Too Hot To Handle:
Pole Dancing Gloves
To The Rescue!

Pole dancing gloves are one of those fabulous little items that every woman should take along on her pole dancing adventure.


They're inexpensive, easy to slip on and off, look great, and serve a very practical purpose.


If you've ever experienced pole burn on your forearms you'll know what I'm talking about!

Actually, the term "pole dance gloves" is a bit misleading, since the best pole dancing gloves aren't actually gloves. They're more like a gauntlet or an arm warmer, since they don't cover your palm or your fingers (a big safety no-no on the pole!).

These gloves are meant to protect your forearms from pole burn, which is an all too common hazard, especially for beginners. You might also experience this from a long pole dancing session involving spins, perhaps when you're working hard to master a new spin and you're repeating the move over and over.

There are actual gloves available that are marketed in both "tack" and "no-tack" variations, but I really don't recommend these for everyday pole dancing. In fact, I asked several advanced pole dancers to try out these pole dance gloves and give me their opinion, and without exception not one found them to be particularly useful.

Here's what one instructor said about the "tack" gloves after I asked her to test them:

This instructor felt that, while the gloves did provide good grip while climbing, they actually hindered her dancing in other ways.

They didn't allow her to spin, and even basic moves on the pole were a challenge as her pole hand was always "sticky." She also found the gloves made her hands quite hot, which was quite uncomfortable.

The "no-tack" variety received even worse reviews. They didn't help at all with grip while climbing, and actually made spinning more difficult as the palm of the gloves would bunch and twist, even with a very snug fit.

The pole dancers who tested the no-tack gloves had nothing good to say about them, and instead suggested that it's better to build up a bit of callous on the palm. This takes patience at first when hands are soft and tender and blisters form easily. But with patience and perseverance the problem does pass.

All of the reviewers felt that these pole dancing gloves were not only unhelpful, but that they actually make it more difficult to learn pole dancing moves. The exception was the tack gloves if you only need help climbing the pole. But because they aren't good for spins and other moves, it's debatable whether it's worth putting them on in the first place.

For this reason, I suggest that dancers use pole grip products instead of pole dancing gloves that cover the palms.

Are There Any Good Pole Dancing Gloves?

You can whip up a pair easily enough if you're handy with a sewing machine, but most people will probably prefer to just buy a pair (or two or three) since they're not really very expensive.

My favourite type is made of a fishnet weave. This provides enough coverage to protect your forearm from pole burn, but also helps keeps you cool because of the open weave. In fact, I stock this type exclusively in my studio boutique due to popular demand.

If you have a pole dancing studio in your city, check to see if they carry something similar. Otherwise you can probably order a pair online through ebay or amazon.

Remember though, that you only want to consider gloves or arm warmers that do NOT cover your palm. Typically this type will have a small loop that goes around your middle finger or your thumb.

Be cautious, as there are many types of gauntlets that do cover the palm, and these are notoriously slippery and not intended for pole dancing where climbs and spins are involved.

If in doubt, make sure you contact the seller before you buy. Just tell them what you want to use the gloves for and explain that you're looking for something that does not have fabric on any part of the palm.

In the meantime, if pole burn is a problem for you and you're waiting for your new gloves to arrive, try loosening up on your grip just a touch. A grip that's too tight can result in your forearm wrapping around the pole as you spin, and it's this friction that causes pole burn...ouch!

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