Compare Trekking Poles

Compare side by side the Best Trekking Poles in our reviews by price, pros, cons, type of pole, packed size, extended lengths, mechanism, weight, grip and shaft materials to help you make a more informed purchasing decision.

Please also note, several of the best hiking poles in this roundup are offered as ‘men’s’ and ‘women’s’ specific. This is less of an issue than you might think. The only difference when it comes to these trekking poles is the minimum length that they’re offered in, so unless you’re very petite, we’d recommend you don’t let this guide your decision. For reference, one of our main testers if 1.67m/5ft 6” and has had no problems with any of the poles we’ve reviewed here. Sometimes, the women’s specific poles, such as the Leki Cressida FX Carbon AS Lady, can cost a good bit more in terms of price than the ‘men’s’ version, the Leki Makalu FX Carbon AS which is virtually identical to the Cressida. There can sometimes be a big difference there in terms of price just for the ‘women’s’ specific model!

We’d also recommend reading our piece on How To Choose The Right Trekking Poles to help you make the right decision for your needs. You might also find it useful to look at How We Tested Trekking Poles when viewing and comparing the trekking poles side by side in the table below.

Editor’s note: This article is part of our overall guide to trekking poles, be sure to check out the rest of this guide for our top buying tips:

Leki Makalu FX Carbon AS
Leki Cressida FX Carbon AS
Leki Sherpa
Regatta Utralite Walking Pole
Leki Black Series FX Carbon
MSR DynaLock Ascent Foldable Carbon Backcountry Trekking Poles
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork
Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ Hiking Poles
Black Diamond Trail Back Poles
TheFitLife Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles
Trekology TREK-Z Walking Poles
Black Diamond Pursuit
LEKI Makalu FX Carbon Adjustable Lightweight Walking Poles for Trekking & Hiking - Black-Orange-Carbon - 110-130 cm
LEKI Cressida FX Carbon Collapsible Lightweight Walking Poles for Trekking & Hiking - Brown-Lightblue-Metallic - 100-120 cm
LEKI Sherpa Aluminum Adjustable Lightweight Ski Poles for Backcountry Skiing & Snowboarding - Dark Anthracite-Copper-Neonyellow - 110-145 cm
Regatta A/S Walk Pole II Silver One Size
LEKI Black Series FX Carbon Collapsible Lightweight Walking Poles for Trekking & Hiking - Black-Carbon - 110-130 cm
MSR Dynalock Ascent Carbon Backcountry Poles, 100-120cm
Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking Poles Whippet Ready - Astral Blue
Black Diamond Equipment Distance Carbon Flz Trekking/Running Poles - Ultra Blue - 110 cm
Black Diamond Trail Back Trekking Poles, Pair of 2 Lightweight Collapsible Aluminum Hiking Sticks for Trekking & Backpacking, Dark Crimson
TheFitLife Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles – Collapsible and Telescopic Walking Sticks with Natural Cork Handle and Extended EVA Grips, Ultralight Nordic Hiking Poles for Backpacking Camping (Red)
Trekology Trek-Z Collapsible Hiking & Trekking Poles - Balance Support for Seniors, Women, and Men, 2pc Per Set
Black Diamond Pursuit Aluminum Trekking-Hiking Poles - Collapsible & Adjustable, Charcoal-Foam Green, Small/Medium
Buying Options
Our Ratings
Top pick
Recommended
Recommended
Recommended
Price
$222.99
$215.90
$143.15
$35.45
$215.90
$189.94
$174.88
$204.50
$67.88
$47.68
Price not available
$149.95
Pros
Folds very compact. Replacement parts available
Folds very compack. Replacement parts available
Rock solid. Most versatile in round up in terms of length adjustment.
Fantastic price! Very solid
Lightweight. Replacement parts are available
Solid build. Lightweight when considered alongside its maximum extension
Spare parts are available. Whippet attachment will appeal to some users.
The lightest poles in this round up. The most compact folded dimentsions in this round up.
Budget choice from a respected brand. Solid build
impressive specivication at a keen price. Very light
Excellent price. Very compact when folded
Very good price. Comfortable for longer treks with heavier loads
Cons
Expensive. Limited adjustment range
Expensive - and sometimes priced at a premium over the otherwise identical Makalu. Limited adjustment range
Heavy. Largest poles in this roundup when collapsed
Twist locks can be fiddly. Not the lightest
Lacks the anti-shock technology of heavier Leki folders. Expensive
Long collapsed length. Pricey
Pricey. Tool required to adjust flip locks.
Full carbon construction may present some durability concerns. Tool required to tension flip locks
Quite basic in terms of design. A tool is required to adjust the tension on the flip locks.
Long term durability may be an issue. Replacement parts are not available.
Heaviest poles in this round up. Spare and replacement parts are not available.
Heavier than some other poles. Doesn't pack down so small
Type of pole (fixed, telescopic, folding, combination)
Folding (three section) with single telescopic section
Folding (three section) with single telescopic section
Telescopic (three section)
Telescopic (three section)
Folding (three section) with single telescopic section
Folding (three section) with single telescopic section
Telescopic (three section)
Folding (three section) with single telescopic section
Telescopic (three section)
Telescopic (three section)
Folding (three section) with single telescopic section
Telescoptic (three section)
Packed size
40cm/15.7in
40cm/15.7in
70cm/27.5in
65cm/25.6in
40cm/15.7in
44.5cm/17.5in
63cm/24.8in
37cm/15in
62cm/24in
62cm/24.4in
38cm/15in
S/M: 62cm/24.4 in, M/L: 68cm/26.7 in
Minimum Extended Length
110cm/43in
100cm/39in
110cm/43in
100cm/39in
110cm/43in
120cm/47in
100cm/39in
110cm/43in
100cm/39in
90cm/35.4in
115cm/45in
S/M: 100cm/39.37 in, M/L: 100cm/39.37 in
Maximum Extended Length
130cm/51in
120cm/47.2in
145cm/57in
135cm/53in
130cm/51in
140cm/55in
130cm/51in
125cm/49in
140cm/55in
135cm/53in
135cm/53in
S/M: 125cm/49.21 in, M/L: 140cm/55.11 in
Adjustment mechanism
Flip Lock
Flip Lock
Flip Lock
Twist Lock
Flip Lock
Flip Lock
Flip lock
Flip Lock
Flip Lock
Flip Lock
Flip Lock
Flicklock+
Basket size
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with trekking and snow baskets
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with standard trekking basket
Supplied with trekking and snow baskets
Supplied with trekking and snow baskets
Supplied with standard baskets
Shaft Material (Carbon Fiber, Aluminum)
Carbon Fiber with Aluminum fittings
Carbon Fiber with Aluminum fittings
Aluminum
Aluminum
Carbon Fiber
Carbon Fiber
Carbon Fiber
Carbon Fiber
Aluminum
Carbon fiber
Aluminum
Aluminum
Weight (pair)
534g/1lb 3oz
516g/1lb 2oz
572g/1lb 4oz
540g/1lb 3oz
468g/1lb 1oz
500g/1lb 1.6oz
500g/1lb 1.6oz
340g/12oz
484g/1lb 1oz
400g/14oz
612g/1lb 6oz
S/M: 465g/1lb M/L: 500g/1.1lb
Grip Ergonomics and material
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic natural cork and high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic natural cork and high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Ergonomic natural cork and high density foam
Ergonomic high density foam
Cork

Conclusion

The trekking poles market seems to be catered to by only a small selection of brands, with Leki and Black Diamond particularly seeming to dominate the scene. As you can see, there is a lot to take into consideration when deciding which trekking poles fit your needs, even though we’ve recommended multiple options by the same brands in our line up, they have quite different selling points, price points and specifications between them. Choosing the right trekking poles is ultimately a personal decision based on how much you plan on using your trekking poles and the type of terrain and locations you mostly hike. We’d recommend using this table to compare, whilst also weighing up the pros and cons of each model in our overall guide, Best Trekking Poles where you’ll find all of our individual product reviews linked for further reading.

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