Grip by apparatus: metal loves chalk, fabric doesn't.

I sell a liquid chalk, and this page exists to tell you when not to buy it. Search results for aerial grip are almost empty of real answers, so here is the one an aerialist would actually give you, apparatus by apparatus.

Lyra / aerial hoop: yes, chalk

A hoop is warm metal in your hands for an hour — the same grip problem as pole, solved the same way. Sweaty hands want a drying agent: liquid chalk gives the matte grip of powder without dusting the mat, and the rosin edge helps on taped hoops as well as bare steel. Dry-handed hoopers are the exception — they often do better with a light tacky product, exactly as on pole. One studio courtesy: wipe the hoop down after, whatever you used.

Trapeze & static bars: yes, chalk — it's where rosin came from

Traditional circus solved bar grip a century ago with powdered rosin and chalk, and nothing has really improved on it. A liquid chalk with rosin in the blend is the modern, less-messy version of the classic rosin box. If you train at a circus school, ask what they use — bar tape changes the answer, and schools have habits worth respecting.

Silks: honestly, probably not

Here is the part that costs me sales. Silks grip is friction between skin and fabric, and slightly tacky, slightly warm hands grip fabric best. A drying agent strips exactly the tack you need — chalk your hands and the fabric slides through them faster, not slower. If your hands sweat heavily on silks, the play is moisture management, not chalk: wash and dry thoroughly before training, keep a towel in reach, and talk to your coach about grip technique before any product. Some fabric aerialists use a very light rosin spray on their hands — and many studios ban exactly that from shared silks because it builds up in the fabric and changes how it runs for everyone else. Ask first, always.

Hammock: same fabric, same answer

Hammock is silks with more surface area. Dry, chalked hands slip on it; clean, naturally tacky hands hold. The most common hammock grip problem I see isn't hands at all — it's lotion, applied that morning, still on the skin. Soap fixes what chalk can't.

Straps: chalk, sparingly

Straps sit between worlds: fabric or leather loops, but grip that works like bar grip under serious load. Most straps artists use a little chalk. If you're far enough into straps to need this paragraph, your coach's answer beats mine.

The one-line summary

Metal (pole, lyra, trapeze, bars): chalk works — it's what ours is for. Fabric (silks, hammock): manage moisture, ask your coach, and be suspicious of anyone who sells you chalk for it — including us. If that honesty is what you want in a grip company, the bottle is here when you're training something made of metal.