Founded in 2014, Matador emerged from a desire for gear that perfectly matched our fast-and-light, flexible approach to travel.

It all started in the Bay Area of California, when Chris, our founder, designed a wallet-sized park blanket he could stash in a coat pocket for his motorcycle commutes. The Pocket Blanket was lightweight, space-saving, and freedom-enabling—and the response was overwhelming. When hundreds of orders poured in overnight, the message was clear: we weren’t the only ones craving gear that could keep up.

We relocated to Colorado in a converted camper van, got a warehouse, and got to work. We’ve evolved a lot since then, but the essence of our first product—radically simple, innovative design that enables unconstrained travel—still permeates everything we make, nearly a decade later.

Today, as an employee-owned company with zero outside investment, our small and hard-working team relishes our ability to move nimbly, accelerate boldly through the turns, and put our unbridled creativity to work.