Black Diamond
Black Diamond Distance Z folding trekking poles (aluminium, fixed length, 120 cm)
- Weight: 8/10 How much the pair adds to your hands and pack.
- Packed size: 9/10 Whether they fit inside or along a rucksack.
Fast hikes, trail running and scrambling where a light, tough pole is wanted
- Weight (pair)
- 367 g (120 cm fixed length)
- Packed length
- 40 cm
- Adjusts
- 120 to 120 cm
- Lock
- Fixed
- Shaft
- Aluminium
Where to buy
Alpinetrek £97.46 In stock. Free delivery. Pair, price includes VAT. Delivery 5-7 working days from supplier stock. Free UK delivery from £85, £4.49 under.
View at shop: AlpinetrekUltralight Outdoor Gear £109.99 In stock. Free delivery. Pair, 120 cm in stock. Free tracked UK delivery. The shop shows £124.99 crossed out; Black Diamond shows no UK list price.
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearRock+Run £112.50 In stock. Free delivery. Pair, 120 cm in stock. Free UK delivery from £100, £5.50 under.
View at shop: Rock+RunPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 8/10How much the pair adds to your hands and pack. 8: Clearly better than most.
Black Diamond's own pages disagree: its US page lists 347, 357, 367 and 387 g for the pair across the sizes and another figure block on the same page gives 344 g for the 120 cm size (Advnture also quotes 344 g). All of them fall in the 300-449 g band; the higher figure for 120 cm, 367 g, is scored, and the 344 g figure is given here too. OutdoorGearLab weighed a 110 cm pair at 337 g (its figure, not scored). Black Diamond's UK/EU store has no page for this pole.
Packed size
From maker's figures 9/10Whether they fit inside or along a rucksack. 9: Among the best you can buy for this.
Black Diamond gives a folded length of 40 cm in the 120 cm size: under 45 cm. One Black Diamond page prints 27 cm for the 110 cm size, which is a typo for 37 cm: Ultimate Gear Lists gives 33, 37 and 40 cm for the 100, 110 and 120 cm sizes and OutdoorGearLab measured 37 cm for 110 cm.
In short
Good for
- Fast hikes, trail running and scrambling where a light, tough pole is wanted
- Packing small: 40 cm folded fits a running vest or travel bag
Strengths
- Aluminium 7075 shafts that OutdoorGearLab and Better Trail found tougher than carbon
- 40 cm folded and quick to deploy on an internal cord, with no levers
- 367 g for the pair in the 120 cm size, in the 300-449 g band
- Rubber and carbide tips both included (Better Trail)
Weaknesses
- Fixed length, so it cannot be shortened for steep ground or set to a height for a tent
- Basic foam grip with a short extension (OutdoorGearLab, Better Trail), and a strap that Better Trail and UKC found rough or uncomfortable
- Black Diamond's own pages give different weights (344-387 g for the pair), so the figure is approximate
- About 85 g heavier than the carbon version (Better Trail)
- UKC found it not up to long, hard multi-day treks or tough winter hillwalking
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (5)
- Black Diamond: Distance Z Trekking/Running Poles (blackdiamondequipment.com, 7075 aluminium, 40 cm folded in 120 cm; US store, priced in dollars; the UK/EU store has no page for it)
- OutdoorGearLab: Black Diamond Distance Z review (Jeff Dobronyi; the site earns commission on links)
- Better Trail: Black Diamond Distance Z Trekking Pole Review (the site earns commission on links)
- Advnture: Black Diamond Distance Z review (Claire Maxted; 120 cm pair)
- UKC Gear: Black Diamond Distance Z and Distance Carbon Z poles (Rob Greenwood and Nick Brown; UKC says it receives free products for review)