How to Pick the Right Pole Grip: A Real Guide to Choosing Grip Aid for Your Skin, Pole & Season

Choosing a pole grip can be seriously overwhelming. There are dozens of bottles out there, all with confident promises and a $30–$50 price tag, and finding the one that actually works for your skin on your pole can feel like an expensive guessing game.

We've sold every grip on this list. We've tested them. And we've helped thousands of polers — from beginners to comp-level — find their match.

Here's the no-fluff guide.

💡 Short on time? Take our 60-second Pole Grip Quiz and we'll match you to the right grip for your skin and pole.

Why your grip needs change (and it's not just you)

Before you spend another dollar on a bottle that turned out to be wrong — here's the truth nobody tells beginners:

Your grip needs are not fixed. They shift constantly depending on:

• What type of pole you're on — chrome, brass, stainless steel, or powder-coated all behave differently

• The season and weather — humidity, heat, cold air, dry air all change how your skin grips

• Where you're at in your monthly cycle — hormones affect sweat and skin moisture more than most brands will admit

• What you ate or drank yesterday — alcohol, caffeine, salty food = drier skin or different sweat

• Whether you've used moisturiser, fake tan or sunscreen — almost all of them sabotage grip

• How long you've been training that session — sweat builds, skin warms

If your grip suddenly stopped working, you're probably not "losing your strength." One of these variables changed.

My personal grip routine, by season

Here's how I (Rachel) approach my own grip across the year:

• Winter and Summer — my skin runs dry or clammy, and a hand grip alone is usually enough.

• Autumn and Spring — my skin is a wild mix, so I need a strong hand grip and something for thighs and knees.

That's not a rule. That's just my body. The point is: most polers need two or three grip aids in their kit and rotate based on the day. One bottle that does everything in every season for every body doesn't exist. Anyone selling that is selling.

The two main types of pole grip aid

All pole grip aids fall into two camps. Knowing which camp your skin sits in is half the battle.

And then a few products work for both — usually labelled "all skin types" or "dual purpose."

Best pole grips for sweaty skin

If your hands or contact points get clammy on the pole, these are the ones to try.

🥥 No Sweat

• For: Sweaty hands and skin

• How to use: Apply to hands or body contact points. Let dry for 15 seconds.

• Grip strength: Medium

• Best poles: Stainless steel, powder-coated

🌙 Gripinite

• For: Sweaty hands and skin

• Grip strength: Medium

• Best poles: Brass, chrome, stainless steel

🌿 Enviro Grip

• For: Sweaty hands and skin

• Grip strength: Medium

• Best poles: Stainless steel, chrome

• Bonus: Eco-friendly and biodegradable — easy on the planet and on your conscience.

✨ Make Me Dusty

• For: Sweaty hands and skin

• Grip strength: Medium

• Best poles: Brass, stainless steel

• Bonus: Light antiperspirant action — handy for high-sweat days.

🐒 Monkey Hands Classic

• For: Sweaty hands and skin

• Grip strength: Medium

• Best poles: All poles + aerials

🐒 Monkey Hands Sticky

• For: Sweaty skin

• Grip strength: Strong

• Best for: High-friction areas like thighs

• Heads up: Clean your pole properly after use — it earns its name.

🐒 Monkey Hands Gluey

• For: Very sweaty skin

• Grip strength: Very strong

• Apply to: Hands or body contact points

• Heads up: Deep-clean the pole afterwards — this one means business.

Best pole grips for dry skin

If your skin runs dry, slick, or just slides without warning, these are your people.

💧 Make Me Dewy and Dew Point

• For: Dry hands or legs

• How to use: Spray directly onto skin

• Grip strength: Medium

• Bonus: Adds tackiness without drying out your skin further.

🔥 ITAC – Stick It

• For: Dry and sweaty hands (rare crossover product)

• Grip strength: Strong

• Best for: Aerials, leg holds

• Heads up: Clean your pole after use.

🔥 ITAC2

• For: Dry and sweaty skin

• Grip strength: Strong

• How to use: Body contact points only — never the palms. Wash off with soap if it gets on your hands.

• Best for: Sits, holds, high-friction moves

How to apply pole grip properly

Most "this grip didn't work" reviews are actually application problems. Quick checklist:

1. Start with clean, dry skin and a clean pole. Wipe both with a microfibre cloth or alcohol wipe before applying.

2. Less is more. Start with half what you think you need. You can always add more.

3. Apply, wait, test. Most grips need 10–30 seconds to activate. Don't slap it on and immediately invert.

4. Cover the contact zone, not the whole limb. Your inner thigh, palm, or back of knee — wherever's gripping. Not everywhere.

5. Re-apply between rounds, not mid-move. Halfway through a sequence is too late.

Pole grip mistakes to avoid

A few things we see all the time:

• Wearing moisturiser, fake tan, or oil-based sunscreen on class day. Even from yesterday — they can transfer to the pole and ruin grip for everyone.

• Mixing too many products. Layering a dry-skin grip on top of a sweaty-skin grip usually gives you the worst of both. Pick one camp and commit per session.

• Not cleaning the pole between people. A grip residue from the person before you can completely throw off yours. Wipe the pole down with isopropyl alcohol before and after.

• Sticking with one grip when your body has changed. Hormones, new training intensity, new season — your grip might need to evolve with you.

❓ Pole Grip FAQs

What's the best pole grip for beginners? For most beginners, a medium-strength hand grip like Monkey Hands Classic or Gripinite is a safe first buy. Test it for a few weeks before adding a stronger body grip.

Can I use too much grip? Yes. Over-applied grip becomes slippery (counter-intuitive but true) and gunks up the pole. Less, more frequently, beats one big dose.

Will pole grip damage my pole? Most won't, but the strongest ones (Monkey Hands Gluey, ITAC2) require thorough cleaning after each session. Always wipe with isopropyl alcohol or pole-safe cleaner.

Which grip is best for brass poles vs chrome poles? Brass tends to play well with most chalk-based grips. Chrome polishes are slicker and often benefit from a tackier resin-based grip. Stainless is the most forgiving — most grips work on stainless.

Do I need different grips for different body parts? Many polers do. Hand grips are usually different to thigh/leg grips because the friction needs are different. It's normal to own one of each.

Can I bring my own grip to a studio class? Almost always yes — but check with your studio first. Some pole brands or studios have rules about which grips are allowed (especially the very sticky ones).

How long does a bottle of pole grip last? Anywhere from 2–6 months depending on how often you train and how heavily you apply. Most regular polers (2–3 sessions a week) replace their main grip every 3 months.

Still stuck? We've got you.

Finding your perfect grip is genuinely a journey. Most polers go through 2–3 bottles before they land on their forever match. That's normal, not a failure.

🎯 Take the 60-second Pole Grip Quiz — we'll match you to the right grip based on your skin, your pole, and your season.

📧 Email us at hello@rarrdesigns.com.au — describe your skin and pole, we'll point you at the right bottle.

💖 Join the Rarr Facebook community — thousands of pole babes sharing real grip reviews, swaps, and "I tried it and here's what happened" wisdom. We're all about sticking together. Literally. 😉

🛒 Shop the full pole grip collection — every brand mentioned in this guide, in stock.

— Rachel and the Rarr team 💖

Designed in Australia. Tested on real polers. Sized XS to 5XL across our pole wear range.

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