Best starter crash pad

Looking for my first crash pad. What is the best route cost wise and value wise? I'm a big guy so it needs to be able to catch alot of weight. Other than that I'm open to all options. I've been looking at the mad rock pad thus far as my best option. Thanks

Organic duh, more expensive but worth it. Josh is such a rad dude and the pads last forever. 

Cheap pads are a waste of money.  Gravity doesn’t care if you’re a begginer or an expert. The foam in a cheap pad will pack out in 6 months. The foam in an Organic, Metolius or Asana will last for years.

Also remember...there is no such thing as “starter” gravity. 

Go for an Organic crash pad.  I've been looking at getting one as well and just feeling the difference in foam density in person between the Organic pad vs Metolius and Mad Rock is huge.  Organic is much denser and will take falls a lot better if you're heavier, plus people say they last forever.  The extra $35-50 you'll spend versus a cheaper pad will be worth it.

Julian H wrote: Baby matters from the trash. Any crushpad or none will do.  Crushpads are nice but not required for bouldering and they are all the same. 

You haven't actually fallen bouldering let alone gone climbing before have you? There is a noticeable difference from just squeezing the pad between madrock and organic

I never even knew there was an organic option. I've not done too much research other than comparing prices. I will do more digging. Thanks guys

How does the metolius recon compare to an organic? I’m looking to get my first pad but would also like to use my REI dividend on it. 

Mitch L wrote: How does the metolius recon compare to an organic? I’m looking to get my first pad but would also like to use my REI dividend on it. 

Recon is $55 more than an Organic and IMO the foam is not as good.  You can easily compress it down pinching it with your fingers, whereas you cannot with the Organic foam.  Also I was just climbing around a group yesterday that had a Recon that I was pretty much bottoming out just stepping on it.  No idea how old it was but it didn't look particularly beat up or heavily used. 

Mitch L wrote: How does the metolius recon compare to an organic? I’m looking to get my first pad but would also like to use my REI dividend on it. 

Last time I was shopping at rei I'm pretty sure I saw that you could buy the organic simple pad

Another vote for organic. I went with the biggest most expensive one for my first pad. I’ve gotten 3 more pads since then and the organic comes with me everywhere I go. Amazing for protecting leg breaking landings, holes inbetween boulders, doubles as a bed, can be thrown off cliffs without a scratch left on it. Absolute beast.

Julian H wrote: You do know that you can replace the foam with high quality foam for less than a resole. And you can change it to your liking.

Info on where to get said foam?

www.foamsource.com

Malcolm Daly wrote: www.foamsource.com

Dimensions of an Organic Full Size Pad: 36' x 48' x 4'.

Cost of the cheapest 36' x 48' x 4' High Density Foam from foamsource.com: $172.32. (For our purposes let's call this a "Rectangle or Square Cushion").

Cost of an Organic Full Size Pad: $185

Cost of a Resole at Rock and Resole, even if we generously assume toe caps are needed and include shipping: $60

So no, that is not "high quality foam for less than a resole". That's not even high quality foam for much less than the price of an Organic Pad.

Incidentally, I suspect the foam I selected from Foam Source is not what you want: everything else that sounded vaguely useable was more expensive, in some cases twice as expensive.

Blake wrote: I never even knew there was an organic option. I've not done too much research other than comparing prices. I will do more digging. Thanks guys

I feel like this comment indicates that you don't know that "Organic" is a brand name.

Julian H wrote: Try thefoamfactory.com their lux foam is their firm foam rated at 50lbs life span 8-12 years
3in 83x36 50 bucks 

Good to know!

David Kerkeslager wrote:

I feel like this comment indicates that you don't know that "Organic" is a brand name.

Yes that's true. I'm brand new to all of this and frankly I'm mostly shopping through Amazon for most things. I've built my own home wall so most of my purchases have been shoes, holds, and chalk. I'm just now planning climbs outside so yes I have very little knowledge of what is out there. But now I've read alot on the organic website and I'm planning to buy their full pad. Stuff looks legit.

Blake wrote:

Yes that's true. I'm brand new to all of this and frankly I'm mostly shopping through Amazon for most things. I've built my own home wall so most of my purchases have been shoes, holds, and chalk. I'm just now planning climbs outside so yes I have very little knowledge of what is out there. But now I've read alot on the organic website and I'm planning to buy their full pad. Stuff looks legit.

Yeah. They make quality pads. I think you'll be happy with your choice.

I bought my first organic crash pad over three years ago. I use it almost every weekend, the foam is still in good shape and so is the cover. I have a friend that bought a madrock pad the same time I got my organic pad, he uses it less often than me and his pad is currently held together by duct tape and his straps are now ropes. I have another friend that bought a brand new mad rock pad out bouldering with us, we stuffed his pad and my pad into a particularly sharp landing zone in a talus pile. The rocks cut his pad open, mine came out with some scuff marks, I then used my  pad to sled down a steep trail on the way out, like I have numerous times. My pad is still in better shape after three years of said abuse, in better shape than ANY  metolius or mad rock pad I have ever seen out doors.

Anyone who says all pads are the same probably doesn’t boulder much, even if the foam inside was the same or it was more economical to replace said foam (it’s not) the materials the pad covers are made from are entirely different.

I don’t think I have  seen one Organic pad at any crag that had duct tape on it or was missing a strap or had blown out foam. Asana, metolius, and mad rock pads do not last as long as Organic pads, simple as that.

Buy any pad and replace the foam for $50 and you have already spent more than you have for a basic Organic pad that doesn’t need new foam.

This is like people who say why spend $90 dollars on climbing pants when you can buy sweat pants at Walmart for $10 and just replace them, why? Because I can do math. $90 pants that last 5 years are cheaper than a $10 pair of sweat pants every month. Same thing with organic pads. They cost more to begin with but they last so much longer that you pay less in the long run.

Well I'm sold haha. Thanks chris!

FWIW,

I’ve heard Flashed pads will give Organic pads a run for their money.

The Madrock R3 is good for very uneven landings. The fabric on this seems sturdier than the basic Madrock pad.

I’ve never seen a torn-up Organic pad, but I’ve seen a lot of basic Madrock pads held together with duct tape. 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air wrote: FWIW,

I’ve heard Flashed pads will give Organic pads a run for their money.

Flashed Pads are as good as they get. Problem is that I don’t know if they’re available in the US. We (Trango) distributed them for a while but the shipping and duties killed us. So...next time you’re in Squamish or Canmore pick one up.