The traditional material for winch rope was always steel. But whilst steel cables have a number of benefits such as high strength they also have some drawbacks like being very heavy and also being harder to use in everyday situations.
Synthetic ropes came about in the 1990’s as an alternative, and as time has gone on they have steadily increased in popularity. As their name implies they are simply ropes that are made of synthetic materials, usually tough plastics such as Polyurethane.