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Find Your Poi Style
Find the Poi style that is right for you!
UltraPoi has designed many products that will fit any style; whether it be Contact, Glow Stick or Sock Poi.
About Our LED Contact Poi
Ultra Poi’s Orb LED Contact Poi is a unique take on poi ball technology that changes the way Flow Arts are performed. Its distinct spherical shape allows performers to roll the LED poi across their body, and it creates more consistent-looking light trails from different angles.
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Orbs have been engineered with durability in mind, using thick rope and soft silicone parts protecting the user. They also feature micro usb rechargeable batteries to spin all night, and multi-color LEDs to customize your light show. These benefits of the orb poi make it a great starting point for newcomers and an effective creative tool for more advanced flow artists.The Basics of LED Poi
If you’re new to poi, that’s okay! This brief introduction to the art form will catch you up on the LED poi phenomenon. Let’s begin with regular poi.
If you’ve ever seen ribbon dancing, fire-spinning, or juggling, then you should at least have an idea of what poi is. Poi is a performance art that incorporates props. Specifically, poi performers use weights connected by ropes to create patterns by spinning them in the air. It’s an art form that originated within the Maori tribes of New Zealand, but it has taken on a more modern form today.
LED poi uses the same basic tools as traditional poi - weights tethered by ropes - but the weights contain LEDs that, when spun, leave trails of light in the air. LED poi performers use these light trails to create designs or patterns, often while performing to music. The addition of modern lighting technology and modern music has allowed people to take the poi art form to another level. They’ve breathed new life into it, and as a result LED poi has become one of the most popular flow arts, with a dedicated community who is eager to carry on poi tradition and expand it into new territory.
Advancements in LED poi technology have allowed flow artists to express their creativity like never before. LED poi now come in a variety of sizes and shapes, from balls, to sticks, to socks, to pods, to nunchucks, whips, and sabers. One of the newest variations in LED poi is the orb ball 97 mm style contact poi.
Benefits of Orb Poi
The orb poi design is relatively new, and it provides some distinct benefits for both beginners and experts that makes it worth trying out.
For beginners, orb poi offers every basic feature one needs to get started. The LEDs have 12 different color modes to switch between, as well as 3 flashing patterns, plus a demo function, so beginners will have plenty of creative options. The micro usb rechargeable battery provides a full night of spinning and recharges quickly so you never have to deal with wasteful disposable batteries. There’s also an option to add LED chips into the knob grips, which will glow in your hands and enhance the light show while you perform. The grips are primarily designed to improve the performer’s control over the poi while they’re spinning it and allow for you to spot the grips in mid air while catching a toss type trick. For beginners, the small, ergonomic silicone grips of the orb LED contact poi provide ample control and make it easier for them to attempt advanced moves like tosses once they are comfortable performing more basic ones.
For advanced poi performers, the orb poi will allow you to augment your usual techniques. Due to its spherical shape, the LED orbs can be rolled across your arms, hands, or body using tricks known as “contact rolls”. They also firmly maintain their shape during wraps and tosses making them more predictable to catch consistently vs a more limp and floppy poi set. Another benefit to the orb designs is that it will look the same from any angle. An elongated LED poi will create a different light pattern if it is swung horizontally (thick trails) or vertically (thin trails), which some performers prefer. The patterns created by the orb LED contact poi have more consistent thickness for an amazing light show.
For both beginners and experts, orb LED contact poi offers different benefits. Due to their relatively low cost, orb poi is a great way for newcomers to get started, and for more advanced performers to try out of curiosity.
How to Use Orb LED Contact Poi
If you’re looking to try out flow arts and poi for yourself, there are some common moves you can learn to create an amazing light show. Using Ultra Poi’s Orb LED Contact Poi, you can practice these beginner-level techniques until you are comfortable enough to attempt more advanced tech and contact moves.
With poi, you can use just one arm, or your entire body. It requires excellent coordination and concentration to achieve more advanced moves, so don’t feel discouraged if you can’t perform Air Wraps or Hybrids. Start with simpler moves, like the 3 beat weave or butterfly, and work your way up. An effective method for improving your coordination for poi, is to practice spinning the poi on a flat plane and walk around it. As you walk around it, try to keep the poi straight and locked to that plane. Think of the plane as your canvas and the poi as your paintbrush. This will help you to create uniform light patterns with intention, rather than swinging the poi around randomly.
The purpose of using poi is to express your creativity, just like any other art form. So don’t feel like you need to perform these techniques exactly as intended. Practice them until you feel comfortable wielding your poi tools. Then, go off the beaten path and try creating some moves of your own. Once you begin to master the fundamentals of poi you will start to feel the “Flow” which is your muscle memory taking over and trick improvisation happening organically. The greatest advancements for poi are not technological, they’re artistic.
Where to Use Poi
Spinning LED poi is usually performed at night or in the dark, so that the lights glow brighter and the performer is less visible. This is especially important for creating more complex light patterns since light trails require a bright, lingering glow. A huge benefit of safe LED poi over traditional fire poi is that they can be used indoors without the risk of burning. Although Orb LED Contact Poi are a great set for practicing during the day, you’ll want to wait until dark to turn on the LEDs to get the full light show experience from your performance.
As for where LED poi is performed, you can find performances at various concerts, festivals, raves, and performance art conventions. The famous Burning Man festival in Reno, Nevada has been known to feature Fire and LED poi performances. It may be performed with glow sticks instead of high quality orb contact poi, but it’s still flow arts. Flow arts can exist in various forms after all.
Should You Buy Orb LED Contact Poi?
Ultra Poi’s Orb LED Contact Poi is an excellent entry point for newcomers and a unique creative tool for experienced flow artists. It represents yet another advancement in LED poi technology that will allow users to continue pushing the art form in new directions. If that interests you, then considering giving orb poi a try.
If you’re interested in trying other shapes or sizes of LED poi, we have various LED poi sets to check out.
About Our LED GLOW STICK POI
UltraPoi’s Helix LED Poi offers greater performance, customization, and protection than most poi on the market. It’s many excellent features provide both newcomers and experts plenty of ways to augment their Unique Flow Art using the poi’s glow stick design.
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In this article, we’ll be covering the distinct benefits of using LED glow stick poi, recommending the best glow stick poi to buy, and explaining how to improve your Flow Art with LED glow stick poi.BENEFITS OF LED GLOW STICK POI
Ultra Poi’s Helix LED Poi Set comes in a durable gear bag and includes two UltraGrip handles, two helix cases (one for each glow stick), one UltraLeash, and two UltraLight LED glow sticks. The reason we recommend you buy this particular LED glow stick poi set is because you get a lot of bang for your buck. As a flow artist, not only does this mean you’ll get your money’s worth, it also means you’ll have plenty of tools with which to express your creativity.
Here are the aspects of Ultra Poi’s Helix LED Poi Set that make it the best LED glow stick poi for both beginners and experts, or anyone wanting greater performance, customization, and protection from their poi.
PERFORMANCE
Ultra Poi designed their helix poi, first and foremost, to perform well. What does that mean for flow artists exactly? It means you can focus less on the poi itself and more on the art you’re creating.
Thanks to the helix poi’s seamless single loop handles and high quality swivels, performers have full control of the poi at all times, no matter how complex the spinning. The cord of this LED glow stick poi is also designed to reduce drag when sliding across the other cord, such as when performing orbitals.
CUSTOMIZATION
The best customization option you get with Ultra Poi’s helix poi is the ability to change the colors, color modes, and strobing patterns of the LEDs on either side of each glow stick… Independently from one another!
The LEDs inside each of Ultra Poi’s helix poi are separated down the middle of the glow stick. This allows you to control the LEDs inside one half of the glow stick poi independently from the other half. Considering the vast amount of color options you already have with one half of an Ultra Poi glow stick, the thought of combining those color options with two halves of the same glow stick is mind-boggling. For any flow artist, this poi technology truly expands the range of colors and patterns at your disposal for creating amazing light trails.
With Ultra Poi’s helix poi, you have 15 different colors to choose from, 4 sequence options, and 6 color modes with 12 distinct strobing patterns. Once you’ve experimented with the various options and found some combinations you like, you can program them into the helix poi to use at any time.
PROTECTION
Protection may not be your top priority when shopping for poi, but it’s worth considering. If you think about it, you’re swinging your poi around at high speeds. An accident is bound to happen at some point.
The protective helix cases offered by Ultra Poi provide sufficient padding for your glow sticks, in case you drop them on the ground or fling them into a wall. Best of all, the casing does not impede the accuracy and reliability of your poi while spinning, since it is designed to precisely fit each poi. This also makes the two buttons on each glow stick poi easily accessible, since the protective case is aligned with them.
Overall, the high quality materials Ultra Poi uses to construct the helix poi improve performance, provide plenty of customization options, and protect your LED glow stick poi from any potential accidents. To truly take advantage of these benefits, you’ll need to learn how to properly use your Helix LED Poi.
HOW TO USE LED GLOW STICK POI
CONTROLLING THE DOUBLE-SIDED LED LIGHTS
On each glow stick poi, there are two buttons that control the LED lights, one for each half of the glow stick. Remember, this means you can control the lights in each half of the LED glow stick poi independently from one another. Here’s how to switch between colors, modes, and other options found in the Helix LED Poi from Ultra Poi.
- To turn the LEDs on, click their respective button once.
- To cycle through the 6 different color modes, click the buttons multiple times.
- To cycle through the 12 options within each color mode, hold down the buttons while the color mode you want is selected. As long as you hold down the buttons, the lights will continue to cycle through the 12 options until you let go.
- To turn off the poi, hold down the buttons briefly (about 2-3 seconds) and let go.
UPGRADING THE KNOBS
The Helix LED Poi Set now comes with silicone knobs, which can be easily upgraded with lighted inserts. Here’s how you can apply and use those lighted inserts.
- First, let’s take a look at the inserts’ USB port, which is used for recharging. Remove the clear plastic battery tab from the inserts to reveal the USB port and charge it for at least 30 minutes.
- To apply the insert to your poi’s knob, simply press the insert into the knob until it is secure.
- Once you’ve applied the lighted insert to the knob, you can squeeze the top and bottom of the knob (you should hear a click) once to change modes. Squeeze and hold the top and bottom of the knob to change its strobing pattern.
- To turn off the lighted insert, squeeze and hold the top and bottom until the lights turn off.
APPLYING THE PROTECTIVE CASING
If you’re interested in protecting your helix poi, the helix cases are designed to precisely fit each glow stick. Here’s how to quickly insert the glow sticks into their cases.
- Start by inserting the flat end of the LED glow stick poi into the bottom of the protective case.
- Once the bottom is secure, press the rest of the LED glow stick poi into the case until it is secure too.
- Rotate the poi inside of the case so that its buttons line up with the small button-sized, raised portions of the case. This will allow you to easily press the buttons with the case on.
- Lastly, pull the rope attached to the top of the case to close it.
ADJUSTING THE ROPE LENGTH
When adjusting the rope connecting the LED glow stick poi to the knobs, a common suggestion is to hang the poi by your sides and adjust their length so the poi are about 2 inches from the ground. Of course, you may discover a length that works better for you, so try adjusting the rope further if 2 inches isn’t quite enough.
- To adjust the length of the rope, pull it through the attached ring.
- Once you decide on a length, cut the excess rope and use a lighter to burn the cut end until it melts and hardens.
With these instructions, you should now be able to use your LED glow stick poi with ease, and utilize all its best features. Learning the ins and outs of your poi is the easiest way to improve your Flow Art.
HOW TO TAKE YOUR FLOW ART TO THE NEXT LEVEL
Ultra Poi’s Helix LED Poi is a highly customizable Flow Art tool, designed with performance and protection in mind. But if that’s not enough for you, or if you have specific performance needs, Ultra Poi offers upgrades to the standard Helix LED Poi set that will help you take your Flow Art to the next level.
ULTRA KNOBS
The standard helix poi set comes with silicone UltraGrips, which provide a sturdy grip during toss tricks. However, you can upgrade the UltraGrips to Ultraknobs, which are equally sturdy and easy to grip, but also light up with customizable LED colors. This adds another source of light for you to use when creating light trails.
DOUBLE HELIX POI
If the UltraKnobs aren’t enough, you can outright replace your handles with additional helix poi. This means you’d have two poi per UltraLeash, allowing you to wield the LED poi like nunchucks. The Double Helix Poi set creates the most vibrant light shows of any helix poi set.
For other popular poi sets, such as the LED contact orb poi or vortex poi, take a look at Ultra Poi’s poi balls collection.
ABOUT OUR LED SOCK POI
UltraPoi’s Vortex LED Poi provides users two distinct performance options for the price of one, along with the brightest LEDs in its price range. Plus, each half of the poi ball contains separate LEDs whose colors can be controlled independently from one another, just like UltraPoi’s Helix Poi.
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That means you can make one half of the vortex poi a different color from the other half, or even choose different strobing patterns. The standard vortex poi set from UltraPoi comes with…- 2 UltraPoi LED balls
- 2 Vortex Cases
- 2 UltraSocks
- 2 non-LED UltraGrip handles
- 1 UltraLeash
- 1 gear bag
It does not come standard with batteries or a charger, in case you already have them. But if you don’t have them, UltraPoi has included an upgraded vortex poi set that includes rechargeable batteries and a charger. We’ll discuss upgrades later in the article. First, let’s cover the various benefits of buying the vortex poi set, which includes UltraSocks that transform your vortex poi into LED sock poi.
BENEFITS OF LED SOCK AND VORTEX POI
TWO SETS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
The foundations of UltraPoi’s vortex poi set are the transparent LED balls, which can be placed inside the silicone Vortex Cases to form vortex poi. The vortex poi (LED ball with silicone casing) can then be placed inside a sock to form sock poi. These set-ups result in very distinct light shows, so the fact that they belong to the same LED poi set means that buyers receive two high-quality poi sets for the price of one.
BRIGHTEST LEDS IN ITS PRICE RANGE
The high-intensity LEDs found in UltraPoi’s vortex poi are the brightest you can buy at their price. These are essential for lighting the long end of the UltraSocks for LED sock poi performances. They’re also bright enough to create light trails in a wide variety of light conditions, so you don’t have to find a dark room or wait until night to use the sock poi or vortex poi thanks to their high-intensity LEDs.
HEAVY POI
The vortex poi are heavy, making them ideal for intermediate and advanced poi users who understand how to use the moment of their poi to effectively (and safely) create complex light trails. Beginners may struggle to achieve certain moves due to the vortex poi’s heavy weight, so we recommend newer flow artists practice with the LED orb contact poi or helix poi first.
Intermediate and advanced flow artists, especially those familiar with contact poi, will feel right at home performing stalls and other moves that benefit from heavier poi. Plus, some performers, no matter the level, simply prefer heavier poi. Remember, the best poi isn’t the one you buy, but the one you master.
WHICH UPGRADES SHOULD YOU BUY?
On its own, the LED vortex poi and sock poi are highly customizable. However, there are even more options to customize them at checkout. Dedicated flow artists will want to consider the following upgrades…
UPGRADE 1: BATTERIES AND CHARGER
If you don’t already own rechargeable AAA batteries and a charger for them, UltraPoi will provide them to you as an upgrade. Each vortex poi requires two AAA batteries, so UltraPoi offers an upgrade with four AAA rechargeable batteries and one charger with four battery bays. You can upgrade to the AAA rechargeable batteries, or to the four-bay charger separately or together. Simply click “Extras” and select an upgrade option from the drop-down menu.
UPGRADE 2: LED HANDLES
An easy way to enhance your Flow Art is to upgrade your non-LED UltraGrip handles to customizable UltraKnobs or helix glow stick handles. The standard silicone UltraGrips are great for just about any kind of spinning, but if you want to take your performances to the next level, consider upgrading to handles with LEDs. By doing so, you’ll be doubling the number of light trails with each spin and creating an even richer color spectrum, since you’ll also have additional options for colors and color modes.
UPGRADE 3: ADDITIONAL POI
The Vortex Poi Set comes with two poi by default, but you can upgrade to a 3-poi set too. This can be great if you want to start learning how to juggle poi or work on your 3 Poi Style moves. Maybe you want an extra vortex poi or LED sock poi as a back-up in case one of your others is damaged or runs out of battery. Or maybe you want to give one to a friend to try. After all, it’s cheaper to buy two 3-poi sets than three 2-poi sets. You could introduce a couple of friends to Flow Art using the LED sock poi or vortex poi variations. Whatever the reason, the option is available for you to upgrade the 2-poi set to a 3-poi set.
HOW TO USE LED SOCK AND VORTEX POI
INSERTING BATTERIES AND CHARGING
Each LED ball in UltraPoi’s Vortex Poi Set requires two AAA batteries. You can order your set with four rechargeable AAA batteries and a 4-bay charging station.
Once the batteries are charged, you can insert them into the LED balls though the battery compartment, opposite the high-intensity LED and two control buttons. To open the battery compartment door, pinch its sides, and slide it off. Remove the plastic spacer inside the compartment before inserting the batteries, and place it overtop of the batteries after you’ve inserted them. Slide on the compartment door before using the LED balls.
SETTING UP THE VORTEX POI
To set up the vortex poi, stretch open the silicone Vortex Case and place the LED ball inside with the larger LED facing forward. The battery compartment should be facing the back of the case, and the two control buttons next to the large LED should be easily accessible (not covered by any part of the case).
Next, attach the UltraLeash to the vortex poi by running it through the loop at the back of the case. Slide the o-ring that comes with the set onto the leash and run the short end of the leash through it. Adjust the leash length to be about two inches from the ground when the poi are hanging at your sides. You can cut and burn the excess leash after you’ve adjusted it to your preferred length.
SETTING UP THE SOCK POI
To set up the LED sock poi, first set up the vortex poi, then fit it inside the sock. Flip the sock inside out and find the velcro strap. This strap will run through the loop at the top of the vortex case. Once secure, the vortex poi can be inserted into the sock with the loop facing forward and the large LED facing away. Finally, attach your handles to the end of the sock and you’re ready to spin.
CHANGING COLORS AND MODES
The LEDs in the vortex poi set allow for 15 distinct shades of color, 6 color modes, and 12 strobing patterns. They are controlled by two buttons on either side of the large, high-intensity LEDs on the vortex poi’s front side. One of the buttons controls said high-intensity LEDs, while the other controls the low-intensity LEDs on the battery compartment side. To change the colors of either LED, repeatedly press the buttons. To access sub modes within each color, hold the button down until the light begins to cycle through options. To turn the LEDs off, hold their respective buttons down for about two seconds and let go.
SHOULD YOU BUY LED SOCK AND VORTEX POI?
If you’re an intermediate or advanced flow artist with a preference for heavier poi, then you’ll love UltraPoi’s Vortex Poi set. Furthermore, if you’re seeking lots of bang for your buck, this poi set provides two distinct ways to spin for the price of one, as well as the brightest LEDs in its price range. It’s also highly upgradable and easy to use with basic instruction.
If you’re a beginner, or you prefer lighter poi, check out UltraPoi’s full collection of LED poi sets.
