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Seeking the best bouldering crash pad? Our climbing experts have tested more than 40 pads over the last decade. For this update, we bought and fell on 12 of the top crash pads available and put them head-to-head for critical comparison. We hiked these pads to backcountry blocs, stacked them next to roadside highballs, and spread them underneath expansive roof problems to see how each performs at padding back-slapping low falls and scary diggers from way up high. We also note the 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.
Editors' Note: We updated this review on May 13, 2023, to remove some old and low-scoring crash pads, to retest the updated Black Diamond Mondo Pad and Metolius Session II, and to add new pads from Organic, Black Diamond, Kinetik, and Evolv.
Many features, including couch straps and a shoe-wiping mat
REASONS TO AVOID
Foam not ideal for short falls
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 relatively stiff for low falls and awkward landings, whereas softer foam tends to provide a gentler impact. Though the pad softens over time, we found it relatively firm through the break-in process. While feature-laden products can sometimes seem like a gimmick, our testers were surprised by just how much they came to love the useful additions on this pad, which became our overall favorite quickly.
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.
The Simple may not be for you if you are looking for a bouldering crash pad loaded with features. It's on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Duo in this regard, but that's not necessarily bad. Our testers could carry everything they needed; however, if you like to pack lots of gear, the Simple does not hold much more than a small daypack. It's also on the smaller side of the surface area spectrum, which may be an issue for some. If you are not concerned with these drawbacks, then the Simple might be that durable daily driver pad you have been searching 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 will miss the convenience of a taco-style pad, where you can throw all your gear in the center and carry it like a suitcase to the next boulder problem. Our testers learned to adjust and became less of a sprawling junk show in the process. It's only 4" thick, and while many highball pads are 5" thick, the Magnum's huge area makes it a great base for stacking pads when you're looking at big falls. If you're riding solo, this pad is nearly perfect, giving you the coverage of two small pads while being much easier to carry than a Black Diamond Mondo or other pads of similar size. If you want a large pad, the Metolius Magnum should be at the very top of your wish list.
The Organic Full Pad ticks almost all the boxes you could expect from a top-of-the-line bouldering crash pad. It utilizes a high-quality combination of open and closed cell foam that makes falls from any height as comfortable as hitting the ground will ever be. This pad doesn't include many fancy features, but it comes equipped with a nifty pocket closure flap. This flap is handy for a few reasons. It lets you load up your pad with more equipment and makes it easy to attach another medium-sized pad for carrying. Our favorite thing 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 sternum strap, and a wide hip belt, making this pad a great choice for adventures farther from the road.
While not a deal breaker, the Full Pad doesn't provide any way to attach itself to other pads in a landing zone. It does, however, have nice square edges that usually make this a nonissue. Unless you're looking for a larger pad or one with a few more features, the Full is the best mid-sized pad on the market.
The Mad Rock R3 stands out for several reasons. The unique baffle design makes it the only pad that conforms to uneven landings, the flap closure allows it to carry a ton of gear, it's not too expensive, and it is made out of recycled scraps of foam. The suspension system is top-notch and has reinforced shoulder straps with a handle between the straps to aid in lifting when heavily loaded. It also offers a lot of value regarding its price-to-performance ratio. To extend this model's life, Mad Rock also sells recycled replacement foam at a low price.
Weighing in at 18 pounds, the R3 is one of the heavier pads that we tested, considering its mid-range surface area and 4" thickness. The foam is much softer than the Duo, which made it better for low to medium-height falls but not great for falling from very high up. The R3 stands out as an eco-friendly pad perfectly designed to cover uneven surfaces and carry your all-day supplies.
Unlike other pads with a continuous layer of stiff foam, the Mad Rock R3 excels in rock-strewn terrain by using a baffled design filled with thousands of pieces of recycled foam.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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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
Why You Should Trust Us
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 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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Testing the Black Diamond Mondo, Drop Zone, and Organic Simple on a technical V9 in South Lake Tahoe.
Credit: Henry Feder
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 Magum 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.
While a smaller pad like the BD Impact (shown here) 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, Mad Rock R3, and either of the pads from Organic. The R3 is filled with soft bits of recycled foam that cushions low falls especially well.
The Organic Full is our favorite mid-sized pad, and a perfect companion no matter the height of your problem.
Credit: Buck Yedor
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, this one's foam 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
We used the pads on treacherous uneven terrain to see how well they managed. With its innovative baffle design, shredded foam, and medium-large size, the Mad Rock R3 is the best to conform to large lumpy spots such as rocks or tree stumps in a landing zone. However, the seams of the baffles are less padded, making them potentially more likely to bottom out on sharp, rocky landings where jagged objects could protrude through this less padded area between the baffles. While we see this as a potential drawback on paper, we didn't experience any problems falling on the seams during testing. For the main impact spot in the center of a "bad" uneven, jagged landing zone, the pads of choice are, unsurprisingly, the taco pads with medium-stiff foam, like the Petzl Alto.
Pads with a stiff layer of continuous foam tend to struggle in rock-strewn landing zones. The Mad Rock R3 attempts to solve this issue by using thousands of pieces of recycled foam and a baffled design, allowing the pad to bend along uneven contours. We suggest placing the center of a baffle over rock protrusions as much as possible to avoid bottoming out when landing on the seams.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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 and the Organic Full pads. The top layer of foam on both of those pads is one continuous piece of foam that prevets 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 for 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 Mad Rock R3 uses recycled shredded foam leftover from its manufacturing facility.
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 are standout 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 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
The padding of the Mad Rock R3 is shredded recycled foam that is heavy but lasts much longer than most of the pads in this review. You can also purchase more from Mad Rock for a pretty low price, extending the life of your pad for less. The stiff foam utilized in the other Mad Rock pads also impressed our reviewers regarding its longevity.
The innards of the R3. Mad Rock will sell and ship you more filling if needed.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
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. The Mad Rock R3 is very durable and has thick material and reinforced stitching to ensure a long lifetime of constant use.
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 the kitchen sink. The pad that hauled the bulkiest, heaviest loads is the Mad Rock R3.
Packing Large Items
The Metolius Session II also did particularly well with large items. The Session II's flap closure has only one hook buckle strap to secure it, while the Mad Rock R3 has two hook buckle closure straps that allow the pad to hold bigger loads. Its larger-than-average size and drum-like shaped taco-style help pack in more gear. The R3 is also unique in that it has a burly suspension system. The shoulder strap is sewn-in (no Velcro) and has handles on top of the suspension to help lift the pad onto your back when heavily loaded. 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
For midsized pads, both the Organic Full and Kinetik Newton manage to haul some serious loads. Both pads are equipped with outer flaps that let you stuff way more gear inside. Bringing a small drag pad, a bulky fan, and a day pack was no issue with either of these two pads.
We liked the Mad Rock Duo's system for carrying a second pad.
Credit: Ross Robinson
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. 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 very well. Heavy, bulky loads can fall out of the bottom since there is only a single top closure strap, unlike on the Mad Rock R3 that also has the flap closure that holds medium to large size loads of gear in well with double straps to secure the load. But none of the pads can beat the Alto for securely holding smaller loads with its zipper flap.
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's Duo, 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 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. To help develop strength, advanced climbers will likely benefit by training on one of the top hangboards to continue progressing grades. 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 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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Chris Summit, Chris McNamara, Steven Tata, Henry Feder, Matt Bento, and Buck Yedor
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
