Why I will never buy an X-Pole
The new X-Poles are GARBAGE. If they cannot safely go above normal home height DONT SAY THAT THEY DO. They are not meant for studios at all, like they claim. In fact the quality of the poles has deteriorated so much it makes it comparable to the Hustler pole at Spencer Gifts!
1. User Error cop out- Being blamed for putting up poles wrong. its "too tight" it "wasnt tight enough" and every contradiction possible as to why the first pole we put up bent, bevedled out at the edges and broke.
2. Sending the tech, (who was nice) to help us, and the SAME THING HAPPENED with the new poles beveling at the edges, and leaving sharp parts sicking out. (user error right)
3. The second pole installed "correctly" fell almost breaking the mirror, damaging the wall, and also the owner of the studio who was doing a fireman spin on the pole. Luckily she is an athlete and landed on her feet when the pole fell, anyone else would have fallen and gotten hurt pretty bad, and if it was during a class it would have hurt the person at the next pole.
"Oh yeah and remember folks X pole says please read the directions, and watch the video, but don't follow what the direction sheet says, as its wrong. "
Too bad X-Pole decided to cheapen their product and blame a potential reseller for wrong installation. We called Platinum Stages, they are going to help us.
Let us know if Platinum fixes all the issues!
While no pole is perfect I can also say that I have had PS poles break and come down during use.
@ lizsavage - I have to agree, I hate the new X poles!! My friend bought 6 of them, 11 feet tall. she installed permanent ceiling mounts which have been very difficult to deal with, in fact she had to replace the first kind with a different kind that work better, but it takes forever to loosen/tighten the poles. the poles have to be put up before each class and taken down after, since she is renting the exercise room at a gym. But the main problem has been the stupid X joints. She has had the exact same kind of problems you talked about, and we had to go through the whole process of taking apart, banging out with a broomstick (which broke the broomstick, lol), etc. Their video makes it look easy, but it is not. She had to hire a strong guy to help because the two of us could not do it, and one of the joints was so jammed that he had to take it home and use a vice to get it out. The whole experience has been awful. Anyway, good luck with PS and let us know how it turns out!! I will be praying for you, lol ;)
I'm about to try the broomstick tomorrow on mine (already had to unstick the pre-inserted one with the handle of a hammer...took for-freaking-ever). Maybe there is someone at X-Pole who needs to read this (and the "X-Pole is Peeling") thread??
I am the owner of the studio that LIZ SAVAGE above mentioned. It was a really really scary situation. I took the poles back to X-Pole and got a refund. They have always had great customer service. I talked to them for a while about all the problems with the new xpoles, including things i have seen mentioned on this forum. They noted everyyything and will be sending it off to the head of the company to see how they can better the product. They were genuinely concerned and i know that they will do their best to fix the problems. I kept saying that the pole was cheaper quality, and they were insisting that they arent. What i think is happening is their manufacturer in CHINA is making the poles cheaper quality, and since there isnt a quality control check, xpole doesnt even know it!!! I definitely got a bad batch of poles, no doubt, and i blame the manufacturer. The weight of the pole pieces are much lighter, and they are thinner than the old poles, so when u tighten the xjoint its literally making the metal flare out and get bumpy.
I think the xpoles are great for at home. I love the Kendra pole. However, for heights over 11'10, i wouldnt recommend it.
I am going to get permanent mounted platinum stage poles now.
I recently bought an XPole. Prior to my purchase I read that a lot of people have the issue of the x-joint getting stuck. So, I bought the Permatex Anti-Seize Lubricant and applied it onto the thread before putting the x-joint together, it works like a charm. I put on the wrong extension on and I had to undo the whole process....the x-joint just slip right out.
About the bending issue....My current ceiling height is only 8' so it's working fine but I plan on moving soon and the new place ceiling will be about 11-12'...I wonder if my pole will hold?? Or should I get an XPole permanent mount??
PS. If any want to the Anti-Seize Lubricant, here's the link to Amazon:
I thought that X Pole were manufactured in Korea, not China?
It I were designing the xpole, I would combine the x-pole, PS and lil mynx pro-lite styles. The pro lite is 2 poles, but the top pole and an extension at the bottom that is a smaller width than the bottom pole, so it slides right snigly into the bottom pole. It has larger "pins" in the extension, so the pole won't turn and the pins won't slip out of place. Couple that with the xpole extension/ adjustor cover and give it a pin like PS for spin mode and you have one rad pole.
Thank you Ophidia for the info regarding boxing the dome in.
I brought the joint issue up to xpole today. They said that ever since they redesigned the joint, they haven't been getting complaints. I hope they did fix the problem. They redesigned it right after I bought my pole, so I think I have the "better joints."
@sensualscimitar - When did you buy your pole? I bought mine and recieved it the end of April. I haven't had any problems with my x-joints getting stuck, though I did have one rotate. I'm thinking I perhaps didn't have it tight enough, but the one joint that rotated is damaged. Now I'm curious if I got one out of the 'good batch' or the 'bad batch'
As for the weight of the pole, mine is very heavy, and the pole itself seems fairly thick and sturdy. I've had no problems with sharp edges or the joints flaring.
Correction - I got my pole the first of April.
I got mine in January
@Ophidia, it does make sense! Thanks for sharing. SimpllySweet had posted how she pout a wood disk under the dome. I like to hear all the ideas people are using to keep the poles how they belong... upright!
I just bought a used xpert xpole from a friend ~ I was going to order directly from xpole, but the lady on the phone said something about the shipping being held up in China and it would be a while before I would get it.... Anyway... The pole I bought is a about a year old and wasn't used very often. I put it together with no problems and am pretty impressed with it so far. My husband did have to file down a sharp spot at the joint. OUCH! No wonder it was barely used! The pole is pretty hefty and seems sturdy enough. I do see how the "x joint" can become a problem though ~ It's easy to see how they can slip and how the little grooves can become stripped! I feel like it's not a matter of "if" it will slip, but "when"! Although I am satisfied with the pole, and learned that (for me) chrom is waaaaay better than ss, I am glad I did not buy a new xpole. I don't think I will be buying one unless or until they improve the x joint. Does anyone know if the same issues apply to the stationary xpoles?
I think that the x joint slippage can happen on the stationary pole too. I had my x-pert in stationary mode when the pole stripped and rotated. You start out with your hand on the B pole when you spin, so the circular force is mostly on the b pole, which causes the B pole to strip and rotate. It would seem that spinny mode would be less likely to cause joint issues just based on physics.
Yes, mine was on stationary when it slipped, too. But it was the top extension, so since I'm not tall enough to spin that high, I'm still perplexed. Plus, I had a guy tighten it (back and forth the way I was told by the lady at X-Pole), so it was super tight and still slipped. Very frustrating.
Hi Ladies,
I can tell you I got my 'real' Xpole in June, after a disastrous experience with a fake xpole. I have to tell you my experience with the company has been beyond wonderful. Their customer support has been top notch and without going into much detail about my situation, I know for sure that they care very much about their products. I've not had any issues with the x-joints as described or even slippage. I don't take mine up and down a lot and it's not over 12 feet, although I was wanting to extend mine that high.
I would say if you're having that much problems to contact the main company at http://www.x-pole.co.uk/contact-us....
Good luck.
I have seen this problem at another studio. It doesn't sound like jointed poles are really the way to go in a studio situation that's such a shame that you have had that problem. There seem to be so many variables with studio heights, ceilings and installations it would seem like one piece poles are only way to guarantee longevity. I hope you can get your money back and maybe get some one piece poles. Jointed X-poles should, as I understand it, be only used in a 'take up and down regularly' situation not in a permanent fixed situation. I have an x-pole and have been on an x-stage lite - both of which are great - but I think it's a horses for courses thing...
That stinks that you have had these issues with xpole. Their customer service and products are wonderful though and I am sure that any issues you have brought to their attention, they will look into. I am a studio owner and I have lil mynx and xpole (spinning, 12+ feet) in my one studio and platinum stages in my other studio. I have not had any trouble with lil mynx or xpole and both have always had great customer service. As for PS, i have had nothing but trouble and they have the absolute WORST customer service!!!! I would never recommend their products to anyone. The poles are cheap, they are unorganized and rude. I honestly don't know how they stay in business. They cost me thousands of dollars and headache and I never got anywhere with them. As soon as I can replace the PS poles, I am. Now with xpole, I will say that you have to understand how the xjoint works first or they can get damaged. When students purchase a xpole, I always go over how to tighten and loosen the xjoint. I have had students strip them, but xpole has always been great with exchanging them for us. In the studio with the tall xpoles, we cut out a wood circle the size of the dome, mounted it to the ceiling, and then installed the dome over the wood to prevent any slipping, and I have never had any issues. Best of luck!
Well if the guy who is the tech from Xpole cannot install the pole without it breaking, you guys must be amazing technitions. I also think its odd most of this thread seeminly is deleted except for all the nonsense defending x-pole.
Yes they have wonderful brown nosing, butt kissing customer service, but they also dont know ANYTHING bout the product they are selling, to the point of not including all the parts you need, to yelling at people and telling them they are wrong, to charging people again and again for defective parts. I think that is awesome. I think its also awesome the sponsor a great amount of people on this forum and thier studios to pretend that they are great, and its even more awesome that the pics on x-poles main page are of PLATINUM STAGES POLES as most of those pics are from Bespun in Hollywood that had special poles made by PS, and then also had them reinforced so they can hold a bunch of girls.
PS is honest about the limitations of their products. They will tell it how it is, which many people dont seem to like. Yeah they need to work on their customer service, however, they are not trying to mislead anyone. I have no experience with the multi piece poles they sell, but I will say the one piece permanant poles are really nice, and of really good quality.
X-poles are made of led with questionable finishes. This is scary. They dont even know what the metal content is in their poles! Yes I know this as I ASKED CJ when we were standing in front of him. He acted like metal content didnt matter. It does.
All I know is if I had a kid, I would not want that thing in my house, and if you do have a kid and you let them play on the pole, you should have them checked out for lead, as well as yourselves. I am not making any money off posting this, I do not benefit in ANY way as I do not, and probably will never compete.
IDK, I never had a tech from X-pole come help me, I don't compete and I don't have a studio and I get no endorcements. I still love my xpert pole, it's been stable and no problems at all. I leave mine up for long period of time.. no problem. I don't have issues you're describing about buckling sharp points or anything else, and they're customer service has been fantastic.
Honestly I think the UK division offers better assistance than the US division does as I've dealt with both, but I wouldn't say the US division is bad either.
I feel for you with your problems, but I think it's wrong for you to elude t all the polers out there who are saying they like their product is being bought off by the company. To me that's just being childish IMHO
Liz, you are getting your threads mixed up. This is not the one with all of the allergy info that got rather heated. You continue to rant about lead in X Poles and now you are stating that they are made of lead. I find this all rather amusing especially since up to last week your profile picture was you in an X Pole tank on an X Pole. We all understand that you had problems with X Pole but the way that you are presenting yourself makes it really hard for anyone to take you seriously. If you had stated your problems in a constructive way instead of attacking everyone who has disagreed with you maybe your message would have gotten through. PS has been around a long time. They may have changed their image or their customer support in the last 2 years. I do like their one piece poles especially how easy it is to change from spin to static. I have had numerous issues with their poles that took way too many phone calls and way too long for them to resolve. Customer Service in my mind is what makes or breaks a company and unfortunately PS is notorious for having poor customer service when something goes wrong with their poles. It is also quite laughable that they sell a stage pole with it clearly written in the instructions that you should not use it with both feet off the ground. The original Star Stand Alone was just plain poor design.
And now I have egg on my face, it was not you who had the picture but LizzyLiz.
Actually I was the one with the Xpole tank top picture. Dont confuse us. We are different people.
Unfortunately i was too busy trying to get poles in my studio that would be safe, that i didnt have time to remove a 1 year old picture.
the original x pole was much better.... im glad i still have one...whats the idea of the joints... its very a lot more trouble...for nothing
it should cost more to produce also...
yes the original x pole was hard to take appart, but they should just had included the tool to dismount it with the pole
i was a studio owner and god i had many problem with the poles...
....so you mean that now there is new joints.... GREATTTTT
can we send them the old ones that are unsafe and get the other ones then...
Just throwing my two cents in: If you are looking for a PERMANENT mounted pole please consider PoleDanzer. Small company out of California who will make a fabulous spin/static perm pole for studio use. Down size is that it only comes in a 50mm. I have had one in my home studio for over 3 years and Fawnia had 17 of them installed in her Las Vegas studio. I don't care for their removables, but I won't use another perm pole.
I bought 2 X Poles, one in 2009 and another one in 2011. The first one got stuck IMMEDIATELY after I set it up for the first time so I had to leave it at a friend's place in Wales as I could not bring it over to England. Bought the new Xpert X pole with the X Joints and it turned out to be worse than the first one I bought. The X Joints won't tighten and they do not stay in place at all. The pole is very shaky and feels unsafe even for beginners spin moves.
I've had nothing but trouble with my Xpole too :( The older model is MUCH better in my opinion.
I had so many issues with my x pole. Mine was a 50mm TG. From what I've seen on here, many girls have problems with the 50mm's; not as many issues with the 45's. Just my observations though.
I have an X-Pole Chrome 50mm xpert and haven't had a single issue with it. But everyone has a brand(s) they either love or hate.
The major issues I had didn't crop up until 6 to 9 months after I got my pole. I hope I am a rare case.
@Rixi - You have no worries. The X-Stage is a tremendous product as are X-Pole's removable poles. Veena has two X-Stages and has not had an issue with either one. They do not snap in half and our experience is that they are the most stable stage pole available.
@Rixi - Yes she has the X-Stage Lite and a normal X-Stage and loves them both.
@ sensualscimitar...remember that X pole, is always updating and improving so just because you had a problem doesn't mean the next person will.
Rixi, I had 8 XSL where I taught. I do have a write up about the issues that I had with mine, but most were due to inexperienced people setting up and tearing down the poles. I will also add that XPole takes any issue very seriously. When people had issues with the original design of the XJoint they took it back to engineering and they now have a totally different version of it on the market. Issues that were happening 6 months ago you would be hard pressed to see now. Above all else, I can honestly say that every single issue I had they fixed for me.
ANY problem that people have needs to go back to the manufacturer. In my experience XPole, PS and LM will do whatever they can to remedy the situation. People who just complain about a product without contacting customer service are not helping the rest of us. You may have a fluke of manufacturing or there may be a genuine issue that needs to be addressed. Without allowing manufacturers to know the issues they have no idea something needs to be fixed. This is true for any product you purchase not just poles.
I had issues with my X Pole X joint stripping and spinning and had to replace it. Even though that was considered 'user error' it resulted in me having additional expenses to replace the stripped joint. The finish on my X Pole has also started to bubble. It has still been a very structurally sound product.
I have an X Stage lite and I love it. I have not had any issues with that product. That stage takes abuse and then some. I think it looks sexy!
I also have Platinum Stages single piece poles that I love and have the ceiling mount in my home for those. I use my PS poles almost daily.
I feel each brand has its advantages and disadvantages. There are many things to consider when you invest in a pole, multi piece, single piece, finish, stage or pole, tension mount, permanent mount, semi permanent mount... the great thing about multiple manufacturers is that you have multiple options.
My instructor has an XSL, unfortunatly the spinny mode option has jammed & is unusable but its fine in static. At home I have an R pole, any of you guys heard of this free standing pole? My first pole was an X pole which was really well made & I never had any problems with but this was a few years ago when they were top loading. I love my R Pole, wouldnt have anything else.
RPoles are ridiculously expensive for those of us that live in the US.
Again, any time anyone has an issue with a pole they need to contact the manufacturer. If the spin mode is stuck there are 2 possible issues I can think of that it could be and both are fairly easy fixes. Without contacting the manufacturer how can they help you and why anyone would not fix something that is obviously inoperable is beyond my comprehension.
I want to say 2010ish. The new style has the XJoint, the old style screwed together and also the new style is bottom loading where the old was top loading.
Yes, what webby said. I have not heard of any issues with the xjoint slipping on the new design.
This is also another reason it is so important to contact the manufacturer. If you never call them they will never know there is a wide spread problem and they will not ever fix it. this is true for ANYTHING that you purchase of high $$.
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