A couple of weeks back, I posed a question for readers. The question being “What was the main factor in choosing your current crashpad?”. After almost 100 votes and 25+ comments, Quality was the clear winner with 56% of the votes. Given the cheap nature of most climbers I expected Price to be more of a deciding factor, but it appears as though many of you are more concerned with your pad holding up in the long term. Here are the full poll results:
First of all, props to the 8% of you that are sponsored (allegedly). Second, if quality is the deciding factor, what pads are people finding offer the best quality? Here are some of the better comments that give a good idea of what pads people feel are high quality:
The few times I’ve used a [Madrock] Mad Pad, I’ve hated them. The foam sucks, the quality sucks and it’s kind of an awkward size. Go with an organic full pad. It’ll last longer and after you use it you won’t even remember the 50 or 60 dollar difference
Mike B.
I currently own an Organic and a Metolius pad. I previously owned a Flashed as well. The Flashed was alright but the foam got “tired” fast. The Metolius is stiff, featureless and feels cheap (well it is cheap to buy so one can expect…).
Organic is by far the best crashpad that I’ve owned. It’s durable and well made. Plus the owner is really nice to work with and very available to respond to various requests.
going on 4 years of heavy abuse [and carrying heavy loads and multiple pads strapped to it], my first organic is still kicking. the velcro is done, but they are using metal buckles now. of course, the foam is seeing some effects of age, but i’ve never had a pad last longer than 12 months before my first organic… 4 years and still going!
I would look at the Asana pads. I have been using mine for about four years and it is held up to some pretty rough abuse. There pads are at a great price and the quality is amazing.
Phil
i’ve had a voodoo pad for about 2 years now. it’s held up pretty well, but the organic pad i bought a year ago is far superior. there really is no comparison, i say organic all the way.
I agree. ORGANIC ORGANIC AND ORGANIC!!!!
I’ve had mad-pads, misty, and metolius and the only pad I would buy again is my Organic.
Everything else just seems to fall apart, pack out, or just plain carry poorly.
It’s worth the extra pennies for the extra YEARS you get out of it.
entropy
I really love my Metolius Behemoth. It’s lighter and less awkward to carry in talus fields and on steep trails than the big, thick pads that a lot of companies make. I also like it because it’s 4″ thick and covers a good deal of landing zone (almost twice what a normal sized pad covers) which is nice if you climb alone very much. The pad is solidly built (much better than the first generation Behemoths) and the foam feels like it will last for a good while.
I bought a small Asana pad recently and it has been used a lot. Very affordable, lightweight, and solid. The Organic pads are in my opinion overbuilt with lightweight shoulder straps. The pads can feel very heavy which is good except when carrying them a long way. I have an almost 10 year old Misty Mtn pad that has held up really well.
Matt C
OK……2 words…….Misty Mountain. I hav a standard misty that I have had for 8 years now and a misty magnum that I have had for 6 years. Both pads have seen extinsive use and are still going strong. Sure you need to replace th foam after a couple of years (you need to do this with any pad) but the straps and body of the pad are still as bomber today as they were when I bought them
yohans
FLASHED. The foam is a perfect balance between being lightweight yet firm. Organic is overly firm and hence, too heavy. Asana is light but so soft it will last you barely a few months.
Not surprisingly there are many different pads (Asana, Metolius, Organic, Misty Mountain) that people feel positive about, and some of the opinions are conflicting. Two people find that Asana pads work great and another finds them “so soft it will last you barely a few months”. Another commenter finds that Metolius pads work well while another finds that they “feel cheap”. Obviously everyone has different preferences in what they are looking for in a pad, and experiences with gear always differ.
The overall theme that is prevalent throughout many of the comments though is the affinity people have for Organic pads. One might think that the poll was some sort of paid infomercial for Organic given the overwhelming number of comments pimping their pads, but it is really just a testament to the quality of their gear. A quick perusal of a few posts on Rockclimbing.com in the past couple of weeks revealed a similar thread of responses to the same question I pose. People love their Organic pads.
It is interesting to note that many of the people who commented professed love for Organic pads, yet only 2 people chose Brand as the overriding factor in their pad purchasing decision. It seems as though many people equate quality with the Organic brand without even thinking about it.
As the fall bouldering comes to a close and the winter season begins, I hope that these posts give you some added information to use on your next pad purchase.
