Xline Nano Waterfed Pole Review

The Nano is the top of the range pole from Xline systems. It is made from super high modulus carbon fibre and comes in a variety of lengths from 18 – 60 ft. We have been using the 25 ft Nano for a couple of months and are here to help you decide if it is worth you investing in.

Xline poles are only available to purchase directly from Xline in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. Click here to check out their full range along with the latest prices. To make it even better use the voucher code TCG5 when ordering to get 5% off everything on the site!

Deflection

The Nano is a very rigid pole and did very well on our deflection test.

Bare it deflected by just 34mm putting it just 1mm ahead of the full carbon Boss pole.

Where we were really impressed with this pole is when we hung a 2.5kg weight from the centre of it. It deflected by 141mm, making it the same as the average deflection on the hi mod Ova 8 pole.

This is incredible for a round pole and shows that the nano is made of very strong carbon fibre. In fact, when using it, it feels very tough and you do not worry when using it to push windows closed etc.

Weight

Xline does not make a 22 ft version of the Nano, making it difficult to compare equally to 22ft poles we usually test.

The 25ft pole weighs in at 1180g (5g heavier than the 22ft hi mod Ova 8). This works out at 47.2g per foot. Therefore we counted its relative weight as 1038.4g (42.7 x 22).

This makes it an incredibly light pole, just slightly heavier than the Boss Mod.

We have seen that most poles are designed to focus on either rigidity or weight. The Nano does an excellent job of satisfying both of these areas, being one of the stiffest and one of the lightest poles we have tested.

Ergonomics

The Nano is a 4 section round pole. This means that it has a small cross-section, making it quite comfortable in the hand.

Because it only has 4 sections, it is relatively long. Its closed length is 1775mm. It may not fit in some smaller vans without going through the bulkhead or being laid in diagonally.

Because it is a longer pole when closed down, you can’t fully extend a section in one pull. After unclamping it you pull it several times to get it to the maximum extension, and then you can lock the clamp again.

One really good feature of the Nano is its positive end stops. This means that you cannot remove a pole section without unbolting the clamps. The benefit of this is that instead of looking for a visual mark for when you are at the end of a pole section, you have a physical stop. You can extend the pole all the way to the maximum point, then you feel a reassuring bump letting you know you are at max extension.

Also being a long pole, it can be awkward in some tight areas such as around the sides of conservatories or up against fences.

Clamps

Xline has mounted the clamps so that the lever is on the side. As standard, they are on the right-hand side, but they can easily be changed for left-handed workers so that the levers are on the left. Although there is nothing stopping you from rotating it 90 degrees so the levers are on the top, we like to test poles the way the manufacturers have recommended.

We really like the clamp action. It surprised us because we were not fans of the side-mounted Unger clamps. We found that the problem was you lifted the lever up to open it, but then gravity was pulling the lever back down as you were extending the pole, closing the clamp before you were ready. Xline clamps do not have this problem.

They have a very effective cam mechanism. Once you reach a certain point they release the tension on the pole section and feel as though they lock open without dropping back to a closed position.

After a short while, the side clamps felt very natural and easy to use.

The clamps are bolted onto the pole section instead of being glued so they are easy to adjust or replace, and they can be tightened so they do not spin.

Final thoughts

The Nano is a great pole for day to day use. It is available in up to 60 ft versions to cover your needs. Whichever length you choose comes with pole hose and a choice of any Xline brush for free. We rate the Xline brushes very highly.

It comes with a nice aluminium pole tip that is strong and very lightweight.

Xline does not make a swivel for the brush head. However, this can be got around by using a swivel from another brand.

We are not huge fans of brushes that screw onto the angle adapter. It can be annoying if it is not set perfectly square and it also takes longer to change the brush. Again by using a swivel from another brand, you can benefit from a quick release brush socket.

We asked Xline about this and they explained that although they haven’t developed an in-house swivel or quick release yet, they have deliberately kept the Nano adaptable so you can kit it out with accessories from other brands.

The Nano is a top-end pole at a reasonable price. It feels rigid and hardwearing but has also pulled off the difficult task of also being light.

Remember that you can see the complete range and buy a Nano here from Xline. To make it even better use the voucher code TCG5 when ordering to get 5% off everything on the site!

If you have used a Nano let us know what you think about it in the comments section. If you have any questions ask them there and we will try to get the answer for you.