Hulahooping is a life-changing activity in so many ways. So, if you’re here reading this, I am sure, you or your little one has signed up for this activity (or is willing to!). First, cheers to that!
Now that you’re wanting to step out and buy a hoop – let me first warm you…
Buying a hula hoop can be really confusing because of several factors like height, agility, body shape, aim, and so many other things.
Whether you want to have fun, stay fit, or be a professional performer, you need to know certain things before making the purchase.
So, let’s find your perfect hula hoop here…
1. Find the perfect size for yourself
Measure yourself from your feet to your waist and mid-chest separately. Depending on your expertise and body type, your suitable hula hoop “determined diameter” is in between these two lengths.
Subtract 2-4″ off for a smaller frame and add 2-4″ for a larger physique (than average) to the determined diameter.
For dancers or experienced hoopers, subtract 2-3” from the determined diameter.
2. Choose the hoop weight and material wisely
For beginners, heavier hula hoops are always the best. The extra weight adds momentum to the hoop which helps the ring to stay longer and not fall.
Even if you’re experienced, heavier hoops are handy when learning new tricks.
For people under 5’4″ and slim, pick a light hop with a small tubing diameter. This will assist you in better handgrip on the hoop and you can easily maneuver it with your frame.
Common plastic hoop materials to choose from:
Polypro: It’s perfect in terms of grip, weight, and maneuvering.
HDPE: It’s harder, slippery, but easy to glide on the body.
PVC pipe: They’re hard and quite suitable but not the best for beginners. It goes well with grip lining.
For a good investment, steer clear from dollar store hoops as they’re fragile.
3. Focus more on the grip
Always pick a hoop with grips for fuller body-hoop contact. Make sure the grips are mainly placed on the inner ring for higher efficiency. You may add grips to your old hoops for this, but it’s best to buy for precision.
Some grip examples:
Sandpaper: choose 80 or 100 grit sandpaper wrapping on the inner tube. Add grooves into the hula hoop for greater texture to connect with the body, hands, and clothes.
Griptape: twisted around hoops and available in colored varieties.
Hoop wax: a sticky translucent applied on the desired area of the hoop.
4. Consider your activity before buying
Choose smaller and lighter hoops for fitness hooping to burn calories throughout your body and hoop dancing.
Heavy hoops put extra pressure on joints during intricate arm maneuvers, might injure you, or break objects around you while spinning.
For charismatic performances, you may also opt for lighter LED or fire hoops.
5. Variety is always a better idea
Though you don’t want to invest in too many hoops initially, down the lane you’ll need more than one hoop with different sizes and weights.
If you’re a beginner now, you’ll become a pro at some point. Throughout the progress, you’ll switch to new hoops to learn specific tricks.
Over to you…
There’s no one-size-fits-all about hula hooping. For different activities, you’ll need multiple hoops. If you’re still unsure about which one to buy, you can always seek advice from our experts.
Contact us today. And we’ll take care of the rest!