Pole Grip Aid: How to Choose the Right Product for Sweaty or Dry Skin
- Stephanie Tallant
- Feb 23
- 3 min read
Pole Grip Aid: How to Choose the Right Product for Sweaty or Dry Skin
There’s a lot of nuance around grip aid in pole, and I think it gets oversimplified way too often.
Some people believe grip aid is bad. Others feel like they can’t pole without it.
My personal take? If it helps you, use it. And also experiment with not using it sometimes so you don’t feel completely dependent on it.
Grip aid is a tool. Like anything else, it belongs in your toolbox. Some days you’ll need that tool. Some days you won’t. Making a hard rule that you can’t use something that could turn a frustrating session into a day full of progress and wins just doesn’t make sense to me.
Now here’s the part many polers don’t realize.
Not all grip problems are the same. And not all grip aids are meant to solve the same issue.
Prefacing this next part with the fact that this is my personal experience. We are all different. We live in different environments. So take what’s helpful and leave the rest.
I train primarily on a chrome pole, which matters because grip aids interact differently with different pole finishes.
Sweaty Hands
If you struggle with sweaty hands, humidity, or sliding because of moisture, Dry Hands is usually the go to. It’s tried and true. It’s been around forever for a reason. Most people consider it the OG of pole grips. It’s alcohol based and designed to reduce sweat.
For many people, it works incredibly well.
However, I am a very dry person. So I never put Dry Hands on my body because it would do the opposite of what I need. I only use it on my hands when necessary.
If your issue is sweat, you typically want something that dries you out.
Dry Skin
If your issue is dry skin, that’s completely different. When your skin feels too smooth and you’re sliding because there’s no tack, you need something that adds grip instead of taking moisture away.
For me, Dew Point and Tree Frog Grip have both been helpful. They’re spray based and work well for dry skin. I spray them on my legs, especially around my knee pits and inner thighs, about 30 minutes before my session so the product has time to settle.
Grip It spray is another option I use. This one is very grippy. I usually reserve it for harder tricks when I want extra confidence. Sometimes I also use it at the very beginning of a session if I haven’t built up any natural moisture yet. In those cases, I spray it lightly on my legs to help get my practice going.
If your issue is dryness, you typically want something that adds tack.
A Huge Piece for Dry Polers: Moisture
Sometimes the solution isn’t more grip. It’s allowing your body to produce a little natural moisture.
One of the simplest things that helps me is warming up in loose sweatpants. Loose, not tight. That allows your legs to generate warmth and a bit of moisture without it being wicked away like it would in tight leggings.
For dry polers, that small detail can make a massive difference.
Other Things to Consider
Also look at the bigger picture.
Is the pole clean
Is there product buildup
Are you layering multiple grip aids
Are you relying on grip instead of proper lat engagement and pulling mechanics
Grip aid won’t fix a lack of engagement. But it can absolutely support you when the issue is environmental or skin based.
At the end of the day, grip is not a morality issue. It’s not stronger to suffer through a slippery session. It’s not weaker to use support. It’s about understanding what problem you’re trying to solve and choosing the right tool for that day.
Some days you’ll need it. Some days you won’t. Both are okay.
💜 If this helped clarify anything about pole grip aid, or if you have a favorite product that works for you, I’d love to hear about it in the Community Feed inside the Pole with Steph App.
Always cheering you on!
xo
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