Bamboo ski poles—best tested by CNN

By Fabian RimforsPole talk
The ski poles tested by CNN Underscored in front of pine trees.

The multinational news channel CNN just tested ski poles. There are many poles to choose from out there. So, how do you know which ones are the best buy? I know of course, and CNN knows, and now you know too: bamboo ski poles are the best. CNN’s brief motivation to the top spot is “thanks to a comfortable and tacky grip and just enough flex to outperform every other pole we tested”.

CNN Underscored tested eight pairs of poles and, to be clear, my poles were not tested. However, my Rimfors poles share many similarities with the test winner, Grass Sticks. We use the same grips, baskets and carbide tips from the same manufacturer in Slovenia (Tehnomat). And we source our bamboo to the same specifications from the same grower/exporter in India (Calcutta bamboo). Additionally, we also both offer touring poles, albeit not telescopic.

Custom-made vs truly custom-made

CNN also highlights that the winner poles are customizable. You can choose the color for your grip and basket, and if you want a pole strap or not, and even upgrade it to a printed version. My poles offer more customization than that; most importantly correct length. Even though the basics of Grass Sticks and Rimfors poles are the same, you can customize your bespoke Rimfors poles far more. Here are the main advantages of my truly custom-crafted poles, to your own individual preferences:

Climate-smart and eco-friendly ski poles

Another thing I am pleased to read in the test is that CNN considers environmental and climate aspects. In recent decades, bamboo has become an increasingly popular material in everything from cutting boards to socks. Bamboo is, of course, renewable and only needs rain, sun, and soil to grow. As they write in the article: “This is because it [bamboo] regenerates itself by growing incredibly fast, making it an environmentally responsible choice.” Those of us who love snow and skiing should truly do all we can to preserve the conditions so that we can continue skiing in the future.

Lastly, I’m not alone offering all this. My bamboo brothers of Kustomaid, Laughing Stocks, Bumbear and Borga also offer similar poles, plus a few copycats and others that fit their Calcutta canes with Tehnomat’s accessories. I like the fact that new bamboo ski pole makers pop up each year. The more the merrier, for both the climate and the environment. So thinks Jack Frost too.

Read the full ski pole review here: CNN: The best ski poles in 2024, tried and tested

Do you want to know where the pole parts come from? Read this!

/Fabian Rimfors

Leo Rimfors skiing off-piste powder with his new bamboo poles in the Furset forest in Stranda, Norway.
My oldest son is charging down the Furset forest in Stranda, Norway. His new bamboo poles had to fight a few birch trees.
Leo Rimfors skiing off-piste powder with his new bamboo poles in the Furset forest in Stranda, Norway.
Best way to test ski poles is to ski tough terrain, like a birch forest.
Leo Rimfors skiing off-piste powder in the Furset forest in Stranda, Norway.
Just do it!
Leo Rimfors about to summit the 1420 meter peak Blæja in the Sunnmøre Alps.
Both I and other bamboo pole manufacturers offer touring poles with grip extension.
Dark bamboo ski pole with Manchester United red devil engraving.
My oldest son likes Manchester United, and off course he wants the red devil on his poles.
Fluorescent yellow bamboo ski poles with grip extensions of bark tanned reindeer leather, in front of the Rimfors black diamond off-piste run in Riksgränsen.
My own pair of poles with bark tanned reindeer leather for ski touring.
Two pairs of ski touring poles, one turquoise and one pink, inspired by Les Bâtons d'Alain but made of bamboo, with 20 cm cork grip and 25 cm grip extenstions below of bark tanned reindeer leather.
Ski touring poles inspired by Les Bâtons d’Alain but made of bamboo, with 20 cm cork grip and 25 cm grip extenstions below of bark tanned reindeer leather.