Review: Leki Carbonlite Walking Poles

This is a much overdue review of a pair of Leki Makalu Carbonlite walking poles, supplied to me back in June(??!) by Webtogs. Suffice to say I've had plenty of opportunity to try them out and abuse them, both in the UK and in Norway, so here are my thoughts for you, should you have some spare cash after Christmas...

First of all, product description. On first impressions they look great! In a black lacquered finish with a carbon 'look' to them they have silver and gold branding which makes them look a bit special. Made of carbon they are strong and really lightweight for a mainstream brand, weighing in at 391g in total for both poles combined (weighed this morning and including a token bit of dirt...). In three sections, they extend from 66cm to 135cm which makes them a great option for use with a shelter (I used them with my Shangri-La 1 and my Trail Star) and the twist action super lock system means they're easily adjustable when you've put the poles in situ.


However, the primary purpose of walking poles is, of course, to aid walking. Comparing these carbon Makalus with the old aluminium anti shock Makalus I previously used, the difference in weight was astounding! It made a massive difference walking using lighter poles. Lighter poles just mean that using them feels effortless; although I hadn't really noticed any effort with the old ones, these lighter ones really brought the weight of the old ones into relief.





These Carbonlite Makalus have a carbide flex tip, come with a basket fitment (which I usually leave attached) and have a curious Aergon handle which reminded me of a shark's head, a little different to the usual upright cork or moulded forms but which actually were really comfortable. The only comment I would have with these, which could equally apply with Pacer Poles, is that the shape of the head means that using with a shelter slightly distorts the pitch line, but this is very minimal and you would have to be really picky to take issue with this point. I'm not so picky and haven't really found it to be an issue that can't be dealt with by simply turning the head around to match the angle.


There is also a 'Safety Strap' which I find assists in walking (depending on your style; they can give more leverage), but which I've also heard general reports of people breaking wrists when using. That is a general comment about poles though, rather than part of this specific review, but I will say that I did find that the material rubbed my hands which surprised me; I think the stitching on the straps attaching the Leki branding caused this so that will be unpicked!

One of the main features of this pole, apart from the light weight, is the Super Lock System which proffers a holding force of up to 140kg, or 309 lbs in old money. The poles use a twisting action to secure the length, which I didn't, to be totally honest, find totally reliable. On occasion I found that the poles undid themselves and after a while I found I would almost automatically detect when they'd undo and would re-twist them back into position. While there was the minor annoyance factor I am a little concerned that they could let you down when you really needed that support. They also stuck once when out walking but after a few minutes wrestling to take them apart and reassemble they resumed normal functionality. However in researching others' findings with these poles I didn't find any similar issues so wonder if it's just a spurious issue with the ones I have.


Overall I found these poles to be a great addition to my walking kit and even with the niggles I mention above, I would still recommend these if you are looking for a light weight pole from a well established mainstream manufacturer.


These poles can be bought online from Webtogs at £116.99; a 10% saving on the RRP, with a one year limited guarantee against shaft breakage and Webtogs' usual outstanding delivery, customer service and price match promise.