Carbon Fiber vs Aluminum Trekking Poles

What is the difference between Carbon Fiber vs Aluminum trekking poles? The main difference is that carbon fiber is lighter, but it is less tough than aluminum. Meaning it will bend more easily when under a lot of stress.

 

Comparison: Carbon vs Aluminum Trekking Poles

So the biggest difference is a trade-off between weight and durability. However, what does this actually mean for you? Who should go with the carbon trekking poles and who would be better of with carbon fiber trekking poles? In this section, I will go a bit more in-depth and discuss everything you need to know.

 

Weight

As I already mentioned carbon is lighter than aluminum. A lot of hikers and backpackers -including myself- care quite a bit about weight. Especially ultralight hikers might favour carbon over aluminum.

That said, how big is the weight difference really? Well, in order to get a correct comparison, I will compare my two favourite trekking poles at this moment. One of them is made from carbon fiber and the other one is made from aluminum.

My favourite aluminum trekking poles are TrailBuddy Trekking Poles. They weigh around 9.7 ounces (0.27 kg) without basket or tip per pole. Now, I have to say that these trekking poles are lighter than most aluminum trekking poles. They are made from a lightweight aluminum alloy called Aluminum 7075.

My favourite carbon fiber trekking poles are Foxelli Trekking Poles. These trekking poles are even lighter and come in at around 7 ounces (0.20 kg) per trekking pole.

For those of you who are interested in these trekking poles, I will go more in detail about both these poles later in the article.

It’s pretty accurate to conclude that carbon fiber trekking poles only weigh 2/3 of the weight of aluminum trekking poles. The difference is definitely not neglectable, but neither are the trade-offs.

 

Toughness

One of those trade-offs is “toughness”. It happens pretty often that hikers start hiking with carbon fiber trekking poles (saving weight has become an obsession for a lot of hikers). However, once these hikers experienced the bending of their trekking pole, they decide to switch to aluminum trekking poles.

Okay, so carbon fiber is less durable and will easier bend. However, as long as you buy a decent pair of trekking poles, they should still last quite some time. If you plan on shopping in the budget section however, I would highly recommend not to buy carbon fiber trekking poles.

If you are doing a lot of mountain hikes where you often put a lot of weight on the poles and you are carrying a heavy backpack, I would also recommend sticking with aluminum trekking poles.

 

Price

Carbon fiber trekking poles are also more expensive than alumnium trekking poles (most of the time).

Obviously, I can’t put an exact number on the difference in price. However, I can compare my two favourite products again.

The Trailbuddy Trekking Poles (aluminum)  will cost around 2/3 of the price of the Foxelli Trekking Poles (carbon fiber).

For a more exact price comparison, you should really check them out on amazon, because prices can always change over time.

You can find them here: TrailBuddy Trekking Poles,  Foxelli Trekking Poles

 

Use cases

I have been talking about some facts about “Carbon Fiber vs Aluminum Trekking Poles”. However, what do all these facts mean. Who should buy a carbon fiber trekking pole and who should go with good old aluminum ones?

I will always recommend aluminum trekking poles to the “regular” hiker. Why? Simply because the durability is so important. When a trekking pole bends, it instantly becomes completely useless. Especally if you really need your trekking poles because you have bad knees or something, you want them to be as durable and tough as possible.

I will only recommend carbon fiber trekking poles to hikers who are focusing on speed. Travelling lighter means you can cover more distance per day. So, if you are really focusing on hiking speed, you should probably keep your backpack as lightweight as possible.

Thru-hikers are often on a pretty tight schedule because they have so many miles to cover. I can understand why some thru-hikers prefer carbon over aluminum. That said, they will probably have to replace their trekking poles once in a while if they do.

Also, hikers who consider themselves ultralight hikers should always go with the carbon fiber trekking poles.

 

Best carbon fiber trekking poles

As I already said multiple times by now, the Foxelli Trekking Poles are my favourite carbon fiber trekking poles.

They are made from shock-absorbent carbon fiber, which minimizes the impact on your joints.

They are adjustable in length. They have a cork handle, which is the best material for a trekking pole handle in my opinion (and in most hikers opinion).

It comes with 4 seasons accessories and a carry bag. Additionally, they offer a 120 day return time (no questions asked). After that there is still a 3 year warranty for defects.

Also, considering these are carbon fiber trekking poles, they are actually pretty cheap. Just compare them to well-known brands like black diamond or leki.

For the latest price, you will have to consult amazon (they usually have the lowest price): Foxelli Trekking Poles

 

Best aluminum trekking poles

An even cheaper (and more durable) alternative would be the Trailbuddy Trekking Poles. These trekking poles are truly king when it comes to value for money.

They are tougher than carbon fiber trekking poles, but they are still lighter than regular aluminum trekking poles. These poles are made from a lightweight aluminum alloy. Making them both tough and light (still not as light as carbon fiber tho).

Just like the Foxelli Trekking Poles, these have a cork handle and are adjustable in size.

The poles come with a carry bag, 1 pair of connectors, 2 pairs of rubber tips, mud baskets, and snow baskets (for snowshoeing, not skiing). Additionally, there is a wide range of colors you can choose from.

Once again, this is my number one recommendation for the regular hiker. It’s super solid and it’s super affordable. Especially when you compare the price to alternatives that are equal in quality.

As always, for the latest price you should take a look on amazon: Trailbuddy Trekking Poles

 

Conclusion

The conclusion is pretty simple here. Carbon fibre trekking poles are lighter than aluminum trekking poles, which is a huge advantage. That said, aluminum trekking poles are tougher and -most of the time- cheaper than the carbon fiber alternative.

Only if weight or hiking speed is very important to you, I would recommend carbon fiber over aluminum. For beginners, I would also recommend aluminum. Saving 2 ounces is always nice, but for most hikers it’s not worth the downsides.

I included my 2 favourite trekking poles of the moment. These options are definitely solid and very good value for money. For more professional (and a lot more expensive) trekking poles, you might take a look at the Black Diamond trekking poles or Leki trekking poles.

Now that you know what type of trekking pole is best for you, you might also want to think about whether you want to hike with 1 or 2 trekking poles. You can learn all about the advantages/disadvantages of 2 trekking poles in this article: Should you use one or two trekking poles?.

That basically wraps it up. If you have any experiences that you would like to share about aluminum vs carbon fiber trekking poles, feel free to leave a comment!