Optojump is a lab optical reference system. Plyomat is the affordable force-based field mat. Same goal, measuring jump height, contact time, and RSI, but two very different tools. Here is an honest, non-disparaging look at where each one fits, so you can match the system to how you actually test.
Optojump (made by Microgate in Bolzano, Italy) is an optical, optoelectronic timing system. Two bars hold 96 LEDs each, projecting an infrared grid about 1 cm off the floor at 1000 Hz with 1 ms precision and roughly 1.04 cm resolution. It is the EU academic gold standard: heavily validated, multi-language software, and it measures flight time, contact time, and RSI, plus running and gait analysis. It is also PC or laptop tethered, needs LED-bar alignment and floor space, and the kit (bars, tripod, webcam) weighs around 10 kg.
Plyomat is a force-based contact mat. The athlete jumps on a polyurethane switch mat and the Controller 3.0 detects ground contact directly through force on the surface. It is dramatically more affordable, has no laptop (an on-device screen plus the free Plyomat 3.0 app give results in seconds), and it is a truly portable, drop-and-go mat with no LED alignment. It measures CMJ jump height, contact and ground time, RSI, and DRI (Dynamic Rebound Index), and it is independently force-plate validated.
Straight talk: this is not a like-for-like fight. Optojump does running and gait analysis Plyomat does not, offers sub-centimeter optical resolution, and carries deeper academic and lab prestige. Plyomat answers with a far lower price, a no-laptop workflow, real portability, and a force-plate-validated signal. The right pick depends on whether you are running a lab or testing athletes in the field.
| Optojump | Plyomat | |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Optical / LED light barrier (1000 Hz, ~1.04 cm) | Force-sensing contact mat |
| Price (full system) | ~€2,850 ex-VAT (about £2,900), modular per meter | ~$950 system · mats from $200 |
| Laptop required | Yes, PC / laptop tethered | No, on-device screen + phone app |
| Portability / weight | ~10 kg kit (bars, tripod, webcam) | Truly portable, drop-and-go mat |
| On-device screen | No, needs a connected computer | Yes (Controller 3.0) |
| Metrics | Flight time, contact time, RSI + running / gait analysis | Jump height, contact time, RSI, DRI |
| Validation | EU academic gold standard, extensively published | Force-plate validated (ICC 0.85, r≈0.97) |
| Setup / alignment | LED-bar alignment + floor space | No alignment, lay the mat and go |
| Subscription | None | None |
Optojump genuinely wins on optical resolution, running and gait analysis, and academic prestige. Plyomat wins on price, no-laptop workflow, portability, and on-device testing. Both are honest, validated tools, just built for different jobs.
A full Plyomat system is about $950 against Optojump's roughly €2,850 ex-VAT, and that gap widens because Optojump is modular and scales per added meter.
Optojump is PC tethered. Plyomat shows results on the Controller 3.0 screen and the free Plyomat 3.0 app, so you test in seconds with no computer to manage.
A drop-and-go mat instead of a roughly 10 kg kit of LED bars, tripod, and webcam. It travels from the weight room to the field without a setup ritual.
No LED-bar alignment and no cleared floor lane. Lay the mat down, jump, and read the result on the unit itself, ideal for fast team throughput.
Jump height, contact time, RSI, and DRI (Dynamic Rebound Index, drop-height aware). Plyomat publishes the only public RSI and DRI calculator.
A single force-plate-validated system (ICC 0.85, r≈0.97, ~1 cm mean difference vs an AccuPower force plate) from one team, with no PC stack to troubleshoot.
Measure jump height, contact time, RSI, and DRI on a force-plate-validated contact mat with an on-device screen. No laptop, no LED alignment, no subscription.
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