Pole Dancing for plus size woman

by Huneey365
(Bronx, NY)

I purchased a pole only to find out the maximum weight is 180 pounds. Is this the rule of thumb to all poles? Or are their poles that accommodate a larger sized person?

Comments for Pole Dancing for plus size woman

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Jun 15, 2011
 Poles for Pole Dancing
by: Work It Dance and Fitness

Hello,
It really depends on which type of pole you have purchased. With pole dancing becoming more popular, many companies now sell poles that can be used at home. Unfortunately, it is also "you get what you pay for."

Our studio uses X-Pole, which can be seen being used in many International pole dancing competitions. The X-Pole management specifically told me that they had a 230 pound male climb and shake the pole really hard and it was fine.

Be weary of the poles you can buy from such places as Spenser's Gifts, or bought from an infomercial. Although they might me fine for light workouts, they are not made for professional use.

I hope this helped!

-Michelle Abbruzzese
Work It Dance and Fitness, LLC.
Norwalk, CT
www.workitfit.com
Jun 15, 2011
 Pole Weight Limits
by: Susan from PDFF

Hi Huneey!

You pose a great question with weight limits on poles, and this is definitely an issue with some of the cheaper dance poles and offshore imitations that were bound to come along.

I don't know which brand of pole you purchased, but Michelle is definitely right about buying from novelty shops, home parties and infomercials. Often these products are promoted on price alone, but with an activity like pole dancing you obviously want to make sure you're buying a quality product. After all, your safety is at stake!

These are a few brands of poles that I don't recommend for those who want to use their poles for weight bearing moves:

  • Electra Pole
  • Peekaboo Pole
  • Hustler Pole
  • D-Pole (Chinese knock off of the X-Pole)
    Any pole sold at novelty stores, usually around the $100 price point


But back to your question about which pole might be best suited to a larger person.

The truth can be difficult to discern because the fact is, every pole manufacturer is going to be conservative with their stated weight limits, simply for reasons of liability. I was told by one manufacturer that they figured off the record their pole could easily take 400 pounds, but they state 250 pounds officially as they want that wide margin of safety for their own protection.

My two favourite dance pole makers are X-Pole and Lil Mynx. They both make a very good quality product they stand behind. While I think they are equally as good, the X-Pole is a friction fit dance pole, which is inherently less secure than a pole that uses a bolted ceiling mount such as the Lil Mynx 1 piece pole.

Now this is not to say that X-Pole is inferior in any way, it's just that the friction mount design is by its nature more likely to come down. When installed correctly and used safely, this is unlikely to happen, but we're just talking about the odds. And of course changing one factor, like the amount of weight the pole has to support, can change those odds.

continued below....
Jun 15, 2011
 Pole Weight Limits cont'd
by: Susan from PDFF

It's important to remember that when comparing cheaper poles to the higher quality dance poles, one of the main considerations is the strength of the steel used in the construction of the pole. This is why their stated weight limits are relatively low - they don't want the pole itself to bend or buckle under an excessive load.

However, once we get into the higher quality dance poles, it's not so much the strength of the steel that's at issue (all the good quality poles are of a minimum thickness to ensure they aren't going to buckle), but how secure the pole is when it's been installed.

This is where I have a slight preference for the Lil Mynx pole for plus size pole dancers.

Because the small mount is screwed into the ceiling, the top of the pole is not going to slide out if excessive force is applied to the base, as would be the case with a friction mount pole. Instead, the base of the pole will shift but in most cases the pole will not come down. This would alert you that the pole had not been installed tightly enough for the amount of weight it's handling.

The bolted ceiling mount is quite small and unobtrusive, and it takes only a single screw into a joist. The screw, along with the correct size drill bit and Allen key, are included with the Lil Mynx pole so you can't mess this up!

That said, if you specifically want a dance pole that's completely removable with no trace, then an X-Pole may be the right choice for you. I just urge you to take your time getting to know your pole, and to be absolutely certain you've installed it correctly before use.

You may find it helpful to check out these pages where I review my two favourite poles in detail:

X-Pole Review

Lil Mynx Review

Once you get the right pole for your needs, I'm sure you'll really enjoy your pole dancing adventure. Thanks for stopping by to ask your question!

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