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Whether you’re a hardcore hiker or a countryside bimbler, make sure you have one of these trekking essentials
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We assessed the technical performance of each product
Walking poles can transform your hiking experience on steep and uneven terrain. They’ll power you uphill, aid your balance on the downhill and take the strain off your joints.
Carbon or aluminium? That’s your first big choice. Carbon poles are lighter but more expensive and brittle. Aluminium poles are cheaper and more durable, but heavier. For trail running and fast hiking, opt for an ultra-light carbon pole; for hiking a 200-250g pole will provide improved strength and all-round performance.
Your second key consideration is Z-shaped or telescopic. Z-shaped poles fold into thirds, collapsing automatically to a very compact size that’s ideal for stowing in a backpack. Telescopic poles slide into themselves like a telescope, an approach which is cheaper but less compact.
Read more: 11 best men’s waterproof jackets for walking that are insulated and lightweight
How the sections of a pole fasten together is vital to integrity and performance. Some use a twist-lock mechanism, while others have a clamp or lever style lock. The latter is considered more secure, longer lasting, easier to use and less prone to slippage.
With a pole in-hand, your elbow should be at 90 degrees. Measure this distance for your optimum pole length, ensuring you can adjust 5-10cm up or down for a bespoke sizing.
In terms of hand grips, the aim of the game is comfort. Select your preference from foam, cork or rubber, and for enhanced comfort choose an ergonomic, contoured grip. A longer grip handle allows you to slide your hand up and down, depending on the terrain’s steepness, to effectively adjust the pole length on the move.
At the other end of the pole, tips are usually made of a hardened metal such as tungsten or carbide. They provide increased stability and traction by “biting” into the ground. If you’ll be walking on roads or rocky terrain, most poles include rubber feet to place over the tips.
Other features to consider include: wrist straps or slings to help prevent poles being dropped; baskets – the little round discs near the tip – to stop poles from plugging into the ground; and shock absorbers, a spring-like mechanism that cushions the impact of striking the ground.
Living in north-west Cumbria with dramatic falls on our doorstep, we put these poles to the test in the Lake District’s mountains and carefully assessed thetechnical performance of each product. We’ve graded them in terms of comfort, durability, weight, features and value for money.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
It’s a tight two-horse race for our best buy, between perennial walking pole heavyweights Black Diamond and Leki. But, after a photo finish, the Black Diamond trail trekking pole claims the victory. Just. In truth, both of these excellent poles have very, very similar features: a telescopic design, sturdy yet light aluminium construction, strong level clamps, comfy ergonomic grips, reliable tips, same weight within 8g, and near-identical collapsed and extended lengths.
But for us, the Black Diamond pole pipped the Leki to the post due to a superb extended grip (which the Leki omits), the comfiest and softest wrist straps we tried, and a slightly better price. For all-round performance – whether you’re marching up Ben Nevis or strolling up your local hill – the Black Diamond trail trekking pole hits the mark. Each pole weighs 243g and is adjustable from 64-140cm (or 240g and 62-125cm in the women’s version).
Unlucky to claim only second place on the podium, the Leki makalu lite pole is a well-priced, lightweight and durable pole that ticks all the boxes. It is the lightest all-aluminium pole in Leki’s extensive range (235g per pole), meaning you get the maximum strength for the minimum weight – a win-win scenario. SpeedLock lever clamps enable quick adjustment from 67-135cm, using the telescopic method, while the carbide flex tips provide good purchase on any terrain.
Hiking in the Lake District countryside, we found the foam handle comfy and well-shaped (although we were disappointed with the absence of an extended grip), while the ultra-thin wrist straps were so silky smooth we barely noticed them. We particularly loved the egg-shaped top to the grip too – by placing it in the palm during descents, it helped us brake safely and improved our balance.
If you love to move fast and light in the mountains, you’ll want a minimalist pole that weighs as little as possible. Step up the Helinox passport TL120, a high-quality, ultra-light pole (175g) that’s ideal for trail runners and speedy hikers. Lighter poles are out there, but they are usually fixed length and feel so flimsy you might snap them in half at any moment. These poles strike a fine balance between weight and durability, thanks to its use of an advanced DAC aluminium alloy. We felt agile and nimble with it in-hand (each pole is 50g+ lighter than all others in this list), yet never feared the pole would give way or crack.
On a fast hike up Fellbarrow and Low Fell in the north-western Lakes, we were impressed with the relative sturdiness of the pole, as well as the excellent EVA foam grip, sharp tips for enhanced traction and nifty little Velcro tabs for securing the 35cm Z-shaped thirds together (a nice touch, as collapsed poles can be awkward and dangly when packed away). We loved the fast deployment and stowage too, but were less enamoured with the pole adjustment – which is via a (slightly out-dated) twist-lock mechanism and only allows extension to 120cm. You can’t have it all, however, at this weight bracket – and for trail running this is our top pick.
Named after a delightful Lake District tourist town, these poles are aptly suited to hikes in the British countryside, whether you’re taking on an arduous mountain ascent or a gentle lakeside stroll. Made from carbon fibre, it’s a lightweight and durable telescopic pole. The EVA foam handle is ergonomically shaped to fit your hand comfortably, with contouring for your thumb and forefinger placement and a gentle lip for the bottom of your hand.
The handle extends over the top of the pole shaft, providing an extended hand grip for use when ascending. Despite weighing just 224g per pole, it feels strong and sturdy, and adjustment from 62-135cm is intuitive courtesy of two fast-clip clamps. If you’re heading to Ambleside – or any other part of the Lakes, for that matter – it’s a reliable choice.
Like a Transformers reincarnation, this pole springs automatically from its Z-shaped, collapsed mode into its fully-extended, ready-to-go mode, using Komperdell’s “self-deployment” technology. It’s a superbly fast and smooth transition. To reverse the process, simply press two release buttons and the pole collapses into 43cm-long thirds for easy stowing in a backpack. Made from carbon fibre, the pole is adjustable via a strong clamp lever, while the foam hand grip is well-shaped with good contouring. Overall the carbon expedition FXP4 vario feels strong and durable, but reasonably light at 248g, and it’s just a shame the price-tag won’t collapse as rapidly as the pole does.
This is a no-nonsense, good quality, UK manufactured pole at an excellent price. Made from an aluminium alloy, it feels strong and durable but sufficiently light (240g) to not weigh you down. The overall pole length is adjustable via two clamp levers, which can be easily tightened on-the-go using a little circular dial. When not in use, the pole segments slide into each other in the common telescopic way, condensing to 68cm (longer than ideal, but not too bad).
We particularly loved the extended EVA grip, which was comfy in-hand and superb for uphills, while the tungsten-carbide tips impressed us with solid traction on the grass, mud and rock we encountered on our test hikes in north-west Cumbria. We wouldn’t exactly call it a pole fit for a king – but for the price-conscious hiker it’s a great choice.
This pole is made from Kevlar-reinforced carbon fibre. We’re not too sure if that means it’s bullet proof, but it does definitely mean it’s a tough, well-built pole capable of taking on the gnarliest of mountains. We took it up several peaks in the Lake District and it worked like a dream – powering us uphill over rocky ground and adding confidence and control to our descents over ankle-jarring terrain. We found the EVA foam grip very comfortable, with the gently-ribbed lower grip enabling a mix of hand positions, while at 250g each pole felt light and dynamic despite its sturdiness.
The DynaLock clamp levers were the heroes in this regard, locking the pole segments together with a rock solid, rattle-free connection. When we wanted to pack the poles away in our backpack, the Z-shaped quick-deploy system worked seamlessly too. We simply had to press a button and the pole collapsed into compact 44cm-long thirds.
If you prefer your hikes gentle, your kit simple and your pocket rattling with spare cash for a post-walk pint/latte/cake/ice cream (delete as appropriate), this is the aluminium pole for you. The Vango camino does all of the basics right at a price you can’t argue with. All the features you need are present – foam handles with microfibre-lined straps, grippy tungsten tips, lever clamps for extension to 135cm, and a telescopic design that collapses to 67cm. You also get a shock absorbing system in the handle, which provides a little give each time the pole is planted. All of this for £30 a pair is a stone cold bargain. Own these and the post-hike rounds will be on you.
Established in 1985 to provide an alternative to niche and over-priced outdoor kit, Scottish brand Highlander is all about long-lasting, affordable gear – and this telescopic pole is no exception. It’ll cost you less than a meal out and, for the occasional hiker, it works absolutely fine. During our hillwalking tests in Cumbria, it naturally felt less premium and feature-rich than more expensive options (the synthetic rubber handgrip wasn’t the comfiest), but overall we were pretty impressed. The tungsten tips provided good traction, the lever clamps felt reassuringly sturdy, enabling quick extension or collapsing from 62-135cm, and the overall aluminium construction felt pretty bombproof. A bona fide bargain.
Our top spot goes to the Black Diamond trail trekking pole, thanks to its all-round performance at an excellent price. The Leki makalu lite comes in a close second, while for trail running the ultra-light Helinoxpassport TL120 is an impressive (but expensive) option.
Tackle any terrain with the best pairs of men’s walking shoes
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We assessed the technical performance of each product
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