Kinetic-X, a division of Sandy Cats just added a new addition to its current offering of recovery gear, the Hero Bridle.
We have already covered a review on their Ultimate Recovery Kit and the brand seems to be taking off given its affordable price point yet high-quality materials. Oleg, the founder of Kinetic-X, puts all of his recovery gear through extensive testing on Instagram, and his YouTube channel. In addition to that, his rig overview was recently featured on Trail4Runner.com as well. All that said, Oleg is no stranger to the community and those who follow him know he takes testing, and quality control to another level.
Table Of Contents
Hero Bridle
The new Hero Bridle is nothing short of impressive; 8′ in length, non-Stretch UHMWPE line, protective slip-cover, a double-wrapped sheath center point designed for use over sharp edges, standard recovery yanking, and more.
If you’re unfamiliar with bridles, they are used for connecting two recovery points on your frame or bumper. By connecting both eyelets of the bridle to a frame-mounted bumper and yanking from a center point, the load is distributed in equal amounts (depending on the direction you yank from). They’re typically safer, and easier on the vehicle, its parts, and passengers. We talk more about bridles in our 5th Gen 4Runner recovery points post and the MasterPull review post.
Initial Review
We tested the Hero Bridle as it’s intended to be used; both eyelets connected to both d-rings on the bumper – yanking from the center point of the rope. After the first few yanks – we were impressed. No noticeable problems and no complaints. The tension is much tighter than my MasterPull bridle – which is what you want. The sheath covering the unit is nice if you were to drag it through the dirt with sharp objects. It’s also nice for looping around sharp objects; frame rails, wheels, a-arms, etc. The heat shrink around the eyelets is high quality. At least 1/8″ thick, unlike the 1/16″ or even 1/32″ thick heat shrink found on our Amazon bridle. The eyelets, although not dipped seem to be woven with incredibly tight material. All in all, at first glance, this is a killer product.
Overview
Think of it like a large soft shackle… but bigger and more universal. This rope can be used for a variety of applications. You can wrap it around almost anything; lower A-arms, frame rail, wheels, recovery points, other recovery ropes, trees as a tree saver for winching, and more. The Kinetic-X Hero Bridle is the ultimate universal tool for vehicle recovery and towing. With its short length yet high strength, this rope really can be used almost anywhere for a variety of yanking and towing applications. No one else makes a product quite like it. Let’s take a look at why it’s so different.
Applications:
- Wrap Around Multi-Functional Recovery Strap
- Engineered to Wrap Around Anything
- Designed for Yanking & Towing
- Extended Soft Shackle
- Reliable Recovery Bridle
- Extension for Towing
- Extension for Winching
- Secondary Tree Saver Rope
Specifications
- Length: 8 feet
- Diameter: Available in 3/4″ or 1/2″
- Minimum Break Strength: 3/4″ – 58,000 lbs., 1/2″ – 29,000 lbs.
- Material: Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene and a thick winch line for maximum durability.
- Functionality: Serving as both a recovery bridle and extension, it offers versatility for a wide range of recovery scenarios.
- Design Features: Protective sleeve for smooth angle transitions and a reinforced center portion for enhanced metal edge protection.
- Static System: Static system ensures that anchors remain static, optimizing performance during recoveries by concentrating stretch only on the kinetic rope.
Why Kinetic-X?
After testing many ropes over the last 10+ years, it’s easy to spot the good ropes from the bad ropes. Kinetic-X makes some killer products. We have tested their Ultimate Recovery Kit and that is one impressive collection of gear; Hitch Hero Soft Shackle, standard soft shackles, and recovery rope. When compared to ropes on the market around the same price point, it’s clear that the Kinetic-X line stands out for its exceptional quality and safety standards. Oleg has taken a proactive approach, prioritizing durability and reliability before moving to market all without compromising affordability.
Certification
Kinetic-X doesn’t just say it’s great – they back it up with rigorous testing. Head over to Oleg’s Instagram and watch countless videos of him and his team testing their gear. It’s almost overkill – we get it, it’s great stuff that can take a beating (in a good way). Regular field tests showcased on their Instagram (@KineticX_Ropes) provide insights into the product’s performance under extreme conditions. Finally, all Kinetic-X products are certified by CERTEX in California, ensuring compliance with stringent safety standards that you can trust.
Manufacturing
While the preference for American-made products is always appreciated, Kinetic-X ropes are manufactured in China and meticulously certified in the USA to maintain quality standards. The approach ensures high-quality products while accommodating a lower price point.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a new bridle or universal tool for your vehicle recovery equipment, the Hero Bridle is the answer.
Compared to even some of the USA-made products like Yankum and Masterpull, Kinetic-X offers a completely new design, at a lower price point. At the same time ushers in unmatched durability, versatility, and safety features.
Whether you’re handling consistent recoveries or just looking to stay prepared, this proves to be a great tool.
You should be making it clear to your readers that 8′ isn’t really long enough for a bridle that is going to be used on a multi-point recovery. You can learn the physics here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V13ARMYoAos
For a 4Runner, you should have a bridle that’s closer to 5M / 15FT to prevent vehicle damage, which is why companies like Yankum Ropes bridles are 15FT.
I think a 1″ would be more appropriate as well.
Easy… we use UHMWP. Yankum uses Nylon. Their rope can’t take same bend radius and in reality can be damaged even if your super safe with it due to material used. We basically use a very very thick soft shackle. In real testing we get about 48K break strength when you half the rope. Yankum gets less due to Nylon (assuming based on their website recommendations). Only reason we created this bridle is because we believe a bridle is an anchor point and should be static with no kinetic energy… and Yankum and factor 55 both use nylon putting kinetic energy into a system that shouldn’t have kinetic energy. PS. Our new bridles are 10’ long. We did this to accommodate wider recovery points on tow trucks.
You should watch the video. This isn’t just about bend radius, but about the angle created when the bridle is attached to 2 frame points and a tow point. If the resulting angle is too shallow, the force put on the frame will be sufficient to damage the frame of the vehicle being towed. Hence the need for a longer rope.
Good article. For what it’s worth…I’ve used my heavy duty 10’ tree strap often as a bridle and it has served me well. However I have not tested it with extreme kinetic pulls. Something to consider.
I don’t have one of these in my gear bag but it’s definitely something that is needed now.