I've used a wide variety of poles since I started, some aluminium, most fibreglass all between 18 and 30 feet. They were all much the same. The Gardiner CLX-22 I have now is different. It's a pole where every aspect of operation - lightness, rigidity, closed length and clamping have been really thought about. The Gardiner poles are also the actual length that they claim to be not the achievable reach of many other manufacturers.
I'm not a 'fanboy' but I can't honestly see me buying a different make ever again.
SLX next time maybe....