Leki
Leki Makalu FX Carbon AS anti-shock folding trekking poles (5-section, 110-130 cm)
- Weight: 5/10 How much the pair adds to your hands and pack.
- Packed size: 9/10 Whether they fit inside or along a rucksack.
Walkers who want poles that fold to 40 cm and fit inside a day pack or carry-on bag
- Weight (pair)
- 516 g
- Packed length
- 40 cm
- Adjusts
- 110 to 130 cm
- Lock
- Lever
- Shaft
- Mixed
Where to buy
Alpinetrek £163.76 In stock. Free delivery. Pair, price includes VAT and duties. Delivery 5-7 working days. Free UK delivery from £85.
View at shop: AlpinetrekUltralight Outdoor Gear £179.99 In stock. Free delivery. Pair. Free tracked UK delivery. The shop shows Leki's list price crossed out (£209.99).
View at shop: Ultralight Outdoor GearLeki UK £210 In stock. Free delivery. Leki's own UK shop, sold as a pair. Free standard delivery over £50 (Evri, 3-5 working days; £3.99 under).
View at shop: Leki UKPrices 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 5/10How much the pair adds to your hands and pack. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
Leki UK gives 258 g per pole at 110-130 cm, doubled to 516 g for the pair: the 450-549 g band. Alpinetrek lists 516 g a pair and Ultralight Outdoor Gear 259 g a pole (518 g); This Expansive Adventure gives 534 g a pair, all in the same band. Leki's figure is the one scored.
Packed size
From maker's figures 9/10Whether they fit inside or along a rucksack. 9: Among the best you can buy for this.
Leki UK gives 40 cm folded: under the 45 cm line.
In short
Good for
- Walkers who want poles that fold to 40 cm and fit inside a day pack or carry-on bag
- Long days and descents where carbon's low weight and the anti-shock tip are wanted
- Hillwalking and river crossings where poles go in and out of the pack
Strengths
- Folds to 40 cm in 5 sections with a push-button fold
- Leki's Dynamic Suspension System (DSS) tip, which Leki says cuts impact by about 40%
- Carbon upper shafts with aluminium in the impact zone, 258 g per pole (516 g a pair)
- Speed Lock 2 Plus lever sets any length from 110 to 130 cm
- Aergon Air grip, Skin Strap 5.0, Trekking Basket 2.0 and a folding pole bag supplied
Weaknesses
- Heavier than the non-AS Makalu FX Carbon because of the DSS tip
- Length range of 110-130 cm is short for very tall walkers (This Expansive Adventure also lists limited range)
- The DSS tip must always be used with a basket and not in snow (Leki)
- Lock, grip and durability scores are blank: only one hands-on review of this exact pole
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (3)
- Leki UK: LEKI Makalu FX Carbon AS (£210 a pair, 258 g, 40 cm folded, 110-130 cm, product code LE65620631S)
- Ultralight Outdoor Gear: Makalu FX Carbon AS trekking poles (259 g a pole, 5 sections, Skin Strap 5.0)
- This Expansive Adventure: Still a Favourite, our long-term review of the Leki Makalu FX Carbon AS (Fay and Matt Doyle; first published June 2023, updated March 2026; the site earns commission on links)