Skyhook and Plyomat are both force-based jump mats that measure vertical jump and ground contact, no laser, no guesswork. Here's an honest, non-disparaging look at where each one wins, so you can match the mat to how your program actually tests.
Skyhook (Encore / RDM Innovation) is a single-piece, fully-wireless contact mat, ~31×31″, carry handle, Bluetooth, no mat-to-controller cable. It adds free cloud roster and athlete tracking, a Just Jump toggle, and strong third-party reviews (SimpliFaster, A1 Athlete). For a tidy grab-and-go mat, it's well built.
Plyomat is a modular force-based system, switch mats plus a Controller 3.0 with an on-device screen, so you can test without a phone. It adds RSQ (Reactive Strength Quadrant), Power Score, and asymmetry, times contact to 0.001 s, and ships with published force-plate validation.
Straight talk: Skyhook's all-in-one wireless build is a real win. If you want one piece to grab and go, with no controller and no cable, that is the tidier package. Plyomat answers with a lower, transparent price, on-device team testing that does not need a phone, cheaper modular replacement, deeper metrics, and Cloud HQ for roster, reports and leaderboards. Both are US-built with no subscription, so that one is a tie.
| Skyhook | Plyomat | |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Force-based contact mat | Force-based contact mat |
| Form factor | All-in-one wireless (~31×31″, Bluetooth) | Modular mats + Controller 3.0 |
| Measures | Jump height, contact time, RSI | Jump height, contact time, RSI, RSQ, Power Score, asymmetry |
| On-device screen | Phone needed | Yes (Controller 3.0) |
| Cloud athlete tracking | Free cloud roster & tracking | Cloud HQ: roster, reports, leaderboards |
| Contact-time resolution | Bluetooth mat | Timed to 0.001 s |
| Force-plate validation | Third-party reviews | Published (r≈0.97, ICC 0.85) |
| Just Jump compatibility | Just Jump toggle | Native Plyomat metrics |
| Mat replacement | Whole unit | Modular, single mat |
| Pricing | ~$1,099, $1,389 (by retailer) | Mats from $200 · systems from $750 |
| Built in the USA | Yes | Yes |
| Subscription | None | None |
Skyhook pricing varies by retailer (~$1,099, $1,389). Both mats are US-built, no subscription, a tie, not a Plyomat-only win.
Mats from $200, systems from $750, transparent, not a number that swings by retailer.
The Controller 3.0 shows results on the unit, so you can test a full team fast, no phone to pass around.
Mats and controller are separate, so a worn mat is a cheap single-part swap, not a whole-unit replacement.
Beyond jump height, contact time, and RSI, you also get RSQ, Power Score, and asymmetry to profile athletes fully.
Validated vs an AccuPower force plate: r≈0.97, ICC 0.85, ~1 cm mean difference, published, not just claimed.
Contact timed to 0.001 s, a free app, no subscription, made in the USA, like Skyhook.
Vertical jump, contact time, RSI, RSQ, Power Score, and asymmetry on a force-plate-validated mat with an on-device screen, US-built, no subscription.
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