9 best walking poles, tried and tested on hiking adventures

Carbon is the perfect material for walking poles due to its being lightweight, but Leki’s robust Sherpa FX goes to the top of the carbon class – at 276g these poles will never weigh you down. This pair makes a great investment for serious hikers, with a very comfortable rubberized and foam handle, a sturdy tip and easily adjustable folding components. A good pole to take out into the hills in any season, or to pack for multi-day hiking adventures abroad, these should last for years of adventures at altitude.

“These poles are made for walking”, says Silva of its affordable aluminium offering, which we’d agree is a great all-rounder if you don’t want to spend on carbon, and a good choice for your first pair of trekking poles. These poles tick all the boxes at an affordable price point – they’re made from lightweight but sturdy aluminium, are adjustable with good flick locks and come with snow baskets for winter mountain conditions. The foam handles are comfy, too.

You do tend to get what you pay for with walking poles, but if you’re not sure a walking pole is for you at all, or you just want some support on a one-off camping trip, these adjustable poles from Robens are the best pair you’ll get for under £50. They adjust down to 66cm and up to 135cm using a screw mechanism, and come with a detachable basket and extra rubber tip. At half a kilo for the pair, they’re not much heavier than our other picks.

These carbon classics from trekking specialists Black Diamond strike a great balance between weight and durability. Flick locks are quick and easy to use and much more secure than twist locks, so once you’ve locked the poles in place, you’ll feel confident that they won’t loosen as you’re scrambling down a hill. The ergonomic grips are made from cork, but there’s also a rubberised extension for steep terrain. The poles also come with two basket sets and interchangeable tips.

Carbon poles often come with a hefty price tag, but Craghoppers’ treklite offers great lightweight performance for under £100. Designed to pack down easily for travel or for attaching to the outside of your pack, these poles are adjustable up to 135cm with good stay-put flick locks, and have solid but comfortable foam grips. At just 185g per pole, the treklite is an affordable way to try out the benefits of barely-there carbon poles.

Les Baton’s d’Alain (French for “Alain’s poles”) are eye-catchingly bright fixed hiking and skiing poles designed and made in the shadow of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, by mountain guide Alain Desez. These poles have a sturdy aluminium main body and a long, padded foam grip that allows the hiker to grip the pole at different heights. Sounds simple – but when you’re hiking in rocky, mountainous ground, Alain’s poles let you adjust your grip on the fly, which saves tons of time compared to fiddly adjustable walking poles.

These poles from Black Diamond may not be as blissfully light as the carbon options on this list, but we found them to be exceptionally durable and up to the challenge of a variety of terrains. We gave ours a real battering – we took them along rocky trails in heavy wind and rain, and even used them to scramble up and down snowy slopes (they come with detachable snow baskets) – and they performed pretty much flawlessly throughout. They’re a solid mid-range choice if you don’t want to splash out on carbon poles, but need a pair that you’re confident will withstand challenging conditions and regular adventures.

While we’re not sold on the idea that women need different walking poles to men, anyone who is of smaller stature will appreciate a more petite pole. Enter Leki’s cressida trekking poles which are aimed at hikers with smaller hands and shorter walkers under 5ft 6in. The aluminium shaft feels rugged and stable in all terrains, but without much weight at 221g. The clips are quick and easy to lock and unlock too, allowing you to get the right length for you and your needs.

If you like to tackle mountain trails at pace, a pair of poles designed specifically with runners in mind can help you go further on challenging terrain. Komperdell’s excellent carbon cloud is lightweight at 216g and folds up in seconds into four slim sections in order to attach to the outside of a running vest. Extended cork grips are ideal for steep slopes and the flick locks are sturdy and reliable. These are worth the spend if you love to run and hike in the hills whenever you can.