Metolius Session II Review
An impressive medium-sized pad at a low cost
Photo: Metolius
Price: $160 List | $159.95 at Backcountry
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Securely holds a fair amount of gear with easy flap closure, handy carpet square for cleaning shoes, durable, affordable
Cons: The single buckle flap closure can come open when hauling heavy or bulky loads
Manufacturer: Metolius
Compare prices at 3 resellers Pros: Securely holds a fair amount of gear with easy flap closure, handy carpet square for cleaning shoes, durable, affordable
Cons: The single buckle flap closure can come open when hauling heavy or bulky loads
Manufacturer: Metolius
By Steven Tata ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Nov 7, 2018
Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more
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Our Verdict
The Metolius Session II is a good budget pad with some decent features. Out of the box, it is among the softest pads that we tested, which is nice for low falls but not very confidence-inspiring once you're high off the ground. The Session II has an angled hinge design that, like most hinges, can bottom out if something protrudes into the hinge from underneath but with the angled hinge it is less likely. It's also one of the least expensive pads that we tested. While this pad has one our Best Buy Award in the past, we now think the higher scoring and only slightly more expensive Mad Rock Mad Pad is the better buy.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Metolius Session II | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  | |  | ||
| Price | $159.95 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $199.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $210 List | $189.00 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | Check Price at REI Compare at 3 sellers |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Securely holds a fair amount of gear with easy flap closure, handy carpet square for cleaning shoes, durable, affordable | Versatility, soft, great for uneven surfaces, carries a ton of gear | Super durable, amazing foam, lightweight | Least expensive, compact (small but burly), thick and stiff foam (also a dislike) | Folds up for easy transport and storage, smooth hook buckles, padded waist belt |
| Cons | The single buckle flap closure can come open when hauling heavy or bulky loads | Not ideal for long, high falls, heavy | Lack of features, doesn't pack much gear well | Thick, stiff square cut foam, hard to pack, hinged | No pockets, on the small side |
| Bottom Line | An impressive medium-sized pad at a low cost | A unique pad with plush foam and plenty of space for packing gear | For a fantastic mid-sized pad with our favorite foam composition, this is it | Excellent value pad with thick foam and no frills | This lightweight pad is good for long approaches and works well as a secondary pad |
| Rating Categories | Metolius Session II | Mad Rock R3 | Organic Simple | Mad Rock Mad Pad | Black Diamond Impact |
| High Falls (30%) | |||||
| Low Falls (30%) | |||||
| Durability (20%) | |||||
| Packing Gear (10%) | |||||
| Features (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Metolius Session II | Mad Rock R3 | Organic Simple | Mad Rock Mad Pad | Black Diamond Impact |
| Surface Size (inches) | 50" x 37" | 55" x 35" | 48" x 36" | 48" x 36" | 39" x 45" |
| Thickness (inches) | 4" | 4" | 4" | 5" | 4" |
| Weight (lbs) | 9 lbs | 18 lbs | 11 lbs | 10 lbs | 9.8 lbs |
| Hinge/Taco | Hinge | Hinge(s)/Baffles | Hinge | Hinge | Hinge |
| Closing Flap | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Warranty | 1 Year | Lifetime limited | None, but they do repairs. | 1 Year | 1 Year |
Show full specification detailsHide full specification details
Our Analysis and Test Results
Performance Comparison
The Session II gets the job done for low-medium falls.
Photo: Jenna Ammerman
Padding Falls
The Session II's 4-inch sandwich foam design has a 0.5-inch closed-cell ground layer, 3-inch open-cell foam core layer, and a 1-inch closed-cell top layer.
This foam is uniquely layered in a way that cushions well in most scenarios from short back-jarring falls to medium-high falls. No hinged pad is completely failsafe and the hinge of the Session II felt especially thin. We preferred the Mad Rock Mad Pad's thick velcro hinge flap to the Session II's offset hinge, which tended to come undone up on uneven landings. Only taco style hinged pads with a solid piece of foam are fully foolproof over sharp rocky landings. The exception to this is our top pi k the Organic Simple with its partially hinged design. For landings that are lumpy and uneven the single best pad is our Top Pick Award-winning Mad Rock R3 that has multiple baffles that conform to uneven terrain.
The Session II's angled hinge worked well on even landings, but without a velcro flap running down the length of it, some parts felt very soft.
Photo: Jenna Ammerman
The Mad Rock Mad Pad is in the same price zone and earned the Best Buy award for its super thick 5-inch foam. If you are bouldering mostly on highballs or in steep caves over mostly flat-ish landings then the Mad Pad's additional inch of pad thickness will help to cushion hard falls. The Mad Pad does have the basic hinge that is at risk of failing on sharp rocky landings so if you boulder over jagged rocks frequently then the Session II would be better or consider a non-hinged taco style pad that are the best for rugged landings. Also if you ever want to carry a large or heavy load the Mad Pad does not pack loads as well as the Session II or most taco pads. Simply put, the Session II is more than adequate to pad most falls on most landing zones.
Packing Gear
This pad stores a small to medium size daypack or bag of gear, food, water bottle, etc., all very well with the easy to open/close one buckle flap. In backpack mode, the contoured shoulder straps and adjustable waist belt make it comfortable to haul medium to semi-heavy loads very well. The waist buckle is the standard medium size plastic clip style. The suspension lacks a chest strap, which made the pad feel a bit less stable while hiking on rough terrain but didn't make much of a difference for flat approaches.
The large closure flap works great for filling the Session II with gear.
Photo: Jenna Ammerman
Features
The Session II securely holds an average amount of gear with the quick and easy to use one strap flap closure system. The thick 4-inch sandwich foam is good all around and the handy carpet square in the center of the pad is good for cleaning or drying off your rock shoes before burns.
The felt square is a nice feature for wiping off shoes before climbing.
Photo: Jenna Ammerman
Durability
After months of use, the Session II didn't soften up much. The material held up to abrasive rock very well and we'd expect this pad to survive many seasons of consistent use.
The foam of the Session II wasn't impressively thick but the construction felt durable.
Photo: Jenna Ammerman
Value
For anybody on a budget, the Session II provides a great value. It is relatively compact and covers a large enough area to work well as a standalone pad under problems that doesn't traverse much. For the price, the Session II offers a good all-around pad for most bouldering sessions. The Mad Rock Mad Pad hovers in the same price range and comes with much thicker padding, but doesn't have as many features as the Session II.
Conclusion
The medium size of the Session II is just right for a solo lowball circuit or to pad a tall problem in conjunction with a few other pads. Although the Mad Pad is better for its thickness and durability, the Session II still has a place in the hands of boulderers on a budget and for those who are looking to add some extra cushion to their arsenal of pads.
— Steven Tata