Forclaz Sitzkissen Trekking MT500 Review
A 60 g folding closed-cell foam sit pad from Decathlon's Forclaz line: R-1.3, four-panel fold, and a price that rounds to a sandwich.
Overview
The Forclaz Sitzkissen Trekking MT500 is a folding polyethylene foam seat pad from Decathlon’s in-house trekking brand, built to keep cold rock and wet ground off your backside during breaks. It weighs 60 g and costs CHF 7.40 on Decathlon.ch, which makes it one of the cheapest pieces of insulation a hiker can carry. The trade-off is scale: it covers a seat and nothing more, and it has no pretensions of being a sleeping pad.
Key Specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 60 g (2.1 oz) |
| R-value | 1.3 |
| Unfolded size | 39 × 29 × 2 cm |
| Packed size | 29 × 9.5 × 4.5 cm |
| Folding | 4 sections |
| Foam | Foamed polyethylene |
| Facing | Aluminized polyethylene film |
| Price | CHF 7.40 (Decathlon.ch) |
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Insulation. An R-value of 1.3 would be a poor showing for a sleeping pad and is more than adequate for a seat. Sitting means a few minutes of contact at a time, and the job is to interrupt conductive heat loss into cold stone, a damp log or a snowbank edge. At 2 cm thick, the closed-cell foam does that. Closed-cell polyethylene also doesn’t soak up water, so a wet surface leaves the pad damp on one side rather than saturated. A wipe or a shake restores it.
Weight and bulk. At 60 g, the pad weighs about one-eighth as much as the full-length Forclaz MT500 folding mattress, which Decathlon lists at 480 g. Folded, it measures 29 × 9.5 × 4.5 cm, roughly 1.2 liters. That fits in a side pocket or under the lid of a roll-top, and it doesn’t need to be strapped to the outside like its larger sibling. It will also never be mistaken for the heaviest item in a pack. Decathlon says it folds in four, which in practice means a quick accordion fold and no fiddly closure.
Durability. The foam carries an aluminized film that Decathlon says limits abrasion. A seat pad lives a rough life, dragged across granite and dropped on scree, so that matters. Foam of this type shrugs off wear better than the thin fabric-faced inflatable seat pads that cost many times more. It will pick up scuffs and compress over a season, as all polyethylene foam does, but at this price replacement is a rounding error.
Pedigree. Forclaz’s polyethylene foam has a following among budget-minded ultralighters, mostly through the full MT500 folding pad. Posters on r/Ultralight regularly recommend it, and some hikers cut it down to use under an inflatable mattress. The seat pad uses the same material in a smaller format, and the reasoning that makes the big pad a bargain carries over.
Limits. At 39 × 29 cm, the pad supports one person sitting. It won’t cover a pair of hips and knees if you’re lying down, and it won’t double as a pillow or a pack frame sheet without some creativity. Hikers who carry a torso-length sleeping pad can use it under their feet or hips at night, but it is a minor supplement, not a plan. It also has no strap, loop or stuff sack, so it rides loose or goes inside a pocket.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 60 g, so cheap to carry that leaving it home takes more thought than packing it
- Closed-cell foam doesn’t absorb water and needs no care
- R-1.3 insulation is enough to stop heat loss on cold rock and damp ground
- Packs to about 1.2 L and fits in a side pocket
- Price of CHF 7.40 makes loss or abuse painless
Cons
- Seat-sized only; no use as a bivy or half-length pad
- Decathlon distribution is patchy outside Europe
- No attachment loop or strap for external carry
- Foam compresses and scuffs with use
Who Should Buy This
Three-season hikers who stop often and don’t enjoy sitting on cold, wet ground will get the most out of it. It suits anyone building a kit around a closed-cell foam pad, and it suits shoulder-season hikers and cooks who spend long camp evenings on rocks. Gram counters will like that its weight cost is small and its benefit is obvious.
Skip it if you want a pad for sleeping, or if you already carry a full-length foam pad that folds into a seat. Anyone who sits on their pack at lunch and is happy to do so doesn’t need it either.
Verdict
The MT500 sit pad does one small job well and costs almost nothing in money or weight. It isn’t exciting, and it doesn’t pretend to be. For hikers who stop to eat and want a dry, insulated seat, it is a sensible 60 g to carry.