Steel or Chrome; it’s a question a lot of Polers ask themselves when selecting their first pole. Our UK Marketing Manager, Joey, writes a short blog to help you make what may be one of the most important decisions of your pole journey.

Being relatively new to the world of pole, I had to do some research into many aspects of the discipline, including the various pro’s and cons of different pole finishes. This time around, I decided to focus on Stainless Steel and Chrome, as they are two of the most popular finishes.

First up, what’s a pole finish? X-POLE has a range of finishes (Chrome, Titanium Gold and Powder Coated) as well as solid materials (Brass, Silicone, and Stainless Steel) that are polished to a high standard for the best possible grip.

A Stainless Steel pole is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. They are silver in color and are made of a combination of alloys (here comes the techy bit; Stainless Steels are iron alloys with a minimum of 10.5% chromium. Other alloying elements are added to enhance their structure and properties such as formability, strength and cryogenic toughness), and provide a super strong base for our poles.

Stainless Steel poles are highly polished to give a smooth and shiny finish. This produces a pole that is great for a variety of pole tricks and routines.

This finish can prove slippery for some people and also requires more grip strength to use, so may be more suited to a slightly more advanced user, but, this can also be a great investment for a new poler to push themselves and learn with equipment that will challenge them along their journey.

Chrome poles are also silver in color, but have a mirror finish. They are Steel poles that have been coated in Chromium to produce a beautifully shiny finish and are the most common poles seen in both studios/gyms and at competitions/events.

Chrome is naturally more ‘grippy’ than Stainless Steel, so is a very good choice for beginners, as it is more forgiving of weaker handgrip strengths and is also great for a variety of pole tricks, from inversions to leg holds.

The only thing to add here is that people who suffer from Nickel Allergies may not find Chrome poles suitable to practice on, as the coating will contain a small trace of Nickel.

To sum it up, if you are an absolute beginner looking to purchase your first pole and you don’t have a nickel allergy, Chrome finish poles are going to be your best bet, while those who do suffer from Nickel allergies would be advised to opt for a Stainless Steel pole. The important thing to remember is to have fun whilst using your pole!