Has anyone tried the "sport pole"

sportsforfun

My girlfriend wants a pole to start on at home. Is there a big difference in the different poles that you can buy? Does anyone have any recommendations on the best pole for beginners.

Yes, poles vary in terms of a number of things:
1) Ability to hold weight - This is obviously important, there are some VERY cheap poles around, but they can't support your body weight.
2) Static only vs static & spinning - Spinning pole is fun, but it's not necessary.
3) Finish - There are various finishes, the most obvious difference is color, white metal (chrome or stainless), or brass colored (either brass or something called electroplated gold), coated metal poles which come in an array of colors, and plastic poles (these are relatively rare). This is a matter of personal preference. I've danced on chrome, stainless, and brass poles. I strongly prefer chrome or stainless poles to brass. Some people get better stick on brass poles, but I find them to be "moodier" either I stick a ton or not at all. Again, this is personal preference.
4) Size - poles come in 50mm, 45mm, and now even 40mm. (In Australia I believe there is also a 38mm.) The old standard was 50mm, but this is quite large for a lot of women's hands, so some people strongly recommend a 45mm. But 45mm poles tend to be a little harder on thighs and knees. This again boils down to personal preference.
5) Attachment - Some poles bolt into the ceiling, while others are pressure mounted. The bolted poles are probably better if you have really high ceilings, but if you don't want to put bolts in, pressure mounted poles are the way to go. There are also free-standing poles, but I wouldn't recommend starting on one of those, plus, they tend to be more expensive.
6) Customer service - I have an x-pole, and I have had excellent customer service from them when something was initially wrong with my pole. I have heard horror stories about dealing with another leading company.
7) Workmanship - There are some cheaper poles on the market that are poorly made, have sharp edges, etc.. You want to avoid these.

The common (quality) brands that I'm aware of are: x-pole, platinum stages, and lil' mynx. I've never used a lil' mynx pole, but I know people who are reasonably happy with them.

I'm sure there are other things I'm forgetting, so other people can chime in.

If possible, I would recommend trying a few poles first. Or, if your gf will be taking classes, a common recommendation is to get a practice pole similar to what you're learning on in class.

Thanks for the info. This should help a lot.