So I invested in an A frame so that I could do aerial yoga and hoop (lyra) at home. Possibly not the best made plan as the rain hasn’t stopped since it arrived meaning I’ve only just managed to get it up in the garden to play. It’s awesome to be upside down at home…..after all life is better upside down 🙂
The A-FRAME was created by the makers of the most popular portable dance pole – X-Pole. The aerial rig was designed to be a portable aerial rig. It can be used for Hammocks, Silks, Hoops, Static Trapeze and the X-FLY Flying Pole. The height of the rig is adjustable between the heights of 2.45m up to 3.48m.
It costs £399 (at the time of writing) and you do get quite a lot for your money….including Carry cases, Full instructions (see review), Additional weight bags for maximum stability (Sand not included), Stabilisation straps supplied for extra rigidity at taller heights, 1.4m top bar supplied with product (2m extended top bar sold separately)
The rig is made from lightweight aluminium frame so it gives you maximum portability and it can be used inside (if your ceilings are high enough) or outside.
A Personal Review of the X-Pole A Frame for Aerial Yoga, Silks & Hoop/Lyra
First of all I came home to find a huge box (how exciting) in the hallway, it’s such a good job my husband took delivery, I had no idea just how heavy 35kg was, I do now! I had to push the box into the kitchen so I could unpack it. To start of with the box had the wrong instructions in, but I only found that out after I had unpacked the entire box, to discover that the contents didn’t match. But the x-pole team replied quickly on Monday morning to my email that I had sent on Friday night. The answer was that the wrong instructions had been supplied. Apparently the packing team had packed the wrong instructions in the box. Looking online I have found that some people never received any instructions at all. Not very helpful! But it did mean that I’d unpacked the box and then repacked the box whilst I awaited instructions on what to do about the missing pieces (that were not actually missing).
I also discovered that there were a few aesthetic issues with the pole, a bangs in the material, but nothing too serious. Nothing worth making a fuss about.
When I unpacked the box a second time to move it all to the carry bags (there are two – one for the poles and one for the leg connectors), I discovered you have to do this in a certain order, otherwise it just doesn’t work. A few words about this in the instructions would be very useful……So the first time I packed the pole into the carry bags it took a good while, however the second time was much much quicker, but still a little fiddly.
My main negative point about the carry bags is that all the poles go into one bag. The bag is designed to be carried by one person.. Now i’m not the strongest girl in the world but I’m not weak either and the bag is so heavy…..it would be better if the poles came in two bags. A faff having to carry more bags too and from the car, but from a health and safety perspective, the bag is just too heavy for one person. It’s over 30kgs! I’m going to get a second bag for the top pole so that it makes the rig more manageable for carrying around, after all I don’t want me or anyone else carrying the rig have an injured back.
Then comes to putting the rig up, it’s a 2 person job – which isn’t stated in the online info, it’s only when you look at the instructions manual you find it out. So if you think like an x-pole you can put it up on your own, think again.
It’s been raining forever in a freak bout of English summer so actually getting it constructed took forever as I had to wait for a break in the weather to coincide with my work/family schedule.
In the meantime I experimented with a leg to see how it went up and well, I think that was a mistake as the holes didn’t seem to line up, but I had seen this on a couple of forums that this could be an issue. A call to x-pole is probably required……..
I didn’t actually call x-pole as i figured it out on my own, the instructions state to never go past the white stop cap – otherwise you will get a stuck pole or the poles will come apart. This must mean when you pull the middle pole up from the bottom pole -, because if you don’t go above the top of the middle pole with the top pole you never find a hole – what you are actually looking for is for the top pole to be totally above the middle pole. The instructions could do with a little more clarity.
Finally a dry evening – time to get the A-Frame up and a hammock hung from it. IT WAS AWESOME WHEN I GOT TO HANG UPSIDE DOWN IN THE HAMMOCK.
We discovered that once the telescopic legs were in the leg connectors and the frame was upright that it was best to pull the top poles and immediately put the pin in to keep the bottom and middle pole together, that way it was easier to fully pull out the top pole. There are three holes, its a guess as the instructions are lacking, but the three holes allow for a range of heights and when combined with a combination of the holes in the middle to bottom pole you must be able to construct the frame at the range of heights indicated in the instruction manual – the instructions don’t actually tell you how to achieve the range of heights it mentions.
I’d say it took the two of us 5-10 minutes to put the frame up and 5 minutes to take it down, which we did when it started raining.
We only put it up at it’s lowest height as I was only doing hammock stuff.
It’s fiddly, but once you have done it a time or two it will be a doddle.
That’s another thing that isn’t indicated in the manual – can the pole stay outside – it states that its for indoor-outdoor use but there is no mention of whether it can be left up outside, so to be on the safe side we ripped it down. A discussion on a forum suggests that you can’t. But would be nice for x-pole to clarify this in the instructions.
Top Marks for X-Pole customer service though. The time I have contacted them they have been speedy to reply and helpful is resolving issues….the instructions just need to be better!
Delivery – wasn’t quick as once my order had been placed, they said it was out of stock. I tried to source a hammock from them but they said they had no idea when they would be back in stock. A-frame took a few weeks to arrive and I sourced a hammock elsewhere (firetoys prestige) as a friend said she had been waiting several months for a set of hammocks to arrive at her studio.
Would have to question if they keep things in stock or if they are just extremely popular or having issues with their supplier.
So first proper use of the aerial hammock today, second time constructing the A-Frame, was much quicker as I knew what I was doing. Tried the second hole on the top pole, making it a little taller. Was very stable so will be happy try it at a slightly higher height next time we get a dry couple of hours forecast. After thinking that all poles in one bag was a bit much, I did carry the bag over my shoulder along with the leg connector bag down the garden to put them in the shed. Not sure I’d like to walk a long way, but it was possible.
In Summary
Things were not in stock when I ordered, customer service were quick to respond to emails, I had to source a hammock elsewhere, the A-Frame was scratched on arrival (and I noticed many more scratches when I actually got around to putting it up). It’s quick to put up and take down. Packing away is a but fiddly. I think the poles should be in more than one bag for easier carrying. The instructions state two people are needed for construction and taking down, although it might be possible to come up with a system so you can do it on your own, like one of x-poles competitors in the USA.
But would I buy again? YES as it’s great value for money and more portable than other rigs currently available in the UK. It’s perfect for a beginner and those that want to practice at home.
You can buy an A-frame from x-pole. They also sell hammocks, hoops and silks.