When buying ski poles I think that the most important concern always has to be safety, which goes for all sporting equipment without saying. I believe it to be a good call to stay away from very cheap, no-name manufacturers since inferior materials could easily bend or break, especially in cold conditions. Cheap, slippery plastic hand grips should definitely be avoided. Also, be aware that there are inherent problems in cheaply manufactured breakaway mechanisms.

Until recently, I have been using a pole that was given to me as promotional gift from an obscure ski product manufacturer. The pole featured detachable safety straps. As I had never run into a situation where the mechanism had to released, I decided to put it to the test and pulled the strap from the pole (which released much too easily). Trying to get the safety pins back into the pole after the release was a lost cause accompanied by some (mild) German expletives. I guess you get what you pay for (or not pay for in my case). Actually, you don’t necessarily have to pay a fortune for good poles that are made of quality materials, have good handgrips and straps, and even reliable breakaway mechanisms. While few ski pole manufacturers offer emergency releases on their straps, there are some very inexpensive poles that incorporate this invaluable feature.