Shannon Gallagher
Portable Ballet Barres Review
Updated: Dec 9, 2020
There are so many choices for portable ballet barres, especially now that we're in a pandemic and many dance classes have been forced to be taught online. But how do you choose which one is right for your dancer?
For starters, if you're not sure your dancer will want to use a portable ballet barre, or you don't think you have the space for a portable barre, let them use the back of a chair. It does the trick when you're in a bind.
However, if your dancer is en pointe, or he/she is really just begging to have a ballet barre at home, this would be a good time to look into portable barres. Here is my fave...
This portable ballet barre is an amazing deal. First let's start by just talking about the barre itself (never mind all the extras that come with it). The feet of the barre have non-slip "feet" that keep the barre from sliding or moving while your dancer is using it, and they won't scratch your floor. The barre is made of aluminum, so it's light weight, your dancer can pick it up and move it to wherever in your house he/she will be taking class. All of the connections of the aluminum have rubber on them, so there's no risk of hurting yourself on the edges. It's 4 feet wide, the perfect width for one dancer, or even two dancers (one on each side). And the height is adjustable, from 3 feet to 4 feet high.
Now let's look at all the extras! The barre comes with a carrying case! So when it's not in use, you can fold it up and put it away in its case. Or, you can turn the feet of the barre so they are parallel with the barre and store the whole thing against a wall (behind a couch or wherever). You can also purchase a version of it with a wooden barre, and steel legs. The wooden barre comes with a choice of white, black or blue steel legs. There's also a stretch band, so before and after class, your dancer can work on flexibility, as well as a turning board.
I haven't found any portable barres with as much "bang for the buck" as this one. There are a ton of choices, but when you're looking for the best deal for the money, I'd definitely recommend this one!