Anti-shock at a glance
- Mechanism
- Internal spring
- Adds
- Weight and a failure point
- Helps
- Some joint pain on descents
The idea behind it
The idea sounds reasonable: a spring inside the shaft takes the edge off each pole plant, sparing your wrists and elbows. It was heavily marketed in the 2000s and it's still on plenty of poles today, usually with a switch to turn it off.
Why most hikers turn it off
In practice most people who hike a lot don't want it. The spring absorbs energy you were trying to put into the ground, so on a climb the pole feels vague and some of your push disappears into the mechanism. It adds weight, adds a moving part that can fail, and adds cost. Poles built for going fast almost never have it.
Who it genuinely helps
The exception is real, though. Hikers with wrist, elbow or shoulder problems, particularly on long descents where the impact of each plant accumulates, sometimes find it genuinely helps. If that's you, it's worth trying rather than dismissing. If it isn't, the money is better spent on lighter shafts and better locks.
What this means when you're choosing
- Whether it can be locked out, since most people want it off
- Poles without it, if you have no specific joint reason to want it
- The weight penalty against an equivalent pole
The common mistake
Buying it by default
Most people who hike a lot switch it off, because the spring absorbs energy you were trying to put into the ground and adds weight and a part that can fail. It genuinely helps some hikers with wrist, elbow or shoulder problems, and that is the reason to buy it.
Common questions
Do I need anti-shock trekking poles?
Most people don't, and many turn the feature off. It's worth considering if you have joint pain in your wrists or elbows, especially on long descents.
Does anti-shock make poles worse for climbing?
Slightly. Some of the force you push through the pole goes into compressing the spring rather than moving you upward, so the pole feels less direct. Most models let you lock it out.