Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid vs. PowerPro [ULTIMATE REVIEW]
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid vs. PowerPro
Many members have asked me to do a review on Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid, so I decided to make that the first line that I test head-to-head against PowerPro.
I have been curious to know if the braid that I’ve been using for the past 10+ years (PowerPro) is any better or worse than other options.
So I decided to start doing some testing in order to know for sure if I’ve been making a good buying decision this whole time or if I need to make a switch.
And since I’m guessing that many other anglers are curious to know unbiased stats on the lines too, I’ll be documenting all of the tests so that you can see exactly what I’m doing and make your own conclusions based on the data.
Here are the 4 core factors that I have tested for these lines:
See below for the results for each of the 4 tests:
Note: We do not accept sponsorship offers by any fishing equipment manufacturers (this all is funded by the Salt Strong Fishing Club members) so that we can continue to be completely unbiased in these experiments to help you make the smartest choices when it comes to buying tackle.
1. Spiderwire Vs. PowerPro Casting Distance
We set up some controls to make sure the results of our tests are as accurate as possible. Here are the factors that we all kept equal:
- The lines are brand new, day one out of the box
- Both lines are listed at 10 lb test
- Both lines are rigged on the exact same rod
- The lines are rigged on the exact same reel
- The casting weights were the exact same size and shape
To keep it easy to see, we have two different color lines. The line colors are the following:
- White – Spiderwire Invisi-Braid
- Yellow – PowerPro
The goal of these tests is to determine which line will enable us to cast the farthest.
Casting Distance Test Process
For these tests, we decided to do three casts of each line with both a lightweight and a heavyweight.
We started at the same point for each cast (marked by a starting line) and cast the lines three times each with the two different weights. We then marked the landing of the weight for each cast with small flags.
Green flags marked where the PowerPro landed and the pink flags marked the same for the Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid.
I first did this test process using the lighter weight (3/16th oz).
And when it came time to use the heavier weight (1/2 oz) for the 2nd round of the experiment, I switched the lines from one rod to the other to make sure that the individual rods were not affecting the test results at all.
Spiderwire vs. PowerPro Casting Test Video
You can see our full casting distance test and how we set it up in the video below:
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Click here to get PowerPro Braided Line
Casting Distance Test Results
My assumption was that PowerPro would win casting distance because it is thinner than the Spiderwire (0.15 mm vs 0.17 mm) as shown by the red arrows on the boxes below.
However, the results for both the lightweight and heavyweight casting distance tests are the following:
Light Weight Test
To get these results, I measured the three landing spots of each cast for both lines and figured out the average casting distance of each line.
- PowerPro average casting distance with lightweight: 122 feet
- Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid average casting distance with lightweight: 126 feet
Heavy Weight Test
I applied the same methods I used in the lightweight test to find the average casting distance of each line.
- PowerPro average casting distance with heavyweight: 200 feet
- Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid average casting distance with heavyweight: 203 feet
Casting Distance Conclusion
Our test results found that Spiderwire Invisi-Braid casts farther than PowerPro with both a light and heavyweight.
Between the two tests, Spiderwire Invisi-Braid traveled farther than PowerPro.
But the distance was minimal (within 3.5%) and the Spiderwire seems to lose its distance after use making this factor a wash in my opinion.
2. Spiderwire Vs. PowerPro Abrasion Test
For this test, we connected each line to a small weight and hung the lines over sandpaper on our oscillation device, which simulates what the lines would do if they were wrapped around structure such as a bridge piling.
Each line was tested on both sides of the oscillation device to make sure the results were as accurate as possible. We tested the abrasion strength of each line twice.
In this test, the line that breaks second has the higher abrasion resistance strength.
Abrasion Test Video
In this video, I show you the full experiment for the abrasion resistance test for the two lines.
Click here to get PowerPro Braided Line
Abrasion Resistance Test Results
Test 1: The Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid (right side) broke a split second before the PowerPro (left side).
Test 2: The Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid (left side) broke a split second before the PowerPro (right side).
The Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid broke literally a split second before the PowerPro during each test.
Although the Spiderwire broke first each time, the PowerPro broke so soon after it that it shows the difference in the two lines’ abrasion resistance strength is minuscule.
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3. Spiderwire vs. PowerPro Knot Strength Test
For this experiment, we decided to test two different kinds of knot strengths for the two lines: braid-to braid and braid-to-leader knot strength.
You can see how we set up the two tests below:
Test 1: Braid To Braid Knot Strength
To test the braid-to-braid knot strength for these two lines, we connected each line to a swivel using the Uni Knot and then connected to the two lines together using the Modified Double Uni Knot.
We then connected the strand of lines at the swivel to a scale. Next, we pulled the scale until one line broke and measured the strength of the line, where it broke, and which line broke first.
We did this two times, one time with the scale attached to the Spiderwire swivel and one time with it attached to the PowerPro swivel.
The line that breaks first has the weaker knot strength.
Test 2: Braid To Leader Knot Strength
To test the braid-to-leader knot strength for the two lines, we connected each line to a swivel using the Uni Knot. We then connected each line to the same piece of fluorocarbon leader line using the FG Knot.
We then repeated the process we did for the braid-to-braid test.
Spiderwire vs. PowerPro Knot Strength Test Video
You can see our full knot strength test for the two lines in the video below.
See how to tie the FG knot in under 60 seconds [Free PDF guide]
Spiderwire vs. PowerPro Knot Strength Test Results
The results for the knot strength tests were as follows:
Test 1: Braid To Braid Knot Strength Results
- Round 1 – The PowerPro line broke first at the Modified Double Uni Knot.
- Round 2 – The Spiderwire line broke first at the Modified Double Uni Knot.
Winner: Draw
Test 2: Braid To Leader Knot Strength Results
- Round 1 – The Spiderwire line broke at the Uni Knot.
- Round 2 – The PowerPro line broke at the Uni Knot.
Winner: Draw
These lines are almost identical when it comes to knot strength. Both lines held up great when tied with the FG Knot to the leader and had high strength breaking points for each test.
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4. Spiderwire vs. PowerPro Long-Term Durability
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Click here to get PowerPro Braided Line
After using these two lines for over 1.5 years, I can now confidently comment on how each brand has held up over time.
On day one, Spiderwire was my favorite because it cast a little bit farther than PowerPro.
However, I noticed that my casting distance quickly decreased with Spiderwire the more I used it, whereas my casting distance with PowerPro stayed the same (and maybe even increased) the more I used it.
My casting distance decreased with Spiderwire so much so that I didn’t even enjoy using it anymore because I could tell how much less distance I was covering.
The reason this happened, I believe, was that the Spiderwire has a waxy exterior, which helped it cast so far on day one.
But when the wax coating was gone (which, in my case, happened pretty quickly), the casting distance decreased.
So in regards to casting distance, I now recommend going with PowerPro over Spiderwire.
Conclusion
When it comes to casting distance, Spiderwire Invisi-Braid proved to outperform the PowerPro when it is brand new out of the box.
But after using the Spiderwire for a couple of months, it seems as if the casting distance has decreased as the slick outer layer has diminished.
As for abrasion resistance, PowerPro had a slight advantage over the Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid.
For knot strength, these lines were virtually the same and both had higher knot strength than I anticipated.
I think the main thing to take away from these tests is knowing that both of these tested out to be surprisingly close even though they feel very different to the touch.
After testing these two lines for over a year and a half, I recommend PowerPro over Spiderwire because of PowerPro’s long-term ability to cast far, and because each brand performed very similarly in the other categories.
Have you noticed any clear winner one way or another on any of these important aspects (distance, abrasion, or strength)?
If you have, please leave a comment below (we aren’t affiliated with either company in any way so your comment will not get filtered out if it’s overly good or overly bad… 100% transparency).
Did you see any ways we could improve these tests? Have any questions about our test methods or results?
Let us know in the comments below.
Tight Lines!
Click here to get PowerPro Braided Line
Here are some other line tests you may find helpful:
1. How Much Further Can You Cast With A 10 lb Line Vs A 20 lb Line?
2. Braid vs. Mono Abrasion Test [Vertical & Horizontal Experiments]
3. Berkley Vanish vs. Seaguar Blue Label Fluorocarbon Lines [Abrasion Test Results]
And if you know someone who wants to learn more about Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-Braid, please TAG or SHARE this with them!
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[See More Fishing Line Experiments & Reviews]
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I’ve had Spiderwire invisibraid 20lb on my reel for over 3 years lol caught so many king salmon wit it over 20lb+ still smooth and strong …the thing i like about it i don’t see any peeling on the line at all even after long periodof time ..i love and use PowerPro to…used Nanofill to nice small diameter casting is so smooth…but started peeling after very short time which i dont really like epically if u r using slip bobbers
I am a Creature of Habit. Power Pro V2 and Suffix 832 are the only braids that go on my reels. There’s not enough to sway me from going to any other line. Great video! Love testing lines, equip, etc
Interesting comparisons! Personally, I have not had great luck with Spider Wire..have had trouble with it breaking several times.
Power Pro is what I use and it has not let me down!
Thanks for posting the comment Amber!
Great Info Luke, Thanks alot
Thanks Jerry!
I’ve heard and found personally that Berkley Nanofil casts further than Power Pro. Can you test these two lines to see if this is true?
I picked up a spool of nanofil, but I haven’t yet had a chance to test it out.
Luke, I am a ‘snowbird’ from central IN, but have fished a great deal during the winter months from Bokeelia in Pine Is. Sound. I have followed your tips
now for several years& have greatly enjoyed them. By not endorsing products & keeping your tackle gear tests simple and well controlled, your
results are very credible. Many articles in fishing magazines are clearly
biased in favor of one product or another. That is not the case with Salt Strong. You, Joe & all the other guys now contributing to Salt Strong have
made a big difference in how I fish for inshore species & how I choose my
Fishing gear. I enjoy being an Insider member & following along with new
ideas while separating facts from fiction.
Luke, thanks for what you have accomplished in just a few years with Salt Strong. Please keep it up!
Sheldon (Shelly) Friedman Bokeelia & Noblesville, IN.
Thanks so much for making time to post the nice comment!
Hey Luke,
Good discussion, you guys are on top of it.
Ever try suffix 131 in your test? It would be interesting to see how it stands up to Power Pro and Spiderwire.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks Michael! We have not yet tested the suffix 131 line. Have you tried it out yet? If yes, what are your thoughts so far on it?
Thank you so much Luke! I am very happy to know my purchase has not been in vein. Also happy knowing if I purchase either of the two I can be confident of a good purchase. I like investing in good product’s. That’s what makes me glad to invest in Salt Strong.
Thanks so much for making time to post the nice comment James!
Luke thank You so much for the tests. Since these lines will be used in an aqueous envoirnment can we see if there is any differences when wet?
I do the casting contests with wet lines since that’s a very big contributing factor. For knot tests, I now soak the lines for a bit before breaking it in case it makes a difference.