Pole dance pole buying guide
Thinking about buying a pole dance pole for your home? There are quite a few options available and these can be confusing, so we’ve put together this quick guide to help make choosing the ideal pole for you easier.
Firstly, consider what brand of pole you want. There are a number of poles out there, and we’ve tested lots of them. If you want to use your pole for more than just show then we recommend X-Pole - these are the poles used by professionals worldwide, in most pole studios and competitions. The build quality is superb, being safe and stable with a range of options to suit everyone. Beware of cheap ‘stripper’ poles - these are rarely suitable for pole fitness or heavy use.
Permanent or Portable:
All X-Poles are portable and can be put up and taken down whenever you like. This gives you the flexibility to dismantle your pole and take it to a friend's house to practice or if you need the space when you have visitors. If you have a spare room or permanent space for your pole and would prefer the added security of it being screwed to the ceiling then you could try a pleasure pole.
Size:
Poles come in three diameters - 50mm, 45mm and 40mm. If in doubt, go for 45mm as this is the new industry standard and the size found in most studios and at pole dancing competitions. If you have a small grip then you may find a 40mm pole more comfortable when gripping the pole. Many pole studios now have all sizes of poles and when learning some of the harder moves the 40mm can make it easier to grip and feel more confident in the move before being ready to try it on the 45mm or 50mm.
Both the X-Pole Sport and Xpert models come ready for room heights between 2235mm (7’ 4”) to 2745mm (9"), for higher ceilings you can buy extension tubes to increase the pole height.
Type - spinning or static:
There are two distinct types of pole - spinning and static. Static poles are fixed and don’t rotate. These are ideal for beginners and are slightly lower cost than spinning poles. Spinning poles are the best of both worlds as they can be set to rotate and also be fixed in position like a static pole. This allows for more advanced moves which you may want to perform as you become more experienced with pole dancing.
The X-Pole Sport is a static pole, the X-Pole Xpert is a spinning pole.
Coating:
There are different pole finishes with varying level of grip and it is down to personal preference which is the right one for you.
Chrome is the most common finish that you’ll find on poles, and chrome poles have the chrome/silver appearance that most people expect from a pole. It also gives a good grip, so is ideal for beginners.
An alternative titanium-gold coated pole is also available, some people prefer this as it provides more grip but it does add a premium to the price. The titanium-gold poles are gold in colour.
Stainless Steel is also used to make some poles, but is not as grippy as other coatings, so not as suited for beginners.
Many pole dancers also use grip products like Dry Hands or Might Grip if they are having problems gripping when practicing moves, but this is not advised to use all the time as you need to practice and build up your natural grip strength.
Where and how to install your pole:
Fitting your pole is much easier than you may expect. The X-pole Sport and Xpert models can be easily assembled and disassembled in just a few minutes and don’t need any permanent fixings, so you don’t need to leave them up all the time if you have limited space and they won’t damage your ceilings or floors. X-poles come with a great installation guide and they have also produced an online video showing the installation process.
X-poles are bottom loading (the weight is held by the floor, not the ceiling) and can be used on almost all floor types, even carpet. When fitting your pole you need to ensure that the top plate is against a ceiling joist so that the pole is securely braced. You can locate a joist by tapping the ceiling and listening for the change from a hollow noise to a solid one - the solid area is where the joist is. You can also use a stud-finder, available from most DIY stores.
No ladder is needed to install the pole (once you know where your joists are) as the X-pole adjuster system lets you adjust the pole height from the bottom, so that it’s the correct height for your room.
Both the X-Pole Sport and Xpert models come ready for room heights between 2235mm (7’ 4”) to 2745mm (9"), for higher ceilings you can buy extension tubes to increase the pole height.
You need to allow enough space around the pole for you to comfortably perform your moves, so the centre of the room is usually the most suitable spot.
View our pole dance poles and kits here.
Accessories:
Most people will benefit from using a grip product to help gain friction on the pole. For post-exercise recovery, we recommend KLORIS CBD Balm to help aching muscles and aid skin repair.
