After a few lessons in the dancing studio you will progress to wanting a pole dancing pole at your home to practice on. Its is easier to make it a daily part of your daily fitness regime if you can do it for free and without leaving the house.
There are a confusing number of types and style of pole dancing pole to choose from. This article aims to expand upon some of the key differences between products.
1. Should it be removable of fixed?
It is essential that poles do not move whilst in use and they need to be able to support the weight of one - or maybe two dancers. To this effect they need to be secured at the top and bottom of the pole. It is actually possible to get podium poles that are only supported at the base but they are only really worth considering if you intend to use the pole in an environment with no ceiling.
Fixed poles are attached to a pair of brackets that screw into the floor and ceiling. The screws or bolts you use to secure them will depend upon the substrate but any DIY or hardware shop will be able to advise you. This type of dancing pole is very secure but unless you never intend to move there is no real advantage.
Removable poles use tension and pressure to hold them in place, this means that you do not need to make holes for fixing brackets and they can be placed anywhere in your house. This is particularly useful if you intend to practice in one room eg the garage but perform in another, eg the bedroom. Ensure that you have a joist directly above the pole otherwise it will not be possible to achieve enough tension and you may damage the ceiling by the pressure executed upon it.
2. The diameter of the pole dancing pole
The most common sizes of pole dancing pole are50mmm and 45mm, although it is possible to get smaller sizes down to as low as 35mm I would never consider buying anything of a gauge below 45mm there is no advantage other than the fact they can be manufactured and shipped more cheaply because they are lighter. The normal size of a competition pole is 50mm or sometimes 50.8mm (2 ") The thicker a pole is the easier they are on the feet and body making moves, hods and spins easier, however they are harder to grip with your hands . My personal preference is to use the 50mm pole because they look better - that extra 5mm makes a difference in the appearance of solidity. but not so easy to upsize, most studios will have the 50mm dance poles.
3.The material and coating of the pole
Almost all dancing poles will be made from steel but then plated in either chrome or brass. The manufacturers description of the metal may often be more to do with marketing than the actual materials do not expect titanium poles to be made of titanium and obviously the same applies to gold dance poles. The actual properties depend a lot on the individual alloys, but generally brass plated poles are have more grip making them easier to learn on but harder to spin on. In the end it is a lot to do with what you would like to pole to look like, you will adapt to and get used to the material that you practice on the most.