Platinum Stages and Lil Mynx poles are also removable. Hugely subjective which is "best", it all depends on what you are looking for. Platinum Stages has great one-pieces that are really easy to put up and down quickly, X-Poles are good for portability if you are going between locations or rooms with different ceiling heights, and LM is the best for putting up and down really quick (it takes like, 2 seconds, lol). All the brands carry different finishes. I have used all three many times and they are all very reliable solid poles, it just depends on how you want to install the pole and what finish you are interested in.
Grip and pole finish will depend on your skin type. If you have drier skin or don't sweat a lot, you will want to use grip aids that add moisture to the skin without oil -- , Corn Husker's, etc. If you are sweaty or have oily skin, anti-perspirants will help you
(Tite Grip, Poletice, etc). I find that iTac and Dry Hands are pretty universally friendly as grip aids go, so that may be a place to start.
I generally recommend chrome to beginners as it's widely encountered, not very expensive and most people get along well with it. You can always sell it and get a different finish later if you find you don't like chrome since poles don't devalue much :) In order from least sticky to most sticky, general consesus seems to be Stainless --> Chrome --> TG --> Brass/Powder. If you live in a cold climate though chrome can take a while to warm up!
