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We tested bouldering crash pads from Metolius, Mad Rock, Organic, Black Diamond, Kinetik, and others to uncover the best landing zone for your next project
We schlepped pads far and wide and took uncountable falls in our quest to figure out which bouldering crash pads are going to serve you best.
Looking for the best bouldering crash pad? Our climbing experts have tested more than 40 pads over the last decade. For our latest review, we purchased and tested 11 top crash pads side-by-side. We hiked these pads to backcountry blocs, stacked them next to roadside highballs, and spread them underneath expansive roof problems. We took many falls to see how well each one pads back-slapping low falls and scary diggers from way up high. We compiled notes on durability, features, and how well each pad carries gear. Our comprehensive review provides all of the beta you need to find the right crash pad to put between you and the ground.
Editor's Note: Our bouldering crash pad review was updated on May 22, 2024, to share info on the updated Mad Rock Duo and to remove a discontinued model.
Many features, including couch straps and a shoe-wiping mat
REASONS TO AVOID
Foam is not ideal for short falls
Updated for 2024
Mad Rock updated the Duo this year with recycled material, a new aesthetic, and more velcro straps for connecting additional pads.
The Mad Rock Duo earns our highest recommendation for its innovative strap system that enables you to carry a second pad easily (and even a third, with some difficulty). If you need to carry an extra pad, the Duo makes this a non-issue. This pad also boasts an impressively thick foam. It is loaded with extra features, such as an excellent suspension system with a sternum strap, convenient handles, strap keeper pockets, a pad to wipe off your shoes, and the ability to turn it into a couch. It's large enough to be used as a standalone pad and combines well with an extra pad for more coverage, particularly with other Mad Rock pads that include the Velcro closure strips to keep them together. For those who boulder alone or want to maximize ground coverage, it's a fantastic option. Its price is also very fair compared to many of the higher-priced options available, increasing the appeal of this great pad to a larger audience.
Like other pads with Mad Rock's 5-inch foam, the Duo is quite stiff for low falls and awkward landings. Slightly softer foam, or blended foams like the Metolius Magnum features, tends to provide a gentler impact. The Duo softens over time, but we found it relatively firm through the break-in process. Feature-laden products can sometimes seem like a gimmick, but our testers were surprised by just how much they came to love the useful additions on this pad, which quickly became our overall favorite.
Easily attaches to other organic pads for transport
REASONS TO AVOID
Doesn't fit very much gear
Lacks extra features
Our testers all enjoy bouldering with the Organic Simple. It has a hybrid suitcase-style closure that combines the traditional suitcase design's packability with the benefits of protection from a taco-style closure. When folded, the Simple has handles on both sides of the pad, giving you multiple carrying options while moving between boulders. It's made of the most durable nylon in our test, and its metal closure buckles are our favorite. The backpack system is among the most comfortable of all the crash pads tested.
If you want a crash pad full of features, the Simple may not be right for your needs. Compared to the Mad Rock Duo, it's on the opposite end of the spectrum regarding features, but this isn't necessarily bad. Our testers found they could carry everything they needed, but if you like to pack lots of gear, know that this pad doesn't hold much more than a small daypack. The surface area also runs on the smaller side, which might be a problem for some folks. If these shortcomings aren't an issue for you, then the Simple Pad could be the durable daily driver you have been looking for.
It's easy for us to sing the praises of the versatile, well-designed Metolius Magnum. This pad is huge, and a few clever design features make it easy to manage this behemoth on longer approaches. Our testers strongly consider large pads necessary for fun and some degree of protection in modern bouldering, but no one really wants to carry them. The Magnum's tri-fold design allows for a narrower profile than many smaller, taco-style pads, making the 18.7-pound pad feel more balanced on your back as you hike up hills or weave and squeeze between trees and boulders. A large storage pocket holds the essentials, and you can easily secure a small backpack on the top of the pad under the closure flap. When it's time to get down to business, three layers of foam spread the impact from violent, unexpected diggers, and there are plenty of handles for your friends to grab so they can optimize pad placement quickly as you get higher off the deck.
Some individuals will miss the convenience of a taco-style pad that allows you to throw all your gear in the center and carry it like a suitcase to the next boulder problem. Fortunately, our testers learned to adjust and became less of a sprawling junk show in the process. While many highball pads are 5" thick, the Magnum is only 4" thick, but the large area makes it a terrific base for stacking pads when you've got a big fall. If you're riding solo, this pad is almost perfect, giving you the coverage of two small pads while being much easier to carry than a Black Diamond Mondo Pad, or other similar-sized pads. Weighing in on everything, we think those looking for a large pad should put the Metolius Magnum at the very top of the wish list.
The Organic Full Pad checks nearly all the boxes one would expect from a top-of-the-line bouldering crash pad. The high-quality combination of open and closed cell foam makes falls from any height as comfortable as hitting the ground will ever be. Although it doesn't offer many fancy features, it does include a handy pocket closure flap. This flap is nifty for a few reasons. First, it allows you to load up your pad with more equipment and makes it easy to attach another medium-sized pad for carrying. Our favorite aspect about the flap is that when you open the pad, you can lay it down on the ground underneath the pad – almost like a ground sheet – and it protects the backpack straps and hip belt from getting wet and muddy. The Full Pad sports comfortable backpack straps, a wide hip belt, and a sternum strap, making this pad an excellent option for adventures farther from the road.
Even though we don't think it's a deal breaker, the Full Pad doesn't provide any way to attach itself to other pads in a landing zone. Fortunately, it has nice square edges that usually make this a nonissue. Considering its price compared to fully-featured pads like the Petzl Alto, we'd take the improved fall protection this more affordable pad offers. Unless you're shopping for a larger pad or one with a few more features, the Full Pad is the best mid-sized crash pad on the market.
If you like to wander farther away from the crowds, then the Kinetik Newton 4.0 is the ideal choice. With an adjustable and comfortable carry system and the ability to stow away extra gear, this crash pad shines on long approaches and alpine adventures alike. The outer shell is constructed from highly durable ballistic nylon and should hold up to season after season of hard use. The closure buckles are built from thick metal but have rounded edges and a highly ergonomic shape. Kinetik got all the little details right with this one, and we appreciate how they add to the overall performance of this pad.
We think the foam on the Newton 4.0 could be a bit stiffer, but it makes for a comfy catch on falls low to the ground. Even though it is loaded with touchpoints to improve gear storage and adjustability, those wanting a no-frills pad will likely find all of the extra straps overly complex – if that sounds like you, we recommend the aptly named Organic Simple instead. But for its purposes, the Newton is a well-designed pad that excels at hauling gear out to your distant project.
The Omni Flap closure system lets you hide away the closure system, giving you even more options to get creative while protecting a landing zone.
Credit: Buck Yedor
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Bouldering above the Metolius Session II and the Mad Rock Mad Pad, a few of several pads we took many falls on during testing.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
How We Test Bouldering Crash Pads
We began this review by researching the best bouldering crash pads currently available on the market and spoke with diehard pebble wrestlers about their favorite and least favorite crash pads used. Next, the chosen pads were purchased at full price, and then we put them through months of regular, real-world use during bouldering sessions. We took falls from high and low and carried all of the crash pads to remote bouldering destinations. Field testing's culmination was an intensive three days where we performed side-by-side controlled experiments on the pads, such as taking a fall repeatedly onto the same “hidden” rock. Throughout, we paid particular attention to how well they padded falls and packed gear, as well as noting durability and useful features.
Our testing of bouldering crash pads is divided into five different metrics:
High Falls (30% of total score weighting)
Low Fall (30% weighting)
Durability (20% weighting)
Packing Gear (10% weighting)
Features (10% weighting)
Why Trust GearLab
Bringing you this review is the dream team of Chris Summit, Chris McNamara, Steven Tata, Henry Feder, Matt Bento, and Buck Yedor.
Chris Summit is the author of seven climbing and bouldering guidebooks and many first ascents all over northern California. Pulling down on rock since '89, he continues finding first ascents in out-of-the-way places.
We also have our OutdoorGearLab Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Chris McNamara, on board. Chris is also the founder and head author of the rock guide publisher SuperTopo, founder of the American Safe Climbing Association. He has over 70 ascents of El Capitan and holds nine big wall speed climbing records.
Our Senior Research Analyst Steven Tata. Steven holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from UMass Amherst, and, after a stint working in marine propulsion, joined OutdoorGearLab. An avid climber, he recently hit destinations from Massachusetts to Alaska on the same trip.
Henry Feder, who holds a B.S. in Adventure Education from Green Mountain College is a former member of Yosemite's Search and Rescue crew, and an avid climber residing in South Lake Tahoe, CA.
Matt Bento is another YOSAR veteran who's spent plenty of summers finding and climbing new boulder problems in Yosemite Valley, scaling blocks in Tuolumne Meadows, and wintering in the bouldering mecca of Bishop, California. He'd like every climber who doesn't identify as a “boulderer” to take a trip to Hueco Tanks, where “the climbing is so fun, you might never feel the need to tie in ever again.”
Our final contributor, Buck Yedor is yet another YOSAR alumni who has long since traded in his haul bags for bouldering pads. From the perfect granite blocs of Yosemite Valley to the stunning quartzite of Rocklands, South Africa, Buck has traveled far and wide, scaling as many boulders as possible along the way.
A large pad is crucial for a solo day amongst the boulders, even on shorter problems.
Bouldering is the simplest and most accessible form of rock climbing.A few pads, shoes, and a chalk bag are all you need for a day of fun.
Testing the Black Diamond Mondo, Drop Zone, and Organic Simple on a technical V9 in South Lake Tahoe.
We define a “medium bouldering pad” as roughly 48" x 36". We also put pads up to about 49" x 41" into the medium pad category. A medium pad is the most common size because it fits in most cars, is relatively easy to carry, and is large enough for most low to medium-height problems. Large pads are 60" x 48" up to 50" to 72". For many medium to tall problems, climbers will want a larger crash pad or several medium and small crash pads.
What's the Best Value?
The pads in our review have a broad range of list prices, which generally correlate with the area and thickness of the pad. On the lower end, pads like the Metolius Session II cover medium areas and have simple features. In contrast, the high-end Black Diamond Mondo covers a massive area, features some of the thickest foam of any pad in the review, and costs a pretty penny. Pads in the middle range incorporate various features that make them easier to use and carry around.
For taller problems, you and your friends may need to drag an arsenal of pads to the boulders. Some models have straps for carrying multiple pads at once.
Credit: Matt Bento
The Mad Rock Duo is our top recommendation for its combination of thick foam, large area, and useful, unique features at a reasonable price. While not as feature-laden as the Duo, the Organic Simple is another pad that offers consumers tremendous value. Made with some of the best foam on the market and a highly durable outer, this pad should keep your ankles safe for years.
Testing crash pads in the Tahoe springtime.
Credit: Ross Robinson
Padding Falls
To judge how well a bouldering crash pad cushions a fall, we simply fell a lot – and most of the time on purpose. We break down this metric into high and low falls, with a component assessing how well pads cushion a fall over an uneven landing zone.
The Art of Spotting
A good spotter is just as important as a good bouldering crash pad. A stronger spotter who knows what they're doing can make you feel as though you've been plucked from the sky when you fall, giving you confidence when you need to high step or even when heel hooking over your head. You can learn to be a good spotter no matter what size or how strong you are. Being active, moving pads, and making sure the climber lands on them is just as important as being a good belayer and will likely result in everyone in your crew sending harder and having more fun.
High Fall Test
For big drops, our favorite foam to fall on was the 5-inch thick foam of the Black Diamond Mondo. The huge landing zone and extra inch of foam went a long way in upping our confidence when questing higher off the deck.
The Metolious Magnum was another one of our favorites for when falls started to get big, and we started to get scared. While a collection of small pads can certainly create the same size landing zone, having a big pad with no gaps is our preferred surface to land on from high up. Both of the Organic pads have smaller landing zones, but their stiff foam is excellent for stopping big falls.
While a smaller pad can seem plenty adequate when down low, it starts to seem like a postage stamp when you're more than a body length off the ground.
Credit: Matt Bento
Low Fall Test
When working moves in cave problems, you may find yourself repeatedly falling on your back. It's nice if your landing zone has some cushion to it. In terms of foam, open-cell foam feels softer but must be balanced with closed-cell foam for longer falls from higher up.
Our favorite pads for repeated low falls are the Kinetik Newton 4.0, the Mad Rock Mad Pad, and either of the pads from Organic. While the foam in these pads may be a bit too soft to cushion a high fall, they are perfectly suited to protect our bums and backs while working on difficult sit starts. A unique and highly appreciated aspect of the Organic Full and Organic Simple is that they both perform very well on both high and low falls. Of all the pads tested, the foam used in these hits that sweet spot best of all. Organic fans praise the foam this company utilizes; after testing, we understand why.
The Simple uses a combination of 1" memory foam on top of urethane rubber and finally a large amount of open cell foam on the bottom.
Credit: Henry Feder
The huge Metolius Magnum uses a 3-layer foam system, with a thick layer of compressible open-cell foam sandwiched between two thinner layers of firmer foam. This creates a great balance for low-ball action while allowing for durability and foam longevity, even though the Magnum is only 4" thick. When brand new, the Mad Rock Duo was stiffer than we liked for low, jarring, on-your-back type falls.
Shorter falls onto your back can still be fairly jarring. If you are a true connoisseur of low-balls, consider using the softer underside of the pad for a plusher landing on short falls.
Credit: Matt Bento
Uneven Terrain Test
For this testing, we used the pads on treacherous, uneven terrain to see how well they managed. The Metolius Magnum and the Kinetic Newton have velcro flaps to seal up the hinge, mitigating a problem other hinged pads have. If you fall in the middle of most hinged pads, the pad may fold in half around you like a Venus Flytrap. The real need for the unhinged foam of a taco-style design is only evident on very sharp, uneven, rocky landing zones. We highly recommend this style if you boulder a lot in talus fields or other extremely rocky spots. Otherwise, a hinged pad will treat you just fine.
The Kinetik Newton has a velcro flap that can entirely cover its carrying system.
Credit: Buck Yedor
Draping hinged pads over rocks lets you pad the tops and sides of potential hazards.
Tri-fold pads like the Metolius Magnum have three hinge points, making them an excellent choice for padding larger rocks when used in the face-down configuration.
The velcro closure lets you add more Mad Rock Mad Pads, Triple Mad Pads, or Duo pads. It also seals up the joint so you don't have to worry about the pad “bear trapping” when landing on the hinge seam.
Credit: Chris McNamara
The exception to the rule that you need a taco-style closure for rocky landings was the hybrid hinge design on the Organic Simple,Organic Full, and the Kinetik Newton pads. The top layer of foam on both of those pads is one continuous piece of foam that prevents you from bottoming out through the seam.
The hybrid hinge design on the Organic Simple Pad creates a no-dead-spot landing.
Credit: Henry Feder
Durability
For our assessment, we break down the durability of a bouldering crash pad into multiple categories, which combine to determine a pad's overall durability.
Materials and Craftsmanship
The rubberized “Batman Suit” coating on the Black Diamond Mondo is not only waterproof but sticks to angled, slanted, and tilted landing zones better than any other pad we tested. The coating is also very resilient and long-lasting. The Metolius Magnum employs an ultra-tough 900-denier nylon shell fabric. We've seen this model withstand years of being dragged across bouldering areas.
The Mondo has a grippy rubberized surface that helps keep it in position on angled landings.
Credit: Henry Feder
It's important to note that all the pads in our test have foam that can be removed and replaced. Each manufacturer uses velcro or zippers to close the shell fabric around the foam, so if your foam is old and bottoming out, but the shell is intact, you can have the foam replaced.
The Organic Simple is on top of the Black Diamond Drop Zone and the Black Diamond Mondo is on the bottom.
Credit: Henry Feder
Both Organic pads stand out in overall craftsmanship and durability. They use a bombproof 1050-denier nylon shell and Cordura for the landing zone. These pads will hold up for the most abusive users. The Kinetik Newton 4.0 is another pad that uses ultra-strong outer materials that should hold up for years to come.
The Organic Full is built with a rugged 1050 denier nylon outer shell.
Credit: Buck Yedor
Foam Durability
Most pads on the market today have the softer, open-cell PU (polyurethane) foam and the more dense and firm closed-cell PE (polyethylene) foam combined in separate layers. The layering makes the pads firm on one side for tall, high-impact falls on your feet and softer on the other side for short, hard, jarring falls on your backside. This method allows the pads to simply be flipped over for either application. On most pads, the firm side is up for the most common falling scenario, a medium to high fall onto your feet.
Putting the Duo through the paces with a fall from up high.
Credit: Ross Robinson
The Metolius Magnum uses three layers of foam, with a 1" layer of closed-cell foam on top, 2.5" of softer open-cell foam in the middle, and an additional ½" of closed-cell foam on the bottom. The result is that the bottom of the pad is noticeably softer than the top, without being too squishy, while adding overall rigidity to the pad.
The Black Diamond Mondo uses a top layer of closed-cell foam (black) and open-cell foam (white) for the bottom.
Credit: Henry Feder
The Petzl Alto padding is a thick layer of PU foam that's slightly too soft. Fortunately, the thinner layer is a 50/50 mix of different density high-quality closed-cell PE foam that makes for a long-lasting pad suitable for low to high bouldering until the PU wears out. At this point, it will be relegated to low to medium bouldering with long-lasting quality foam.
The majority of the Alto's foam is a soft, open-cell polyurethane foam, but there's another layer of mixed density foam to add some firmness for higher falls and a bit more longevity.
Credit: Chris Summit
Overall Durability
For the most part, all of the pads that we tested are well-built and can be expected to last for several seasons of heavy use. The most durable foam design we saw was Mad Rock's 5-inch, 3-layer foam used on the Mad Rock Duo. It was also the stiffest and provided some hard landings for short falls. Both of the Organic pads are extremely durable and are known to last for years and years.
Not only is the foam on the Mad Rock Duo durable, but the high-quality stitching of things like Velcro closures helps ensure that this pad will last for many seasons.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Packing Gear
While you generally only need to bring shoes, chalk, and some water to go bouldering, if you're going to be hanging out for a while, it can be nice to pack some extra niceties. The pad that hauled the bulkiest, heaviest loads best is the Kinetik Newton 4.0. Its unique flap closure system lets you stuff it to the brim without anything falling out. The Organic Full also has a useful but less robust flap closure system. For midsized pads, they both let you bring a small drag pad, a bulky fan, and a day pack with no issue.
Packing Large Items
The Metolius Session II did particularly well with large items. The Session II's flap closure has only one hook buckle strap to secure it, which wasn't ideal for keeping many small items inside.
The Metolius Magnum has a somewhat limited carrying capacity compared to some of the pads that fold in half, but it has a large pocket in its closure strap, and there is space to strap down a small backpack to the top for hands-free hiking.
The midsized Organic Full Pad can fit a surprising amount of gear.
Credit: Buck Yedor
The Petzl Alto has the most secure zip-up flap closure, but it is not adjustable. It fits an above-average size load pretty well, but it's not suited for large bulky loads. Our testers also found the Velcro suspension system not as tightly adjustable as an old-school buckle style, and it has no center lifting handle to aid with heavy loads.
We liked the Mad Rock Duo's system for carrying a second pad.
Credit: Ross Robinson
The Mad Rock Duo wasn't great for stuffing tons of large items inside. Still, we appreciated the daisy chains on the outside of the pad, which could be used for clipping shoes or water bottles, freeing up a bit more space inside for anything else you may want to bring along. Pads like the Metolius Recon failed to handle carrying anything more than a few essentials. We didn't find a significant difference in the comfort of carrying big loads.
The large closure flap works great for filling the Session II with gear.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Packing Small Items
With its secure zipper flap closure system, the Petzl Alto is hands down the best pad we've tested for carrying small to medium loads of gear. The zip-up flap closes the bag so tight it is sealed like a backpack, and not even spare change, or more importantly, car keys, can escape the burly YKK zipper seal. The Metolius Session II has flap closures that help keep small- to medium-sized loads of gear in place very well. The Kinetik Newton 4.0 has both top and bottom flaps as well as a big side flap that ensures almost nothing will fall out when they are all securely buckled closed.
The secure YKK zipper flap closure, which is unique to the Petzl Alto among models we tested.
Credit: Petzl
Some of the pads we tested had small storage pockets that some of our testers found useful for holding keys, wallets, phones, etc. These features get mixed reviews from our testers, as many prefer to carry a small pack to organize their supplies and don't bother with the pockets on the crash pads. It's also important to note that if you put anything breakable in a crash pad pocket, chances are you'll forget that it's in there and then fall on it. Still, certain bouldering amenities like nail clippers, files, and brushes are low profile, and you'll always have them on hand if they are stored in the pocket.
Suitcase style handles are extremely useful. We don't recommend pads without them, since you'll use them hundreds of times during a day of bouldering.
Credit: Matt Bento
Features
While there are non-negotiable features on a bouldering crash pad – like a carrying system, for instance – uncovering the nuanced design features that set the top pads apart takes time getting intimate with these crash pads.
Buckles
The Kinetiek Newton's hook buckles were the best we tested. They are well-finished, large, and smooth, all things that make them very easy to operate. The Mad Rock buckles were a bit hard to pull tight or loose. All are much better than the old plastic buckles that had a tendency to break or the old Velcro closures that would eventually wear out. With the exception of the Petzl Alto's unique all-Velcro waist and shoulder strap suspension system, all the pads still use similar plastic buckles for the waist belts. With a little practice, the tough aluminum Metolius buckles make great bottle openers.
The Organic Full's pocket flap makes attaching two pads to carry as simple as can be.
Credit: Buck Yedor
Straps
The straps were about the same on all the pads, with generic nylon webbing. All the pads had padded shoulder straps. The most comfortable backpack straps we tested were on the Organic Simple and Full. The Petzl Alto had the first Velcro fastening shoulder and waist straps. Without the buckles, you would have to undo and redo the closure to adjust it on the fly, which was occasionally annoying but not a significant problem. The Alto also had an adjustable bandolier strap that helped to transport the pad between boulders.
The Black Diamond Drop Zone (left) and Mondo's (center) buckles work well. Our testers preferred the Organic Simple's buckle (right) because of the smooth and easy action.
Credit: Henry Feder
The Black Diamond Mondo has two huge handled straps on either end of the pad, so you can shoulder the whole thing like a giant purse when you fold it in half, making it easier to carry, and situating it higher off the ground. The Metolius Magnum has suitcase-style handles on either end of the pad and on the folding hinges, so it's easy to pick up and carry from either side. Little touches like these make your day of dragging pads around much easier.
The Magnum from Metolius has a sufficient suspension system for backpack carry, but we especially like the suitcase handles on all four sides of the pad that allow spotters to quickly re-position a pad for the climber.
Credit: Matt Bento
Comfort Hanging Out
The Mad Rock Duo, Mad Pad, and the Petzl Alto, both have straps that can turn the pads into couches when you aren't climbing. When present, the couch option is one of our favorite features for a pad to have and makes them especially useful around camp.
The Mad Rock Mad Pad comes equipped wit a handy carpet square to keep your shoes clean.
Credit: Buck Yedor
The Black Diamond Mondo and the Metolius Magnum are large enough for two people to sleep on, though the Mondo is very stiff out of the box, and our testers found the Magnum more comfortable if they slept on the softer side. The bottom (strap side) of all the bouldering crash pads in our review is softer than the top. Don't forget that you can always flip it over if the top feels too rigid for napping on (or for low falls onto your back).
Having a crash pad that doubles as a couch can be great for relaxing between burns.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Conclusion
Crash pads are an integral part of modern bouldering. Not only do they protect a falling climber from impact with the ground, but they can also add confidence to push for more challenging moves. Advanced climbers will likely benefit by training on one of the top hangboards to continue progressing grades and developing strength. These pads aren't cheap, so it's best to make the right purchase based on your individual needs, climbing style, and common landing surfaces (uneven, flat, etc.). If you want to go a little higher than a boulder will allow, you'll likely need more gear. We've reviewed the best climbing ropes for sport and trad climbing, as well as the best climbing harnesses for men and the top climbing harnesses for women. Whatever your climbing pursuits, we hope our comprehensive reviews help you zero in on your options and guide you toward an informed decision for your future rock endeavors.
May the bouldering crash pad you choose pad your falls and encourage friendship and recreation in the outdoors.
Credit: Matt Bento
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Buck Yedor, Matt Bento, Henry Feder, Steven Tata, Chris McNamara, Chris Summit
