Boomyah Tone 'n Trek Poles

The Boomyah Tone 'n Trek Poles are a good choice for both walking on sidewalks and for tackling the trail. Adjustable length allows you to share them with friends and to store them easier. The trigger-release strap keeps them with you when you walk but allows you to easily leave them behind for stops. For extra stability, for relief of strain on your hips, knees, and ankles, and for extra calorie burn, these poles are a good fitness tool.

Baby boomers are the target audience, and hence the name, for the Boomyah Tone 'n Trek walking poles. These poles can be used with the Nordic walking or exerstriding technique to burn more calories per mile. They can also be used as trekking poles to provide more stability.

The Boomyah poles have a durable steel tip for use on trails or in winter conditions, along with attachable snow/sand baskets. For sidewalk use, they have rubber traction feet.

Boomyah has a unique adjustable pole mechanism. Rather than the twisting system used by most other adjustable-length poles, Boomyah has an E-Z Flip Lock system. I have never had a real problem with any of the twisting systems, but some people may prefer the security of using the flip lock and knowing they had properly secured the poles. The biggest advantage is that the rubber feet are always facing the same way, which is a problem with the twist-to-adjust poles. I, and other walkers, have found ourselves walking with the feet facing the wrong direction with other poles. I wondered whether the flip locks themselves might get in the way, but I didn't notice them at all on my walks.

Markings on the poles help you get them back to your chosen length if you collapse them for storage or share them with a friend. They adjust from 33" – 55" (84cm – 140cm).

I appreciated the padded handles on the poles. Most nordic walking poles have minimal handles. These are cushy. They also have a knob at the top, which enables you to use them with a trekking pole technique. Nordic walking poles also have a half glove or wide strap. This is needed because you actually release the pole on the backstroke and the glove or strap snaps it back into your hand as your arm comes forward. The Boomyah straps are helpfully labeled for right and left. They just seemed to wrap in a way that was a little unfamiliar at first. But I found their quick-release mechanism for removing the straps from the poles to be very easy to use and intuitive. That comes in handy when you are out walking and realize you want to remove your jacket, etc. and need out of the poles quickly.

The poles themselves are made of aluminum. I thought that they were slightly heavier than the poles I am used to using, perhaps due to the padded handle. They worked well for nordic walking.

The Boomyah website has online videos showing the nordic walking technique. With the padded handles and adjustable length, these could also be used as trekking poles, although they don't have a flange at the bottom of the grip as many trekking poles do.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.