Pebble-Wrestling Pro

Eight picks for pad people

The beauty of bouldering is its simplicity. Grab a pad, shoes, some chalk, and head up to the nearest boulderfield for a quick after-work burn or an all-day outing. A good crashpad softens the blow of ankle-wrecking, heel-bruising falls, so you can boulder longer and harder, and it doubles as a bed in the back of your van. Our testers hauled 15 pads around the West’s primo bouldering areas to select these eight top models, ranging from massive highball behemoths to light and compact halfpints. We scrutinized everything from foam quality and buckle strength to overall durability and strap configuration. Since it’s hard to compare a plush highball pad to a normal-sized mat, we categorized them by size into small, medium, and large.

Testers’ Favorite
ORGANIC SIMPLE (medium)
48” x 36” x 4”

Four testers couldn’t get enough of this high-quality and functional mat; three-plus months of testing put the Simple at the top of everyone’s list. Thought to have the best foam in the review, this pad’s closedcell top layer with open-cell foam underneath made for comfy landings from five to 20 feet. Each of the four testers gave the pad a solid 5 (out of 5) in durability, after all their dragging, hauling, packing, unpacking, and overall abuse didn’t manage to break a single strap, buckle, or seam. “This pad’s best feature is its toughness,” said one tester. One downside: the Simple wasn’t the best for carrying gear—although a strap on the bottom kept large items inside, it didn’t do much for smaller gear (shoes, water bottle, chalk pot). An optional Slider sit-start pad ($40) is great for covering small gaps between pads or just cleaning your shoes before a send.

• $175
• organicclimbing.com
• Stellar foam
• Burly to the max

Overall Excellence
METOLIUS BAILOUT (medium)
48” x 36” x 4”

“Large enough to make you feel protected on highballs, but not too large to hate carrying around,” the Bailout shone for having comfortable shoulder straps and a simple unfold-and-go design that includes three closure points with sturdy buckles. A day’s worth of bouldering gear (food, water, shoes, jacket) tucks in nicely, but anything more might run the risk of falling out. One tester found this the perfect pad for Bishop highballs, and despite the dense foam (1-inch closed cell, 2.5-inch open, 0.5-inch closed), it wasn’t too harsh on the feet and ankles. This “great pad in a great size” opened up to 48 by 36 inches, which was large enough to cover a sizable amount of ground, but still packed down nicely for loading into the car. And at nine pounds and about $140, it won’t break your back or your wallet.

• $142
• metoliusclimbing.com
• Perfect for one-pad owners
• Shoe-wiping top carpet square