The Xtenia Antlettes V2 are a 23 cm pair of low parallettes, a beech bar on a black steel frame, sold for 39.50 € on the brand’s site. Xtenia sent me this pair for free, which I come back to at the end. After a month of planche and handstand work at 73 kg on parquet, the thing I did not expect is the floor hold: not once did a parallette move under me, something neither of my other two pairs manages. The limits are the ones of any short pair, a bar that tips when a handstand goes too far, and a beech grip that is a touch smoother than the Caliathletics Mini.
How I used them
I received them on October 2, 2026 and used them about three times a week through October, a dozen sessions on parquet at 73 kg: planche leans, pseudo planche push-ups, advanced tuck and straddle planche, handstands. I tried handstand push-ups for the test but do not train them on parallettes. I also tried the L-sit, the transitions and tuck push-ups on them before writing. I still use them now that the test is over.
They come in parts: two beech bars, four steel frames, four screws and nuts, an Allen key and four self-adhesive pads to stick under the frames once everything is tight. The assembly is quick and the four-step leaflet is not really needed. My two other pairs are the Caliathletics Wooden Parallettes Mini, tested in September, and a tall and wide Gornation pair, which are the comparison points further down.
In use
Grip
The bar measures 38 mm with a caliper on both pieces, three more than the 35 mm on the product page, and one less than the Mini. The beech is a little smoother than on the Mini. It is neither a good nor a bad grip, it is a correct one: I never used chalk and never needed it, and I did not fit any grip tape. I rarely get sweaty hands, so I have nothing to say about that. After a month the finish has not changed, not gone shiny, not darkened. I have grip tape on my Gornation pair and like it. I expect tape would make these excellent in the hand, but that is a guess, I have not put any on. And if you judge the grip as a whole, hands and floor together, it is very good: the anti-slip pads are the strong point of this pair, that is the stability section below.
Stability
Two separate things here. The first is the floor hold, and it is the reason to buy this pair. In a month on parquet, not one parallette slid or shifted, in planche leans, pseudo planche push-ups, straddle, handstands. The Caliathletics Mini held well, the Xtenia hold better, and the Gornation are not in the same league: on those, a parallette going sideways under my hand was something that happened. On tiles, tried once for this test, they hold a little less than on parquet but I could train on them.
The second is the stability of the pair itself, and it is good. Sideways, on most exercises, nothing moves: planche leans, pseudo planche push-ups, tuck, straddle, L-sit. Once assembled, the whole thing is one rigid block, no play at the wood to steel joint, nothing to retighten after a month. That is not always the case: the first pair I ever bought, a very cheap one found on Amazon, wobbled at the joints from day one. The limit is tipping, and here they behave like any 23 cm pair. If my hands sit too far toward the front or the back of the bar and a handstand or a handstand push-up goes in that direction, the front or the back lifts, exactly as on the Mini. With 15 cm of usable bar between the feet, less than the 21 cm of the Mini, there is not much margin. A short pair cannot catch what a pair four times its size catches, and I am used to a wide pair, so I am strict on this. Hands in the middle of the bar and it is fine: I did handstands and handstand push-ups on them without trouble. Wear: a month is too early to say anything, the wood and the pads look new. I will update this page if that changes.
Against the Caliathletics Mini
Same format, same use, same price range, so this is the natural face-off. What the Xtenia do better: the floor hold, which is the clearest difference between the two; the height, about 11 cm to the top of the bar against 7 cm, so a bit more room underneath; the price, 39.50 € against 49 €. What the Mini do better: the bare wood grips a little more under the hand; the bar is longer, 29.5 cm against 23, with 21 cm usable against 15, so a little more margin in handstand push-ups; and they arrive assembled where the Xtenia take a few screws. Equal on everything else: nothing moves on either once on the floor, both tip the same way when loaded at the end, 1.1 kg the pair for both.
The Gornation pair in one sentence: four times bigger, no contest on stability and on room under the bar, but its pads slip where the Xtenia do not move.
Who they are for
A low, compact pair for planche and handstand work at home, on parquet, without ever thinking about the pads: leans, pseudo planche push-ups, tuck, straddle, handstands. At 23 cm and 1.1 kg they go in any bag. The low height is also a plus for learning to balance in handstand, since you stay close to the floor. Under 40 €, that is a lot of use.
The room under the bar is better than on the Mini but it is still a low pair. The L-sit passes, so do the transitions and tuck push-ups, as long as you already hold the movement. If your legs are still too low in the L-sit or you struggle with the transition, you will touch the floor. For that, and for handstand push-ups in volume with margin when a hand drifts, a tall and long pair is the better buy. The parallettes guide explains the height question and the brands compared page lists who makes what.
So yes, I recommend them. I liked this pair a lot and it has become the one I pick up for planche and handstand work. The pads are the best floor hold of the three pairs I own, the pair is stable and nothing works loose, the 11 cm leave enough room for the L-sit and the transitions, and at 23 cm and 1.1 kg they go everywhere, all that under 40 €. If I had one thing to ask of Xtenia, it would be the bar: the beech is a touch smooth under the hand. The floor hold is already excellent and the stability is very good too, so a bar with a really good grip would make these a perfect pair.
FAQ
Is 11 cm enough for an L-sit?
Yes, and there is room under the bar for transitions and tuck push-ups as long as you already hold the movement. If your legs or hips still drop, they will touch the floor.
Do they slip on tiles?
Not much. On tiles the pads hold a little less than on parquet, where they did not move once in a month, but I could train on them.
Do they fit in a bag?
Yes. At 23 cm long and 1.1 kg for the pair, measured, they take less room than most pairs.
Transparency
Xtenia sent me this pair for free, received on October 2, 2026. The pair sells for 39.50 € on xtenia.com at the time of writing, before shipping. Xtenia is also a partner of the site, and the KALLOS code gives you 10% off at its shop. The test is written honestly, with no way for the brand to influence it. Tested by Gregory, intermediate level (straddle planche, handstand push-up).