Two types of arrow rests are available:
- Blade
- Limb driven, or clutch style drop-away rests
When selecting a rest, look for:
- Adjustability of the overdraw distance (horizontal distance between where the arrow is on the blade and the throat of the handle). Some integrated rests do not allow for this at all, which means that you can only torque tune your bow using the sight, but this may not be an issue.
- Micro adjustability of the rest position in both the horizontal and vertical planes.
- Simplicity – When you have a simple piece of equipment, failure is less likely.
A drop away rest is very useful for situations where you typically have thicker arrows which may come off a blade rest more easily, regardless of having a wider blade.
A drop away rest can either be in the upright position at rest or load up to the upright position when coming to full draw. The latter is preferable as the timing is normally a lot easier to set, especially if emergency repairs are needed.