20 Best Crash Pads For Bouldering (2023 Updated)

I’ve used other pads, but this is the first pad I’ve owned and I think it’s great as a first pad. I’ve taken it out on 4 day-trips so far and it’s suited my needs pretty perfectly. You get a lot of pad for the price and it’s super versatile.

I love folding it into a couch after a long approach and having a nice rest and lunch. Then, on uneven landing zones, I can usually orient the pad so that one of the folds is bent over a protruding rock or stump while the other two folds are flat.

Because of its size and because it doesn’t have handles on the long sides (which it REALLY should), it’s a little hard to quickly move around underneath someone; but also because of its size, you don’t often need to move it around.

I don’t even bother trying to stuff gear into this pad. Usually I have a pad-less friend who can carry a pack full of gear. Otherwise, I actually prefer to wear a backpack on my front because it provides great counter balance and improves my form on longer approaches.

If I had access to boulders that didn’t require a whole day to visit, I think I could get away with using the pockets on the flaps and stuffing gear inside of it, but right now I just have to lug too much stuff.

Because of its width, and because I’m 5’2″, it’s a little tall while on my back, and it makes it hard to keep my neck straight while I’m hiking up hill. (This could probably be solved by adding two height options for the shoulder straps like Organic does.

) However, I think the width is perfect for everything else and I would not want a narrower pad. I bought this pad because it’s the exact width of the inside of my car, and so I could use it as a mattress if needed.

I haven’t needed to yet, but probably will at some point this season. If anything, I think the pad could be a bit longer since my feet dangle off when I lay down on it; and the pad is super narrow when it’s on my back, which makes doubling up with a different style pad kind of awkward.

Also, the shoulder straps tighten at the bottom of the pad instead of the bottom of the should straps, so you pull up instead of down to tighten. I find it pretty hard to get the straps tight enough with this mechanism, and I don’t see any real advantages to it other than maybe having more strap to clip gear to (but then it would probably swing into your legs).

One thing that constantly bugs me is that this pad holds onto debris like nothing else. There’s uncovered velcro all over the pad so that you can reinforce the hinges. But this, along with the big carpet square, just collects dirt and plants from the lush Washington forests.

This means that I’m carrying plants from one place to another unless I grab some hard brushes and a vacuum and do a deep clean, and it made the carpet pretty much useless after one day. The carpet also sheds fibers when I try to clean the debris out of it, and so in all I’d rather just bring a towel than have the permanent carpet.

If you’re not bouldering in a forest though, this is probably not a concern and the carpet might actually be useful.

I didn’t feel a need to review this pad until I bought some cheaper pads for my garage climbing wall and saw how high quality this metolius is comparably. It is worth the price for the size. Very useful size I don’t see the point in these 36×48 pads that you need 2 of.

This pad is very firm and I like that. I could knock the wind out of me if I fall flat on my back from a roof but that is not a typical fall for me. This pad is not a great bed because it is too firm but it is a good couch.

the angled hinges, good fabric, tight fitting cover and firm foam put the madrock pads I bought to shame. It is fine because the madrock pads were 25 percent off and were significantly cheaper, and I needed 4 of them for my garage.

This pad is miles ahead in quality. I would recommend this to anyone. Don’t be afraid of the size bigger is better. do cost per square foot analysis it is not that much more expensive than some cheaper options.

This is a good basic crash pad that does its core job well: it’s thick and supportive when falling and landing on it. It also comes with attached shoulder straps, handles, and a velcro+strap system for securing it shut and transporting it around.

I think the one thing to be aware of when considering buying is that its lay-flat surface area is a little smaller than most other crash pads I’ve encountered — while at the same time, it feels pretty bulky/chunky when carrying or transporting it around.

It’s not heavy, but it eats up a lot of room in my car trunk, and when hiking to boulders through narrow trails it frequently gets caught on plants or overgrowth, so I have to take it off my back to squeeze it through tight spaces.

This isn’t the only pad that’ll give you this issue, but it’s definitely one of the less compact pads out there.

I’ve only had this pad out a couple of times since I got it but I certainly do not regret the purchase. I chose this pad for its size as I wanted to use it as a mattress base for sleeping in the back of my 2014 Subaru Outback.

It could not have worked out more perfectly. The 44 inch width fits perfectly between the wheel wells in the back of my car so with the seats down it turns the entire back of my car into one giant mattress.

The foam is a little stiffer but with a little added cushion it will make a perfect little sleep nest for camping outings. The large size also makes it very comforting for solo bouldering missions when you don’t have a spotter.

Also, despite it’s large open size, the tri fold design its actually more narrow than other large sized bi fold pads I’ve carried to the crag which is nice when walking through brush and tight paths.

The added camp chair/couch feature is another plus that I can see coming in handy for many situations. It seems plenty sturdy and rugged, as to be expected with Mad Rock products. What this pad lacks in storage features it makes up for with other added uses that lend well for my purposes.

Two of these offer plenty of protection for my 16’ wide home home. Firm foam which is really what you want for any significant fall. Shoulder straps work and are removable, aluminum buckles are always nice.

Wife likes it more than her yoga mats for stretching. You could certainly sleep on it comfortably. Durability, similar to metolious construction. I expect it can take some abuse.

This is my first bouldering pad and my purchase was based on the many review online. – Comfortable harness system: Adjustable straps and hip harness helps to secure and distribute the load evenly across shoulders and hips as this pad loaded up may weigh a bit more than others but it’s no problem even on a 20 minute walk to the crag in summer up hill.

You’ll definitely be warmed up but in no way too tired to climb – Enclosure system: 3 buckles and 2 flaps make the pad easy to fold up and then fits all your gear – I had tarp, shoes, bucket, water and food.

Maybe the tiny gap in the bottom flap enclosure could be improved in the future? – Harness system cover: Easy to deploy and fold away with 3 velcro tabs. Keeps the harness out of the dirt and stops snagging on rocks and sticks as you reposition the pad.

I throw down a small tarp under the pad to further protect it. – Reused foam: I like the idea of minimising environmental impact and this reuse of foam is brilliant. Refillable too! – Protection: This pad feels good when you bail.

I’ve only had 3 falls from about 2. 5m high onto my feet and I never felt the rocks under the pad. The foam feels firm/supportive but not jarring at all. The baffle channels didn’t seem to promote any ankle rolling over but a longer term test is needed to see if this continues.

The baffled design drapes over the uneven surfaces smoothing them out for improved confidence to send. Great pad, would definitely by another if this one wears out.

I’ve only had the chance to use this once outdoors so far, so take this with a grain of salt: The fact that this pad rolls up burrito-style makes it into a surprisingly solid backpack. I was able to fit all of my climbing gear and then some (rope, draws, harness, chalk bag, hammock, etc) and it all stayed in throughout the entire half mile trek to and from the crag.

However, the little metal hooks that connect the straps come off easily, so you need to keep an eye on them or you might lose them when unstrapping the pad. Once you’ve got the pad on your back and have the shoulder and hip straps fastened, it fits like a good-but-not-great hiking backpack.

My group was mostly lead climbing that day, so we used this as protection from falls leading up to the first bolt, rather than actual bouldering. But we also messed around and dove onto it a bunch of times, because why not, and it felt like a solid landing zone.

The design doesn’t make it uncomfortable to fall on like I assumed it would, so long as the beat the crap out of it when you first receive it (literally, you need to beat it with a blunt object to break up the fibers).

I have no qualms about taking actual falls on this pad when we take it out bouldering this summer.

Great product! This crash pad arrived super quick. The price was reasonable and much lower than at other outlets. I don’t outdoor boulder too often but I’m excited to be taking this out soon. I’m excited for it’s ability to shape to rocks and other surfaces.

So this pad isn’t BAD it’s just very very stiff. Like uncomfortably stiff. Like this would be great for large sharp rocks beds below an underhang boulder to just blanket the area. But if you’re getting this to cushion your fall on flat gravel or dirt or any semi flat surface.

You’re better off getting a softer more cushiony crash pad.

I’ve used it around 5 times since I’ve purchased it. It’s a bit more firm than I would prefer but it’s a nice pad and I suspect it’ll get more give over time. As firm as it is, it seems very firm. I’ve had it on some sharp rocks and landed on it with force and there are no signs of issues or tearing (still early in it’s life).

Back packing straps are nice and I carabiner my shoes and chalk on the securing strap for convenience. I also plan to sleep on two of them pushed together while camping and it’s a good size for that purpose.

Happy climbing!.

***Review for Drop Zone Boulder Pad (Not the Levels Beanie)*** I would like to preface this with the fact that I am primarily a sport climber and not a boulderer. However, I have used it a few times outdoors for bouldering and as an awesome couch while camping! Where I live in Texas, we have more sport routes and even deep water solo routes then established boulder routes.

However, me and a few friends decided to buy some pads and try to find some lines near our local crag. With limited previous knowledge, I decided to go with my favorite brand and get their starter bouldering pad.

When it came in, I was pretty amazed with a lot of the features. I love how it doubles as a back pack with straps and a mesh net to put shoes, a chalk bag, snacks, etc inside. Additionally, it’s pretty comfortable to use, even fully loaded, while trekking up a pretty steep switch back.

My only complaint is that it seems a little firm (especially when compared to what I am used to in climbing gyms). Obviously it’s much thinner and is meant to be portable, but we’ve found to still be a little careful when falling onto this compared to the gym.

Along with bouldering, I’ve probably gotten a similar amount of use from it as a sick camping couch! Resting it on the side of a car makes a perfect and stylish couch set up. It’s easy to wipe dirt off after use! Overall, as a beginner in bouldering, I’ve enjoyed the Drop Zone pad! Hopefully my review helps and hopefully you can find some more reviews from hardcore boulderers to help make a fully informed decision!.

I’ve been using this pad for 3 years now. Some things are good about this pad. The taco style provides good coverage for those who feel they need it, and the pad is in a good sweet spot size-wise. The shoulder straps are decent, and it has a hip belt too.

However, there are a number of issues that make it hard for me to recommend this pad over some competition like the Organic Full pad: – Doesn’t have straps to allow carrying of two pads – Taco style makes it annoying to fold, I found that this outweighs the slight increase in protection that it offers.

If you just want to move the pad a few metres, there’s no way to carry it that isn’t at least a little awkward or annoying. – The zippered pocket isn’t useful to me, if I keep something in there then I’m worried about it injuring me in a fall or breaking it if I land on it – The stretchy pocket isn’t very big, useful enough for carrying shoes between boulders but I’d rather just clip those to my pack or stuff it into the centre of the folded pad.

I don’t use the stretchy pocket at all. – The foam is a little soft, to the point where I’m worried about bottoming out in a fall. It’s possible that it has gotten softer with age. I’m not sure if this is something that all pads suffer from.

Overall, I have to say that I wouldn’t buy it again. It’s not a bad pad, I just think that there are better options out there.

Weekly boulderer. Got a decent deal on this pad and sprung for it. Thank goodness I didn’t pay the absurd full price. It is good for only one thing: being big, and even that is often a huge hassle. Hiking sucks.

It catches on everything and the hip belt and shoulder straps are very uncomfortable. The shoulder straps loosen as you walk. are you kidding me BD? The hinge feels flimsy. It is very difficult to carry other pads with it.

Gear falls out the bottom when hiking because the closure mechanism manages to be both tedious and ineffective. This pad is the absolute bare minimum. Lots of foam but NO quality of life innovations.

The size isn’t worth the money. I’d rather buy two other pads.

I bought this pad about a year ago, so here goes my 1 year review of it: The things I like about this pad: 1: This pad is light weight. Its easy to transport in and out of the crag, and has backpack straps that make it ultra convenient, and ultra easy to move.

2: This pad is firm. Personally, I like a firm pad. I find firm pads do not bottom out as often. I have not bottomed this pad out. *Disclaimer*, I do not climb crazy high-ball boulders, but I have crashed on it from an average boulder height many a time.

It does the trick, I have walked away every time. 3: I also like the bright colors, as it makes this pad pop in low light situations. 4: It is also plenty thick, and I feel 100% comfortable landing on this, and knowing it will save my life.

**from a reasonable height** 5: Durability: The durability of this pad is great. Nothing is ripped, no seams are coming undone, and all of the straps are holding on tight after 1 year. Things I think black diamond could do better with this pad/ warnings: 1:Use less straps (for holding the folded pad together).

Add a Velcro pouch similar to what is on the Metolius Session II crash pad. There isn’t much worse than carrying a sweaty pair of shoes out of the crag with you at the end of the day. The Session 2 has a pouch that doubles as a strap to keep the pad folded in half for your approach/ decent from the crag.

Its super nice, and also allows for more gear to be on your back, and less in your hands. Also, that is just less fabric to get dirty, and less *things* with metal ends to contain under the pad as well.

2: If you are on rocky terrain, you need to be careful about where you place your pad, as the seam where the pad folds out is vertical. If you get the point of a rock in that seam, you are going to land on that, and potentially hurt yourself.

That being said, that is common sense, so just don’t get anything sharp and pointy in that seam. All said and done, this pad is great for the money. Is it the best/ coolest/ most unique pad you will ever own? No.

But will it save your life, get you outside, get you climbing, and have you looking good while doing so? Yes. If you are looking for a good pad, whether it is pad #1, or pad #7, it will do the job, and does it at a great price point.

Just get one already :).

I received this pad as a Christmas Gift. We already owned a Metolius Crash pad, but wanted a second to feel more safe. I think I prefer this pad over the Metolius one, and here is why. This pad is much more firm than the Metolius pad, which I believe is safer for larger falls and not risking plunging through the pad into the surface below.

I like that this pad is completely smooth on the top. I like the vibrant pink color, makes it extremely easy to spot in lower light conditions. The pad has good backpack straps and a small hip belt for packing it in to farther away climbs.

I do have a few cons – the Metolius pad has velcro on all of its edges so you could stick multiple pads together. This one does not. They are identical in size, however. I also wish there was a small pocket on the backside for stuffing small items in, but easy enough to just attach a small stuff sack to it.

All in all, great affordable crash pad that I feel provides more safety than the basic Metolius crash pad.

I’ve been using this crash pad for about 9 months. It’s held up to a lot of abuse tossing: on sharp rocks, kicking it around, etc. and so far it only has a few cosmetic scratches. The padding is more firm than others I’ve tried out in the field, many others are too squishy to absorb a sold fall especially if rocks are underneath.

This pad feels really safe landing on it even from a highball boulder or when there are pointy rocks underneath. I wish it had a bit larger area for landing on it but the small size and lightweight are a plus for portability and it fits in my trunk no problem.

The bifold design is compact and it closes tight enough that I can use it to train hand jams when walking between boulders rather than holding it by the straps or handle. My only complaint is I wish there was a more drab color option.

I beat the hell out of mine and am not shy about plopping it down in a mud patch, so the yellow color makes the dirt stand out more than more dull colors might.

TLDR; solid pad, but extra features aren’t worth the price – get an Organic pad instead. I wish Moosejaw carried Organic pads! I don’t write reviews, but really felt the need to air it out on this one so here it goes: The pad does it’s job! Took a bunch of falls on it at Powerlinez in NY and felt good.

No rolled ankles or bottoming out. But carrying it around and packing it away was a hassle that I could have lived without, especially for the price. I like the research Petzl put into this pad (denser foam on the outside of the taco to better preserve the integrity of the foam when folded, and that extra dense layer is also better for weight distribution when falling).

but the “extra features” (can be converted into a couch, can be carried on one shoulder, protective flap for backpack straps) are not worth the price. My main gripe is that the hooks are not deep enough, and it requires additional care to make sure the pad doesn’t unfold when carrying it on one shoulder.

If there were 2 hooks to fold the pad instead of one, that would have helped. I also had trouble getting the straps to stay in the hooks when fully packing away the pad to head back to the car. Wrestling with the protective flap was also pretty annoying.

It got stuck in a weird position while carrying it on one shoulder. No idea how this was all overlooked in design, especially when it seems like all the extra features were really thoughtful, but unfortunately came up short in execution.

Even with 20% off (I used the ALMOSTWARM discount), this pad isn’t worth it. Wish I spent that cash on an Organic Pad.

This pad seemed like a great buy with all the features it offers: the zipper prevent your stuff from falling off the pad, it is possible to quickly carry the pad to another nearby boulder using a shoulder strap and it can make a nice couch to sit on beside the fire at night.

However, everyone of those features turned out to be real disadvantages, except the couch beside the fire was great. First, as soon as I took the pad to a sandy area (Bishop), the zipper became really difficult to zip and unzip.

It got stuck so many times that it sometimes took me 5 minutes of hard pulling to finally manage to close it. When you are tired after a boulder problem this is a real pain. It comes to the point where you hope that others will have enough pads so you don`t have to open yours.

Second, because of the zipper is so tight, there is not much room to put large stuff inside the pad. I like to carry a small backpack with my lunch, but it was really hard to fit in. Third, the pad is almost twice as heavy as most large pads and it hurt my back on even short uphills approaches (15 mins).

Because it is so heavy, it is very uncomfortable to carry the pad using the shoulder strap as well and felt like it was putting a high load on one shoulder. Finally, someone pointed out to me that the landing material is kind of slippery and you could possibly fall strangely on it and hurt yourself.

Fortunately, this did not happen to any of us. This pad gets one star because the foam is really good and you can tell it will last a long time. So it is a good landing zone for highballs. But because all the other disadvantages, especially the zipper, it is really not worth the high price.

I would never buy this pad again or recommend it to anyone.

This pad is huge and it’s what you’d want to land on from falling from highballs or even low balls. However, I found all the extra features annoying. It’s not a pad where you can just open it and your ready to climb.

Unzipping, folding, and re-zipping, I found to be a big time waster, especially if I was short on time. Weight was not an issue for me. It’s actually quite light, but the shoulder straps are very thin and eventually dug into my shoulders after hiking for a while.

It sat in my trunk for the longest time, as I didn’t want to deal wt the inconveniences of the zipper. I eventually sold it at half price.

This crashpad has tons of awesome features on it (as mentioned in the description)!! I really like how simple and comfy it is to carry around from boulder to boulder or from trails back to the car. The seat option is pretty cool too for a nice rest.

It?s for sure pricey for a crashpad this size, but worth it, and especially since it?s well-padded for even a high fall.

Perfect pad for me! I carry my stuff in a daypack on my chest. Pads carry better without tons of stuff crammed in them. I love this no frills version of the session pad. Heck i should have bought two at that price! Two would be cheaper and have more coverage than a recon or maybe even a magnum.

I love the durabilty and versatility of this pad. If you think like me you will too. Cheers!.

Simple pad with a great price point. I bought it as an extra pad. The price of a pad is way cheaper than the cost of an injury. I also like that this pad is noticeably lighter than my Metolius Sessions II pad but still provides the same level of protection.

Taken the pad out for a half dozen days of bouldering at this point- the reason you would want to buy this pad- it’s a solid crash pad with no frills. The downsides- It doesn’t have handles on the top or bottom (when folded and on your back) which can make it trickier to stack pads if you carry out multiple at once.

It doesn’t have an extra flap to help hold gear in but you should already know that by now (and I’ve been fine with that on my organic pad so not gonna complain here).

I’ve dragged this around on granite, sandstone and sharp bushes for a few months, with no noticeable wear so far. Closing it is very fast and the buckles seem solid, and the handles on each side make it easy to slide around.

The unpadded backpack straps and lack of a waist belt make it unpleasant to carry on long (>30 minute) approaches, however.

This pad is well built and easy to tote. The quality is what I would expect at this price point. Mammut continues to meet my expectations. Strongly recommend.

For how thick this pad is, its super light and easy to carry. It’s inside tech also makes it the best for jumping onto from high up, so I always make people move it to the top of a pad pile if I have to jump down! it absorbs impact so much better than other pads I’ve used.

Great value for the money

Awesome crash pad. It has it all.

This is a great quality mat with good foam that gives you the confidence to fall on it. The carrying system is comfortable and easy to use. The only thing that I think could be improved was if the flap/shoe mat was somehow removable (maybe using a zip?) to be cleaned or replaced when needed.

As always great service and value from Rock + Run.

Firm throughout the pad, straps up great and feels comfortable when wearing. Cushions your fall very nicely from different heights which is great as you don’t feel the ground. One of the best pads I’ve fallen on.

Thank you very much for your product. Keep up the great work guys!.

A very well made product, using tuff materials which look like they will last a very long time. The foam is quite dense and offers a good landing area. It doesn’t have a central seam for which to fold the mat for carriage, but this ensures a full landing area with no room for twisted ankles.

Best stored flat to ensure the mat doesn’t curl up if not used for a long period. Nice and light, the way the straps are positioned, with the cover flap is also a good innovation.

TranslateShow in original languageGenau das passende Produkt! Perfekt fürs Bouldern auch in etwas größeren Höhen und eine Unterlage zum Chillen und Schlafen ist die Matte zugleich. Allerdings ist sie ziemlich fest.