X-Pole claims that their A-Frame, which can be used for multiple aerial arts is “The most portable, height-adjustable, multi-discipline aerial rig in the world”. But is the truth? We take a closer look at the X-Pole A-Frame.
Are wondering if the X-Pole A-Frame is for you? The answer is probably yes, as this frame is for anyone who wants to practice aerial yoga or arts at home or in a studio where they can’t fit ceiling mounts. The only people it isn’t suitable for is those that want to do dynamic drops or swinging trapeze.
This product is suitable for aerialists of all levels, from total beginner to professional. It’s designed for people who want the freedom of practising aerial sports from the safety of their own homes or outdoors in the fresh air.
It is the perfect portable frame to practise aerial arts or flying yoga without the need for permanent ceiling mounts.
The frame can be used for aerial sports such as silks, lyra, static trapeze, x-fly flying pole, aerial hammock sling or aerial yoga.
If you want to practice dynamic move or swinging trapeze look for a circus rig.
The main features of the X-Pole A-Frame are:
The A-Frame is easy to put up and take down. It can be done in about 10 minutes once you know what you are doing. However, X-pole recommends that two people construct it.
The one thing to make sure of is that you have enough floor space and ceiling height if you are erecting inside.
We discuss in our review below how we found setting up the X-Pole A-Frame. But here’s a video that gives demo of how the A-Frame is erected.
Credit: X-pole
There are a couple of places you can buy the X-Pole A-Frame from. If you want a brand new one then take a look at X-Pole’s website. You can buy direct from them.
Delivery in the UK, if they have enough stock is 2-3 business days within the UK. Outside the UK shipping takes 3-7 business days. Worldwide delivery is available from the US and Australian X-Pole sites.
Sadly shipping isn’t free, but the cost of shipping is quite reasonable.
Should you not want to spend £399 on one right now, you can sometimes pick up cheap second-hand ones on the marketplace or sometimes eBay.
We have the X-Pole A-Frame at home and we think it is pretty special. We love how quick it is to put up and take down, we love that throughout lockdown we were able to practice aerial yoga and aerial hoop whenever we wanted to – well almost whenever we wanted to – the weather did sometimes get in the way of our practice.
The A-Frame is simple to put up and I do it in about 10 minutes now I have figured out how to do it. The top bar connects to two end bars. 4 extendable legs then connect into the end bars. Once at this stage you stand the frame up and extend the legs.
The instructions say that you need two people to put the A-Frame up but I put it up on my own. Sometimes I do think it would be easier if I had an extra pair of hands – but where there is a will there is a way. We wouldn’t recommend you put it up on your own if you don’t know what you are doing or if you are not confident about doing it. It is always best to follow the instructions.
Once the rig is erected there are bags you fill with sand that you pop around the bottom of the legs and straps you link the legs together with to make it a bit more stable.
In our opinion, the great thing about this rig is that you can take it almost anywhere with you. Unlike other circus rigs which are generally much bigger – you can take this with you and pop it up quickly either with a friend or on your own (see blurb above) and practice. You can practice almost any aerial art on it including yoga, hammock, sling (no dynamic drops), static trapeze, hoop and flying pole. We have also used our TRX straps on it as well.
If you have a big enough room at home you could even use this inside. We haven’t tried it yet as we don’t have enough space. But we have seen pictures of people using it at the lowest height in conservatories and front rooms.
However, the lower height and construction, when compared to bigger rigs, is that you can’t do dynamic drops on it. If you want to do dynamic drops then look at bigger, more expensive circus rigs.
If you want to take a look at the size of bigger circus rigs, take a look at this video (1).
Another positive about the A-Frame is the cost. When compared to other rigs on the market the cost is very reasonable. Other rigs are bigger and designed for circus acts, so that explains the price difference. A competitor, prodigy have just released a similar rig on to the market, the Prodigy Aerial Yoga Rig but that has been designed for aerial yoga only and not their other aerial arts. If you just want the A-Frame for yoga then take a look at our review on aerial yoga stands.
The only negative is that sometimes we would like to leave it up in the garden, but the steel bar might rust. We do wonder if they could make a coated one that could stay up all year round?? If you want a permanent fixture in your garden, the fitness tree is perhaps an option for training (post on this coming soon.)
The other thing we have noticed is that sometimes the little pins in the end bars that release the top bar get a bit stuck, but we have found that with a bit of TLC and wd40 we have been able to get them working properly again – we did figure this out on our own and didn’t seek help from the customer support team. When looking at the X-Poles website we have found that you can buy replacements.
Prior to ordering the X-Pole A-Frame, we contacted the customer service team with a few questions like what size of silks they would recommend we bought to practice that discipline and if we could use TRX cables. We are pleased to say that we got speedy helpful responses.
In the past, we have contacted the customer support team at x-pole over some minor things to do with poles and they were very helpful in their responses then. So they do seem to be consistently good at helping customers.
If we were looking for a rig again we would buy the X-Pole A-Frame and we would recommend it to our friends as well.
If you are into aerial arts and want to practice multiple disciplines such as aerial yoga, hoop, silks, static trapeze and/or flying pole then this is a great product to buy.
If you want to practice just aerial yoga then we suggest the prodigy frame is a better option. But if you want to keep your options open for other disciples the X-Pole A-Frame is the way to go, unless you want to do dynamic drops from great heights then you should take a look at some circus rigs.
It is easy to erect, doesn’t take up much space in a shed or garage. The handy storage bag means you can pack it away and it’s kept tide.
At 35kgs, it is lighter than bigger rigs. However, if you need to carry it any distance it is probably a bit much for someone to carry on their own, so maybe invest in a little trolley on wheels to protect your back. The storage bag does come with a handle that you can pop over your shoulder or hold in your hands if you want to just take it down the garden or to your car.
We love our X-Pole A-Frame and we would get another in a heartbeat if this one ever needs replacing.
When we last checked the cost of the X-Pole A-Frame was $699 / £399 + shipping. It is possible to spread the cost using Div/Do, Klarna or Paypal credit.
Information correct at the time of writing (20th September 2021).
The rig wasn’t designed to be left outside as the top bar will rust if exposed to the elements.
Beginners and advanced students can use it. But we would recommend that if you have never had any lessons in your chosen disciple that you have some first with an experienced teacher as hanging upside down can be dangerous if not done correctly.
One of the great things about the X-pole A-Frame is that the height can be adjusted. At its lowest height, it is just 2.45m, perfect if you want to be able to practice on the ground. At the highest setting, it is 3.48m. Perfect for aerial silks, hoop or hammock at height.
The floor space required depends on what height you raise the top bar to. The lower the height the less floor space you require.
The lower height the footprint is 2.45m and at the highest setting, it is 3.48m.
So the minimum amount of space you need is 2.45m.
As standard, the top bar is 1.4m but if you want more space you can get a 2000mm (2m) top bar giving you an extra 0.6m of width.
The A-Frame from X-Pole weighs just 35kgs.
The X-Pole A-Frame comes with two handy storage bags. One for the legs and top bar and one for the sandbags and pins.
Bag One
The bag is the length of the legs and top pole. So just over 1.4m. It is the width of 5 poles (4 legs and 1 top bar).
Bag Two
The basic frame when errect we have found is perfect for hammock and hoop with minimal movement when at a lower height and also at the highest height.
Extra stability is gained by using the cord which tethers the legs together and from sandbags placed at the bottom of each leg. These are great if you feel you need an extra bit of security.
The feet also have holes in them, I’m not sure if it is what they are meant for but we have put pegs through them for extra security.
We put it up in our garden which isn’t flat. But the feet on it are brilliant. The feet are adjustable meaning that they move around so can be put on unflat surfaces.