I have a Bubba rope. I've been through most of the straps (ARB makes quality products, but I've not tried their recovery rope) and cheap straps never save you money because you will buy three for every one bubba rope.
With that said, the strap is generally the last resort or used for light sticks. If the vehicle is really stuck, blocks, chains to trees, and a winch with a snatch block are the first choice because you can control the pull.
Straps work, Bubba ropes do kinetic pulls very well - but the technique is 1) attach to a clevis and a frame mounted point. 2) make the stuck vehicle stand on his brakes while the recovery vehicle pulls back on the strap to create tension. 3) once the rope is fully tensioned (this takes practice!), the stuck vehicle releases his brakes and should pop right out. If he doesn't pop out, use a winch. Never do the 40 mph pull run at it, that's where people die. Also, with a Bubba rope, you should be able to pull out heavier vehicles if you practice the stretch and release method.
and never, ever tow with a recovery rope - it works in an emergency - but that emergency best be good because it'll impregnate your rope with dirt - which will cause premature failure of the rope. But a $15 tow strap if you need to tow someone out of the woods