Forclaz Sitzkissen Trekking MT500 Review

Overview

The Forclaz Sitzkissen Trekking MT500 is a folding closed-cell foam sit pad from Decathlon’s in-house trekking brand. It’s not trying to be clever — it’s a rectangle of polyethylene foam that folds into four sections and gives you something dry and insulated to sit on during breaks, at camp, or while cooking. If you’ve ever perched on a wet log or a cold rock slab and regretted it, this is the low-effort fix.

Key Specs

Spec	Value
Weight	60 g
Packed size	29 × 9.5 × 4.5 cm
Open (unfolded) size	39 × 29 × 2 cm
R-value	1.3
Material	100% polyethylene foam
Fold sections	4
Price	~€5

Performance

There isn’t a deep well of dedicated reviews out there for this specific sit pad — it’s a small, cheap accessory item, and most gear reviewers understandably spend their time on tents and packs instead. But it’s worth noting that Forclaz/Decathlon’s closed-cell polyethylene foam has a decent reputation in the ultralight community through its bigger sibling, the MT500 folding foam sleeping pad. That pad shows up repeatedly in r/Ultralight discussions as a budget option people prefer for better insulation, even cutting it down and using it as a supplemental layer beneath inflatable mattresses. That’s a reasonable proxy for what you’re getting here: the same foam formula, just cut down to seat-sized dimensions.

At 2 cm thick and R-1.3, this isn’t going to insulate like a full sleeping pad, but it doesn’t need to — an R-value that low is basically irrelevant while you’re upright and only in contact with it for a few minutes at a time. Where it matters is stopping conductive heat loss from cold rock or damp ground during lunch breaks, and it does that job fine. The 100% polyethylene foam is also fully waterproof, so it doesn’t matter if you set it on a puddle or dewy grass — it won’t wick moisture the way a fabric-covered cushion would.

The 4-section fold is the main ergonomic feature. Unfolded, you get a 39 × 29 cm rectangle, which is comfortably big enough for actually sitting on cross-legged or with your knees up, rather than the narrower strips some competing sit pads offer. Folded down, it packs to 29 × 9.5 × 4.5 cm — small enough to slide into a side pocket or lash under lid straps, though at that size it’s more of a “strap it outside” item than something that disappears into your pack.

Durability-wise, closed-cell polyethylene foam of this type is tough against abrasion and doesn’t absorb water, but it will compress and lose some loft over months of repeated folding along the same crease lines — this is true of essentially every foam product in this category, not a defect specific to Forclaz. At 60 g, it’s genuinely one of the lighter sit pads on the market; for comparison, several competing foam sit pads from brands like REDCAMP land in the 54-90 g range with similar dimensions, so this sits right in the expected weight class rather than being a standout in either direction.

One honest caveat: I couldn’t find hands-on long-term reviews of this exact SKU, so claims about multi-season crease durability and compression set are informed speculation based on how polyethylene foam behaves generally, not testing of this specific product.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very light at 60 g — barely noticeable in the pack
• Fully waterproof foam, no wicking or soak-through
• Unfolds to a genuinely usable seating area (39 × 29 cm)
• Cheap — around €5, low-risk purchase
• Simple, nothing to break (no valves, zippers, or seams)

Cons

• R-1.3 and 2 cm thickness mean it’s a break-time accessory, not a sit pad for extended cold-ground sitting
• Folded size (29 × 9.5 × 4.5 cm) is bulkier than roll-up alternatives, usually needs to ride outside the pack
• Foam will compress and show crease wear over time, like all polyethylene foam pads
• Limited independent long-term testing available for this specific product

Who Should Buy This

This is a sensible pickup for thru-hikers and day hikers who want a dry, insulated place to sit during breaks without spending real money or carrying real weight. It’s especially useful if your trail involves a lot of rock outcrops, wet grass, or snow-adjacent breaks where you’d otherwise be sitting directly on your rain jacket or pack. If you’re looking for something to sit on for extended periods in genuinely cold conditions — glassing wildlife, winter camping, ice fishing — you’ll want something thicker with a higher R-value; this pad is built for quick breaks, not long sits.

Verdict

The Forclaz Sitzkissen MT500 does exactly what a foam sit pad is supposed to do — keep you dry and take the chill off a cold surface — at a weight and price that make it an easy add to any kit. It won’t replace a proper sleeping pad for insulation, and the folded size is a bit chunky for how thin the foam is, but for €5 and 60 g, it’s hard to find a real reason not to carry one. I’d rate it a 7/10: solid, unglamorous, does its job.