I can't fault the Leki brand, which is, above all else, my favourite brand of walking poles. I purchased the Softlites around spring 2015 and used them weekend in and weekend out until January 2024, when the grips finally gave out. Thats an incredible 9 years of use without failure. It goes without saying that my next set of poles, the Makalu's, were a no-brainer. The lock system's are identical to the Softlites, sturdy and reliable and Im a huge fan of the wider head of the grip which increase stability during decent, however the nylon handles are non-handed but that doesnt mean you can just slip your hand in and be on your way, youve really got to make sure that when you do your thumbs fold flat on the handle which can take a couple of annoying attempts, adding to this is the nylon handle sticks to sweaty skin and instead of twisiting around your wrist during usage the nylon grips against your skin meaning your constantly ajusting the handle, considering the nylong handle is the only flaw its not enough to stop me purchasing another pair in another 10 years time. |