momofthree started this discussion ·
Hi every one! I have been doing some recearch on poles, but thought it would be best to get feed back from some one who has a free standing pole! Any feedback will be GREAT!! Thanks
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I love my x-stage lite. very durable. low to the ground and stable. so easy to set up. I just wonder if I should have got the chrome instead of brass... I love that it has the spinning option. I've also had an x-pole x-pert and loved it. I just really find x-pole to be a dependable brand.
Hi Momofthree, I took the plunge about two years ago & got an R Pole Play, I like it because it's really & quick to put up & down, surprisingly sturdy & I love the powder coated grip which at 38mm is better for my small hands! In hindsight, I think having the hard base that goes over the frame legs would be really useful as I could pole wearing heels. At the moment I use wall insulation cut into dairylea wedge shapes to fill the gaps between the pole frame legs & then a pole mat over the top. I used to have the original X Pole which was great but when I moved I decided not to have anything which could put strain on the ceiling (my house is 130 years old) & also be put up outside when the weathers good.
Sadly R Pole is ridiculously expensive in the US. Like pushing $2000 expensive.
So basically 2 schools of thought: SSA: easy to move, 6 foot pole standard, wobbles more than XStage, not really good if you are over 5'7 XStage: heavy to move, 9' pole standard, leg extensions that will lessen wobble, not good if you have lower ceilings Pricing is about the same. If you like stainless and are shorter and are planning on traveling with it a lot go with the SSA. If you want a taller pole out of the bag, like chrome go with the XStage. I would also highly suggest reading through threads here about both brands. There are a lot of opinions and mine is very well known around here. Veena also did a side by side comparison of the 2 poles. I think a really good video to watch though is this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT4RSGCr5rg. The pole on the left is an X, the pole on the right (with all of the towels under it) is an SSA.
I agree with chemgoddess that the x-stage lite is not so great if you are gonna be moving it around alot. it has a nice tall pole. I got the x-stage lite because my ceilings are crazy high and angled so it was not reasonable for me to put up a regular pole. I do wish the x-stage was lighter... I had an x-pole xpert and I just loved the quality and customer service. I just discoverd the R-pole, and wish I had seen that sooner but I don't know much about them. they look really light, don't know if that is a good or bad thing...
Chemmie- Any opinions on the new 4.0 PS SSA? I have yet to see any discussion on it yet.
@Robinb the R Pole is quite light but I wouldn't say the movement ever worries me too much, if you look at the pole in a mirror you can see it wobble, but I don't really feel it when I'm using it. ChemGoddess is right, the combined price + shipping to the US would be horrible! :-/
Kori- did not know they revamped it yet again.
in my opinion both the X-Stage Lite and the SSA are difficult to transport. XS is heavy but comes in convenient carrying cases included in the cost. SSA is lighter but larger bulky pieces. At one time I think they had bags for those pieces but not sure they still do. A stage is always going to be difficult to transport due to the size of the parts..it's the nature of the beast. Also XS is going to be heavier because that is why it is more stable and secure. I wouldn't teach on an SSA but I myself would perform on it because I know how to keep myself secure and stable. I saw the new SSA at Pole Expo and I believe the difference is the locking joint which looks like a good concept for assembly. Didn't get to try it out but it looks good. The new price is the same as XS so the main difference to be seen now is how does the new connection hold up and how does customer service hold up...on top of the lighter and slightly less stable base. Another new concept from XPole is the "competition" pole for the XS...taller and more sturdy for those events which need to have an even more stable pole. This pole has very little sway compared to past stage poles and I believe is almost 11 feet tall. Not sure of the price and I dont think it's available on the market until January??? Also note..you can go with smaller extensions to make the XStage a shorter pole for lower ceilings. Keep in mind that the higher profile XS is more stable than the Lite but the lite gives you more usable pole and is lighter weight to carry around.
