Klymit

ELEVATOR PITCH

Klymit makes ultra-lightweight sleep gear for when you’re away from your bed, focusing on solutions that are comfortable, reliable, and affordable. With a range of products designed and precision-engineered in-house, Klymit has been operating out of Utah for over 10 years, and is now based in Kaysville.

OUR STORY

“We’ve chosen to solve what we view as the one main problem to being outside—sleeping,” says Cory Tholl, CEO of Klymit, who describes himself as an avid problem-solver who loves the outdoors.

“People love to go camping, but many people hate to sleep away from their bed,” says Tholl. “And we recognize that, so we’re trying to solve this one obstacle that’s restricting people from enjoying the outdoors more.”

Klymit specializes in portable mattresses for sleeping outside or away from your bed. “Many people carry a big bulky pad that’s not even comfortable,” says Tholl. “No wonder they don’t love sleeping outdoors. We saw that as an opportunity.”

Klymit set out to produce something that’s ultra-lightweight. “Something that can fit in your back pocket,” says Tholl, “while not sacrificing comfort.”

Cory Steven Tholl CEO

Why focus on this problem? Tholl says it feels good to assist others in enjoying the outdoors. “Being outdoors is good for the soul,” he says. “It gets you away from the world of electronics, from the hustle and bustle of life.”

Klymit works with all facets of the outdoor experience—boating, camping, hiking, hunting, and more, and aims to solve the problem of outdoor sleeping for everyone. Tholl cites first-time campers as a group he particularly wants to help. “It pains me when first-time campers go out and take really poor equipment, hate camping because their equipment was poor, and then they never want to go camping again.”

“It’s such a missed opportunity.”

Klymit wants to change the mindsets of as many people as they can, so they make every effort to set their products at price points that make that possible. “A family with five kids can now actually afford to go out camping with real equipment and have a good experience outdoors.”

Though sleeping mats are where Klymit first found success, they now offer a wide range of other outdoor products, from sleeping bags, pillows, and tents, to backpacks, dinghies, blankets, and beds for your dog.

What all these products have in common is that they’re custom-designed and precision-made using a CNC welding machine invented by the engineers at Klymit itself. “We needed a process that allowed us to prototype inflatable products with accuracy and quality,” says Tholl. They now use this CNC welding machine to create computer-designed prototypes “really quickly, inhouse.” According to Tholl, this allows Klymit to think outside the box in terms of the products they can imagine.

Utah, says Tholl, has also been instrumental in Klymit’s success. Fifteen minutes away from the mountains and with outdoor venues for skiing, camping, boating, hiking and hunting literally in their back yard, Tholl says at Klymit they’re inspired by their surroundings. Utah natives started the company, and most employees grew up there as well. “The outdoors are in our blood,” says Tholl.

But it’s not just the physical climate that has aided Klymit. Especially in the early days, they received much-appreciated support from the angel investing network in Utah, and have been welcomed by every city they’ve operated out of, from Ogden to Clearfield, and now Kaysville.

“Utah is just a really great place to do business,” says Tholl. “So many organizations and local governments have tools in place to help you be successful, and it feels like—on an individual level—people want to see you succeed.”