Just a quick question, I've very interested in hooping and it's something i've always wanted to try/do, is there a certain type of hoop you have to buy or is a cheep one from like Walmart okay too? I'm just curious if it matters/makes a difference.
Hi!
The short answer to your question is yes, you’ll probably want to get a specific kind of hoop. The good news is that they don’t have to be expensive and you can find several very nice ones if you search ‘beginner hoop’ on Etsy.
The long answer is that hoops like the ones you can get at Walmart are very difficult to use, especially if you’ve never hooped before. They’re not really made with adults in mind; they are very light and small. As a general rule, the heavier and larger the hoop, the easier it is to use. I’ve had several friends tell me that there’s no way in hell that they could hula hoop at all, only to try one of my 38” diameter hoops and make significant progress.
Aside from getting a large diameter (I’d recommend 38” for a beginner, but if you’re short or very small, you could go smaller), you also need to keep the weight in mind. There are a couple of different kinds of plastic, but generally for beginner hoops, the weight of the tubing is indicated by PSI. The higher the PSI, the heavier and thicker the plastic will be. 100 PSI tends to be good, but 160 or 125 works well too if you want something a little easier to use at first.
If you already know how to hoop on your waist and are looking for a hoop that is also better for off body moves, you might consider a polypro hoop or an HDPE hoop, but they are a little more difficult to use and have a bit of a learning curve. They are also usually a little more expensive.
Oh, also, to make your hoop a bit easier to use, you can put grip tape on it, but I wouldn’t go overboard making it look nice at first because it will probably get scuffed up very quickly.
There are a few other factors, but they’re not really things you’d need to worry about when you’re just starting out.
If you have any other questions, just let me know :)