The folding cross base is the best-selling flag base in the trade, and the most misused one. It is the base that ships with most kits, the one event crews stack by the dozen, and the one that tips over when nobody reads its limits. The base itself is rarely the problem. The size choice usually is.

One buyer described it exactly: “The free cross base that came with the kit blew over on the first windy Saturday. Nobody told us it was an indoor base without ballast.” This guide lays out the three arm sizes the trade actually sells, what each one holds, the ballast maths, the bearing specification, and the honest lines where a cross base is the wrong product and a plate or tank takes over. It is written for flag distributors, print shops and event rental companies who specify bases by number, not by photo.

What a Cross Base Actually Is

Four steel arms fold out from a central hub, forming an X on the ground. The pole socket, with its bearing, sits at the hub. Folded, the whole unit is a flat bar about 60 cm long that fits inside a kit bag.

1. The arms are steel tube, powder-coated, typically silver or black, hinged at the hub so they collapse in one movement.

2. The hub carries the bearing that holds the pole. Ours takes a 16.7 mm bearing as standard, with custom diameters for existing pole inventories.

3. The ballast ring sits over the arms, a water bag in the standard kit, so the weight presses all four arms into the ground at once.

The Three Sizes the Trade Sells

Arm span (open)	Typical self-weight	Pole heights it suits	Where it ships most
About 60 cm	1.1 to 1.5 kg	2.8 to 3.4 m, indoor and calm sites	Entry kits, retail floors, showrooms
About 72 cm	1.5 to 2.5 kg	4 to 4.6 m with ballast	Event kits, exhibitions, forecourts
About 80 cm	1.25 to 1.45 kg on our gauge, heavier available to about 3.8 kg	4.6 to 5 m with 10 to 12 L ballast	Outdoor promotions, our standard export unit

A note on the numbers: arm span and weight do not rise together, because gauge varies by maker. Our own export base is the 80 cm span at 80 x 3 x 12 cm open, weighing 1.25 to 1.45 kg depending on tube gauge, with heavier builds to order. Distributors should compare gauge and span separately, never assume a bigger span means a heavier base.

Our Build Specification

Item	Detail
Open size	80 x 3 x 12 cm; custom sizes with quantity
Material	Painted metal, heavy duty, powder-coated
Weight	1.25 kg to 1.45 kg standard; custom weights with quantity
Bearing	16.7 mm standard; custom diameters for existing poles
Colours	Silver or black; any colour required
Use	Indoors alone; outdoors with a water bag of about 10 to 12 litres

Matching Base Size to Pole Height

The lever maths is unforgiving: a 4.6 m pole in a gust is a lever, and the fulcrum is the arm span. Doubling pole height roughly quadruples the tipping moment at the same wind speed, which is why height bands, not taste, set the base choice.

1. 2.8 to 3.4 m poles. A 60 cm base holds these indoors and on calm days outdoors with a bag. This is the showroom pairing.

2. 4 to 4.6 m poles. Step to the 72 to 80 cm span and always fit the 10 to 12 litre bag for outdoor use. The US-market pairing uses a 3 gallon bag, about 24 lbs, on the same spans.

3. 5 to 5.6 m poles. The 80 cm base with full ballast is the ceiling of the cross-base range. Above this, or on exposed sites, a 4 to 12 kg metal plate or a 12 to 32 litre water tank takes over.

4. Any height, unballasted, outdoors, is a misuse. A cross base alone weighs under 2 kg. The bag is not an accessory, it is half the product.

The Ballast Maths, Written Down

1. Water bag, filled. 10 to 12 litres adds 10 to 12 kg sitting directly over the arms. This is the standard outdoor pairing.

2. Sand instead of water. The same bag runs about 30 percent heavier with sand and never freezes, which matters for winter sites.

3. Ballast beats span. Going from a 60 to an 80 cm span adds stability at the edges; adding 10 kg of ballast over the hub does far more, at a fraction of the freight cost. When a customer reports tipping, sell them the bag before the bigger base.

4. Wind thresholds, honestly stated. Ballasted cross-base kits are fair-weather hardware: working winds to roughly 20 to 25 mph for single-sided 4 to 4.6 m kit, and less for double-sided. Above that, flags come down, and sites that never take flags down need plates or tanks instead.

Cross Base Versus Every Other Base

Base	Surface	Ballast or weight	Choose it when
Ground spike	Grass, soil, sand with screw anchors	1 to 1.5 kg steel	The pitch is soft ground, always the cheapest hold
Cross base 60 to 80 cm	Any hard flat surface	1.25 to 3.8 kg plus 10 to 12 L bag	Indoors, events, forecourts, kits that travel
Metal plate	Hard surfaces, exposed sites	4 to 12 kg	Wind corners, 4.6 m plus poles, no-leak policies
Water tank	Hard surfaces, long seasons	12 to 32 L	Semi-permanent outdoor rows, high-wind districts
Car tyre base	Parking rows	The vehicle itself	Dealerships and food trucks that sell where they park

The Rotating Bearing, Explained Properly

The bearing at the hub is a wear part and a safety part. A fixed socket pins the flag; when the wind swings across the face, the pole levers against the arms with full force, and that is the classic tipped-base failure. A rotating bearing lets the whole flag swing nose-into-wind, cutting the lever arm and dancing instead of falling.

1. 16.7 mm is our standard bore, matched to our pole range, so spares stay interchangeable across kits.

2. Custom bores exist for one reason: distributors with existing pole inventories should not scrap good poles to match a new base. Give us the pole tip diameter and we quote the bearing to it.

3. Service life. Bearings are the part to check at season strike. A bearing that has gone gritty under sand loads is a next-season failure waiting on a windy Saturday.

Indoor Use: Floors and Scratch Rules

Unballasted, the cross base is an indoor product, and that is its largest single market: showrooms, exhibition halls, mall promotions, reception lines.

1. Fit rubber feet or a felt pad under the arms on polished floors; venue managers bill for scratched coatings.

2. Bag optional indoors, footprint mandatory. Halls regulate the floor area a stand occupies; a 60 cm span slides under most 1 x 1 m pitch rules with room to spare.

3. Ceiling height sets the pole, not the base. Many halls cap at 3 to 4 m; a 2.8 m pole on a 60 cm base is the standard hall pairing.

Packing and Freight Data for Resellers

1. Folded size. All three spans fold to a flat bar roughly 60 cm long, so a mixed order packs into standard 60-plus cm cartons.

2. Carton planning. Bases stack; bags roll flat. A reseller case of bases with matched bags and pole sets is a one-carton SKU.

3. Freight class. Steel bases ship as hardware; printed flags ship under HS code 6307.90 with the fabric portion of the order. We confirm exact documents per shipment.

4. Price and MOQ. Cross bases are the value end of the hardware line, with quantity breaks from small wholesale runs; Low MOQ accepted, wholesale from 5 pieces.

When a Cross Base Is the Wrong Choice

1. Sand and soft ground. Arms sink unevenly and the flag leans by lunchtime. Spikes or screw anchors hold better and cost less.

2. Unattended, all-weather sites. Any position nobody will de-flag in a rising wind should be on a plate or tank, or it will be found horizontal.

3. Poles above 5.6 m. The moment arm outgrows the span. That is water tank territory.

4. Cobble and camber. Four arms need a flat print. On old stone paving, a weighted donut or plate base with a single contact ring sits far steadier.

Common Mistakes We See on Orders

1. Kit shipped without bags. The single most common failure report. If the flags go outdoors, the bags ship with them.

2. Span bought as a wind upgrade. Ballast is the wind upgrade. Span is the stability refinement.

3. Bore mismatched to existing poles. Always send the pole tip diameter with a base-only order.

4. Gauge assumptions. Two 80 cm bases can differ by a kilo of steel. Compare weights on the quote, not photos in a listing.

Regional Notes for Distributors

United States. Water bags to about 3 gallons, roughly 24 lbs, are the expected pairing, and 15 ft kits push resellers toward plates on open lots.

United Kingdom and Europe. Cross base plus bag is the default event specification; written weights and gauges are expected on quotes, and floor-protection rules apply indoors.

Germany, Austria, Switzerland. Distributors ask for specification sheets and consistent finishes; custom colours and documented gauges win the tenders.

Australia and New Zealand. Wind districts push the outdoor mix toward plates and tanks, with cross bases holding the indoor and short-event share.

Middle East. Indoor mall and exhibition use dominates, on marble floors, so rubber feet and 60 cm spans are the standard configuration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Will a 60 cm base hold a 4.6 m flag in wind?
Not outdoors without ballast, and even with a bag it is under-spanned. The 4 to 4.6 m band wants the 72 to 80 cm span plus a 10 to 12 litre bag, and honest working winds are 20 to 25 mph single-sided.

Q2. How much weight does the water bag add?
10 to 12 litres of water adds 10 to 12 kg directly over the arms. Sand in the same bag runs about 30 percent heavier and will not freeze in winter.

Q3. What does the 16.7 mm bearing mean?
It is the pole socket bore our bases and poles share, so spares stay interchangeable across the range. Existing pole inventories can be matched with custom bores; send the pole tip diameter with the order.

Q4. Can the cross base go on grass?
It can sit there, but a ground spike holds better and costs less. Cross bases belong on hard, flat surfaces; soft ground is spike territory.

Q5. What size carton do folded bases need?
All three spans fold to a flat bar about 60 cm long. Bases stack and bags roll flat, so matched kit cases pack into standard 60-plus cm cartons.

Q6. Do you supply bases only, without flags?
Yes, hardware-only orders ship regularly to print shops and resellers, with quantity breaks. Low MOQ accepted, wholesale from 5 pieces.

Why Choose Us?

Point	Detail
Manufacturer, not a reseller	Bases produced in our own Foshan workshop beside the poles and flags they carry.
Written specifications	Span, gauge, weight and bearing quoted in numbers, so resellers compare like with like.
Custom gauges and bores	Heavier builds and matched bearings against existing pole inventories, with quantity.
One fitting standard	Bases, poles and bags designed as one kit, so nothing tips for a mismatched reason.
Low MOQ accepted	Hardware-only or full kits, wholesale from 5 pieces.
Customer 5stars Feedback	Serving buyers in 150+ countries across Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania.

The Bottom Line

Specified honestly, the cross base is the most useful base in the trade: flat-folding, floor-safe indoors, and stable outdoors the moment the ballast bag goes on. Match the span to the pole height, always quote the bag with it, and step up to plates or tanks at the honest limits, 5.6 m poles, exposed sites, unattended seasons.

Send us your pole heights, surfaces and target markets, and we will reply within 1 hour, 24×7, with a base specification and a factory price. Low MOQ accepted, hardware-only orders welcome.

Send Your Artwork, Get a Proof and a Price

Tell us the flag size, the quantity, single or double-sided, and the surface the flags will stand on. Our export team replies within 1 hour, 24×7, with an artwork proof and a factory price. Low MOQ accepted.

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Related reading: Flag Base Guide | Beach Flag Wind Rating | Flag Poles Explained | Cross Bases | Water Bags | Water Bases | Full Fibreglass Poles | OEM / ODM Manufacturer

BESDA Advertising Flags Quick Facts (For Buyers)

Item	Detail
Product	Folding cross bases for advertising flags, 60 to 80 cm spans
Manufacturer	BESDA Advertising Flags, Foshan, Guangdong, China
Open size	80 x 3 x 12 cm standard; custom sizes with quantity
Weight	1.25 to 1.45 kg standard gauge; custom builds to about 3.8 kg
Bearing	16.7 mm standard bore; custom diameters for existing poles
Ballast	10 to 12 L water bag standard; sand about 30 percent heavier
Pole matching	2.8 to 3.4 m on 60 cm; 4 to 4.6 m on 72 to 80 cm with bag; above 5.6 m use plate or tank
Freight	Folds flat to about 60 cm; flags ship under HS code 6307.90
MOQ and lead time	Low MOQ accepted; samples 2 to 3 days, bulk 5 to 10 days
Contact	WhatsApp +86 135 1661 0926, [email protected], reply within 1 hour 24×7