The Best Ski Poles in 2023

These poles live up to their name and can be collapsed into 3 sections of aluminum shaft making them only 16.3 inches long – small enough to fit in your touring backpack. The Flicklock Pro adjustment system provides 8 inches of length adjustability and is recognized as the best locking system in the industry, providing the most hold and stability. The Efficient Series grip and strap help keep these poles lightweight but are still very comfortable.

Most importantly, you won’t have to fuss around trying to get them assembled: they feature a rubber-coated metal cable that connects the 3 sections and is specially cone-shaped to make assembly fast and convenient. After a given amount of use the cable can become somewhat stretched out, but the tension can easily be adjusted as needed. The baskets are ¾ meaning that they provide great function while being much more packable than a full basket would be.

The one downside is that the powder baskets must be occasionally realigned as the lower 2 segments of the poles can rotate slightly while skiing. All in all, the Black Diamond Compactor’s are exceptionally compact stable poles that will serve any backcountry skier, splitboarder or hiker well.

These poles are a great option for the all-mountain skier: tough enough for the resort, but lightweight enough for the backcountry. They have a robust construction which is fully aluminum meaning that they will bend on high impact rather than break or splinter like a carbon pole. The ergonomic grips have 4 finger grooves, providing a comfortable and natural feel. The baskets are relatively large, designed for powder, and can be easily changed – tool-free! The carbide tips are also very durable and ensure a secure pole plant even on hard-packed snow and ice.

The Stealth S’s feature Leki’s unique strap system, the Leki Trigger S, in which the strap can easily and quickly be disconnected and reconnected to the pole. This feature allows your straps to stay perfectly fitted on your hands while you quickly disconnect from your poles to adjust a ski boot, grab your lift ticket or anything else. While you might not actually save a noticeable amount of time, it is very convenient! If you love the system you can also buy ski gloves designed to directly integrate with the pole – no actual strap necessary! – or if you are not a fan, you can easily replace the quick release strap with a standard buckle strap and use it as per usual.

These all-aluminum poles are designed to withstand a lot, at 18mm diameter they are super tough and can probably handle whatever kind of adventure you have in mind. Definitely an ideal option for aggressive skiers or those who like to hit big features! They are on the heavier side, but this is the tradeoff for the tough construction and wider shaft.

The Scott Punisher poles feature their new Safety Release System which automatically disengages the strap from the poles under pressure: this adds a new degree of safety should your pole get caught in the ski lift, a tree or take a big hit should you happen to crash. The notch grip is comfortable and feels secure even with light grip pressure. The ice tips are likewise standard, but very functional for a secure pole plant even on ice.

These adjustable poles offer all the versatility needed for backcountry touring, splitboarding or offseason use on the hiking trails. They are easy-to-use and all-around very comfortable in-hand. The grip is not only comfortable, but it has a one-of-a-kind scraper feature designed to easily remove accumulated snow or ice from your skis or splitboard. The extra scraper hook on the grip can easily be used to flip open bindings as well. The flexible basket is also ideal for touring and won’t cause your poles to slide out on icy or hard-packed skin tracks but still floats nicely in powder. The releasable strap is also an appreciated safety feature.

2-piece construction is stable and easy to use. The clamps can be conveniently operated without removing your gloves. The clamps are a fairly simple plastic lever, but they perform well, are reasonably durable and open easily even when covered in ice, water or snow. They are relatively lightweight featuring an upper shaft made of aluminum and a lower shaft made of carbon.

One downside for splitboarders is that the Access Scepter poles don’t pack down small enough to fit inside a backpack so they will need to be strapped onto the outside.

These are simple, functional adjustable poles. Designed for the backcountry, these evo poles don’t have all the bells and whistles – which in this case is a good thing! A super solid, dependable option for backcountry adventures that won’t break the bank. The 2 segments slide together easily for easy transport however, the minimum length is 100cm which is longer than many other telescoping poles.

The two-part aluminum shaft is connected with evo’s Powerlock 3.0. The locking mechanism is really sturdy and easy to operate even with bulky mittens. The extra-long foam grips are somewhat unique but are comfortable and a good fit for any hand size. While the powder baskets are flexible and ideal for the backcountry, the quality isn’t great.

These poles are among the lightest and toughest all-mountain poles available in full carbon. Their strength is in part due to the fact that they are not adjustable, as well as the Kevlar reinforcements wrapping around the bottom portion of the pole which helps protect the carbon from shearing off if they do take a hit on your ski edge. Designed for downhill, these poles are still light enough to take into the backcountry.

The Power Series grip is comfortable and features a hook shape that can easily be used to leverage the buckles of your ski boots (and maybe save your cold fingers some work). The padded Power Series strap is also comfortable and easy to slip in and out of.

Altogether, this is an awesome pole for lightweight resort skiing, the occasional backcountry adventure or other winter activities such as snowshoeing.

If you are looking for environmentally friendly, super strong and lightweight poles then look no further. Bamboo’s exceptional qualities have resulted in it gaining momentum as a building material over recent years, and the ski pole industry is no exception. With more tensile strength than steel and more compressive strength than concrete, you won’t need to worry about these poles bending like aluminum or shearing off like carbon.

Not only are they light and strong, but they deliver on snow performance as well. The flexible baskets easily retain their shape and the carbide tips stand up to the wear and tear of pushing ski bindings open or closed in addition to providing perfect hold, even on ice. The grips are made of a soft, almost sticky rubber that feels secure to hold in the backcountry and the 100% recycled polyester straps are comfortable for inbounds skiing.

While most poles are unisex, the Artena S’s are specifically designed for women. The compact grip is ideal for anyone with smaller sized hands and the rose gold or white color schemes add a nice feminine style. The Leki S compact grip is not only sized down, but it features a first finger contour and is very comfortable.

Leki’s unique strap system, the Leki Trigger S, can be easily connected or disconnected from the poles, conveniently saving you time whenever you want to remove your poles – whether you are grabbing your phone or itching your nose. The system has an automatic safety release and can also be operated with compatible gloves (no straps at all!) or outfitted with a regular buckle strap if you so prefer.

The on-snow function is on par as well: the 14mm aluminum shaft construction is tough enough to handle a few bumps and bangs without worrying but remains aerodynamic and super lightweight. The baskets can be easily exchanged, tool-free, for those powder days and the carbide tips ensure a great pole plant even on the iciest days.