Two silks hanging from the ceiling — and suddenly your body becomes a means of expression. Aerial silks is one of the most versatile disciplines of aerial acrobatics, and getting started is easier than you think.
Here's everything you need to know: which aerial silks to buy, how to hang them safely, which figures you'll learn as a beginner, and what to consider when training at home — even if children are training with you.
The most important things in brief
- Aerial silks are suitable for everyone — no gymnastics background needed
- Standard length: 8–10 meters, ceiling height at least 2.50 m
- Cost: Beginner sets from €60, aerial silks with suspension from €100–150
- Suspension only on load-bearing ceilings (concrete or solid wooden beams)
- First figures: Footlock, Hiplock, Pencil, Star — learnable in the first few lessons
- Clothing: close-fitting, no zippers, armpits and back of knees free
What is aerial silks? Aerial Silk explained simply
Aerial silks — internationally known as Aerial Silk or Aerial Silks — is a discipline of aerial silk acrobatics where you climb, wrap yourself, and hold figures in the air on two long fabric strips hanging from the ceiling. Unlike aerial hoop or trapeze, you work with flexible material that you can wrap, tie, and loop around your body. This makes aerial silks gymnastics both the most versatile and technically demanding aerial discipline.
Basically, aerial silks are accessible to everyone — you don't need a circus background or to be able to do the splits to start. As an aerial silks beginner, you build strength, grip, and technique step by step in training. Most studios offer introductory courses, and in the first few hours, you'll already learn simple figures that feel impressive. If you're interested in the calmer variation, you can also try aerial yoga — there, you train with a low-hanging fabric and focus on stretching rather than acrobatics.
Buying aerial silks: Material, length, and costs
Buying aerial silks is worthwhile if you train regularly and know that you will stick with it. For aerial silks material, you have three options: nylon with stretch (standard, beginner-friendly, good grip), low-stretch nylon (less stretch, more precise control for drops), and cheaper polyester blends. For beginners, stretch-nylon is recommended — it's more forgiving of mistakes and more comfortable on the skin.
The aerial silks length depends on your ceiling height: standard is 8–10 meters for 4–5 meters ceiling height; for home use (2.5–3 m ceiling), 6–7 meters are sufficient. Width is usually 160–180 cm — when folded, this results in the two fabric strips you work with. Minimum ceiling height for meaningful training: 2.50 meters.
What do aerial silks cost? A pure fabric can be had for €60, a set of aerial silks with suspension from €100–150. Professional silks cost €150–250. If you buy aerial silks and suspension separately, expect to pay another €50–150 for carabiners, swivels, and a ceiling mount.
The right clothing for aerial silks
Maximum grip. Perfect fit. Developed by dancers for dancers.
To the Aerial Silk Collection →Aerial silks suspension, attachment, and mounting
The aerial silks suspension is the most critical point — an incorrect aerial silks attachment can be life-threatening. The ceiling must support at least 300 kg of dynamic load. Concrete ceilings are ideal: with heavy-duty anchors (M10 or M12) and a steel aerial silks mount, you have a rock-solid base. Solid wooden beams also work, with long wood screws directly into the beam.
Drywall alone will not hold. If your ceiling is made of plasterboard, the load must be transferred to the concrete behind it using through-fasteners. Suspended ceilings are completely taboo — in this case, only a freestanding rig is an option. For the aerial silks mount itself, there are ceiling plates with eyelets (load distributed over multiple anchors, 300–500 kg), heavy-duty ceiling hooks (200–300 kg), and freestanding frames for rental apartments (€200–400). More about rigs and frames can be found in our Aerial Acrobatics Guide.
If in doubt, always have the aerial silks attachment installed or checked by a professional. Dynamic forces of up to 300 kg are at play during training — the €50–100 for a professional is non-negotiable.
Aerial silks at home: Setup for adults and children
Setting up aerial silks at home is possible if the conditions are right: a load-bearing ceiling, at least 2.50 m ceiling height (ideally 3 m+), at least 2x2 meters of clear space around the suspension point, and a thick crash mat as a base. No furniture nearby, no lamps within reach, a level, non-slip floor.
Aerial silks for children is a growing area — more and more families are setting up an aerial silks kids room. Special rules apply for an aerial silks at home kids setup: lower suspension (max. 1.5 m above the floor for beginners), shorter fabric (4–5 meters are sufficient), thicker crash mats (at least 20 cm) and — most importantly — always supervision. Never leave children unattended on the silks. Age recommendation: earliest from 6 years, ideally from 8.
Let them playfully explore the fabric first — sitting, swinging, lying in it. The fun is the priority, not the perfection of figures.
Aerial silks figures, tricks and knots
Before you learn aerial silks tricks, you need to master the basic aerial silks knots. The footlock — where the fabric wraps around your foot and provides secure support — is the most important. After that come the hiplock (wrapping around the hip), single wrap, and double wrap. These wraps are the foundation for all figures and drops.
The first aerial silks figures for beginners: Pencil (extended basic position), Stag (one leg bent, elegant and photogenic), Star (arms and legs spread — one of the first spectacular figures) and Cocoon (completely wrapped, perfect for relaxation). You'll get detailed aerial silks figure instructions in a class — learning figures from videos is risky with aerial silks, especially because the wraps need to be exact.
Advanced aerial silks tricks include splits in the fabric, inversions (upside-down positions), and drops — controlled falls where the fabric catches you. Drops look spectacular but should only be learned under professional instruction. Those who also train on the pole will find parallels with pole dance figures — the demands on strength and grip overlap significantly.
Aerial silks training, exercises and clothing
A typical aerial silks class lasts 60–90 minutes: warm-up and mobilization (15 min), strength and flexibility exercises on the ground (15 min), technique on the fabric — knots, figures, combinations (40–50 min) and cool-down (10 min). For beginners, 1–2 sessions per week are sufficient. What many underestimate: hands and forearms initially need weeks to adapt to the strain. Advanced students often train 3–4 times a week.
Aerial silks exercises on the ground complement training on the fabric: climbing exercises for grip strength, hollow body holds for core tension, stretching exercises for splits and backbends. A structured training with conditioning and technical blocks will help you progress faster than pure fabric training without a plan.
For clothing: close-fitting, no loose parts, no zippers. Long leggings protect the skin during wraps on the legs, a tight-fitting top leaves the armpits free — many figures require skin contact there. Bodysuits are the most versatile option because they don't slip and provide strategic skin contact. The setup is complemented by knee pads for floor training and grip aid for sweaty hands. The right aerial silks clothing makes a noticeable difference — what is created at Lou's Polewear Studios is developed and tested in training, not at a desk.
Ready for aerial silks?
Discover clothing that performs with you — on the ground and in the air.
Discover now →- Aerial silks = two fabric strips for figures, wraps, and drops in the air
- No prior knowledge needed — strength and technique are built in class
- Buy: from €60 (fabric), from €100–150 as a set with suspension
- Mount only on concrete or solid wooden beams, never on drywall
- Children: from 6–8 years, always with supervision and lower suspension
- Clothing: leggings, tight-fitting top, armpits free, no zippers
"With aerial silks, you don't just learn figures — you learn to trust your body."
