Product Review: York Nordic Travel Folding Walking/Hiking Poles

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

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E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

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What is it: A pair of adjustable, folding walking/hiking/trekking poles.

Price and Where to Buy It: At the time of writing, the York Nordic Travel Folding Walking and Hiking Poles were on sale for $64.99 on York Nordic’s website and Amazon. SmarterTravel readers can use the promo code: NORDIC10 on Amazon for an extra 10 percent off.

Pros:

The poles can be adjusted from 42.5″ to 53″ and will fit anyone from 5’2 to 6’6
There is a shorter version available for people under 5’2
Poles collapse down to just 15.5″
Each pole weighs just 9 ounces
Made from lightweight, but sturdy aircraft grade aluminum
Flip locks quickly snap and stay in place for a secure fit
Easily pack in to the included nylon travel bag
Comes with a screw-on basket for snow or sand and detachable rubber feet
Solid tungsten steel tip won’t slip
Choose between nordic or trek/ski grips
5-year warranty

Cons:

Be aware that you can only bring trekking and hiking poles on a plane in your checked baggage (not carry-on).

How it Rates:

Usefulness: 10/10. If you ever use a walking or hiking pole, these are perfect for any terrain.
Value: 9/10. With the sale price, these are on the lower cost range of most folding hiking poles, and the quality is great.
Portability: 10/10. These are very lightweight and fold down to be easy to pack.
Cool Factor: 8/10. Hiking poles aren’t the coolest item, but this portable option is pretty nifty.

Final Verdict: We will be using the York Nordics the next time we head out on a hike—no matter how far away it is. And, our walking experience over tough terrain will be much better for it.

Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, durability, value, and “cool factor.” Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions, positive and negative, and will never accept compensation to review a product. If you have any questions or comments concerning our reviews, or would like to suggest a product for review, please email us at editor@smartertravel.com.

(Photo: York Nordic)

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