“I’ve used both and have always gone back to bamboo poles. They seem to hold up better and, believe it or not, are easier to put up.”
Do you do anything to secure the bamboo poles? I.e., to keep them from getting blown off by a strong wind?
For a bamboo mat, I place a couple of plain wooden boards (2″x3″x8′) on top of the mat, and secure the ends of the boards to the frame with lulav leaves.I suppose that would work with bamboo poles too.