Forums > Social Chat > Completely new to POI here, some questions!

Posted: 17th Feb 2014
Hello Shibiscuit! Love your name!

Welcome to HOP, and more importantly, to the Flow Arts. You should be able to easily learn enough to impress most non-flow artists in two months. I find the video tutorials on Playpoi to be very helpful and to explain things in a very clear, logical, and concise way. Please introduce yourself to us in the Introductions Forum, we'd love to get to know you!

Now regarding LED poi, I would not purchase the Flowlights and cords. They are good poi, but are not necessarily the best option for you IMHO. I would purchase Podpoi , (also made by Flowtoys ). These are a much better option, and I will explain why.

First off, cost:
If you were to buy the crystal poi, you would also need to purchase rechargeable AAA batteries and a charger for them. The total for all of this would come to be $81+shipping. If you buy the pod poi, USB charging cables are included, and the batteries are fully contained in the capsule light. Podpoi are $99+shipping.

Cost is not everything though. The crystal poi are harder and will hurt when you hit yourself. Also as a flow light can essentially only do one color mode with several variations, you are pretty much always going to be stuck with the same look if you take that route. Running off of a rechargeable lithium ion AAA battery, (which will give you the longest runtime in a flow light), you will get 6-11 hours of use on a single charge, (it depends on the mode you are using). Also, the crystal cases and flow mass will yellow over time.

Now if you choose to get pod poi on the other hand... Podpoi pod shells are made of silicone so they will never yellow. If your pod poi get dirty, you can simply remove the capsule light and leash from the shell and throw the shell into your dishwasher or in with you laundry. The silicone shell is also very soft and does not hurt you when you hit yourself. (This makes learning new moves a much more pleasurable experience.) Pod poi have over 20 different modes, and many of these are infinitely adjustable. You can adjust the color palate or timing of many modes. Podpoi have 3 super-bright RGB LEDs so essentially 12 LEDS. They are VERY BRIGHT. With pod poi, you will get between 6 and 77 hours of runtime on a single charge. (Thats 7 times longer than flow lights!) Of course, the runtime depends on the mode you choose to use. Being that Podpoi are microUSB rechargeable, charging them is just as easy as charging your phone!

In the end, I really feel that pod poi are an infinitely better option than crystal poi. I think that the numerous benefits they provide are worth far more than the extra $20. Of course, the choice is up to you, but I hope I have at least given you something to consider. PM me if you have any questions.

Have a great evening, and again, welcome to this wonderful journey we call the Flow Arts. Its always nice to find a new travel companion.

I'd rather die on paws, than live on feet.