The arrow rest is arguably the simplest piece of equipment on a bow today, yet this might be the category of archery gear seeing the most technological advancements right now.
At its core, the rest is a device that simply holds your arrow at the front end throughout the drawing and shooting process, keeping it level with the nock when the string is released. There are rests that don’t move, and hold the arrow in place throughout that process, and there are limb-driven and cable-driven rests that fall away when the string is released in the name of allowing for the cleanest arrow flight.
For compound bows, those three types of rests have attracted staunch supporters, who advocate for the supremacy of one over the others. It’s like Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge. We’ll explain the differences between the three types in a bit.
But because of the camps that support each type of rest, we’re not going to pick a “Best Overall Rest” here. Rather, we’re going to choose the best in individual categories. If you don’t like limb-driven rests, you’ll never accept a limb-driven rest as the “Best Overall.”
Working for Lancaster Archery Supply – one of the largest archery-only retailers in the world – I get to see and play with nearly every arrow rest on the market. My picks here for the best arrows rests are based on my experience working with a wide assortment of rests.
Best Limb-Driven Rest: Hamskea R7
Buy From Lancaster Archery Supply
Buy From Scheels
Pros
- Slimmer than other Hamskea rests
- Integrate-compatible version available
- Multiple micro-adjustable controls to customize this rest
Cons
- Expensive
- Hard to get due to demand
Key Features
-
Can be driven by upper or lower limb -
Micro-adjust elevation, windage and launcher position -
Rebound dampener included -
Fabric-covered launcher arm is quiet -
Simple lock to tighten control cord
-
Micro adjustment knobs.
The R7 is the culmination of everything Hamskea has learned over the years with its previous limb-driven arrow rests. And they definitely checked all the boxes for the best features of limb-driven rests with the R7.
As a limb-driven rest, the R7’s launcher arm is held down flat against the bow’s shelf when the bow is at rest. It’s held down by a cord that runs from the rest to the upper or lower limb. When the bow is drawn, the limb flexes in, which allows the launcher to rise and lift the arrow so it’s level with the nock at full draw. When the bowstring is released, the limbs snap back out and pull the launcher arm away from the arrow.
The R7 is the most compact rest Hamskea has offered to date, yet it has micro-adjust controls for the launcher elevation and windage, as well as for setting the angle of the launcher when it’s raised. It’s also got the simplest connection for the cord at the rest, and the rebound dampener at the limb end is the best system I’ve seen for what it does.
The rebound dampener is a length of rubber that the control cord winds through. When you set up the rest, you can pull the cord extra tight, stretching the dampener just a bit, so there is some extra flex in the cord to make sure the launcher stays down when the bow is at rest. Hamskea used to use a spring, which always eventually stretched. With other limb-driven rests that have nothing similar, you’re constantly fighting cord stretch that allows the launcher to creep up, and not stay flat.
Kudos to Hamskea for making the R7 IMS compatible and doing away with their own unique mounting system that fit only a couple of bows. IMS compatible means the rest can be mounted to any bow that has a dovetail machined into the riser, just above the grip. Any company that makes such a rest has to pay QAD, which holds the patent on the technology, but it’s clearly the most popular mounting system, and Hamskea was hamstringing itself for years by not using it.
See It
Pros
- Allows launcher arms on limb-driven rests to be locked upright
- Fits most – if not all – limb-driven rests
- Easy to install
Cons
- Adds weight to the middle of the draw cord, which can cause the cord to oscillate forward and back more than normal
Key Features
-
Fits most – if not all – limb-driven rests -
Spring loaded, to allow the launcher to be held up -
Supports arrows up to 600 grains
The Float by Vaportrail is a device that allows you to have the launcher arm on your limb-driven rest raised when the bow is at rest. One of the knocks bowhunters have on limb-driven rests is the arrow can flop around inside the containment cage when the bow is at rest. They like having the launcher arm raised – and the arrow more tightly contained – like you can do with the QAD MX2.
Vaportrail in 2026 launched the Float, which connects to the cable running from the rest to the limb. You tie the rest end of the cable to the top of the Float and the limb end to the bottom of the Float. When the bow is at rest, you press a button on the Float, and it releases a spring that extends the control cable so the launcher can rise up.
As you draw the bow and the spring retracts back inside the Float, the device eventually catches itself, so that when you release the string, the cable is back to its original length and the launcher arm is pulled down to the shelf, allowing the arrow to fly freely. This is the device limb-driven-rest fans have been waiting for.
Buy From Lancaster Archery Supply
Pros
- Compact
- Lightweight
- Simple operation
- Launcher can be locked in the up position for full arrow containment
- Cable driven
Cons
- Expensive If you like limb-driven rests, this one isn’t for you
Key Features
-
Cable driven -
Internal brake prevents launcher from bouncing up at the shot -
Rubber-lined launcher keeps arrow quiet through the draw -
Launcher can be locked upright when the bow is at rest -
Integrate compatible or standard mounting options
QAD continues to be the standard by which all cable-driven rests are judged. They’ve had the best cable-driven rest for years, in my opinion, and that continues with the Integrate MX2. It’s compact, lightweight, and simple to use.
As a cable-driven, drop-away rest, the MX2 employs a cord that attaches to the bow’s down-moving cable. When the bow is drawn, that cable moves down, which draws the launcher arm up to the firing position. Or, the archer can click the launcher up before drawing, which is the most common way the MX2 is used. In that case, the draw cable moves the launcher arm ever so slightly to a position where it will fall only if the bow is shot.
The MX2 has micro-adjust controls for windage and elevation, and it includes rubber inserts on the inside of the launcher arm to minimize noise when the bow is drawn. With the launcher in the cocked position, the MX2 does the best job of keeping the arrow contained in a confined space so it can’t move around much. This is ideal for spot-and-stalk hunts with the arrow loaded, and for keeping quiet in a tree stand or ground blind.
Buy From Lancaster Archery Supply
Buy From Bass Pro Shops
Pros
- As simple as an arrow rest can be
- Fully contains arrow once loaded
- Very inexpensive
- No moving parts to break
Cons
- Some believe the bristles can affect accuracy
- No micro-adjust controls
Key Features
-
Aluminum construction -
Bolt on or integrate compatible mounting options -
Soft bristles surround ¾ of the arrow, and stiffer bristles support it directly underneath -
Can be adjusted left and right and/or up and down
The Trophy Ridge Whisker Biscuit Pro is a no-frills, full-containment arrow rest that has about a 0% failure rate because it’s got no moving parts. A lot of bowhunters out there want exactly that.
A round disc made of bristles holds your arrow in place the entire time the arrow is on the rest. When you shoot, the arrow slides through the center hole, and the fletchings simply part the bristles to escape the biscuit.
The rest is available in either an integrate version, that connects to a dovetail machined into the riser, or the standard version, which bolts to the Berger hole that’s on every bow. Conveniently, the Whisker Biscuit HTR has slots that allow for windage and elevation adjustments, which is a worthwhile upgrade from the most basic version of the Whisker Biscuit. Also upgraded from the basic rest is the fact the Pro is made of aluminum versus plastic.
Buy From Lancaster Archery Supply
Buy From Bass Pro Shops
Pros
- Costs less than $50
- Simple to install
- No moving parts
- Full arrow containment
Cons
- Some believe the bristles affect accuracy
- No vertical adjustment
Key Features
-
Bolts on to any bow -
Offers full arrow containment -
Holds the arrow in position through the drawing and shooting processes -
Lightweight
This is the most basic version of the Whisker Biscuit. The bristles are housed in a plastic body, and while there is an adjustment slot for windage, there is no adjustment for elevation. So your adjustment there is changing your nocking point.
But if you want something simple and inexpensive that will work reliably, this is the rest for you. And it costs $40.
Buy From Lancaster Archery Supply
Buy From Bass Pro Shops
Pros
- Costs $70
- Functions very much like more expensive QAD cable-driven rest
- Offers full arrow containment when the bow is at rest
Cons
- Setup is a bit tricker because the barrel moves freely when the locking bolt is loosened
Key Features
-
Cable-driven -
Launcher can be locked in the up position before drawing the bow -
Full arrow containment -
Single bolt can be loosened to set windage -
Bolts on to the side of the riser using the universal Berger hole on all compound bows
Think of the QAD Ultra-Rest as the starting point for the MX2. This is the foundation on which all QAD, cable-driven rests are built. It is cable-activated, so the launcher drops away, but it has no elevation adjustment, and the windage adjustment is a simple barrel you manually slide left or right after loosening the locking bolt. To make elevation adjustments, you’ll have to move your nocking point up or down.
It does offer full containment, and the launcher can be locked in the up position when the bow is at rest. And that’s all this rest does. That’s why it only costs $70. But make no mistake, when it comes time to draw and shoot your bow, this rest operates very much like the MX2.
Buy From Lancaster Archery Suppy
Pros
- Super cheap
- Holds arrow securely without much interference
- Anyone can install
Key Features
-
Holds arrow securely through the shot -
Includes a hole for a cushion plunger if you use one -
Installs by peeling and sticking -
Will fold against the riser as the arrow passes over it
The Hoyt Hunter Rest is a plastic, stick-on rest that installs easily in seconds. Some of the best recurve bows allow archers to use a cushion plunger, which is a device installed in the riser next to the rest to cushion the flexing of the arrow as it flies out of the bow. Bowhunters who choose to use a cushion plunger will use a rest, and they need a rest that allows for mounting the plunger. Such rests don’t come any simpler than the Hoyt Hunter.
These things are so inexpensive that you can carry multiple rests with you in case one breaks or the sticker loses its stickiness. Just pop the old one off and stick a new one on.
But don’t be fooled by the ease and cost of this rest. It does the job. Olympic recurve archers use the target version of this rest–that’s how well it does its job. The Hunter is simply beefier than the target version because hunters use heavier arrows, and they’re taking their bows into rougher conditions. Archers who don’t use a cushion plunger can still use the Hunter Rest on their hunting recurves.
Buy From Lancaster Archery Supply
Buy From Bass Pro Shops
Pros
- Full containment keeps the arrow in place even when there’s fast action on the boat
- The roller eases the wear and tear caused by heavy, fiberglass fishing arrows
- Easy to load an arrow
Cons
- Only suitable for bowfishing
Key Features
-
Full containment of the arrow -
Smooth roller kills friction and minimizes wear -
Easy to set up
The Tidal Wave is a simple arrow rest compared to some high-end target and bowhunting rests. Yet it’s more advanced than most other bowfishing rests on the market. Heck, I’ve seen some bowfishermen use a bolt for a rest.
It’s a bolt-on rest with two arms that almost fully enclose the area where the arrow sits through the draw cycle. Having a full-capture rest for bowfishing is a killer feature because, when the action is hot on a hot summer night, you can swing back and forth on the bow of the boat trying to get on the closest fish.
There’s a roller in the center of the rest, which is ideal for those heavy, fiberglass bowfishing arrows. Those arrows generate a ton of friction through the drawing and shooting cycles. Running over fixed metal or plastic can wear out the arrow and the rest. But the Tidal Wave’s roller eases that wear and tear.
The Tidal Wave is an arrow rest that acknowledges the fact that bowfishing is still archery, and it’s kind of important to be able to launch arrows accurately. Yes, the shooting is often very close – usually measured in feet rather than yards – but having a good arrow rest is still a critical part of the game.
Things to Consider When Choosing a Rest
Type of Bow
Whether you hunt with a compound or a traditional bow will take you to two totally different categories of rests. There really is no crossover here. There are rests designed for compound bows and rests designed for recurves and longbows. I have seen recurve archers try to use some of the simpler compound rests on their bows, and it never works out well.
Adjustment
Just like the best bow sights, arrow rests can make tool-less micro-adjustments. The alternative is to loosen a set screw and manually move the rest into position. Micro adjustment is best suited for archers that want to tune their gear because it allows you to make barely perceptible adjustments that can yield noticeable differences in accuracy. If you are going to have a shop paper tune your bow and then call it good, you don’t need a micro-adjustable rest.
Range Limits
How far do you plan to shoot with this rest? If you’re planning to strictly hunt with your bow setup, and you don’t take shots over 40 yards, then which rest you choose isn’t a grave issue.
But if you plan to take long hunting shots, or you want to take your bow to a Total Archery Challenge event, where you might have to shoot targets out to 100 yards, then you want precision equipment. Hunters often look to the target world when it comes to identifying precision gear. In target archery, competitors use equipment that gives them the absolute best chance for success. You will not see a single, even moderately-successful (let alone top-end) target archer use a biscuit-style rest. You will, however, see plenty of cable-driven and limb-driven drop-aways.
Does this mean biscuit rests are “no good” for long-range shooting? Not necessarily. It means target archers have identified better options.
Containment
How you hunt can impact your rest-selection decision. If you are strictly a tree-stand or blind hunter, having a rest that fully contains the arrow while it’s nocked might not be critical. You don’t have to worry about brush or limbs knocking your arrow off the rest.
If you are a spot-and-stalk bowhunter, you’re going to hate not having full containment. If your arrow keeps falling off the rest as you make those last few critical sneak moves to get into shooting position, that’s a problem.
Final Thoughts on the Best Arrow Rests
Like many things in archery, there is more than one style of rest to accurately launch your arrow down range. Sure, there are plenty of opinions about the best arrow rests. But when there are supporters for all styles, you know the “right choice” comes down to personal preference. So, it’s up to you to consider your hunting style, equipment expectations, and budget to find the best one for you.
Read the full article here
