Gift Ideas for Pole Dancers and Aerialists They'll Actually Use

The best gifts for pole dancers and aerialists are things that make training more comfortable or give them more of it: a pair of wrist wraps, a waist warmer for cold studios, a heat pack for cosy evenings after class, a class pack at their own studio, their favourite grip aid or a really good hoodie. If you don't know their size or their taste, a gift card is the safe choice, and ours arrives by email straight after checkout so it works for last-minute birthdays too.

I teach pole, so I see what people actually bring to class and use every week, and that's what this list is based on. Some of it is ours and some of it isn't, because a good gift is about the person and not about the shop.

What do pole dancers and aerialists actually want?

Most of us want more time in the air and fewer reasons to stop, so the gifts that land are the practical ones. Things that keep them warm, comfortable and training, or that pay for the training itself, get used every week, while decorative pole-themed things tend to end up in a drawer.

A few things are very personal and worth avoiding unless you know exactly what they like, such as pole heels, grip aids they haven't tried and anything that needs a precise size you're guessing. Where size matters, I've put a tip for finding it out without spoiling the surprise.

Wrist wraps for anyone who trains on their hands

Pole, hoop, silks and handstands all put a lot of weight through the wrists, so a pair of wrist wraps is a gift that gets used in nearly every class. Ours are compression wraps with firm elastic where the load goes, and they sit low on the wrist so they never cover the palm or fingers that grip the pole. Each pair is cut and sewn by hand in Slovenia from upcycled designer fabric.

There are two ways to make it feel special. Our Regular designs are €34 and get restocked, so they're the easy choice if you just want a good pair. Our Limited Editions are €39 and each one is a single pair, so once it's sold the design is gone, which makes it a genuinely one-off gift that nobody else in their class will have.

The tricky part is size, because our wraps go by the measurement around the wrist. S (14.5 to 15.5 cm) and M (16 to 17.5 cm) are kept in stock, and XS (under 14.5 cm) and L (over 18 cm) are made to measure, which takes one to two weeks. If they're between sizes, take the smaller one for firmer support. To find out without asking, you could measure a bracelet or watch strap they wear snugly, or ask a friend from their class to help. My guide on how to measure your wrist size shows exactly where to measure.

If they don't love the pair, standard pairs can be returned unworn within 14 days of arriving, so trying them on is fine. Made-to-measure pairs are cut for one person, so they can't be returned under that right.

A waist warmer for the one who's always cold

Every class has someone who arrives in three layers and never quite warms up. A waist warmer is a soft, stretchy band that sits around the waist and lower back over their training clothes, so they can stay warm through the warm-up, stretching and the waiting between turns, and keep it on for most of a pole class. Hoop people often like one as a soft layer between the hoop and their back as well.

Ours are €25 and sized by waist measurement, with S for 62 to 72 cm, M for 70 to 80 cm and L for 74 to 86 cm. My guide to waist warmers for dancers explains how they're worn in class.

A heat pack for cosy evenings after training

Our heat pack is a heart-shaped cotton pack, 26 by 20 cm, filled with rice and lavender, and it costs €14. You warm it in the microwave following the instructions on the product page, and it can also go in the freezer if they'd rather have something cool. It's a lovely small gift for winter, because it's nice to hold on the way to class, tuck around the shoulders on the sofa or rest on the lower back while getting changed.

Two sensible notes to pass on with it. They should always check the temperature against the inside of their wrist before putting it on their skin, and they shouldn't use heat on a fresh injury, because the NHS advice on sprains and strains is to avoid heat for the first couple of days. It's there for warmth and comfort, and anything that hurts after a fall needs checking rather than warming up.

A gift card when you don't know their size or style

If you're not sure about sizes or which design they'd pick, a gift card lets them choose. Ours come in €25, €50, €75 and €100, and they arrive by email straight after checkout as a picture of the card with its own code, so you can forward it, print it and put it in a card, or save it for the day. There's no shipping to pay for it.

They type the code at checkout, it works on every design in the shop, and whatever they don't spend stays on the card for next time. Because it arrives by email, it's also the answer when you've remembered the birthday on the day.

Gift ideas that aren't from SneakyDeez

Some of the best presents for a pole dancer or aerialist come from somewhere else entirely, and these are the ones I'd suggest.

A class pack or workshop at their studio

More classes are the gift most dancers would choose for themselves. Ask their studio whether it sells gift vouchers, class passes or places on workshops, private lessons or a showcase, and buy it from the studio directly so the money goes to the people teaching them. This one works brilliantly for beginners and for people who've been training for years.

Their favourite grip aid

Grip aids are personal, because some are made for dry skin and some for sweaty hands, and studios sometimes have rules about which ones are allowed on their poles. So rather than guessing, find out which one they already use and buy them a fresh bottle, because everybody runs out at the worst moment.

A cosy hoodie or zip top

Pole needs bare skin, so dancers spend a lot of class peeling layers off and putting them back on between turns. A soft, loose hoodie or zip top that's easy to pull on and off gets worn constantly, and it's an easy gift to get right if you size up a little.

A foam roller

A lot of dancers like to roll out their back, legs and shoulders at home after training because it feels good, and a foam roller is something people often mean to buy and never get round to. A medium-firm one is a safe choice if you don't know their preference.

Pole dancer gift ideas by budget

Grip aid, hoodie, foam roller and class prices vary a lot depending on the brand and the studio, so those are rough guides.

When should you order for birthdays, Christmas and Valentine's?

I pack and post every order myself within one to three working days, and the carriers estimate two to ten working days for Europe and the UK, one to two weeks for the USA and Canada, and one to three weeks for Australia and Asia. Those are estimates, and customs and busy seasons can add time, so for Christmas and Valentine's it's worth ordering in good time. Made-to-measure XS and L pairs need one to two weeks to make on top of that.

If the date has crept up on you, the gift card is the one that can't arrive late, since it comes by email.

Masha's tip: If your whole pole class wants wraps, someone can start a group buy where everyone picks their own pair through one shared link and it all arrives in one parcel, with 10% off from two pairs. It makes a fun studio Secret Santa, and everybody gets the size they actually need.

Whatever you choose, a note saying you're proud of how far they've come on the pole probably means as much as the present. If they're just starting out, my guide to your first month of pole is a nice thing to send along with it, and if they're more experienced, the guide to wrist wraps for pole explains how to get the most from a new pair.