Lacal Quick Stick Carbon 120: the full RunMorph review

Lacal has only been around for six years, but the brand, distributed in Europe by Freeride Spirit, is shaking up a trail pole market that Leki, Black Diamond and Guidetti have long had locked down. The Quick Stick Carbon 120 bets on one of the fastest folding systems out there and a price under 130 euros. At RunMorph, we read every one of the few independent field tests available to check whether the promise holds up once the box is open.

Lacal Quick Stick Carbon 120: betting on express folding at a sensible price

Lacal was born in 2020, right in the middle of the Covid period, with a simple idea: build hiking and trail poles that are quicker to handle than the competition, without charging the prices of the heritage brands. The Quick Stick Carbon 120 is its most polished take on the trail running segment: two 14 mm carbon sections paired with a third section in 7075 T6 aluminium near the handle, for better impact resistance right where the pole takes the most stress.

The Quick Fast Lock system lets you deploy all three sections with one hand just by holding the grip, while the internal elastic cord tensions the structure. One independent tester who spent ten days with the pair in the Northern and Southern Alps confirms near-instant deployment and stability rated flawless on forest trails and mid-mountain terrain, with an overall score of 88% across all the criteria tested. A second tester, who went on a three-day hut-to-hut trek in the Beaufortain massif after a heatwave, reports the same folding speed and a packed length of 43 cm, compact enough to strap straight onto the side straps of a backpack.

One thing to watch is where it is made: the spec sheet in the independent test states production in China, while the brand's marketing highlights its European design and distribution without ever clarifying this point on the product pages we checked. At RunMorph, we would rather flag it than let the ambiguity slide, because industrial origin weighs more and more in buying decisions.

RunMorph's advice: if fast folding and price matter more than the last gram, the Quick Stick Carbon 120 gets the job done. For record lightness even if it costs more, the Leki Ultratrail FX.One Superlite remains the benchmark in our catalogue; for an even tighter budget without giving up carbon, the Kiprun Bâtons Trail Carbone is still a safe bet.

Objective technical data

Who is the Lacal Quick Stick Carbon 120 for?

The hiker and trail runner who folds and unfolds their poles all the time

On a route that mixes runnable stretches with technical sections, the Quick Fast Lock and Elastic Clip combo spares you the usual hassle: the sections deploy with one hand and pack away without flapping loose against your pack, a detail both independent testers we read for this article bring up unprompted among the highlights.

The budget that refuses to pay 190 € for carbon

At 129,95 € per pair, the Quick Stick Carbon 120 sits well below the premium benchmarks at 170-190 € while keeping carbon construction on two of its three sections, a rare combination at this price.

The casual runner rather than the racer on the clock

At 185 g per pole, the gap opens up fast against the 137 g of the Leki Ultratrail FX.One Superlite or the 99 g of the Mountain King SkyRunner Ultra. On an easy outing you won't feel the difference; in your arms at the end of an ultra run at race pace, it ends up counting.

Head-to-head against the competition

The most relevant comparison pits the Quick Stick Carbon 120 against the Raidlight Compact Z Carbon: both poles claim exactly the same weight of 185 g each and a similar price, but with opposite design choices on the tip and the folding.

At exactly the same weight, the Lacal wins on its carbide tip, which bites harder on rock and roots than the Raidlight's rubber, but the Raidlight folds 3 cm shorter and costs 10 € less. Against the standard Leki Ultratrail FX.One (174 g, around 190 €), the Lacal comes in lighter and far cheaper, at the cost of a strap and handle the testers we consulted rated as less refined.

How to fit the Lacal Quick Stick Carbon 120 into your RunMorph training plan

On the long runs of your trail build-up, this pole earns its place as soon as the course alternates runnable sections with steep climbs: the quick fold lets you stow it without breaking rhythm the moment the terrain flattens out again. In a RunMorph trail training plan, it fits naturally into blocks of hilly long runs and uphill-downhill strength sessions, where managing your pace matters more than the last gram on the pole.

The RunMorph Coach's verdict

The Lacal Quick Stick Carbon 120 delivers on its main promise: one of the fastest folding systems we have tested in the catalogue, at a price that stays under the 130 € mark. Both independent testers we read for this article agree on that, and on the toughness of the carbon-aluminium structure after several days in the field. Two concrete points hold the score back, though: a weight of 185 g per pole that is nothing special against the segment's benchmarks, and a strap at least one of the two testers found minimalist, plus a carbide tip that works well but comes with baskets judged too stiff on rocky side slopes. 7,2/10: excellent folding for the money, but not the pole to pick if lightness or grip comfort outrank everything else.

Key takeaways for your training

• Folding pays off: the Quick Fast Lock and Elastic Clip combo saves real time at every switch between runnable ground and climbs.
• Weight needs context: 185 g per pole is fine for hiking and casual trail running, not for a demanding race against the clock.
• Among the cheapest carbon poles we tested: 129,95 € per pair, below most of the premium benchmarks in the catalogue.
• Try the strap before you buy: one tester found it minimalist, a sore point on outings lasting several hours.
• Keep an eye on the baskets on rocky ground: several independent reports flag a risk of them snagging on stony side slopes.