Updated 08/01/2025

The Leki Cressida FX Carbon AS poles for women feature a lightweight folding design, ergonomic cork grips, and built-in anti-shock — making them well-suited for long days on the trail.

I’ve used trekking poles from REI, Black Diamond, and Leki over the years, but in late 2024, I upgraded to the Leki Cressida FX Carbon AS — and they’ve quickly become my favorite. These are my first folding-style poles, as well as my first with an anti-shock feature. Leki has been my go-to brand since I bought the Cressida CorTec poles more than a decade ago, and those are still holding up well. I mainly wanted to try a folding design, and I was also curious about how anti-shock would feel. So far, I’ve found that it reduces impact on my shoulders, wrists, and elbows.

Specs

• style: foldable/adjustable
• shaft material: carbon fiber
• pole length: 100 – 120 cm
• packed length: 15.7 inches
• weight: 9 oz. per pole
• price: $239.95

My favorite feature of these poles is the handle design. The grips are slightly smaller to better fit women’s hands and feel more comfortable and secure than others I’ve used. I especially like the cork material — it provides better grip than foam, even when my hands are sweaty on hot days or damp in cold, rainy weather. The larger grip head is another detail I appreciate, particularly when descending steps or steep sections on trail.

To use the poles, I thread my hands up through the straps from underneath and hold the handles with a relaxed grip. The straps are soft and unobtrusive, and their length is easy to adjust by pulling up on the handle to tighten or loosen as needed.

Quick and Easy Adjustments

To setup the poles, the locking mechanism is simple and intuitive: just pull the pole until it clicks into place, and to collapse it, press the metal button to release. I also appreciate the single-point height adjustment — no more extending and adjusting two separate segments just to set the right length. And the Speedlock dial makes it easy to fine-tune the tension without needing any tools.

Overall, I find that the Leki Cressida FX Carbon AS poles strike a good balance of comfort, durability, and ease of use.

Disclosure: this item was donated for the purpose of a review.

Gear Reviews: My goal is to share clear, unbiased information about outdoor gear. I am not sponsored by any gear companies and I don’t accept paid posts or links. I regularly receive products from brands for review, with no expectation of a positive review and no compensation for my opinions. As an independent gear reviewer, I only review items I’ve personally used on multiple trips and that I believe are high-quality and worth recommending.

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