One branded Poise XC came on my 2005 Bianchi Volpe. It is the telescoping type. It seemed to wear out faster than I wished it did (probably about 2,500 miles). It lost its spring tension after a while, such that it traveled more than I wanted it to no matter how much I cranked up the tension adjustment. I replaced it with a rigid alloy seat post and I've never missed it. Getting rid of it made a major improvement in pedaling efficiency, although if it wasn't worn out the difference might have been more subtle. I probably weighed around 185 lb when I was using it, so I probably wasn't loading it more than it was designed to take. After this experience I wouldn't recommend that anyone buy a cheap one, but maybe there are others that last better.