Choosing the right pole – best brands, pole types and materials

I receive more and more emails from people who plan to buy a home pole, but are not sure exactly which one. If you’re in the same situation and you’d like to learn which pole is right for you, read on or watch the video above.

The simple answer: 
Get Lupit Pole or X-Pole
(Use the code MIGLENA5 for a 10% discount on LupitPole.com)

These are professional brands that you can trust. Don’t get deceived by cheap poles from Amazon. All pole dancers that I know have regretted this later.

I recommend Lupit Pole over X-Pole because:

• Their quality is better, and especially their installation and spinning experience. The engineers behind Lupit are constantly improving the performance of their poles. I have the impression that they’re revolutionizing the market and are currently the best out there.
• Their customer service is outstanding. I’ve heard this from other polers before. Now that I’ve dealt with both customer services, I can confirm this.
• Lupit Pole deliver what they promise. They’re reliable, and they proved this in 2020, when the demand for home poles exploded.
• You can save 10% with the code MIGLENA5. This shouldn’t be the decisive argument, but if you go for a Lupit pole, you will also support my work by using my code during purchase.

Types of poles

You’re most likely going to go for a portable tension pole. 
But check your ceiling first and make sure that it’s concrete, and not a „fake“ plaster ceiling. A plaster ceiling will break easily. If you’re a handyman (or you know one), you can either cut through or build a construction underneath that will support the weight.

If attaching a pole to the ceiling is not an option, get a stage pole.

A custom cut studio pole (one-piece and fixed to the ceiling) is only an option if your ceiling is too high for a tension pole and you don’t plan to move with your pole. Studio poles also tend to spin faster and longer, which can be beneficial if you’re more advanced and you practice (or teach) long combos in the air.

Diameter: 

Go for the standard width – 45mm. 

Unless you have particularly small hands. Then you might prefer 42mm. 

A smaller diameter usually provides a more solid hand grip in spins, but makes the grip in leg hooks more difficult (and painful).

What about the pole finish?

Now comes the difficult part. This is very individual. You need to have tried different materials to know exactly what works best for you. If you have the chance, visit local pole schools and check out friends’ home poles.

For this reason I’m hesitant to give a specific advise. However, here are some things to consider.

The grip of the pole depends on the type of your skin (dry/moist), as well as on the weather conditions – especially the temperature (cold/heat) and the humidity (dry/moist).

Metal poles are slippery when they’re cold. The more you warm up your body and the pole, the better your grip will be. Ideally, you have dry hands, but your body skin is warm and slightly moist.

Finishes:

1. Stainless steel – Most durable material. Best option if you have a nickel allergy. Works well for people with slightly moist and naturally tacky skin. Good in warm and humid climates, harder to warm up in the cold. Not so good for dry skin. Generally speaking, many pole dancers find this material a bit too slippery.

2. Chrome – Most popular pole for studios and competitions. Works in different climates, especially in colder ones. Just like on most poles, you will start slipping if you struggle with excessive sweating. Most people find it stickier than stainless steel. Personally, I have dry skin and I get along with it, but it feels „greasy“ sometimes.

3. Brass – High grip. Thanks to its porous absorbing surface, it’s perfect for people with sweaty or oily skin, as well as for humid climates. Beware that if your skin is too dry, it might become slippery. And if your skin is naturally tacky, it can become too sticky in certain moves (static slides, spins and rotations). You should polish the finish with a special product once in a while to protect from tarnish.

4. Powder Coated – Maximum grip. Not a traditional metal pole. I only recommend it if you struggle with grip due to excessive sweating, and if metal poles don’t „work“ for you. It can also be useful for outdoor photo shootings. Otherwise it’s too sticky for moves that require sliding and rotation.

There’s more to consider:

• You might have mixed skin – sweaty hands but dry skin, and vice versa. 
• You might go from too slippery to too sticky within one training session, and vice versa. 
• Also, the weather conditions might constantly change. 

That’s why it’s good to have an additional grip aid. Also here you need to test and find out what works best for you. Personally, I prefer Dry Hands, when my hands get sweaty and this DIY moisturizer for my dry body skin.

Also keep in mind that most home poles are more slippery when they’re new. With usage the protecting finish wears off and it becomes grippier.

I hope that this article will help you find the right pole for you.

If you’ve got your pole and you’re ready to start practicing, check out my tutorials and my online classes.