Home / Outdoors / Buying Guides

The Best Ski Poles of Winter 2022-2023

A solid pair of ski poles is one of the most underrated pieces of gear in your winter kit — here’s how to pick the right pair.

a man skiingmountainFLOW
Ryan Stuart

By Ryan Stuart

Published

·

Updated

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Poles are an under-appreciated piece of skiing equipment. They help with balance and timing, two keys to dynamic skiing. A solid pole plant is essential to navigating mogul fields, tight trees and, especially, the steeps. And they make getting around the mountain and navigating lift lines a whole lot easier.

Yeah, any old, clunky, bent-at-odd angles pole will do the job. But a lightweight pair with a carefully balanced swing weight will make it easier and less work. If you’re in the market and don’t know where to start, worry not: we’ve got you covered.

Products in the Guide

How to buy a pair of ski poles

The most important variable with ski poles is length. But it’s best to narrow down the choices first.

Fixed length or adjustable?

Most poles are one piece of tapered aluminum or carbon, but some use two pieces that nest together to allow for adjusting the length. Most often this is for backcountry use, where skiers sometimes like a longer pole for climbing and a shorter length for skiing. But it’s also handy for growing kids, if you’re going to share a pair of poles with someone else, or just want to play around with different pole lengths. I suggest a fixed-length pole for most skiers: they tend to be more durable and lighter weight.

Materials

Aluminum is the most common material for ski poles, but the quality of the aluminum varies dramatically. Look at two numbers: width of the pole and type of aluminum. Width is a proxy for quality: narrower is better. The second number, most commonly 7075, 6061 or 5038, refers to the aluminum alloy mix. In this case, the higher the number the stronger and lighter the aluminum.

Carbon is another material used in poles. It’s lighter and more flexible than aluminum. However, while aluminum will bend before snapping, carbon fails dramatically. It’s also more expensive.

The best bang for the buck is an aluminum pole with any alloy number and a 16 or 18 mm diameter.

Baskets

The basket keeps the pole from poking deep into the snow and come in a range of diameters. In fresh and soft snow a powder or wide basket will prevent the pole from sinking too deep which can throw you off balance. But in firm snow the wide basket can deflect off the snow, causing you to miss a pole plant and, again, throw you off balance. Unless I’m skiing in the backcountry I use an in-between-sized basket. Even more important, pick a pole that allows for easy basket swapping.

Grips and straps

This is a matter of feel. Grab a few different grips to find the one that fits best and feels most comfortable in your paw. Straps should have enough adjustability so you can cinch them snug, no matter what pair of mitts or gloves you’re wearing.

Swing weight

This is about the weight distribution in a pole and how it moves back and forth in a pole plant. A well-balanced pole is lightweight but still has enough mass towards the basket for it to swing back and forth nearly automatically.

Sizing

That brings us back to the most important variable. The most common way to fit a pole is to turn it upside down and rest the handle on the ground. Holding the pole just under the basket, your elbow should be at a 90-degree angle. To do this without a pole, wearing shoes, stand straight, bend your elbow to 90 degrees and measure from your hand to the floor.

Fixed-length poles tend to come in two-inch or five-centimeter increments. Err on the size of too short, which will force you into a more dynamic and balanced body position.

Read More

The Four Best Ski Poles of 2022/23

One Way TR Vario

  • Sizes: adjustable from 110 to 145 cm
  • Weight: Tk
  • Material: 7075 aluminum

A backcountry-oriented pole, the TR Vario has several ski-touring-friendly features. The two-piece design adjusts between 110 and 140 centimeters. The EVA foam grip is soft, easy to hold onto and extends down the shaft for choking up on the ascent. The top is rounded for palming and hooked for fiddling with bindings. And the adjustable strap rips free of the pole, a good safety feature for riding in deep snow, trees and avalanche terrain. With all these features, and despite the 16 mm diameter, aircraft-grade 7075 aluminum, these are not the lightest touring poles. However, they have a nice swing and feel burly, which in the backcountry is often more important.

Black Crows Meta

  • Sizes: 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135 cm
  • Weight: 230 grams
  • Material: 5083 aluminum

Available in a bunch of fun colors, with Black Crows trademarked chevrons running to mid-length, the Meta is a value-oriented pole that doesn’t look it. Or feel it. The rubber grip is tacky and easy to hold onto, plus the strap is easy to adjust. The 5083 aluminum is good quality, but not particularly light and the swing weight suffers accordingly. But for the price these are exceptional value and a sure eye catcher in the lift line.

Leki Carbon HX 3D

  • Sizes: 115, 120, 125, 130 cm
  • Weight: 208 grams
  • Material: Carbon

To build the 14 mm diameter carbon shaft for these luxurious feeling poles, Leki layers the carbon fibers in a cross pattern that creates a hexagonal shape. It’s tough, feather light and offers some flex for a cushioned pole plant feel. Leki forgoes the usual strap for a hand harness that velcro over a glove and attaches to the pole via a binding. The Trigger system creates a tighter connection between hand and pole for snappier planting. It’s also easier to take on and off than a normal strap system. For those looking for the top-shelf experience, here’s where to start.

MountainFlow Corkpro

  • Sizes: 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135 cm
  • Weight: Tk
  • Material: recycled 7075 aluminum

These might be the most sustainable ski poles available. They are one of the only poles made from recycled aluminum. The 16 mm, 7075 aluminum is just as strong and light as if it came from virgin sources, but the manufacturing produced 95 percent less carbon emissions. And the warm, cork hand grip is offcuts from the wine industry. They come with a padded strap for comfort and a powder-sized basket. As part of its new pole program MountainFlow has also developed a pole recycling program. These are poles you can feel good about buying and recycling at the end of their life.

Read More

, , ,