Which Hoop Should I Choose?

As simple and sweet as buying a hula hoop seems, many find themselves overwhelmed with choices. Beginner hoopers may find it hard deciding which hoop is right for them. Here's a break-down of the hoop sizes and what they mean so you may make a better educated hoop purchase...

Extra Small (XS & XXS) These hoops are made of my lightest, skinniest tubing which comes in two different varieties: polypro and HDPE. Both very light, responsive hoops and very similar in a lot of ways. Both hoops are great for off-body tricks such as folds, tosses, breaks and paddles, and rolls. I typically recommend these hoops to advanced hoopers because they move so fast and require some skills to keep going around the body. However, if you're a fan of the really "tech-y" off body moves that are so popular now, you might consider a lighter hoop even if you are a beginner. Following are a few of the differences in the two different tubings:

• Polypro- "polypro" is the abbreviated name for the type of tubing it is: polypropylene. Polypro hoops are very light, weighing only a few ounces without tape. Because it is so light, the hoop is very springy and great for breaks and paddles with very little bruising on the body. However, one down side of Polypro is it's tendency to crack or break when it gets cold. All polypro hoops are made collapsible with a push button connector.

• HDPE- "HDPE" stands for High Density PolyEthylene, once again this is the type of tubing the hoop is made from. As the name would imply, the plastic in this tubing is higher density and therefore not subject to cracking and breaking like polypro hoops (so that's a plus!). However, the tubing is bouncier and springier, in my experience, than polypro. Some hoopers prefer this extra bounciness, some do not. In all other regards, this tubing is very similar to polypro/ All HDPE hoops are made collapsible with a push button connector.

Small (S): The small hoop is made of 1/2" tubing which is very light and responsive. The small hoop also boasts a 33" diameter which means this hoop is great for young kids. Because this hoop is small and light, it won't easily bruise a young hooper (hence the recommendation for kiddos). However, for the same reason, this hoop also moves FAST! With that in mind, this is the hoop I recommend for the intermediate hooper ready to take their hoop tricks to the next level. This hoop is great for burning calories, increasing cardio endurance, learning breaks and tosses, and producing fast and impressive moves. Small hoops are made collapsible with an infinity or figure-8 style .

Medium (M): The medium hoop is made of 3/4" tubing which is slightly heavier than the 1/2" tubing. This hoop is 36" in diameter which means this hoops will move a little slower than the small hoop. That makes this hoop great for teens or for the beginner hooper who feels ready to move to an intermediate hoop. This hoop is great for burning calories, increasing cardio endurance, and learning isolations, windmills,back and chest rolls. Medium hoops are made collapsible with an infinity or figure-8 style.

Large (L): The large hoop is made of 3/4" inch tubing, same as above, but boasts a 38" diameter. This larger diameter allows the hoop to move slower than either the small or medium hoop. This slower movement makes tricks easier to learn for the beginner hooper. This hoop is also the hoop I recommend for most adults. However, because this hoop is heavier, the risk of bruising and/or breaking light fixtures in your home is higher with this hoop. This hoop is great, however, for increasing core strength, burning calories, learning vortexes and lifts, and hooping on the knees. The large hoop will come with a $1 surcharge simply for the extra materials needed. Large hoops are made collapsible with an infinity or figure-8 style .

Extra-Large (XL): The extra-large hoop is made of 3/4" heavy tubing and is 40" in diameter. This is the heaviest hoop I make which means this hoop is the slowest moving hoop. This hoop is great for the person who has tried other hoops but just can't seem to keep that silly thing up around their waist! This hoop is also great for the person, I just don't know a discreet way to say this, is larger than average size. Because this hoop is so large and heavy, I do not recommend this hoop for small kids just because of the increased risk of bruising. This hoop is wonderful for increasing core strength, focus, learning to hoop around the waist, and attempting any new trick for the first time. The extra large hoop will come with a $2 surcharge to cover the extra materials needed. Extra Large hoops are made collapsible with an infinity or figure-8 style .

Now, if you just read all that and still feel unsure, here are a few general principals to keep in mind about ANY hoop:

• The smaller diameter a hoop has, the faster it will move around your body.

• The lighter the hoop is, the faster it will move around your body.

• The larger diameter a hoop has, the slower it will move around your body.

• The heavier a hoop is, the slower it will move around your body.

• Lighter, smaller hoops require you move your body faster to keep them moving, which is good for burning calories.

• Larger, heavier hoops move slower, but require you to brace your muscles to keep it moving, which is good for toning the body.

If you have any questions about choosing your hoop, please feel free to contact me. You can contact me here. Also, if you have a special request for a hoop that is a different size than the sizes I already offer, please don't hesitate to contact me about custom sizing.