Size: The Parachute Selection Tool helps you choose an appropriately-sized parachute for your rocket. The recommendations are based on descent rate information provided by the manufacturers. Other factors may need to be considered such as the packing density.

Material: Thin Mil, plastic, and Mylar parachutes can usually fit into smaller spaces than standard-weight rip stop nylon parachutes. Mylar 'chutes are often used for parachute-duration contest models since they have a higher-coefficient of drag and pack tightly into smaller rockets.

Shape: Standard parachutes usually have a hexagonal or octagonal shape. More expensive ones, such as Top Flight's Crossfire, are made of individual gores giving the parachute a hemispherical or semi-elliptical shape. This results in a higher coefficient of drag and a more stable descent. X-Type parachutes offer better stability. Unlike round parachutes, which tend to swing the rocket side-to-side, the X-form design allows air to vent consistently through its corners which eliminates the swing. This keeps the payload dropping straight down relative to the moving air mass and lessens the possible impact when the rocket reaches the ground.