Best Ski Poles For 2022-2023 - Mpora

Share

Skiing

Best Ski Poles For 2022-2023

According to our team of skiing experts, these are the best ski poles for this season

It’s easy to dismiss ski poles as just ‘some sticks you flail about while skiing’. In the modern age, however, nothing could be further from the truth. The basic concept of ski poles might not have changed much over the years but, thanks to high-quality materials and innovative designs, they’re now a world away from the antique wooden poles you’ll have seen hanging on the walls of restaurants in the alps. To help you make some sense of the products that are out there, and ultimately find the right pair of ski poles for you, we’ve put together this guide to the best ski poles for your winter adventures.

Because we know that different skiers are after different things from their ski poles, we’ve ensured the following list doesn’t narrow down too much on one particular type of pole. From resort-friendly, more affordable, options to lightweight, high-tech, ski-touring ski poles, we’ve ensured the following list has range of options to suit everyone’s needs.

SHOP SKI POLES AT

Why Are Ski Poles So Important?

Ski poles are useful because they aid balance, make rhythmic turning easier, and ensure crossing flat terrain remains relatively stress-free. If you’ve ever been snowboarding, you’ll know how traumatic life can be without poles on those horizontal stretches.

As your skiing moves up from beginner level, you’ll appreciate how ski poles can aid your execution of clean parallel turns.  This is particularly true if you’re tackling challenging terrain, such as moguls. If you’re skiing steep parts of the mountain, an ability to consistently put down short turns is vital. A pole plant with the ‘downhill’ pole will give you something to turn around. It will help you to take speed off, and feel in full control, when you’re clipped into your skis on the challenging stuff.

It might sound a bit obvious, but your ski poles can also be used as tools for a variety of tasks in the mountains. Many of us, for example, will be familiar with those incredibly annoying situations on the hill where snow is stuck to a boot and/or fully packed into a binding. The solution here, of course, is easy. Use your pole to knock that snow away. Need to get out of your bindings quickly? Ski pole’s got you covered. And finally, your ski pole can also work as a handy makeshift probe in deep powder.

Best Ski Poles For 2022-2023

 

Black Diamond Vapor AL 1 Ski Pole

Price: £95
Sizes (cm): 115, 120, 125, 130 & 135
Reasons to buy it: Lightweight, durable, simple

MORE INFO

Black Diamond have established themselves as creators of some of the most reliable ski touring poles around. The brand’s adjustable FlickLock technology is a genuinely simple yet incredibly secure way of locking off a ski pole. This is especially important for steep skiers, as they require a solid lock off for their jump turns. The last thing the truly expert skiers of the world need is a looming sense, following them around, that their equipment is going to let them down at a crux moment on extreme terrain.

Adjustable ski poles aren’t for everyone though. For skiers who prefer the faultless security of a fixed length pole, you’ll be happy to hear Black Diamond are taking their experience from their adjustable pole range and applying it to fixed lengths as well. All-new for the 2022/2023 winter season, the Vapor AL 1 has a durable yet lightweight construction. It’s been built for those backcountry skiers who need tougher gear without the nuisance of additional weight.

This product was selected for our Ski 100 (2022/2023). 

Read our Black Diamond Vapor AL 1 review.

Leki Airfoil 3D Ski Pole

Price: £275
Sizes: 110 – 135 cm (5 cm steps)
Reasons to buy it: Lightweight, snappy, safe

MORE INFO

When it comes to creating some of the finest ski poles in the business, Leki are utterly relentless in their approach. From World Cup winning athletes to wild Alaskan freeriding, Leki’s undeniable level of expertise shows in the environments and stages they come to the fore in. They’re a brand that have a laser-focus when it comes to producing ski poles and, as such, you know you’re going to end up with some top quality equipment if you purchase their stuff.

Leki are well-known for their Trigger System. Thanks to its safe and reliable release, it’s a setup which can help to protect you from a classic, and pretty painful, skiers’ thumb injury that’s so common when using traditional ski straps. If you’ve never seen the system in action before, we’ll take this opportunity to give you a quick overview. Basically, it works by providing a connection to the pole between your thumb and index finger. Through a clever latch-click system, and the simple pressing of a tab on the top of the pole, it functions well as an efficient and smart bit of ski pole innovation.

The Airfoil 3D is rocking all the intelligent design features you’d expect to see in a Leki ski pole. The product’s generally top notch construction, combined with the incorporation of the consistently brilliant Trigger System (we’re big fans of it), underlines just how far ski poles have come.

This product was selected for our Ski 100 (2022/2023).

Read our Leki Airfoil 3D review.

Scott Pro Taper SRS Pole

Price: £90
Sizes: 110 – 135 cm (5 cm steps)
Reasons to buy it: Excellent SRS, lightweight, comfortable grip and durable

MORE INFO

Here at Mpora, it’s honestly not overstating things to say Scott are now firmly established as one of our favourite ski brands. The gear they produce delivers top-level performance time after time after time. With this in mind, and after spending a bit of time getting hands on with it, the decision to include the Scott Pro Taper SRS Pole on our guide to the best ski poles was a real no-brainer.

What do we like about it then? Well, firstly, it’s a light yet stiff ski pole that you’ll be able to rely on in all manner of terrain and conditions. The ergonomically designed grip is excellent, and feels properly comfortable in the hand. We’re also very much liking the additional back-hand support, and basket that’s both durable and aerodynamic.

By combining carbon and fibreglass in the ski pole’s construction, Scott have ensured that this ski pole is more than capable of absorbing vibrations and not jarring violently during the first phase of impacts. As the name suggests, the Scott Pro Taper SRS Pole is also equipped with a Strap Release System (SRS). Needless to say, because this is Scott we’re talking about, it’s a feature that works well. Don’t know much about SRS? It’s a safety-enhancing system that allows the strip to release from the grip of the pole in situations where injuries may occur. It’s clever stuff.

Volkl Phantastick Carbon

Price: £70
Sizes: 110 – 135 cm (5 cm steps)
Reasons to buy it: Lightweight, tough, comfortable grip, nice baskets

MORE INFO

The Volkl Phantastick Carbon is one of the best ski poles around. It’s lightweight, tough, and intensely performance-focused. The carbon fiber composite construction here means they’re packing some serious strength, and means you can aggressively dig these into the terrain without worrying that they’re going to buckle on you like melted cheese.

What else? Well, we’re big fans of this ski pole’s textured pattern grip. When you go skiing with a pair of these nestled into your gloved hands, you really get a sense that they’re locked in and coming with you on your respective journey (wherever that journey takes you). Here at Mpora, we’re also loving the way Volkl have brought versatility into play. Depending on what kind of conditions you’re skiing, you have the choice with the Phantastick to switch between powder and race baskets. You love to see it.

Rossignol Tactic

Price: £60
Sizes: 110 – 135 cm (5 cm steps)
Reasons to buy it: Affordable, durable, comfortable, good quality

MORE INFO

Not every skier is comfortable spending huge sums of money on ski poles. If you only go on one or two ski trips a season, or are just generally on a strict budget, the Rossignol Tactic is well worth a look. It manages that impressive balancing act of being high quality yet low price. That quality is reassuring because there is, after all, nothing worse than feeling like you’ve bagged the bargain of the century only to see your poles snap on the first morning of your trip.

The Tactic is an aluminium dural ski pole that serves up all-mountain versatility. This ski pole’s shaft construction means you’re dealing with a more-than-decent level of durability, without the hassle of heaviness going hand in hand with it. Skiers who’ve dabbled with this ski pole from Rossignol can also vouch for the ergonomic grip and how well the entire setup absorbs vibration which passes up the pole. This can, in cheaper ski poles, sometimes be a notable issue but that’s not the case here.

A simple yet classic ski pole design, one which won’t cost you a small fortune, we really do like what the Rossignol Tactic brings to the party. It’s maybe not as tough, or as elite-level performance-focused, as some of the skis on this list but that’s alright. It comes at a price point which reflects this and, which after a few goes using them in the mountains, still manages to feel like a major bargain.

Black Crows Trios Freebird

Price: £150
Sizes: One size (adjustable from 115 cm to 140 cm)
Reasons to buy it: Robust, reassuring, versatile and lightweight

MORE INFO

The Mpora team are huge fans of the skiing equipment Black Crows produce. In this season’s Ski 100, for example, we featured both the Mentis Freebird ski and Navis Freebird ski. Both products, we felt, underlined the sheer expertise that Chamonix-based Black Crows are able to bring to the world of ski mountaineering and touring. When you stop and consider the brand have got some of Europe’s most exciting and extreme ski terrain on their doorstep, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re able to so consistently deliver the goods in this area. With all of this in mind, please allow us to recommend you one of Black Crows’ most excellent ski poles.

It’s called the Black Crows Trios Freebird. It’s a seriously versatile, robust and lightweight three-piece telescopic pole. The 18mm carbon tube helps to keep the weight low, while the Power Lock 3.0 locking system ensures reassuring strength from the product in the environments you’ll need it the most. We love the nifty design of the grip handle. It’s long, which allows for a better level of grip, and has a new ergonomic strap that heightens comfort and performance nicely. The basket setup adapts well to terrain variations, and underlines the sense that this is a ski pole built for adventures.

Black Crows Furtis

Price: £120
Sizes: 110 cm to 135 cm (5 cm steps)
Reasons to buy it: Strong, durable, and tough (it’s a lightweight beast)

MORE INFO

If a ski pole was capable of walking around on its own, getting itself a gym membership and working out relentlessly in its free time, you get the impression that the Black Crows Furtis would be that kind of ski pole. It’s stacked, it’s strong, it’s built like a proverbial brick outhouse. And yet, despite this, it’s not heavy by any stretch. In fact, it’s pretty lightweight in truth. Love big mountain skiing, but hate hauling around hefty gear? A pair of these ski poles could be the way to go, as they’re pretty much nailing that sweet spot on the Venn diagram.

Rocking a 22mm diameter (100% composite), this is a ski pole that manages to pull off the trick of being both super-light and durable. It’s got a subtly elastic structure (not as mad as it sounds), that helps it to absorb impacts; rather than snap from the sudden energy of them. The extra long grip on the Furtis is excellent, and really helps the skier to feel like they’re fully in control of them on the hill. On this note, the hand strap, clearly inspired by harnesses, has been implemented in a really good way.

Just like with other ski poles from Black Crows, the Furtis also has a nicely flexible basket that adapts perfectly to terrain variations. As is the case with the Black Crows Trios Freebird, this is a ski pole that craves getting out there; a ski pole that wants to go head to head with the mountains in the pursuit of big adventures. Just don’t get into an arm wrestle with one at après. It’s too strong, and it will beat you.

Wedze FR Vario

Price: £40
Sizes: One size (adjustable from 110 cm to 145 cm)
Reasons to buy it: Affordable, versatile and functional

MORE INFO

When it comes to classic ski gear brands, it’s fair to say that there’s quite a few big names on this list. Wedze, who you can purchase through Decathlon, aren’t really used to having their stuff being talked about in the same breath as Black Crows and Leki. Because their equipment tends to be a bit more budget / affordable / cheaper, Wedze are often unfairly dismissed by some of the more snobbish ski enthusiasts out there as landfill merchants.

We’ve always been of the belief though that if a product’s good enough, it doesn’t matter if it costs less than its rivals. With the global economy as it is, and people’s money not going as far as it used to this winter, we’re all about celebrating ski kit bargains whenever we can. Take the Wedze FR Vario, as an example. It’s a ski pole that’s been tested by Nendaz ski patrols (so you know it’s decent), functions well on the mountain, and only costs £39.99. You don’t need us to point out that this is an RRP considerably lower than most of the RRPs in this guide.

Freeride-minded designers have approached putting this ski pole together in a way that not only means it will serve you well on the pistes, but also do a job for you beyond the tourist slopes as well (especially if this terrain is reasonably accessible). In a nutshell, the Wedze FR Vario is a functioning telescopic pole with a long grip, a removable strap and a powder basket, for under £50. We like it.

You May Also Like

The Best All-Mountain Skis

The Best Backcountry Skis

Best Ski Jackets For 2022-2023

Topics:

Black Crows Black Diamond Gear Leki Rossignol Scott Skis Volkl Skis wedze
Newsletter Terms & Conditions

Please enter your email so we can keep you updated with news, features and the latest offers. If you are not interested you can unsubscribe at any time. We will never sell your data and you'll only get messages from us and our partners whose products and services we think you'll enjoy.

Read our full Privacy Policy as well as Terms & Conditions.

production