If you have been looking for a new way to get fit, especially while stuck at home, hula hooping is a great activity to try out! It’s not just a playground activity but a great form of cardio that helps burn calories, as well as many other benefits, from improving your balance to helping build your core muscles. Plus it’s so much fun, it won’t even feel like you’re doing a workout!
But where do you begin? There’s so many types of hoops available, ranging from different sizes and weights. Does it need to be padded foam or just plastic? Do you need it to be collapsible so you can put it away easily? Our buying guide will help you navigate these questions, then our top 10 product list will show you where to buy our recommended hoops online from retailers such as Amazon, eBay and Argos.
Quick List - Top Hula Hoops
Flames 'N Games
A High-Quality Hula Hoop for Amateurs and Professionals Alike
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Table of Contents
Before you jump right into buying the first hoop you see on Amazon, have a look at our guide to help choose the right hula hoop for you.
The very first thing to do when buying a hula hoop is to think about what you want to get out of it. Will this just be an activity to try out every so often as a new hobby or will you be using it daily as part of an intense workout session?
If you’re a beginner and want to test the waters with hula hooping, a standard smooth hoop may be the way to go. You will be familiar with this type if you have ever had a go on a hula hoop at the primary school playground, except these will usually be a lot sturdier!
These types of smooth hoops are best for those who may want a good workout, but not necessarily want a high-intensity one. The muscle stimulation is spread out evenly throughout the hoop, ensuring a comfortable workout that will last for longer.
On the other hand, if you want a seriously intense workout, a ridged hoop is your best bet. These hoops are usually smooth on the outside but contain waved ridges throughout the inside that stimulate your stomach, back and hip muscles at a higher intensity than a smooth hoop does.
Be warned though, depending on how intense you work out and how fast you spin your hoop, you might end up with lots of bruising around your waist!
Now we have decided on the type of hoop, but what about the material of the hoop? Usually, hula hoops are made of plastic but they are very often padded with foam as well.
Regular hula hoops are usually composed of a smooth plastic, which can make them quite slippery and possibly even hard to hoop with, especially if you’re a beginner. That’s why it’s generally recommended to use products such as grip tape to make sure your hoop won’t be too smooth and slide down.
The benefit to using a standard hula hoop is that they are great if you want to use the hoop for more than just a workout - these are best if you want to learn tricks with! Plus, they’re easy to clean and easily customisable by using different coloured grip tape.
If you’re only going to get the hula hoop out for those extra intense workouts, you might want to consider a padded foam hoop instead. These hoops are still made of plastic but the tube is covered with a foam padding to help soften the hard hoop hitting your body as it spins - this is especially helpful if you’re going to have a vigorous session!
If you’re going for a ridged hoop, these will usually be padded as the ridges are particularly intense on the body. Plus, a benefit of a foam padded hoop is that the material provides grip so that you don’t need any extras like grip tape.
For those of you trying to shop more sustainably, a third alternative choice would be wood. As the production of wood uses lower energy levels than plastic, this means a wooden hula hoop results in a lower carbon footprint than one made of plastic.
If your priority is sustainability, a wooden hula hoop is the way to go! But be aware that these are often smooth hoops that don’t come with ridges or padding and you may need to use grip tape on them.
One aspect of buying a hula hoop that might be a bit confusing is the weight! How heavy of a hoop should you get? Too light of a hoop and it’ll be harder to use as it’ll be harder to get the momentum going. But on the other hand, too heavy of a hoop and you might not even be able to get it spinning as the weight will be too much for you to handle.
Generally, it’s advised to start off with a hula hoop that weighs around 0.5-1kg as a beginner, then slowly move up to a weightier hoop. That way, you will get all the benefits of a weighted hoop but actually be able to use the hoop in the first place without hurting yourself!
The diameter of your hoop is one of the most important factors when purchasing a hula hoop. If the hoop is too small, it will be trickier to get it spinning as there won’t be enough space for the hula hoop to move. Generally, it’s easier to learn with a bigger hoop, but too big and it may cause damage to your spine and core.
As a rule of thumb, it’s generally recommended that the diameter of your hoop should reach from the floor to your belly button. If you’re plus size, add a few extra centimetres to this measurement, and if you’re petite, subtract a few centimetres to this measurement.
Finally, we should think about the assembly of the hoop. Most hoops nowadays are collapsible, which means they either fold up or you can take it apart into separate pieces. This is great if you intend to travel with your hoop, or you have very little space in your home to store it.
If you’re not fussy and have the means to store your hula hoop without needing to take it apart, a standard non-collapsible hoop is an easy option for you! Plus, you won’t need to bother with setting up and putting it away for each session, as those minutes add up!
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Powerhoop Deluxe Weighted Fitness Hula Hoop | ![]() | The World’s Most Advanced Fitness Hula Hoop | |
2 | Kuyou Folding Fitness Wave Hula Hoop | ![]() | An Adjustable Massaging Hoop for Vigorous Workouts | |
3 | Flames 'N Games ULTRA-GRIP Pro Hula Hoop | ![]() | A High-Quality Hula Hoop for Amateurs and Professionals Alike | |
4 | EVER RICH FitnessWave Weighted Fitness Exercise Hula Hoop | ![]() | A Hula Hoop with Adjustable Weight | |
5 | Opti Weighted Hula Hoop | ![]() | A Heavyweight Hula Hoop for Experienced Hoopers | |
6 | Echo Glow Echo Hoop | ![]() | A Light Up Hula Hoop Perfect for Parties | |
7 | Grevinga Exercise Hula Hoop | ![]() | An Eco-Friendly Sustainable Hula Hoop Option | |
8 | WASAKKY Hoola Hoop | ![]() | Hula Hoop and Skipping Rope 2-in-1 Set | |
9 | Hyfive - Majestic Magnetic Massage ABS Exercise Hula Hoop | ![]() | An Innovative Hula Hoop with Magnetic Massage Parts | |
10 | Opti Hula Hoop | ![]() | An Easy To Use Beginner's Hoop |
Powerhoop is a well-established brand for fitness hoop and it’s clear that their deluxe weighted hoop is award-winning for a reason. Rather than being surrounded by padded foam, this hoop features flexible compression chambers that ensures an even more comfortable experience, whilst still providing all the benefits of a ridged massaging hoop.
Even better, this hula hoop comes with steel weight inserts, allowing you to completely customise the weight of your hoop with ease. Although the price of this is a bit higher than most, it is completely worth it for all the benefits you get with the hula hoop.
For those looking to target your waist, this massaging weighted hoop is a great budget-friendly version, coming in at less than £20 for the hula hoop.
Not only do the ridges massage your abdomen and waist for a targeted workout, but they also help with movement, by increasing grip onto your body. For an amateur or intermediate hula hoop, this is a great, sturdy choice,
These hula hoops offered by Flames 'N Games can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, whether you want it for fun or fitness. Made out of strong and sturdy PVC tubing, it's heavy enough to have an impact on your workouts, but also light enough to learn tricks with too.
Our favourite thing about this hoop is the range of colours, offering over 20 varieties of colourings, some even UV glow in the dark! You are sure to find one that will suit your style!
The Ever Rich FitnessWave Hula Hoop is another great fitness hoop option for those wanting one for workout sessions. Made out of 6 parts and padded with soft foam, this is a great intermediate hoop.
The best thing about this hula hoop is that the insides of the hoop tubes are hollow, allowing you to adjust the weight if you so wish. By filling the hoop with weights or even weighty items like beans or rice, you can increase the weight and increase your workout!
Another option by Opti, this one is a lot heavier for serious hoopers. Weighing in at a hefty 1.8kg, this will be sure to make you work up a sweat - but don't worry, the hoop is padded with foam to minimise pain and bruising!
Made out of 6 parts for easy assembly, all you have to do is click the pieces into place. Plus, there is a 1 years guarantee on this hoop, so you won't have to worry about it breaking!
This hula hoop may not necessarily be the best for a workout, but it was too cool not to include in our rankings. Featuring 84 inbuilt LEDs, you can easily change the colour and patterns of the hoop from up to 50m away using a remote control, allowing you to dazzle all your friends and family.
We love how easy this hula hoop is to use. Not only is it fully rechargeable, but it also weighs in at 0.64kg, making it the perfect weight to play with. Plus, it's completely collapsible, allowing for easy transportation and storage.
This Grevinga hula hoop is made completely out of wood, offering you a more sustainable choice so you can reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, the wooden finish allows you to completely customise your hoop, whether it's with paint or tape, allowing you to show it off to your friends.
However, due to its low weight, we found this hula hoop is best for tricks as opposed to any other purpose - the hoop seems to be too light to make any serious impact on your workouts.
For those looking to invest in more gym equipment, this item brought to you by Wasakky comes with a portable hula hoop and a skipping rope, giving you the best of both worlds. The hula hoop included is a smooth padded one, perfect for long beginner workouts.
The best thing about it is that the size and weight are adjustable according to how many parts you use for assembly, allowing you to get the perfect fit. However, this is a bit restricted and you only have fixed weight/size options, so if you need something bigger or smaller, this may not be the best hoop for you.
If you're serious about working out, this Magnetic Massage ABS Exercise Hula Hoop may be up your alley. Equipped with over 40 magnetic balls, these stimulate your muscles and provide a strong massage effect across your core to amp up your workout.
Be aware though, this hoop is quite heavy and is definitely not for complete beginners, especially as the magnetic balls may cause some bruising to inexperienced hoopers.
Opti's Hula Hoop is a great beginner's hoop, weighing in at a comfortable 0.67kg, making it just weighted enough to aid your workout, but not too heavy so that you will struggle as a beginner.
A smooth hoop padded with foam will help you have a comfortable and longlasting workout, so this is the perfect choice if you're dipping your toes into the world of hula hooping.
Now you've finally purchased a hoop and it's on its way to you - but how do you actually get started? For those complete beginners with us, here are some tips and tricks for you on how to hula hoop!
Although you can technically wear anything to hula hoop, some clothes do make an impact on your hooping, whether it’s negative or positive.
As a beginner, it’s recommended to wear something tighter-fitting that allows for movement, like your gym gear. Loose-fitting clothing like a baggy shirt may cause the hula hoop to get caught and not spin properly!
To get the most benefit out of hula hooping, you need to ensure you have a good posture and you’re moving with the hoop. Make sure to stand up nice and tall, loosen up your body and ensure your legs and feet are hip-width apart - if you’re too stiff, you will never get that hoop spinning!
Despite what you may think, there’s no need to move your whole body whilst hula hooping. This exercise focuses on your balance and core muscles, so you should be concentrating on your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen as opposed to your arms and legs.
Move your body in whichever the direction the hoop goes - so if it spins left, move your body leftwards. If it spins right, move your body rightwards.
Rather than spin your hula hoop in silence, put some fun upbeat music on! The rhythm will help you move your body easier, plus it’ll be a lot more enjoyable for you too.
If you’re still struggling to move, there are plenty of free workout videos to follow along with on YouTube! Why not try a new one with each session?
The most important thing is to have fun and be patient! Just like with any new skill, learning to hula hoop takes time. It’s impossible to pick up a hoop and become an expert straight away and there’s no use getting frustrated at yourself if you’re not. Learning is just part of the journey so be kind to yourself and enjoy the ride!
Hula hoops are a fantastic option for getting fit while keeping it fun and fabulous. But if you want to mix it up a little, why not take a look through some of our other fitness-related articles?
Whether you’re simply looking for a fun activity to pass the time or you’re looking for something to amp up your workouts, we hope our buying guide has helped you find out what to look for in a hula hoop and you have found a suitable hoop in our top 10 list. Time to get your hoop on!
Author: Dodo Wang
No. 1: Powerhoop|Deluxe Weighted Fitness Hula Hoop
No. 2: Kuyou|Folding Fitness Wave Hula Hoop
No. 3: Flames 'N Games|ULTRA-GRIP Pro Hula Hoop
No. 4: EVER RICH|FitnessWave Weighted Fitness Exercise Hula Hoop
No. 5: Opti|Weighted Hula Hoop
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