The Silicone Pole: Pros and Cons - A Personal Perspective

Pros & Cons of a Silicone Pole

Hey Peeps! It’s Kelly Morgan, your online pole coach! No matter where you are in the world, I’m here to help you make massive progress at home!

You guys always want to know about my silicone pole, and what pole you should choose for your home workouts. So, as a pole instructor who’s been using a silicone pole since 2014, I’m going to share my thoughts on the pros and cons of using a grippy pole.

So, what is a Silicone Pole?

Silicone poles are the ultimate sticky, grippy poles! They’re steel poles wrapped in a silicone sleeve and make gripping easy with minimal skin-to-pole contact. I use this 45mm Silicone X-Pole for reference.

Pros of Using a Silicone Pole

Silicone poles are warm and don't require heating. They don't feel cold like metal poles. This means you don't have to spend time heating the pole to get a good grip, saving you valuable practice time.

Silicone poles have good grip, even with tight clothes, so you can wear comfy outfits without affecting your performance.

💜 Confidence Building: The extra grip provided by silicone poles can boost your confidence while practising challenging moves, making it easier to tackle new tricks.

💜 No Grip Aid Required: Unlike traditional poles that may require grip aids, silicone poles eliminate the need for plastering yourself or the pole with grip-enhancing products.

💜 Strength Building: The extra grip of silicone poles can help you to perform more repetitions during conditioning exercises, leading to enhanced strength and muscle development.

💜 Transferable Strength: The increased strength gained through using a silicone pole can be applied to any pole type, meaning it won't hinder your progress if you switch to other poles.

💜 Perfect for Hand-Only Moves: Silicone poles are well-suited for hand-only moves that require exceptional grip.

Cons of Using a Silicone Pole

⭐️ Limited for Static Spins: Silicone poles can be overly grippy for static spins, making these moves more challenging to execute.

⭐️ Difficulty with Transitions: Transitions on a silicone pole may be harder as you'll need to put in more effort to navigate against the strong grip.

⭐️ Lack of Sliding Movement: The excessive grip of silicone poles may hinder your ability to slide into moves smoothly.

⭐️ Restricted to Tight Clothing: To ensure a secure grip, you'll need to wear super tight clothing, limiting your wardrobe choices during pole sessions.

⭐️ Potential Insecurity with Clothing Movement: Clothing movement or becoming baggy behind the knees can lead to reduced grip security during certain moves.

⭐️ Exposure Burns: Exposed skin can experience friction burns, particularly during moves like shoulder mounts, sits, and back of knee grips.

⭐️ Hair Restrictions: Wearing your hair down is not recommended as it may stick to and wrap around the pole.

⭐️ Painful for Some Moves: Certain moves may cause discomfort due to the intense grip of the silicone pole.

⭐️ Sweaty Hands Still Slip: Even with a silicone pole, super sweaty hands may still cause slipping, making handwashing a better alternative to using grip aids.

Addressing Common Questions and Misconceptions

❓ Can You Slide Down on a Silicone Pole? Sliding down on a silicone pole can be challenging, but with a lot of practice, it can be done. For example, I’ve learnt to adapt how I dismount. If my hands are on the floor, I loosen my legs so they’re more of a hovering placement rather than a grip to slide down.

❓ Can You Perform Spins on a Silicone Pole? Yes, absolutely! You can still use the pole on spin mode!

❓ Is Silicone Good for Beginners? Beginners who start with a silicone pole can adjust to its grip, but they may miss out on learning static spins and developing momentum for spinning transitions.

❓ I struggle to grip on a Chrome pole. Should I switch to Silicone? Not necessarily, it depends why you're struggling for grip. If the pole is brand new, they're well known to have a clear coat that makes it slippery. Wearing in the clear coat will help it become more grippy. It can be helpful to heat up the pole first on a cold day too. I spend around 8 minutes heating up my Chrome pole before using it. It is also why Xpole created a pole warmer. The warmer the pole, the more grippier it is. 

❓ Personal Preference Matters: While some polers may prefer using silicone poles, others may find it too restrictive or uncomfortable. It ultimately depends on personal preferences and goals.

In conclusion, using a silicone pole offers both benefits and drawbacks. Some polers may thrive with its extra grip and find it's good for confidence-building, while others might prefer the versatility of traditional poles. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, and experimenting with different pole types can help you find what works best for you and your pole dance journey. 

When you're ready to buy your next pole, I recommend X-Pole. For our UK/Europe polers, click here and if you're further afield, take a look at the USA site here.