accessories added to give the bracelets meaning, but color choices and patterns can also indicate a meaning.
Q: Do soldiers wear paracord bracelets?
A: Some do, it depends on unit and branch uniform regulations, though. While I was on active duty between 2006 and 2011, we were allowed to wear black, OD green, or coyote brown paracord bracelets while in uniform.