Buying Your First Pole?

There’s nothing more fabulous than being a pole dance freak and having your own pole waiting to greet when you get home. These days there’s a lot of competition among the dance pole distributors out there and that means that prices are coming down to earth. If you’re shopping around for your very own here are some things to consider: Will the rents gasp when they come to visit and find a giant STRIPPER thing erected in my bedroom? Will I be flipping upside down from the STRIPPER thing? Is my skin (hands) prone to being sweaty or sticky? How high and what type (flat or vaulted) is my ceiling.

Dance poles come in permanent, removable and novelty flavors. Permanent poles are the cheapest, and with a little research on the net you can erect one for around 50 bucks or spend a little more on aesthetics and go to markstar.com. Removable poles can be taken down when not in use, so you can regain your living space and skip the explanation portion of your visit to your houseguests. Lil’Minx sells semi-removables, standard 8-10ft ceiling height. These are the easiest poles to put up and take down (after initial instalation and if you are installing on a carpeted floor), but the ceiling mount is permanent so you can’t, like, take it over to your boyfriend’s house for a spontaneous performance (unless you put a ceiling mount up at his place too). Cost is approx. $229.00 for the lacquered finish minus The prices range from approx. $129.00 (My Sexy Little Pole) to over $400.00 (Lil’ Minx Pro Pole which includes the semi-permanent mount and portable option) excluding shipping and accessories. All tension held poles have a weight limit, around 200 lbs., and some advise against inversions (after you’ve already bought it). Take your time and do your homework; call or email the manufacturers BEFORE you buy and ask detailed questions concerning what you want to do on the pole, often the disclaimers come after the pole is delivered in the accompanying brochures.

Novelty poles, also known as the Peek-a-boo pole, are basically curtain rods turned side ways, they are not designed for practicing your pole dance tricks, but rather for endearing your SO while you perform the happydance around it, (nothing wrong with that!)

Finishes and fabrics definitely make a difference. Generally speaking, brass and lacquered poles are best for climbing and stainless steel or chrome are best for spins, furthermore, poles are standard 2 inches in diameter, although many manufacturers are now offering the 1-3/4 inches for easiergripping. The bottom line is this, what do you want to do on the pole and what can you afford? Do your homework when buying and don’t impulsively buy a pole that fits an 8ft ceiling when yours is 11ft. high, some companies will refund your purchase price, but the shipping $40.00+ (ouch) is on you, both ways. Finally, figure out where you want to put the thing BEFORE YOU BUY IT and measure the height, also use a stud finder to locate a stud in the ceiling. If you’re thinking, “stud finder?” go out and find a Stud to help you… I’m sure you’ll have no problem finding either; especially, if the word gets out that you’re installing a dance pole