Decathlon climbing - Review

Decathlon is one of our favorite sports and trekking equipment stores. Most of the products are of good quality and much cheaper than branded products. The question is, is it even worth doing things like Decathlon climbing, or is it better to buy a climbing mat from proven manufacturers like Singing Rock, Scarpa or Ocún.

In this review, we will deal exclusively with Decathlon climbing items. With their climbing frames, seats, ropes, magnesium, bouldering mat and also the brand itself – Simond. We will try to be as non-objective as possible. We've tested quite a few of their products first-hand on the rocks, and what hasn't has been tested and reported on by the VARP climbing community (our trusted trusted sources). The main criteria for us are production quality, safety (when it comes to safety), feeling (in the case of wearables) and the price/performance ratio.

Magnesium

Let's start with what we probably all bought in Decathlon climbing – magnesium. Climbing magnesium, or mágo, is not produced by the companies themselves, but by a central producer who then distributes them. Decathlon, and its Simond brand, uses just such a service. So it would not be very fair of us to criticize the production of white powder here. After all, every climber has his own brand that he prefers and buys. However, what we can say is that magnesium from Decathlon is one of the most expensive on the Czech market (calculated per gram). It is more worthwhile to buy, for example, the Ocún brand through Hanibal, or to support your home climbing wall.

Mark	Weight (g)	Price (CZK)	Price per Gram (CZK)
Occun	2000	1251	0,62
Occun	250	159	0,63
Camp	650	419	0,64
LaughOFF (chalker)	300	197	0,65
Metolius	425	309	0,72
Decathlon	200	149	0,74
Mammoth	300	279	0,93
		Median price:	0.7 CZK per gram

Climbing shoes

Značka Simond – lezecká značka Decathlonu – má na výběr vcelku málo lezeček.  Na českém trhu je celkem 7 párů lezeček Simond. Než se pustíme do jejich hodnocení, je nutné si pamatovat na koho toto vybavení cílí, tedy nové lezce. Z toho důvodu zde najdeme boty které jsou všeobecně velice přizpůsobivé a pohodlné. Nejlevnější modely Rock využívají vlastní podrážkovou gumu, které bychom se znovu vyhnuli, na stěnách moc nedrží a těžko se v těchto botách postavíte na špičku. Dražší modely již využívají prémiovější gumy od italské značky Vibram whether XS Edge or the older XS Grip. Simond does not use the latest Vibram XS Grip 2 sole compound on his climbing shoes.

Simond climbing shoes are quite comfortable when you put them on for the first time. Rarely do you experience that painful first time putting on shoes that many of us are used to. However, this compensates for the lower quality material from which the climbing shoes are made.

The construction is as you would expect. The sole (outsole) is dismal in the Rock and Rock+ models. The shoes will expand considerably after a short period of wear and will not provide enough support for your feet. Models with Vibram soles are already very high quality. The shoes themselves are quite well put together and do not suffer from excessive defects. However, there are a few flaws that most shoes suffer from, such as the gradual peeling of the adhesive from the shoe. What is an unforgivable mistake, however, is that climbing frames themselves often appear "anti-aggressive" when displayed in stores. So, the toes of flat shoes turn up and asymmetrical, or aggressive climbers appear more like flat shoes.

Recommendation

The term "Climbing Decathlon" usually does not inspire confidence in super quality and safety. But climbing shoes are a relatively good buy. The price-performance ratio is solid if you are completely new to the sport or need to climbing frames for your children, which will be a regrowth in half a year anyway. But if you want quality shoes to improve your performance, you should buy climbing shoes from Ocún, La Sportiva or Scarpa.

Ropes and Loops

Decathlon ropes and slings are probably the most controversial purchase. However, it is one of the safest creations from the Simond workshop and therefore also in Decathlon. Whether it is large ropes or small ropes for prusik or loops, it is a quality product with quite ecological production. After all, Simond is an old climbing brand that made ropes long before Decathlon bought them.

The price-performance ratio of the climbing ropes is comparable to any other brand. In terms of feel, construction and safety, they are standardized according to the UIAA and there is no reason to be afraid of them. After all, we from Varp, Patrik and Honza, started on the Decathlon rope and it is still one of the ropes we climb.

Recommendation

We can only recommend Simond ropes and slings. From personal experience, these are safe products that have already stopped us from several unpleasant falls Hlubočepské platené, Pine rocks, and even in Sloup in Moravia. The fact that we are still alive is a testament to the quality of these products.

Bouldermothers

The word Decathlon is not something that should come to mind when you hear the word bouldering mat. Simond has quality products, but bouldering machines are not one of them. Although it is a structurally quite good bouldering machine (from the point of view of work), it is a tragedy in terms of design. The mother is very difficult to carry, as she does not have comfortable back straps like her counterparts at Ocún. Along with that, it doesn't even have a climbing mat and zippers that allow the boulder mat to be switched to length. At the same time, the material from which the duchna is made does not look pleasant at all. The impacts are more like a classic school mat.

The price-performance ratio here is also very appalling. Although the boulder mat will save you from unpleasant falls, it is not a miracle. See Table.

Boulder mother	Dimensions (unfolded)	Weight (kg)	Price (CZK)
Simond Bigblocker	140×110	6,5	4899
Uncle Dominator	100×132 (200×66)	5,8	3967
Uncle Moonwalk	100×132 (200×66)	6,2	5000

Recommendation

Decathlon bouldering mats are not something you probably want. In terms of price and safety, it makes more sense to go to brands such as Ocún or Singing rock. This is also reflected in the bouldering mats that you will find outside. Only very few of them are Simond.

Helmets

It's virtually certain that if you met us on the rocks, we were wearing Decathlon helmets (somewhat painted). We bought them when we started outdoor climbing and have been using them ever since. So it would be hypocritical to say that this is not a good product. In terms of price, these are very affordable helmets that will save your life from falling rocks (we know from experience).

Helmets are not the most comfortable on the market. With only minimal padding and ventilation, you can expect to not want to wear anything on your head in the heat of the rock. Along with that, it often happens that the helmet straps are twisted and nothing can be done with them. But if you are new to rock climbing and don't want to pay 3000 for a helmet, Decathlon helmets are an amazing choice!

Recommendation

We have to recommend Decathlon helmets. Not for their comfort or aesthetic beauty, but for their functionality and price. It is a quality product with an adequate price, ideal for new members of the community or experienced climbers who do not use them much.

Carabiners and Express cars

Decathlon's carabiners and expressways are something climbers are aware of. Good in theory, but no one wants to climb that much. We perceive Simond as a bit of a low quality brand that is not worthy of protecting our lives. However, the truth is that carabiners and expressways from the Simond company are perhaps comparable in everything to other climbing companies. Safety-wise, they are standardized according to international criteria, just like ropes, and they are on the more affordable side of climbing equipment.
The disadvantage of these products, and especially the express ones, is the closing and the weight. Don't be fooled, it's just a matter of preference. Simond offers carabiners with a "traditional" full lock, or gate. These models are heavier than their counterparts that have wire closures. Personally, as VARP, we prefer wire closures, but we climbed and survived on the offer from Simond.

Recommendation

We probably recommend express bikes and carabiners from Decathlon for beginners. It is a very good and fairly cheap piece of equipment that will definitely not offend (similar to ropes). Over time, however, every climber builds their own relationship with a certain brand, and they stick to it in these things. Most of the climbers we know have switched from Simond to other, more "professional" companies in these matters.

Other equipment

Decathlon doesn't make fuses (which would be worth it), so we won't cover them. What we will deal with here, in the "others", is clothing, joint gloves and backpacks for ropes.

Overalls, climbing clothes and rope backpacks from Decathlon are quite a good buy. It's what you'd expect from Decathlon. That is, quality clothes and backpacks at a good price. Everything is practically comparable to the fitness and hiking clothes we know. But the big disadvantage of this product is that we rarely find it in stores. Therefore, trying on sizes or researching clothes is not something that is as simple as with fitness and hiking gear.

Joint gloves are also a pretty good thing at Simond if you want to learn joint climbing and don't want to spend on tapes. A leather glove with rubber is as basic as it gets, but it will serve its purpose.

Around and Around

All in all, Decathlon climbing is not a bad choice for new climbers. There is a high chance that you will not buy their products again as you will find your preferred brands to stick to. Even so, it's worth giving Simond a chance. Unless it's climbing and bouldering, of course. Here it pays to go straight to the experts!