Choosing a Hoop Size

/ leighfishercreates

Hello!

So you’d like to learn to hula hoop or hoop dance. Welcome! The best place to start is with a larger hoop that fits your body type!

So let’s start at the very beginning: choosing a hoop size

LAWD there’s so much info out there on choosing a hoop size, when I first started I felt completely lost. I was also steered to order a much smaller hoop than I needed to begin with, which caused a ton of frustration. So I knew when I started hoop making that I wanted to offer big hoops for all bodies.

 

Some general tips:

 

  • You DON’T want a toy hula hoop, I know its $5, you get what you pay for. It weighs next to nothing and it’s tiny, you don’t want it. trust.
  • You DON’T want a weighted hoop. I know you want to get stronger and fitter! me too! my hoops weigh ~1lbs – 1.5lbs depending on hoop size. You are not powerlifting. This amount of weight is perfect.
  • You might want different hoops for different things. Hoop dance is incredibly popular right now, it’s super fun! but the size hoop that works great for most off-body hoop dance tricks and the size hoop that will allow you to waist hoop smoothly will not be the same size at first. Since waist hooping is what most of us think of when we think hula hoop, I recommend starting with a nice big hoop and get your on-body hooping rocking first. If you find you really enjoy it and want to expand your skillset, you can add in new hoops as you progress.
  • There is a huge focus in the hooping community right now on hooping with the smallest hoop possible as a measure of your hooping prowess. While I CAN hoop on a much smaller hoop now because of hours of practice – I don’t really enjoy it, so why bother? I am all about big hoops for fun and fitness! Let’s stop calling big hoops “beginner” shall we?
  • A LOT of the hoop size charts out there take in to account your height but not your waist size. I’m sorry WHAT.  My tween daughter and I are almost the same height, but she’s 12 and is TINY. I’m 42 and curvy. She was able to waist hoop on a MUCH smaller hoop at first than I was. Think about the space between your body and the hoop: a larger hoop will give you more space, and therefore more time for you to catch up to the rhythm of the hoop, keep it on your body, and feel successful!

 

There are a BUNCH of hoop makers out there who make small, whippy hoops for faster on body hooping or fancy-pants tricky dance moves. I create larger hoops for successful waist hooping for all bodies. While I can create custom hoops in really any size, I have four “standard” sizes. Standard is in quotes because the way tubing is measured is not always super exact. We are dealing with circles and circles means multiplying and dividing things by Pi. You are not going to get nice clean inches when you are dealing with that many decimal points.

 

So what exactly does a hoop size mean?

 

Let’s take my smallest standard hoop, a 42 (the answer to life, the universe, and everything)

 

42″ is the diameter in inches of the hoop – the hoop is constructed by multiplying Pi (3.14) by 42″, and measuring tubing to that length. Because of the curve of the tubing, it’s easiest to measure along the outside of the tube, since I use 1in OD tubing, this means that one of my hoops in a 42″ – will be bigger than a 42″ hoop made from a smaller tubing.
WHAT. I know. This hurt my math brain too. Go with it!

 

cool. cool. I think I’ve got it, sooooo how do I choose a hoop size again?

 

here is a little guide that has worked well for me and my customers so far.

 

42ish – A great size for slender frames, bigger kids and tweens, or curvy hoopers with some experience who want a faster hoop. Also a great hoop for hoopers who feel successful with waist hooping and want to try transitioning from on body to off body.

 

45ish – Works great for a myriad of body types, from short and curvy to tall and slender. Still moves fairly fast and will get your heart rate pumping!

 

50ish (Lucky 13) – a hoop made of 13 feet of tubing. My Goldilocks hoop, this hoop will work really well for most adults.

 

55ish – This epic beauty is for anyone who wants a slow groovy hooping experience, and is a great choice for taller plus size hoopers. (warning – it is LARGE, make sure you have enough hooping space!)

 

Still have no idea? torn between two sizes?  Look at the space you have to hoop in. You can hoop indoors in a much smaller space with a 45ish than a 50ish or above.

 

TLDR – when in doubt, get a bigger hoop!

 

Contact me to create a custom hoop!