Best Trekking Poles UK: Locks, Materials and Getting the Height Right

Trekking poles are the piece of hillwalking kit people are most sceptical about until they use them on a long descent. Research consistently finds they meaningfully reduce load on the knees when going downhill, and they add two points of contact on wet rock, bog and river crossings. This guide is based on desk research: manufacturer specifications, retailer listings, and owner reviews on Cotswold Outdoor, Go Outdoors and Amazon UK rather than first-hand testing. Below you will find a shortlist, a comparison table, notes on five poles, and the locking-mechanism detail that decides whether a pair lasts.

Quick Picks

Comparison Table

Prices are indicative and were correct at the time of writing. Poles are discounted regularly, so always check the current price before you buy.

Lock Type Is the Thing That Fails

If you take one specification from this page, make it this. The locking mechanism is what breaks, slips or seizes, and it matters far more than the badge.

Lever locks (Black Diamond call theirs FlickLock, Leki SpeedLock, and most brands have a version) clamp the shaft with an external cam lever. They are adjustable with a small screw when they start to slip, they work with cold or gloved hands, and you can see at a glance whether they are closed. This is the mechanism to buy for British conditions.

Twist locks use an internal expander that grips when you twist the section. They look cleaner, but they are the classic failure point: they slip under load when worn, they can seize when grit or water gets inside, and they are genuinely difficult to operate with cold, wet hands. Most owner complaints about poles collapsing mid-walk trace back to twist locks.

Fixed-length poles have no mechanism at all, which is why they are the lightest and most reliable option. The trade-off is that you cannot shorten them for a climb or lengthen them for a descent, and they do not pack down. For fell running and fast walking they are excellent; for general hillwalking most people want adjustment.

Folding (Z-fold) poles use an internal cord like a tent pole, collapsing into three short sections. They pack far smaller than telescopic poles — small enough to sit inside a daypack rather than strapped outside — and usually include one adjustable section. They cost more.

Carbon or Aluminium?

Aluminium bends before it breaks. That matters: a bent aluminium pole is often still usable to get you off the hill, whereas carbon fails suddenly and completely. It is heavier, cheaper, and more forgiving of being trapped between rocks or leant on hard.

Carbon is lighter and damps vibration better, which is noticeable over a long day. Its weakness is point loading and lateral stress — a carbon shaft wedged in a rock crevice and twisted can snap without warning. Quality varies enormously with the carbon layup, so very cheap carbon is a false economy.

For most UK hillwalking, aluminium is the sensible default, particularly if you are hard on kit or walking rough, rocky ground. Carbon earns its price if you are counting grams over long distances or have wrists and shoulders that appreciate the reduced swing weight.

A note on grips: cork moulds to your hand over time and handles sweat best, EVA foam is softest and warmest to hold in cold weather, and rubber is durable but sweaty in summer. Cork is generally the pick for three-season UK use. Look for an extended grip below the main handle — it lets you choke down on a steep traverse without stopping to adjust the length.

Setting Them Up Correctly

Most people use poles badly, and the corrections are simple.

Height. Standing on flat ground with the pole tip on the floor, your elbow should be at roughly 90 degrees. That is the baseline. Then:

• Going uphill, shorten by around 5–10cm so you are not reaching up.
• Going downhill, lengthen by around 5–10cm so you are not stooping.
• On a long traverse, shorten the uphill pole and lengthen the downhill one.

Straps — this is the one nearly everybody gets wrong. Do not simply grab the handle. Bring your hand up through the loop from underneath, then close it around the grip so the strap runs across your palm. Your weight then rests on the strap rather than being gripped by your fingers, which is far less tiring and is the entire point of the strap.

One exception: take your hands out of the straps on steep, exposed ground and when crossing rivers. If a pole jams and you are strapped in, it can take you with it.

Tips and baskets. Carbide tips grip rock and ice; rubber tip protectors are quieter, kinder to paths, and better on pavement. Small trekking baskets stop the tip sinking into bog and soft ground — worth fitting for British hills. Snow baskets are wider, for winter.

The Best Trekking Poles in Detail

Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork — the dependable default

The Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork is the pole most often recommended for general hillwalking, and the reason is the FlickLock mechanism. According to Black Diamond it uses aluminium shafts with dual lever locks, cork grips with a 15-degree corrective angle, and extended foam below the grip.

The angled grip is a genuine ergonomic improvement on long descents, keeping the wrist in a more neutral position. Aluminium shafts mean a bent pole rather than a snapped one. Owner reviews consistently rate durability and the ease of adjusting the levers with gloves on.

The criticisms are weight — around 520g the pair, heavier than carbon alternatives — and price relative to budget poles. For someone who walks regularly in British hills and wants poles that last years, this is the sensible purchase. Expect around £120 to £150 at the time of writing.

Leki Micro Vario Carbon — packs genuinely small

Leki is the long-established German name in poles, and the Micro Vario Carbon is its folding design. According to Leki it collapses to around 40cm using an internal cord, with one adjustable section using their SpeedLock lever.

That packed length is the point. Telescopic poles strapped to the outside of a rucksack catch on branches and rock; a folding pair fits inside. For anyone who only uses poles on the descent, or who travels with them, this is a meaningful practical difference.

The trade-offs are price and the usual carbon caveat about sudden failure under lateral load. Owner reviews rate build quality highly, with occasional comments about the internal cord needing replacement after heavy use. Expect around £150 to £190 at the time of writing.

Alpkit Carbonlite Ultra — carbon at a sensible price

Alpkit sells direct from Nottinghamshire, which is how carbon poles land well under the usual price. The Carbonlite Ultra pairs carbon shafts with lever locks at around 400g the pair.

For walkers who want the weight saving without the premium, this is the obvious option, and owner reviews are generally strong on value. The caveats are the ones that apply to all budget carbon — treat them with more care than aluminium, avoid wedging them in rock, and expect the finish to be less refined than a Leki.

Availability can be patchy on popular items given the direct-sales model, so check stock as well as price. Expect around £60 to £85 at the time of writing.

Komperdell Ridgehiker Cork — a solid mid-range aluminium

Komperdell, an Austrian maker, produces well-regarded poles that often undercut Black Diamond and Leki. The Ridgehiker Cork is an aluminium lever-lock pole with cork grips, aimed squarely at general hillwalking.

It does the same job as the Trail Ergo Cork for less money, with a straight rather than angled grip. Owner reviews rate it well on durability and value; the most common note is that the finish and lever action feel a step below Black Diamond’s. Expect around £80 to £110 at the time of writing.

Mountain King Trail Blaze — minimum weight

Mountain King is a British brand, and the Trail Blaze is a fixed-length carbon pole weighing around 220g the pair — remarkably light, roughly half anything else here.

There is no mechanism, so nothing can slip or seize, and they are popular with fell runners and fast packers. You must order the correct length for your height, and you lose all adjustment, which rules them out for anyone who wants to shorten for climbs.

Owner reviews are enthusiastic about the weight while noting the shafts are slim and need respect. Expect around £60 to £80 at the time of writing.

FAQ

Are trekking poles actually worth it? For most people walking hills with any descent, yes. The clearest benefit is on the way down, where poles take a meaningful share of the impact load off the knees — the situation that causes most walkers grief. They also add stability on wet rock, scree, bog and river crossings, and help maintain rhythm on long ascents. The main downsides are having your hands occupied and a modest amount of extra weight, so many walkers carry them stowed and deploy them for descents.

Should I buy carbon or aluminium trekking poles? Aluminium for most UK hillwalking. It is cheaper, more forgiving, and — critically — it bends rather than snapping, so a damaged pole will usually still get you off the hill. Carbon is lighter and damps vibration better over long days, but it can fail suddenly under lateral load, such as a tip wedged in a rock crevice. If you are counting grams over long distances, carbon is worth it; if you are hard on kit or walking rough ground, aluminium is the safer choice.

What height should trekking poles be set to? Standing on flat ground with the tip on the floor, your elbow should sit at roughly 90 degrees. From that baseline, shorten by 5–10cm for climbs so you are not reaching up, and lengthen by 5–10cm for descents so you are not stooping. On a long traverse, shorten the uphill pole and lengthen the downhill one. Getting this right is what makes poles feel helpful rather than awkward.

How do you use the wrist straps properly? Bring your hand up through the loop from underneath, then close your hand around the grip so the strap passes across your palm. Your weight then rests on the strap rather than being gripped by your fingers, which is far less tiring over a long day and is the whole reason the strap exists — most people simply grab the handle and miss the benefit entirely. Take your hands out of the straps on steep exposed ground and when crossing rivers, so a jammed pole cannot pull you over.