The right trekking pole length puts your elbow at about 90 degrees when the tip is on flat ground and your forearm is level. That one rule sizes a pole to your height; everything else is adjusting from there. Here is the length by height, and why our ranking treats a usable max length as the thing a pole has to clear.
Stand with the pole tip on the ground by your foot and hold the grip: your forearm should be level and your elbow bent to roughly a right angle. Makers publish an adjustable range, and you size to land near the middle of yours. As a starting point by height:
| Your height | Pole length |
|---|---|
| Under 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) | about 100 cm |
| 155 to 170 cm (5 ft 1 in to 5 ft 7 in) | about 110 cm |
| 173 to 180 cm (5 ft 8 in to 5 ft 11 in) | about 120 cm |
| 183 to 190 cm (6 ft to 6 ft 3 in) | 125 to 130 cm |
| Over 190 cm (6 ft 3 in) | 130 to 140 cm |
These are baselines; terrain and preference shift them a few cm.
An adjustable telescoping pole covers a wide span (many run 100 to 140 cm), so it fits a range of heights and lets you retune on the trail. A folding pole usually has a short adjustment window or comes in set lengths, so you buy closer to your size. A fixed pole is one length, the lightest option, but must be ordered to your height and cannot adjust. The poles we track top out between 120 and 140 cm, which covers most hikers, and that is why our score gates on max length: a pole has to reach a usable height before anything else counts. More on that in our methodology.
Once you have your baseline, shorten the poles about 5 to 10 cm for a sustained climb and lengthen them about 5 to 10 cm for a descent. On a long side-hill traverse, some hikers set the uphill pole shorter than the downhill one. This tuning is the main reason adjustable poles outsell fixed ones for general hiking, even though fixed poles are lighter. See the adjustable field on the collapsible poles list.
If you run a trekking-pole tent or tarp, the shelter needs the poles set to a specific length, often around 115 to 125 cm, and sometimes two different lengths front and back. Check your shelter spec before you buy, because a fixed or short-range pole may not hit the length your tent needs. An adjustable pole with a wide range is the safe choice for double duty.
As a baseline: about 100 cm under 155 cm tall, 110 cm from 155 to 170 cm, 120 cm from 173 to 180 cm, and 125 to 130 cm at 6 feet and up. Set them so your elbow is at about 90 degrees with the tip on flat ground, then adjust from there.
Hold the pole with the tip on the ground next to your foot; your forearm should be horizontal and your elbow bent to roughly a right angle. If your hand sits higher than your elbow the pole is too long; if you are hunching down to it, it is too short.
Adjustable telescoping poles fit a range of heights and let you shorten for climbs and lengthen for descents, which suits most hikers. Fixed poles are lighter and stiffer but must be bought to your exact height and cannot adapt to terrain or set a shelter to length.
Whatever your shelter specifies, commonly around 115 to 125 cm, sometimes two lengths. Check the tent spec sheet before buying poles, and favor an adjustable pole with a wide range so it can hit that length and still work for hiking.
This guide explains published standards and industry specs, illustrated with figures drawn from the 500-plus products in our database. It is educational reference, not a substitute for matching gear to your own conditions. We take no sponsorships and run no paid placements.