Cristan91 started this discussion ·
I'm new to this website so I'm not sure if I'm doing all this right lol. I have been looking for reviews on the cheap off brand spinning poles that are around $150 but can't find any. Can I ask your opinions on these poles?
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Cristan91 ·
I'm new to this website so I'm not sure if I'm doing all this right lol. I have been looking for reviews on the cheap off brand spinning poles that are around $150 but can't find any. Can I ask your opinions on these poles?
Welcome to the site! Generally, anything of that price is going to be a very bad deal. Likely poorly made, and not anchored correctly, so they may put you in some very real danger if you were to put your weight entirely on them. I've heard horror stories of poles flexing to the point of coming apart (as they happened to go together in sections without locking), or simply falling down upon people. I would hope very much that no one was in a vulnerable position when on one of these poles when they fell apart. Best bet would be to find a studio with open pole hours, and also to save up some money (especially if you already have $150!) and get a good quality pole that won't put you in danger! Xpole is sold here on this site, and is a great pole. Platinum Stages and Lil Mynx are also great brands- I have a Lil Mynx stainless steel, and have had it for over four years. It's never let me down once!
I actually bought one of the fake xpoles when I started out. It was a 45 mm chrome, designed like the old xpoles with the screw together pieces. The finish wasn't the best, but (and I'll probably get flamed for this) it seemed plenty sturdy and actually not too bad. I sent it back and got the real deal (I have two now), but I kinda wish I'd kept it. Now my friend has a Carmen Electra pole or something similar and it is pretty crappy quality.
There is NO SUCH THING as a safe cheap pole. Is your health really not worth the extra money? How much would an ER visit cost you? Missed work? No, I am not being a chicken little. Look up all of the videos on youtube of poles coming crashing down on people; granted some of those were professional poles but teh majority are the cheap ones. Keep an eye on craigslist for a used XPole, Lil Mynx or Platinum Stages pole.
I'm going to play devil's advocate (bear in mind I have two xpoles and prefer to pay for quality). I would gather that most poles come down either due to improper installation or poor design, like a tensioning rod that tightens one way and can easily come loose through use. The knock-off pole I bought was an xpole copycat (in fact I thought it was an xpole, that's why I bought it), so it's design was essentially the same. Assuming it was properly installed (like any of the major brands), it would have to be the material that failed. Bad welds, brittle/inferior metals...which can certainly be a problem. You have no way of knowing either. We excluded some pipe manufacturers from bidding on our projects because they moved their foundries to China and the quality control isn't the same as the US foundries. Personally, I hate the x-joint. Hate it. It can slip, get stuck, cause the pole to flare, the little nubby sometimes gets smashed down... IMO, If an x-joint isn't inspected on a regular basis, it's a real safety hazard. The knock-off pole I briefly owned seemed safe enough, but I guarantee the finish would have flaked off after a little hard use. I do wish I had it so I could have three poles for occasional pole jams, but I would not want it as my primary pole. The $150 or so I'd save isn't worth the lack of quality control. And AndI probably would have had to replace it after a year anyway. The finish on my friend's crappy pole is, well, crappy. It seems plastic when you touch it.
The problem with the knock off x-poles is the inconsistant quality but otherwise if all your pieces fit securely together they aren't that different from the original model. Things like flaking are more likely and evetually you will need to buy a new pole. My recommendation will always be to buy an X-Pole because of the quality and level of customer support but if it's just out of y our price range then Lil Mynx makes a great sturdy powered coated pole - you will have to drill into your ceiling. The knock of X's are fine the issue is just getting one that works. I had a student purchase one off of ebay and the pieces didn't fit, she sent the pole back several times and eventually gave up and got an X-pert. I've known others who received such poles and they worked great for them. X-joints used to be a piain but it's not a problem on the new poles and I know what you mean because I have 2 older models where the X-Joints slip more easily and I've had it happen once but thankfully knew what to do and got it fixed right away.
Yes, the problem with the XJoint has been fixed for over a year. I have pictures in my profile of the new design.
Save just a lil more & get an xpole or lil minx. When I started out I brought a peekaboo, which fell down often, so then i got a carmen electra pole. Both were horrible. Buying both of those crappy poles cost about the price of an xpole, so I should have just brought an xpole from the beginning, stupid me!
Refer to this photo...apparently it's not the stability of the pole that is the problem, but rather a whole sloo of other things like cracking domes, peeling chrome, threads being loose causing the pole to pinch you etc. http://s.ecrater.com/stores/31573/49de4e743955c_31573b.jpg
I know this really blows.... But there is no such thing as a good, cheap pole... :/ I wish there was. Then more people would have their own pole. But try to purchase a second hand pole from someone off craigslist
Rose2011 ·
My first pole was a cheap pole! I was a beginner that didnt know better! That pole lasted a week and it fell several times! Now I have a Platium Stages pole and am very happy with it! You can feel a big difference in the quality of the poles! I am soooo glad I got the good pole, especially when the kids climb on it ! It has never fallen!
Cristan91 ·
Thanks everyone! I just ordered a chrome xpole. I'm a beginner but plan on getting good and sticking with it so I decided to get a xpole so it will be safe and last.
