There are many poles on the market and choosing the right pole for you can be a tricky decision. At the Pole dance Community we have chosen the x-pole as a great example of what a pole dancing pole should provide.

X-poles are made by Vertical Leisure who have been making poles since 2000. X-poles are the favoured pole of many respected dancers including Fawnia Mondey-Dietrich (United States) and Jamilla Deville (Australia). X-poles are used in national competitions such as the Pole Divas championship and the UK amateur pole performer. You only have to look at pole dance videos on YouTube to see how many people have chosen x-poles.

A good pole dancing pole needs to be able to support your body weight and perhaps that of a fellow dancer if you are doing a duet. An x-pole can easily accommodate several dancers. There are some poles on the market such as the Carmen Electra pole and peek-a-boo pole that are designed as novelty items, they cannot support someone’s body weight and are simply for dancing around not on! Other poles such as Pleasure poles (as used by Miss Pole Dance / Pole Passion) and Kitten kit poles can take your body weight and are very safe to use but do not have many of the additional features that x-pole have such as:

• X-poles are adjustable and you can buy extensions for them so they will fit any room. Some poles on the market can only be bought with fixed height restrictions or with minimal adjustment.

• X-poles can be used as either a static or spinning pole

• The basic x-pole kit will fit any ceiling height between 2m 23cm and 2m 74cm, the kit is suitable for most houses and studios. X-pole extensions can then adapt your pole to fit lower or higher ceilings. You can use the x-pole extension selector to calculate the right pole purchase for your needs.

• X-poles require no fixings or drilling they simply use pressure to fit between you floor and ceiling and if used correctly will not leave marks to your floor or ceiling.

• X-poles disassemble and can be easily carried and stored in the free nylon bags that come with the x-pole kit. The bags will also cater for additional extensions too!

• X-poles are good value for money when you compare them to other products available on the market.

• X-poles are a good choice for pole dance instructors who are hiring space and need to set up and take down the poles on a regular basis yet they are equally suitable for studios where poles are left in situ.

• X-poles have been designed carefully with input from respected pole dancer across the globe.

Poles are sold in different diameters; we recommend the 50mm as that is the size of pole used in most of the national UK competitions. Many Australian dancers opt for the 45mm which is easier to grip with the hands but less comfortable on some foot and thigh grips. There are 38 mm poles but for foot and thigh holds these can be very painful! If you can dance on a 50mm it is easy to adapt to a smaller diameter of pole but if you learn on a 45mm or 38mm you will find it very difficult to adapt.

Before deciding which pole to buy think carefully about your needs, the cheapest option is to go to a company such as Metalfast and buy a standard welded pole, this is fine if all you need is a fixed (non spinning, non adjustable) unit. The problem with a fixed unit is that if you the move house or studios it is unlikely that you will have an identical floor to ceiling height and therefore you will not be able to use your pole.

We feel that at prices starting from £149.99 the x-pole is good value for money when you compare it to other products.

Be wary of the growing number of fake x-poles that are currently invading the market, they claim to be x-poles, they look like x-poles but they are not! The fake versions are considered to be very dangerous and I have been told that once you buy one you will have problems getting a refund.

Remember that when you buy an x-pole from the PDC site UK postage and packaging are free and you are guaranteed to get a genuine x-pole.

We hope that you find the right pole for you and we will continue to monitor different poles to ensure we are giving you the best choice as well as the best value for money. We hope you find the pole that is right for you and have many happy hours of pole dancing on it! Please feel free to contact the PDC site with any feedback on your own experience of pole dancing poles.