Best Trekking Poles for Beginners: 5 Tested Picks

Gerzsi’s day off: Otis came down from the mountain and invited me up what he called a little hill. I borrowed two poles and set them as long as they would go, because longer must be better. For the first mile I looked like a beaver trying to row a boat uphill. Otis shortened them without a word. The little hill took three hours.

Gerzsi and friends are made up. The gear and the test results are real.

Trekking poles give you two extra points of contact on loose rock, mud and stream crossings. For a first pair you want something that adjusts easily, locks tight and doesn’t hurt your hands. You don’t need carbon fiber yet.

We didn’t test these ourselves. REI sent 35 member testers out for several months and averaged their scores. REI also sells the poles on its list, so keep that in mind. GearJunkie rotated poles among its testers and weighed and measured every pair. CleverHiker threw, dropped, bent and timed 14 models. Outdoor Life had eight testers on sand dunes, mud and snowfields in Oregon and Washington. All five picks here are adjustable trekking poles sold in pairs, so the table compares like with like.

Quick picks

The five pairs, side by side

Trekking poles	About	Pair weight	What the testers found
Leki Legacy Lite · See today’s price	$110	1 lb 1 oz to 1 lb 2 oz	REI: best for beginners, easy lever lock. CleverHiker: flexes under a heavy load.
Trekology Trek-Z 2.0 · See today’s price	$44–56	1 lb 3 oz to 1 lb 8 oz	Budget pick at GearJunkie and CleverHiker. Heaviest in CleverHiker’s test, fiddly to set up.
Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Quick Lock · See today’s price	$65	1 lb 1 oz	Outdoor Life Best Value. Lots of baskets and tips. One tester’s pole collapsed under pressure.
Black Diamond Trail Back · See today’s price	$100	1 lb 3 oz	CleverHiker Best Beginner Poles. Winter baskets included. Long when collapsed.
Black Diamond Pursuit · See today’s price	$170	1 lb 0.4 oz to 1 lb 0.6 oz	Best overall at GearJunkie and CleverHiker. Cork grips, tough. The left lock can catch.

1. Leki Legacy Lite: the one for most beginners

REI’s member testers gave the Legacy Lite a 96 out of 100 and called it best for beginners and for light to moderate trails. They liked the moderate weight, the comfortable grip and a lever lock that is easy to adjust. One tester found the strap tail too long for small hands, and another preferred foam grips to cork (REI).

CleverHiker made it the Best No-Frills pole at about $110. The pros were cork grips, ventilated handles and reliable aluminum. The cons were a snug lower shaft, a long collapsed length, some flex under a heavy load and few extras (CleverHiker).

Good for: day hikes, park trails and a first pair you won’t outgrow fast. Not for: heavy packs or anyone who wants poles that fold small.

2. Trekology Trek-Z 2.0: the budget pick, with a catch

GearJunkie made the Trek-Z 2.0 its budget pick at about $44. The foam grips were comfortable and the poles fold down to about 15 inches, but they are heavier than most and foam gets sweatier than cork (GearJunkie).

CleverHiker named it the Best Budget Buy at about $56. In its full review the poles came through the throw and drop tests without a scratch, one of the few that did. They were also the heaviest in the test and the second slowest to set up, and the reviewer recommends them for easy to moderate day hikes, not thru-hikes (CleverHiker review). Outdoor Life was less kind to cheap poles in general. Its writer tried $20 to $40 models from Trekology and two other brands and found them hard to set up, heavy and bulky (Outdoor Life).

Good for: trying the sport for very little money. Not for: long days, where the extra weight adds up.

3. Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Quick Lock: cheap carbon

Outdoor Life gave Cascade’s carbon quick-lock pole its Best Value award at $65. The tester liked the four sets of baskets and tips, the 10.5-inch grip and how easy it was to re-tension the lock. One tester had a pole collapse under pressure, and it had the longest collapsed length in their test (Outdoor Life). CleverHiker called it the Best Included Accessories pick, with durable shafts and replacement parts, but slow to adjust (CleverHiker).

Don’t mix it up with Cascade’s cheaper aluminum pole. GearJunkie tested that one at about $30 and found it heavy and not very durable.

Good for: a light pair on a budget. Not for: hikers who lean hard on their poles on the way down.

4. Black Diamond Trail Back: for summer and winter

CleverHiker named the Trail Back its Best Beginner Poles at about $100 a pair. The pros were a beginner price, a build that lasts and winter baskets in the box, so the same pair works on snow. The cons were a long collapsed length and lighter options for the money (CleverHiker). Only one of our sources tested this pole, so weigh that.

Good for: hikers who will keep going after the first snow. Not for: anyone who needs poles to fit inside a small pack.

5. Black Diamond Pursuit: the step up

Two testers put the Pursuit on top. GearJunkie called it the best overall pole at about $170. It weighed 1 lb 0.4 oz a pair, with cork grips, foam extensions and a hex tool built in. The left lock sits on the inside and sometimes catches, and it packs to a longish 22.7 inches (GearJunkie). CleverHiker also named it Best Overall, for its cork grips, durability, light weight and two basket sizes. Their only con was that cheaper poles exist (CleverHiker).

Good for: a beginner who already knows hiking is going to stick. Not for: a tight budget.

Trekking pole FAQ

Do I need two poles, or is one enough?

One works on easy trails and leaves a hand free. REI’s testers liked a single walking staff for that, and noted it gives less stability than a pair. On steep or rough ground, take two.

Cork or foam grips?

Cork, if you sweat. REI’s testers said cork wicks sweat, and GearJunkie found foam grips sweatier. Foam is cheaper and some hikers like how soft it feels.

Lever locks or twist locks?

Lever locks for a first pair. They are quick to set and easy to check. CleverHiker found twist locks slower to use, and GearJunkie noted that the twist lock on one ultralight pole needs maintenance.

Is carbon worth it for a beginner?

Not usually. Carbon saves weight, but Outdoor Life found one very light carbon pole springy and less stable, and the carbon poles the testers ranked highest cost about $190 to $250. A solid aluminum pair like the Leki Legacy Lite is plenty for day hikes.

The bottom line

Buy the Leki Legacy Lite. It adjusts easily, the grips are comfortable and it is the pole REI’s testers pointed beginners to. Get the Trekology Trek-Z 2.0 if you only want to try poles for a season and don’t mind the weight. Go for the Black Diamond Pursuit if you already know you’ll be out every weekend.

Hiker-tested. Beaver-approved.

Sources

• REI Expert Advice: The 8 Best Trekking and Hiking Poles, by Josette Deschambeault Rolfe and Ever Meister (updated July 22, 2026)
• GearJunkie: The Best Trekking Poles, by Chris Carter and team (updated November 21, 2025)
• CleverHiker: Best Trekking Poles, by Bailey Bremner (updated April 7, 2026)
• CleverHiker: Trekology Trek-Z 2.0 Review, by Bailey Bremner (updated October 2, 2025)
• Outdoor Life: Best Trekking Poles, by Ashley Thess (updated June 4, 2025)

Prices are the ones the testers listed, checked in October 2026; prices change often. REI sells trekking poles, including the ones on its own list. Wirecutter and OutdoorGearLab weren’t readable when this guide was written, so nothing here is attributed to them.