Ever since I wrote my 5 Myths About Grip Aid article, people have been asking me questions and advices about different brands of pole grip aids. As much as I love helping people and talking about pole (my favorite subject on earth), I wouldn't consider myself a guru in the Grip World. But I thank everyone of you with whom I've had very interesting conversations around skin types and grip sensations. I now bring to you my humble personal review of some of the most popular grip aid brands there are on the market. My goal was to find the best product possible, but obviously everybody's needs are different so keep in mind that something that works for me could not work for you and vice versa.
HAND GRIPS
GRIPTINITE
Texture : The texture is very nice, exactly what I expect from a liquid grip aid. Aqueous but a little thick, it dries fast on the hands and doesn't leave any residues or anything.
Efficiency : The grip factor is very effective, it makes me feel confident in strength moves or moves that I don't have perfectly yet and need reassurance in.
Will I use it again? I don't think I would use it for a performance or a competition piece, because I need to reapply quite often and I wouldn't trust it for a 3 or 4 minutes long choreography. But for short and important moves, absolutely worth it.
Special mention : You can buy Griptinite locally at Calmness Hotline! No shipping fees and you can use it right away.
ENVIRO GRIP
Texture : It's very liquid and the bottle isn't great for this type of texture because it will leak a bigger quantity than what you need, so be careful. Once on the skin, it's a little more on the chalk side of grip aids, it definitely leaves your hands all white and powdery.
Efficiency : I have dry skin with some sweat factor in the palm of my hands and I think this is a little too close to baby powder for my need. I have a feeling that if you have very sweaty hands it would work better because your sweat would mix with the powder and create a gooey texture that will help you stick better.
Will I use it again? I bought it in the fall and only tried it in cold temperature. I'm curious to try it again in the summer when my skin is permanently sweaty just for existing.
Special mention : I didn't know it mattered, but Enviro Grip smells very good! It honestly made me feel better about myself to smell this good while doing sport. Also, like its name states, the ingredients and the packaging are environmentally friendly.
TOTAL GRIP
Texture : Definitely not my favorite. It comes out in a very thick gel. Fortunately it's easy to spread in your hand and you don't need a lot to cover the whole surface.
Efficiency : Very disappointing. I don't recommend for pole dance at all. I feel like maybe if you're a rock climber it could be a good base to use before using chalk, as it creates a gluey feeling on the skin. But I haven't climbed in years so I haven't tried this method yet!
Will I use it again? Not for pole, that's for sure. I'll keep it maybe for hot summer days at the gym, sometimes you need just a little bit of grip to feel comfortable with your bar or dumbbell or other machinery.
DRY HANDS
Texture : I think this one doesn't need any presentation anymore, but the texture is a liquid but firm substance and it dries really fast on the skin. I feel like some batches are sometimes a little too watery and that's disappointing, but it's pretty rare that it happens.
Efficiency : I was honestly hoping with this little experimentation to find something that would uncrown Dry Hands as the King of grip aids, but I have to admit that it's the best selling product for a reason. Everybody knows and love Dry Hands, it works really well, I trust it completely for a performance or comp piece.
I know some people with very sweaty hands need to reapply a lot of it during a class, so I would suggest to maybe use one of the other products presented here as a base coat to dry the skin first, and then use your Dry Hands as your main grip aid. Let me know how it goes!
Will I use it again? Yes. Absolutely.
Special mention : It tends to run out of stock worldwide every once in a while, so you should stock up on it and then alternate with other grip aids depending on the days/classes. Personally, since I started testing other products and using this one only when necessary, I've seen a big change in my overall grip. It's hard to explain, but it's almost like my hands depended so much on Dry Hands that it never grew the strength it actually needed to hold some moves like Ayesha or one-handed holds.
BODY GRIPS
DEW POINT
Texture : You spray this liquid on parts where you need grip that aren't your hands. It's very simple to use and to aim too.
Efficiency : Dew Point is the product I was the most excited to try out because I've heard so many good things about it. So I brought my new bottle with me at pole class and sprayed it on right after the warm-up, to work on that day's combo. I was very disappointed, it didn't work at all. Then I remembered someone telling me they put it on the day before they need good grip, right after taking their shower.
So I tried that the following week : the night before pole class, I took my daily shower, and before putting my pyjamas on I sprayed some Dew Point in the inside of my elbow and behind the knees. Well let me tell you, magic happened! The next day I could hold elbow grips so easily and without that much pain.
Will I use it again? It's now part of my routine, I use it every day when I know I'll be pole training the next day. Before trying it I thought it was kind of expensive, especially since it's from the US so you need to pay shipping fees and all that jazz... But I am telling you, it's absolutely worth it. And I feel like the bottle lasts a very long time if you use it wisely.
Special mention : If you go on their website, they offer a variety of grip for different needs (lite to ultra) and also multiple sizes, perfect if you're not sure of what you need, or if you're travelling and can't bring a huge bottle in your luggage. They even have glittery sprays!
ALOE VERA
Texture : Aloe Vera comes in a gel form, there are different brands out there and they pretty much all come to the same thing. It takes a little time to dry out, don't go on the pole until it is.
Efficiency : If you tend to have dry skin, especially in the winter, this is for you! Make sure you don't put any on the inside of your hands, but other than that you can use it anywhere on your body to help you stick to the pole. Dry skin doesn't allow you to grip properly. Putting Aloe Vera gel on my legs makes me feel so much more confident in my movements.
Will I use it again? I always have it with me, just in case. And i always use it a few minutes before a performance because the environment is not the same as when I practiced and the show must go on.
Special mention : Using this product is very practical because you can find it anywhere in pharmacies or natural food stores. Also, you probably know that moisturizing lotion is prohibited when you're a pole dancer, so I like to use Aloe Vera on my tattoos to keep the skin hydrated and it keeps the colours flamboyant (though I wouldn't recommend it on a freshly made tattoo that hasn't scared yet).
What's your favourite Grip Aid? Are there any other products you'd like me to try? Although I might need a sponsor for future tests now that the Black Friday and Boxing Day sales are over... Let me know in the comments if you've had different experiences with the same products, I'm sure there are very interesting conversations to be had around the subject.
Commentaires