Are you thinking of buying a pole dance bar for your your house ?
There are lots of options available and these can be confusing, so we've put together this quick guide For help you choose the right pole dance bar.
First of all, consider which pole brand you want. There are a number of brands, and we have tested many of them them with more or less good surprises.
If you want to use your bar at home for training then we recommend Lupole or X-Pole . These are the bars used by professionals around the world, in most pole studios and competitions . The build quality is superb, they are secure and stable and there is a wide range to suit all tastes.
beware of the bars cheap "stripper" that you will see on amazon for example. these are rarely appropriate for pole fitness or regular use.
Permanent or portable:
All Lupoles are portable and can be set up whenever and wherever you want. This gives you the option of dismantling your bar and taking it to a friend's house to practice or if for example you need the space when you have visitors.
If you have another room or a permanent space for your bar, fix the bar well and you will have a free mind for your training.
Size :
Pole bars have three diameters:
When in doubt, go with 45mm as this is the new industry standard and is the size found in most studios and at pole dancing competitions.
If you have a very small hand then you may find a 40mm bar more comfortable when gripping the pole. Between us the 45mm still remains the universal standard .
Many pole dancing classes now have all sizes of poles and when learning some of the more difficult moves. You will probably start with a 40mm bar, it can make the first steps easier.
When you understand the movement you are more confident and can easily use a standard 45mm barbell .
Lupole Removable models are designed for room heights between 2.25m to 2.75m, for higher ceilings you can purchase extensions to increase the height of your bar.
Type - spinning or static:
There are two distinct types of bar - spinning and static.
Static bars are fixed and do not rotate. They are ideal for beginners and are slightly lower in cost than spinning bars.
Spin bars are the best of both worlds as they can be adjusted to spin and also be fixed in position like a static bar.
This allows for more advanced moves that you may want to perform as you become more experienced with pole dancing. The counterpart is that these models are quite expensive.
Coating:
There are different post finishes with the varying level of grip and it's up to you to experiment and choose what's best for you.
- standard chrome
- Alternative Titanium Gold
- Stainless steel
- Silicone
Chrome is the most common finish you'll find on poles, and chrome poles have the chrome/silver look that most people expect from a pole bar. It also gives a good grip, so is ideal for beginners .
An alternative titanium coated bar is also available, some people prefer this as it provides more grip, but it does add a bit to the price. Alternate titanium posts are gold in color.
Stainless steel is also used to make some posts, but is not as eye-catching as other coatings, so not as suitable for beginners.
The silicone bar is rare but very interesting because it offers a very good grip and grip to start pole dancing and also to practice with a pole dance outfit.
Many pole dancers also use grip products to improve grip. Perfect if you have "slippery" problems during certain movements, but it is not advisable to use a grip all the time. You need to practice and build your natural grip strength.
What circumference should I choose?
Bars can be purchased with different diameters. 45mm is the industry standard now, used for most competitions and schools , especially in Europe and North America. Standards in local schools may vary.
The thicker diameters (48-50mm) will be more difficult for students learning movements requiring great power in the handshake, however they may make seated positions and movements that involve dangling the legs easier and more comfortable.
Skinnier posts (38-40mm) are the opposite. They are easier to grasp with beginner hands, but can make the seated and hanging leg movements more painful or more difficult to learn.
That's why 45mm seems to have been chosen as the 'happy medium' standard for the industry.
Students with larger hands/longer fingers or smaller than average hands might want to go for a larger or smaller bar diameter, but I recommend sticking to 45mm for most students .
How much space do I need?
You should be able to swing your body off your pole without danger of kicking a wall or furniture.
A good rule of thumb is at least 2 meters from a solid wall or object and at least 5 meters between two bars. If you are very tall, you may want a little more space.
How tall do I need?
The average residential ceiling height will vary from 2.2 meters to 2.7 meters. If you have a smaller ceiling this will make learning more difficult as even the most basic movements require your arm to be straight.
You can learn and practice with standard ceilings of 2.2 meters, but 2.5 / 2.7 allow more room for climbing and aerial inversions.
The Standard Lupole and Lupit basic kits are with extensions to allow the installation of your bar even with larger ceilings.
Additional extensions can be purchased to extend the bar up to 3 meters or more.
Caution all the same, the higher it is with removable multi-pieces the more the risk of swinging can happen.
If you have ceilings over 3 meters you will want to purchase a one piece school grade custom pole and should contact our service department or the manufacturer directly for assistance before ordering.
Spinning or static?
Most new generation beginner bars contain rotators which, when "unlocked" or put into spin mode, allow the bar itself to spin.
On the contrary, spin pole is an integral part of the competition, but it is generally not presented to students in Europe and North America. Spin pole, for the most part, is actually harder and requires more strength than static pole.
However, investing in a bar that will eventually be able to be used in both static and spin mode is a good idea, even for a beginner.
Pole dance accessories:
Most people will therefore use pole dance bar extensions to secure their bar and a grip to secure their hands to the bar.
For post-exercise recovery, we recommend a cold then hot shower to aid sore muscles and aid in skin repair.
