Littlesonique
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
So hubby choice NOT to get poles when we got the skis. Sigh. So now I’m looking so we can go skiing next weekend but I’m overwhelmed. What are the differences in poles from the $30 ones to the $150 ones?
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Ski poles
- Thread starter Littlesonique
- Start date
nopoleskier
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Expensive ones have "trick grips" (Leki) and are lighter.
I skied without poles for a long time, started using them again when I started teaching again. I've been using my hiking poles, they are adjustable and I LOVE the cork grips- Cork doesn't get as cold as plastic grips, depending where you ski, skiing with out poles will help with balance and control.
I think Getting the right size poles is most important- Turn the pole upside down to took at your elbow angle also knowing how to properly use them will greatly improve your skiing experience. $150 Poles are more likely to be stolen too. :-(
I skied without poles for a long time, started using them again when I started teaching again. I've been using my hiking poles, they are adjustable and I LOVE the cork grips- Cork doesn't get as cold as plastic grips, depending where you ski, skiing with out poles will help with balance and control.
I think Getting the right size poles is most important- Turn the pole upside down to took at your elbow angle also knowing how to properly use them will greatly improve your skiing experience. $150 Poles are more likely to be stolen too. :-(
MissySki
Angel Diva
Usually what material they are made from and the brand. For what it’s worth, I skied for years with a super cheap like $18 pair of light K2 poles I bought on clearance at a big box store when I was first starting out. They were great. I now have some Leki trigger grip poles, and I do adore them, but also got them at a very discounted price one spring at Big Sky.
SarahXC
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I’ll start with the disclaimer that I am picky about how a grip feels in my hand. If you can try holding the potential options first I would recommend it. It’s just like a knife or anything else that has to fit and suit you to be comfortable/confident. I have friends whose more expensive poles I don’t like as much as my sale aluminum lekis.
mustski
Angel Diva
I have used both the super cheap aluminum poles and the more expensive aluminum (Leki) poles. I like the Leki because they "click" in to a loop on a harness that attaches to the glove and pop off with a button press. Other than that, it makes no difference to me. Bob bends aluminum and I am currently shopping for either some bamboo or carbon poles for Christmas.
Kimmyt
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have a pair of inexpensive poles I got on sale for $20 and they work great! I've tried some mid-range ones like the bamboo ones and they are also great! I also have a pair of fancy telescoping poles for backcountry and they are great!
Bottom line, for most people, poles are poles so unless you know you have a preference for something (see @SarahXC s response), you might as well not spend too much to begin with. Just make sure they are the correct size.
Bottom line, for most people, poles are poles so unless you know you have a preference for something (see @SarahXC s response), you might as well not spend too much to begin with. Just make sure they are the correct size.
volklgirl
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
The differences in pole pricing is from shaft and grip material, pole weight, and strap quality. A sensitive, experienced skier who uses their poles correctly will likely notice those difference, but most skiers won't.
The 2 things you should be concerned about are sizing (while the upside-down method is close, it's not perfect), and grip sie/shape (it needs to be comfortable with your gloves/mittens on).
As an aside, I actually sized down on poles last year from a 46" to a 44" (supposedly WAY too short for me) because I was having difficulty making pole touches. With the shorter poles, I can finally do pole touches on all my turns, and can now make pole plants on the down side of moguls, making my mogul skiing much more fluid.
The 2 things you should be concerned about are sizing (while the upside-down method is close, it's not perfect), and grip sie/shape (it needs to be comfortable with your gloves/mittens on).
As an aside, I actually sized down on poles last year from a 46" to a 44" (supposedly WAY too short for me) because I was having difficulty making pole touches. With the shorter poles, I can finally do pole touches on all my turns, and can now make pole plants on the down side of moguls, making my mogul skiing much more fluid.
liquidfeet
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Poles poles poles. Yes, beginners and novices sometimes do so much better without them. But not for long; novices need poles after they get their upper bodies to stop trying to tell their legs and feet what to do.
Poles help with rhythm and timing. I suggest buying some, and take a lesson to focus on how the timing works. Bad timing with poles can mess up your skiing, and the timing is not intuitively obvious.
If you are on your first pair of user-owned skis, you are probably not as picky as you will be ten years down the road from now about how comfortable the pole grips are, and now you probably won't notice how light/heavy the poles are. That's so personal, and your taste will develop over time.
The pole-buying issue then devolves to how long the poles should be. Poles too long can impair your skiing. Can poles too short do the same? Well, maybe, but probably not.
If you are the type of person that doesn't obsess much about such things, go to a ski shop, do the regular measurement with the pole upside down as described above, then buy cheap poles the next size down from that, which will make them a bit shorter than the regular measurement tells you to buy. PSIA is now urging its instructors to downsize on poles anyway.
If you expect you'll get very obsessive about your gear, and you have some $$, buy the more expensive poles that are adjustable. Get the good ones that lock in place after you adjust them with a little hand-twirlable screw, so they won't telescope downward if you plant hard. Then you can experiment for years to your heart's delight with pole length. That's what I finally got and I'm glad I have them. I'm an obsessor.
Poles help with rhythm and timing. I suggest buying some, and take a lesson to focus on how the timing works. Bad timing with poles can mess up your skiing, and the timing is not intuitively obvious.
If you are on your first pair of user-owned skis, you are probably not as picky as you will be ten years down the road from now about how comfortable the pole grips are, and now you probably won't notice how light/heavy the poles are. That's so personal, and your taste will develop over time.
The pole-buying issue then devolves to how long the poles should be. Poles too long can impair your skiing. Can poles too short do the same? Well, maybe, but probably not.
If you are the type of person that doesn't obsess much about such things, go to a ski shop, do the regular measurement with the pole upside down as described above, then buy cheap poles the next size down from that, which will make them a bit shorter than the regular measurement tells you to buy. PSIA is now urging its instructors to downsize on poles anyway.
If you expect you'll get very obsessive about your gear, and you have some $$, buy the more expensive poles that are adjustable. Get the good ones that lock in place after you adjust them with a little hand-twirlable screw, so they won't telescope downward if you plant hard. Then you can experiment for years to your heart's delight with pole length. That's what I finally got and I'm glad I have them. I'm an obsessor.
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SarahXC
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
How the strap adjusts is something you might consider also. Some the adjustment runs through a mostly unseen wedge inside the top of the grip versus a buckle of some type on the strap. Lots of personal preference that might not be relevant to you (yet) but are perhaps worth at least knowing about. I find the buckles on the straps irritate me in thin gloves so try in the different gloves/mittens you anticipate using and also might see how easily the strap length adjusts if you wear different coverings on your hands through the day.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I tried a pair of cheap junior poles from a ski swap ($20) since they were the correct length. But found that the grips were actually too thin even for my small size adult hands.
The idea of testing pole grips with at least gloves makes good sense.
I eventually got a pair of adjustable poles. But tend to stick with standard poles unless I know I'm likely to do traverses or a short in-bounds hike where being able to change the length of the poles is handy. Have a regular instructor out west who doesn't trust adjustable poles.
Have found that it's possible to put my adjustable poles in my bootbag, which I fly with as a carry-on. That's handy when I'm not bringing skis for whatever reason.
MissySki
Angel Diva
Wow I’m kind of surprised you’re allowed to carry on poles. I’d think they could easily be considered a weapon of some sort etc. Good to know though!
SallyCat
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Just want to second going a little shorter than the standard measurement. I did the arm-at-right-angle on upside-down pole thing when I first started skiing and struggled for a while with poles that were too long and were a nuisance.
Cheap aluminum poles rock, imo. They are light and you won't care when they get lost.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I've done it twice now in recent years. First time was on JetBlue to Boston starting from home. So I was plenty early so could've gotten my husband to come back to get them if there was an issue. Then did it going out west when I'd already left my regular poles and skis with Bill, but wanted the adjustable poles in case I did the Taos hike on the second trip.
Although I keep losing them because sometimes I forgot to take them off, I get replacement rubber caps for the tips.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Interesting. I started cutting down my old poles from the 1990s around 10 years ago. Took off an inch first, and then took off another inch a season or two later. They have grips I really like.
Getting adjustable poles was an easy way to test various lengths for a couple seasons. One reason I haven't bought custom length bamboo poles is that I hadn't settled on a general purpose length. Now that I'm skiing off-piste more than 60% of the times at big mountain out west, definitely prefer shorter poles than when I was only taking a run or two per day on ungrooomed terrain. Most people who ski Taos bumps regularly have poles on the short side.
MissySki
Angel Diva
A
That’s a good idea, the metal tips were one of the issues I was imagining with it being in a carryon as well.
That’s a good idea, the metal tips were one of the issues I was imagining with it being in a carryon as well.
VTsnowflower
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I used to hate the weight of my (cheap) poles. The balance always seemed off. When I finally bought lighter (Leki) ones it was a revelation! Also, I often wear fat mittens, for my cold, cold fingers. The old wrist straps were a tight fit. Definitely check the poles with gloves or mittens on!
teppaz
Angel Diva
I totally agree with going shorter than the size recommended on height charts. I used to get the recommended length then switched to one size shorter and it was a revelation.
