Mermaid Hooping stocks Australia’s largest range of coloured polypro and taped hula hoops.
Ariel is passionate about high quality materials and hoopsmithing, as well as a focus on community and environmental ethics.
Each and every hoop is designed, crafted, packaged and shipped by me: I have been hula hooping for over six years and am constantly adjusting my techniques and materials to stay up to date with what will create the best experience for each individual hooper. To ensure your hoop gives you many years of love, they are made from the highest quality tubing and tapes and should arrive with a flush connection and beautifully circular shape, coiled down and fastened with handy reusable double sided velcro straps for travel.
At Mermaid Hooping all hoops are measured by their Outside Diameter (OD) in centimetres – you will notice I use metric measurements throughout my site, but I am more than happy for you to request your hoop made in inches – just choose the closest size in CM and put your request in the order notes.
All polypro and HDPE hoops come standard with a durable polycarbonate connector, fastened with a rivet and with one push button to make your hoop collapsible. It is not recommended that small and medium sized hoops are doubled down on themselves all the way as this can cause the tubing and/or connector to kink or crack. There are techniques to make this more successful that you can google or ask me about.
In general I do not make children’s hoops collapsible unless requested.
When your hoop arrives please take the time to read the care instructions and get in touch if you have any issues or questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
“WHAT SIZE HOOP SHOULD I BUY?”
- Mini: 30 – 60cm: For toddler age children and more advanced hoopers wanting to explore mini hoop tech.
- Small: 60 – 75cm: This is the size range for preschool age children, or for more advanced adult hoopers ready to move on from their larger hoop and practice more off body tech.
- Medium: 75 – 85cm: This is a perfect size range for older children, and for more experienced adult hoopers as a great all-rounder for hoop dance combining on and off body moves.
- Large: 85 – 95cm: This is the range of sizes most common for beginner hoopers or those wanting to focus on on-body hooping.
- Extra: 100cm and up: This is a perfect size for unsure beginners, learning tricky on body tricks, and those wanting to hoop for fitness and weight loss. The large size slows the hoop’s rotations making it easier to develop co-ordination at your own pace.
**These guidelines are for general advice, and may not always apply. For hoopers who are particularly tall or curvy, a larger hoop can be easier to start with. Please send me a message if you are unsure.
“WHAT TYPE OF TUBING SHOULD I ORDER?”
-PE tubing is what kids hoops are made from and also the majority of dance and beginner hoops; it is hardy and durable, and Mermaid Hooping stocks several thicknesses for different uses:
- 16mm (5/8″) is a narrow tube that is great for small hoops – up to approximately 85cm. This will provide you with a lightweight hoop that is good for small children and off body tricks.
- 20mm (3/4″) is the most commonly used width tubing for dance hoops and works excellently for medium-large sized hoops for those who are beginning or more advanced. Some may find this tubing too heavy for off body tricks, but it is generally a great all-rounder for learning.
- 25mm (1″) is a more heavyweight tubing that is great for large fitness hoops and unsure beginners.
-HDPE tubing offers an in-between alternative to the heavy duty PE and the lightweight Polypro. More responsive than PE and more durable than polypro, HDPE is favoured by a wide range of hoopers from confident beginners to more experienced hoopers wanting a little more weight than polypro offers. It is highly recommended for those hooping in very cold climates as it won’t crack as easily as polypro. Mermaid Hooping currently stocks a small selection of HDPE in 16mm (5/8) and 19mm (3/4″).
-Polypro tubing is specially designed and manufactured for hula hoops and is more lightweight and responsive than PE. Polypro is favoured by more experienced hoopers wanting to learn more complex tricks and challenge their on and off-body moves.
Mermaid Hooping stocks a range of colour options in the following:
- 12.5mm (1/2″) is the skinniest polypro option and is great for mini hoops and for a more speedy lightweight option for small and medium sizes.
- 16mm (5/8″) is a narrow tube that is great for small hoops – up to approximately 85cm. This will provide you with a springy, lightweight hoop that is great for off body moves.
- 17.5mm (11/16″) known as the ‘Goldilocks’ tubing many people find this to be the perfect in between size: whilst the thickness is halfway between the two regular sizes, this tubing is more dense and so combines the thin feel of 5/8 with the weight of 3/4. A must try!
- 19mm (3/4″) is a wider tube that is great for medium-large sized hoops – from approximately 75 – 95cm. These hoops are much more lightweight than PE, so are more challenging for beginner hoopers to learn on-body hooping, but are excellent for a range of off-body moves and suit intermediate – advanced hoopers as a great all-rounder hoop.
- 25mm (1″) is great for hoopers wanting to move on from their PE hoops but still wanting a nice big size and heavy weight for on-body hooping. This thick tubing is suitable for large and extra large sizes and hard to handle for off body tricks.