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#550 Variations

550 Paracord is our most popular variety of paracord because it offers a great balance of strength and flexibility. It has countless uses and is perfect for crafting bracelets, repairing clothing, constructing handle wraps, and for hunting, fishing, and camping. For other paracord varieties, visit the paracord pull-down menu above, or visit our paracord comparison chart. Use 550 cord with: most of our plastic buckles, metal shackles, breakaway buckles, cord locks.

Certified type III paracord  •  550 lb tensile strength  •  4 mm diameter  •  7 inner strands

Paracord Sizing

Nano Micro Micro 90 95 275 325 425 550 650 Coreless 750 850 Battle 1/4" Para-Max 5/16" Para-Max
Type N/A N/A N/A I II II II III II IV IV IV IV IV
Strength 36 lbs 100 lbs 100 lbs 95 lbs 275 lbs 325 lbs 425 lbs 550 lbs 300 lbs 750 lbs 850 lbs 2650 lbs 1,200 lbs 3,000 lbs
Inner Strands 0 0 0 1 5 3 3 7 0 11 8 7 3 3
Diameter 0.03" (0.75mm) 0.05" (1.18mm) 0.05" (1.2mm) 0.07" (1.75mm) 0.09" (2.38mm) 0.12" (3mm) 0.12" (3mm) 0.16" (4mm) 0.20" (5mm) 0.16" (4mm) 0.18" (4.5mm) 0.22" (5.6mm) 0.25" (6.35mm) 0.31" (7.94mm)
Type Strength Inner Strands Diameter
Nano N/A 36 lbs 0 0.03" (0.75mm)
Micro N/A 100 lbs 0 0.05" (1.18mm)
Micro 90 N/A 100 lbs 0 0.05" (1.2mm)
95 I 95 lbs 1 0.07" (1.75mm)
275 II 275 lbs 5 0.09" (2.38mm)
325 II 325 lbs 3 0.12" (3mm)
425 II 425 lbs 3 0.12" (3mm)
550 III 550 lbs 7 0.16" (4mm)
650 Coreless II 300 lbs 0 0.20" (5mm)
750 IV 750 lbs 11 0.16" (4mm)
850 IV 850 lbs 8 0.18" (4.5mm)
Battle IV 2,650 lbs 7 0.22" (5.6mm)
1/4 inch Para-Max IV 1,200 lbs 3 0.25" (6.35mm)
5/16 inch Para-Max IV 3,000 lbs 3 0.31" (7.94mm)

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