If you ask a group of experienced hikers which walking poles they trust, the same brand comes up again and again. Leki has been making poles in Germany since 1948, and the best Leki walking poles have a reputation that most rivals spend years chasing: reliable locks, grips that were designed by someone who actually walks, and the kind of build quality that means a good pair outlives several cheaper ones.
That reputation is the reason I keep the Leki Makalu FX Carbon on the shortlist in the general trekking poles guide as the premium pick. But Leki is not a one-pole brand. The range runs from a sub-£55 aluminium entry pair right up to a carbon folding flagship, and the differences between the tiers are real. This guide walks the whole range so you can find the model that fits your hiking and your budget, rather than defaulting to the most expensive one.
I have not personally logged miles on every model here, so this is a researched buyer's guide rather than a set of field reviews. Where I have written a full stand-alone review of a model, I have linked to it.
What makes Leki poles worth it
Three things separate Leki from the crowd, and they are worth understanding before you spend anything.
The SpeedLock lever. Leki's external clamping lever is the heart of most of the range. It is a lever-style lock, so it holds by clamping the shaft from the outside rather than expanding inside it, and it stays reliable in the wet and the cold where cheap twist locks slip. The current SpeedLock 2 Plus version is tool-free tuneable if the clamping force ever loosens over the years, which is exactly the sort of detail that keeps a pole in service for a decade. Only the budget Voyager uses Leki's older internal Super Lock system instead.
Aergon grips. Leki designs its grips around the natural angle of your wrist, and the difference shows on a long descent. The Aergon and Aergon Air grips have a subtly angled head, a rubberised top so you can choke down over the grip on short steep pitches, and a foam extension below for traversing without re-adjusting the pole. Cheaper poles give you a straight cork or foam cylinder. Leki gives you a shape.
Durability and spare parts. This is the quiet argument that wins over time. Baskets, tips, straps and lock parts are all replaceable, often by hand and without tools, and Leki has been supporting its poles long enough that spares are genuinely available in the UK. A snapped tip or a worn basket does not write off the pole. That is the difference between a tool and a disposable.
How to choose a Leki pole
Work through four questions and the range narrows quickly.
Aluminium or carbon? Aluminium is tougher and cheaper, and it bends rather than snaps under a sideways load, which matters on rough UK ground and rocky descents. Carbon is lighter and damps trail buzz better over a long day, at a price premium and with more brittleness under lateral stress. For most hikers, aluminium is the sensible default. Carbon earns its place if you cover big daily mileage or count every gram.
Telescopic or folding? Telescopic poles adjust across a wide length range and are the most versatile, but they pack down to around 65 to 70cm. Folding poles break into segments on an internal cord and pack down to roughly 40cm, so they disappear into a daypack or strap onto a small pack, but the length range is narrower. If packed size matters to you, or you scramble and stow poles often, go folding.
How much length adjustment do you need? If you share poles with a partner, or want to run them long on descents and short on climbs, a wide 100 to 145cm telescopic range is your friend. If you know your length and want minimum fuss, a folding pole with a small vario range is fine.
What is your budget? The range below is ordered roughly by price and role, from the entry-level Voyager to the flagship Makalu FX Carbon. Decide what you will actually use, then buy at that tier rather than above it.
1. Leki Voyager
The Voyager is the way into the brand. It is a hardened aluminium telescopic pair with a soft rubber PAS grip and Leki's Super Lock internal locking system, which the listing rates to a 140kg holding force. It adjusts across a wide 110 to 145cm range and comes in at around 540g the pair, with removable trekking baskets included.
Two honest caveats set it apart from the rest of the range. It uses the older internal Super Lock rather than the external SpeedLock lever, so adjustment is a twist-and-set affair rather than a flick of a lever, and the rubber grip is a step below the sculpted Aergon grips further up the line. Neither is a problem for the job this pole is for: occasional walkers, first-time pole users, and anyone who wants a real Leki without a real Leki price.
If you are buying your first pair and are not yet sure poles are for you, this is the low-risk entry point, and it still carries Leki's build quality and spares support.
Read our full Leki Voyager review →
2. Leki Khumbu Lite (and Khumbu Lite AS)
The Khumbu Lite is the value all-rounder and, for a lot of UK hikers, the sensible place to start taking Leki seriously. It moves you onto the external SpeedLock Plus lever and a proper 2K CorTec grip, a cork-and-rubber composite that handles sweat and damp better than plain foam. Three-section aluminium HTS 6.5 shaft, a wide 100 to 135cm range, a claimed 245g per pole and a 67cm pack size.
This is the pole that gives you most of what makes Leki good without paying for carbon. The SpeedLock lever adjusts instantly with gloves on, the CorTec grip is comfortable over a long day, and the aluminium shaft takes abuse without complaint. For coast-path days and hill walking it is hard to fault at the price.
The Khumbu Lite AS is the same pole with an integrated anti-shock spring in the lower shaft, using the Aergon trekking grip. The AS system takes some of the jolt out of hard-surface descents, which is worth considering if you have knee issues and do a lot of steep downhill on firm ground. The evidence for how much anti-shock helps is mixed, so treat it as a comfort preference rather than a fix, and expect to pay a little more.
For the anti-shock version:
Buy Leki Khumbu Lite AS at Blacks Buy Leki Khumbu Lite AS on AmazonRead our full Leki Khumbu Lite review →
3. Leki Makalu Lite
The Makalu name is the backbone of the Leki range, and the Makalu Lite is the classic mid-tier aluminium pole. You get the same three-section HTS 6.5 aluminium shaft and SpeedLock Plus lever as the Khumbu, but the grip steps up to the sculpted Aergon Air: an ergonomic foam head with a fully rubberised top and a 1K foam extension for choking down on climbs. Around 248g per pole, 100 to 135cm range, 67cm packed.
The upgrade you are paying for over the Khumbu is that grip and the overall refinement. The Aergon Air head sits your wrist at the right angle without you thinking about it, and the rubberised top gives real control when you plant a pole low on a steep chalk descent. If you hike often and want an aluminium pole you will not want to replace, this is the one to spend on.
For the kind of long Jurassic Coast and Purbeck days that eat cheaper poles, the Makalu Lite is the aluminium sweet spot: light enough, tough enough, and finished properly.
Read our full Leki Makalu Lite review →
4. Leki Skysolo
The Skysolo is the premium aluminium pole, aimed at hikers who want the lightest aluminium Leki without moving to carbon. It uses HTS 6.5 aluminium in slightly fatter 18 / 16 / 14mm sections for stiffness, the latest SpeedLock 2 Plus lever, and the Verticon foam grip that blends the ergonomic Aergon shape with the low weight of a race grip. Around 254g per pole, a wide 110 to 145cm range and a 70cm pack size.
The SpeedLock 2 Plus is the standout here. It is the tuneable version of the lever, so if the clamp ever loosens over years of use you can nip it back up by hand. The wide length range also makes the Skysolo one of the more flexible poles for taller walkers or for running long on descents. The D-Loop mesh strap is quick-drying and comfortable against bare hands in summer.
If you want a fit-and-forget aluminium pole with the newest lock and a wide adjustment range, and you are not chasing carbon, the Skysolo is the top of the aluminium line.
Read our full Leki Skysolo review →
5. Leki Skytera Carbon Lite
The Skytera Carbon Lite is where the range crosses into carbon, and it does it the sensible way. Rather than full carbon, it uses an aluminium HTS 6.5 upper section with Carbon PRC 1000 in the middle and lower shafts. That hybrid keeps the toughest metal at the top where the lock and your leverage are, and puts the light, vibration-damping carbon lower down. The result is a claimed 196g per pole, the lightest telescopic pole in this guide.
You get the SpeedLock 2 Plus lever, the Verticon foam grip, a 100 to 135cm range and roughly a 68cm pack size. On a long day the weight saving and the reduced trail buzz through the carbon are noticeable, and the hybrid construction is more forgiving than a full-carbon shaft if you catch a pole between rocks.
This is the pick for a hiker who wants carbon's lightness and comfort but prefers a telescopic pole over a folding one, and who does not need the sub-40cm pack size of the Makalu FX. A strong middle path in the carbon tier.
Read our full Leki Skytera Carbon Lite review →
6. Leki Makalu FX Carbon (and FX Carbon Compact)
The Makalu FX Carbon is the flagship, and it is the Leki I point most serious hikers towards. It is a five-section full Carbon PRC 1000 folding pole that opens and closes on Leki's ELD button system and packs down small, then locks and fine-tunes across a 110 to 130cm range with the SpeedLock 2 Plus lever. The grip is the Aergon Air with a hollow core and a fully rubberised head, the best grip in the range.
What that specification buys is a pole built for a decade of hard use rather than a couple of seasons. The folding design deploys in seconds and stows fast for scrambling, the carbon shaft is stiff and quiet underfoot, and the Aergon Air grip is the most comfortable Leki makes. It is the same pole I keep on the shortlist in the general trekking poles guide as the premium pick, and the reasoning has not changed: spares are available, the construction is obvious in the hand, and the cost per use over ten or fifteen years undercuts replacing cheaper poles every few seasons.
The Makalu FX Carbon Compact is the pole for smaller hikers and for anyone who prizes pack size above all. It is a four-section folding pole with a 100 to 120cm range, a claimed 241g per pole, and a tiny 41cm folded length. The trade-off is the lower maximum length, so tall walkers should stick with the standard Makalu FX Carbon.
At the top of the range the Makalu FX Carbon is a real investment, but it is the pole that best earns the Leki reputation. If you cover regular mileage in demanding conditions and want poles that last, this is the one.
For the smaller pack-size version:
Buy Leki Makalu FX Carbon Compact at Blacks7. Leki Wanderfreund Makalu (single pole)
The Wanderfreund is the odd one out here, and it is important to be clear about what it is before you buy. This is a single walking pole, one stick rather than a pair, built around a large Aergomed grip that you rest your palm on top of, like a walking cane. It is aluminium, three-section, adjusts across a very wide 63 to 120cm range on the SpeedLock 2 system, weighs around 277g and packs to 63cm.
It is not a hiking pole in the usual sense. There is no benefit to the balance and knee-load reduction that come from planting two poles in rhythm. What it is good at is casual support: steady walking, a bit of extra confidence on uneven ground, gentle Nordic walking, or anyone who prefers a single supportive stick over a matched pair. The palm-down Aergomed grip is comfortable for that role and the rubber trekking buff and Nordic basket are included.
If you want poles for proper hill days, buy a pair from higher up this list instead. If you specifically want one supportive stick for gentler walking, the Wanderfreund is a well-made option and there is no full review because it sits outside the trekking pole category.
Leki walking poles compared
| Model | Material | Lock | Type | Grip | ~Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voyager | Aluminium | Super Lock | Telescopic | Soft rubber PAS | £51 | Budget entry pair |
| Khumbu Lite | Aluminium | SpeedLock Plus | Telescopic | 2K CorTec | £77 | Value all-rounder |
| Khumbu Lite AS | Aluminium | SpeedLock Plus | Telescopic | Aergon (anti-shock) | £87 | Knee-friendly value |
| Makalu Lite | Aluminium | SpeedLock Plus | Telescopic | Aergon Air foam | £107 | Mid aluminium classic |
| Skysolo | Aluminium | SpeedLock 2 Plus | Telescopic | Verticon foam | £119 | Premium aluminium |
| Skytera Carbon Lite | Carbon / alloy hybrid | SpeedLock 2 Plus | Telescopic | Verticon foam | £158 | Lightest telescopic |
| Makalu FX Carbon | Carbon | SpeedLock 2 Plus | Folding | Aergon Air | £186 | Flagship all-rounder |
| Makalu FX Carbon Compact | Carbon | SpeedLock 2 Plus | Folding | Aergon Air | £178 | Smallest pack size |
| Wanderfreund Makalu | Aluminium | SpeedLock 2 | Telescopic (single) | Aergomed | £65 | Single support stick |
Prices are indicative UK retail at the time of writing and move with seasonal sales.
Leki poles at Blacks
Prices pulled live from Blacks, updated daily. Links are affiliate links.
If Leki does not quite fit your budget or hand, it is worth reading the best Black Diamond trekking poles guide as well. Black Diamond's FlickLock poles are the closest rival to Leki's SpeedLock range, and the Trail Explorer 3 is the one pole I have logged serious miles on. The general trekking poles guide pulls both brands together with budget carbon and aluminium options.
Frequently asked questions
What is Leki's SpeedLock and why does it matter?
Are Leki walking poles worth the money?
Should I choose aluminium or carbon Leki poles?
Which Leki walking pole is right for me?
Can you get Leki spare parts and replacements?
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