Have you become a total pole addict and do you want to buy your own pole so you can practice it at home? Great idea! But don’t do it without doing some research, it’s a big investment. Here are a couple of things you should think about before buying one. 

First of all, you have different types of poles and the place you want to put the pole will determine which one you will buy. These are the most popular and most reliable pole brands; XPole, Lupit Pole and ThePole. Good options because if you need a new piece or an extension, it is possible to buy it separately from the same brand. The biggest difference is between classical poles that go from the floor until the ceiling (pressure or attached poles) and poles that don’t need a ceiling (stage poles). More about them and their advantages/disadvantages down below. 

Classical pole

The classical pole is a pressure pole, which means it’s through the pressure between the floor and the ceiling that they stay in place. Advantages are that you can easily remove the pole and put it back when you want to dance. The height of the pole is easily adjustable with extensions. So in case you move, you can still keep your pole but just add or remove extensions. The disadvantage is that you need to have a really strong ceiling or beam to pressure the pole against.

Another option is to screw in your pole. This is a more expensive but very secure option. This means that you need to get a pole that is made for your ceiling height (not adjustable to another height) and that they are attached to the ceiling with screws. Again, you will need the appropriate (and not a fake) ceiling and this will ask some extra drilling skills.

When buying a pole you can choose between a static pole or a static pole that can also go on spin. The first option is cheaper and good if you are a beginner, just want to use it to train at home or don't like spin. But if you know you wish to invest in a pole that can also spin, it's better to buy one immediately. There are some differences between poles on how to put them on spin: with a key or with a quick click system (like the ones we have in the studio). The latter option is more expensive but nice because it's quick and it gives you the option to make a performance where the pole has to switch between static and spin without interrupting the performance. 

Poles come in different materials; what works better for you will differ according to your skin and climate conditions. Most common in European studios is chrome - also what we have at the studio. They allow you to have a good grip, but only with your bare skin. If you are looking to pole dance with your clothes on, a silicone pole is what you want. But there are many other materials. More about them here and here.

Poles exist in different sizes - as in the diameter of the pole itself. Most common size is 45mm, which is what we have at the studio. If you have smaller hands or issues with this type, you can go for a 40/42mm pole. But we recommend to try this first before buying it, because it is a big change between the sizes. 

✔️ DO’s

• asking for help installing your pole for the first time 

• double checking your ceiling and its stability

• measure your ceiling and buy the right extensions 

• have enough space around the pole (it’s okay to move some furniture around!)

• be sure to order from a european site to avoid big shipping costs.

🛑 DONT’S

• buying cheap poles on bol.com, amazon, ebay, .. that are no official brands

• buying second hand poles that are missing pieces or from people that don’t dance

• installing your pole without reading the notice

• not checking your pole before doing any invert or spin.

Website via which we bought our poles; polesportshop.de. Good service and no shipping costs!

Stage pole

Good choice if your ceiling doesn’t allow for a normal pole (because too high, too fragile…)

Only choice if you perform and need to install your pole (most stages have very high ceilings so a normal pole is impossible to install). Disadvantages are: it’s very expensive, the pole usually only goes up to 3 meters, and it's less stable than a classical pole. When dancing you feel the stage moving a bit, which might be destabilising at first. Again, make sure to read the manual well, there are several ways of making the stage as stable as possible.

✔️ DO’s

• be sure to block a good time to receive the pole and have some help: it gets delivered on big palettes and you definitely need an elevator to move it to your apartment.

🛑 DONT’S

• installing your pole without reading the notice

• not checking your pole before doing any invert or spin.

Website via which we bought our poles; polesportshop.de. Good service and no shipping costs!

Pleasers belong to pole dance like pointes belong to ballet. The shoes allow you to execute moves elegantly and make spectacular landings. The platform ensures that your feet are protected. It allows you to land on your feet first, making you land much more gently on your knees. The rounding of the sole allows you to point your feet nicely - try that in a flat shoe! As with pointes, the box also makes your lines look longer, you get endless legs....

Pleasers are not normal high heels, they are specifically designed for pole dancing: stronger material, better support for your ankles and - most important - high platform! Don't bring regular heels to an exotic class, these will leave streaks on the floor, they will wear out very quickly and they are also unstable for the kind of moves you will be doing. Don't bring dance shoes either, they will break quickly as they are not made for landing on the side.

Which brand?

We recommend Pleaser. This is our favourite brand because Pleasers are soft and very comfortable to dance in. Pleaser innovates in its shoes. Hella Heels are sturdier and have good quality, but the sturdiness also makes sure your foot is really secure and you can't point your feet. More about the difference between Heels here.

Which size?

It is best to choose your usual shoe size but depending on the style and the brand you might have a different shoe size. Be sure not to choose shoes that are too big, as this causes instability and increases the risk of your ankles knocking over. The sizes are usually expressed in American or UK sizes, so make sure to double check which size you have. We have many styles, brands and sizes at the studio. Try a couple, dance on them for a class, before buying a pair.  And when you receive the shoes at home, check the size immediately so you can return them if anything has gone wrong.

Which height?

If it's your first time buying pleasers, we recommend you to start immediately with 8 inches. With 7 inches, you cannot point your feet as nicely, because the platform is lower and it is therefore more difficult to round them off. It might be a bit more comfortable when starting - we have some in the studio for you to start with - but you will grow out of it quickly so it would be a shame to spend so much money on shoes and then wanting to go up to 8 inches pretty quickly. 

We definitely do not recommend buying pleasers higher than 8 inches, especially as a beginner, because they are very unstable and not made for dancing, even though they are very cool.

Boots, sandals, thigh highs? 

Heels come in different shapes and styles. Biggest difference is between the boots, sandals and thigh highs. We recommend you to start with boots, giving you more ankle stability when starting. Also with boots you are sure to be able to do all styles; from flow to hard style… your feet and toes stay protected but you will learn how to point your foot well and use the box of your shoe. When buying boots, I also recommend buying the shiny ones (latex material, like these) and not matte or velvet ones (like these) if you know you will also want to climb. The sticky latex will give you a better grip on the pole and actually help you!

Sandals are slightly more difficult because they offer less support, but they will give you stronger ankles and you will learn to point your feet better. That is why we recommend starting with sandals, once your ankles are strong and you can point your feet better you can switch to boots, but the choice is yours....

Thigh high boots are giving you great grip & have often kneepads included - careful though because these divas are HEAVY and you will have to lift all that extra weight on the pole! More to read here.

Through which website?

We highly recommend you buy your Pleasers through Pole Junkie, because they sell Pleasers and Hella Heels. All models listed on this website are really good for pole dancing. For example, they have no glitter or studs and give support. Some websites selling Pleasers offer models that are not necessarily good for pole dancing. For example, Attitude Holland, which is a good website for buying Pleasers. There are a lot of choices and they often do discounts. But it is best to check if the model you want is also on the Pole Junkie website to make sure they are good for pole dancing.

✔️ DO’s

• buy a pair second hand (VINTED !!) or borrow it to be sure you have the good size before ordering

• be sure to order from a european site to avoid big shipping costs 

• protect your boot by adding a shoe protector like this especially if you do a lot of hard style and tricks

• for some feet, it’s good to downsize half a size. so instead of buying your usual 40, you would go with a 39, or 39.5. 

🛑 DONT’S

• If you are just beginning, don't start with sandals. Buy yourself boots so you can keep your ankle safe. Once you have gained some ankle strength, you give yourself the extra challenge with sandals. 

• Don’t go for show or performance shoes. Go for the ones you see us dancing in; some of the models are made for shootings or drag and not for dancing. 

Whatever makes you feel good! Depending on your pole style, more or less grip might be needed.Most clothes on pole dance shops are quite expensive, even though there isn’t much tissue LOL.

Cheaper options:

• Buy second hand!

• Swap clothes!

• Buy in sex shops!

• Check the lingerie & bikini section of the classical clothes shops in your city.

Special stuff:

• Dancer socks can be found here or here  

• Cheap kneepads can be bought in any sports shops like DECATHLON

• If you need to be covered during pole dance for a variety of reasons, you can get special pole clothes that will stick to the chrome pole. They are quiet pricey.. More here.

• How to protect your testicles/penis if needed (they can be injured, be stuck, bumped into…): tight fitting underwear, shorts with pouch, special dance belts or rigid “shells” to protect your soft parts

More discussions and advice here and here.

→ sadly, a lot of transphobia & just sexism here. Try to overlook gendered designations of outfits….

First things first: no grip-shaming! Even if some competitions ban certain grips, there is nothing wrong or right with using grip. Maybe you need it, maybe you don’t. Depending on your skin type and the way your body produces sweat, you will want to use a grip or not and it will also determine which grip you will want to buy. Some people are allergic to certain grips such as the MONKEY grips.

Grip needs are depending on 

• your skin

• your type of sweat

• the temperature in the room

• the season

→ you choose your grip.

An important difference between grips is for dry skin vs sweaty hands. If your skin is quite dry, you will be more likely to want to use a sticky grip like Itac - which you can use and buy in the studio. If your body produces a lot of sweat, you might want to try some dry grips - such as monkey grips - which we will soon also be selling in the studio.

✔️ DO’s

• The best way to grip well on the pole is still to pole with a body that is not too clean and not full of body cream. Clean yourself and the pole first with some alcohol or vinegar first and see what parts stick well by themselves and where some extra grip might help. 

• It’s good to have different ones if you feel like you need that! For example: one sticky grip for thigh, elbow and knee holds, one dry grip for the hands and feet.

• Clean your pole thoroughly after using grip to avoid it deteriorating !

• Less is more! you can always put more on later !

• let the grip dry first before poling

• Label you grip! They are expensive but you will be able to use it for a long time if you don’t lose it, so make sure to label it with your name on it :)

More discussions and comparisons: here or here