Answer these questions here or check out our Hoops 101 page!

For shipping purposes, your hoop has been coiled down (unless they’re minis!). First, carefully remove the tape securing the hoop. Now lay the hoop down on a flat surface and allow it to naturally uncoil and round out for a few hours (maybe even a day). After that, simply connect it by pushing down on the metal button and joining the ends of the hoop together. If it’s still not completely circular after this point, either give it a little more time disconnected or play around with it for a bit (on a soft surface of course so you don't scratch it up!). If you need any assistance or have questions, please contact us!

We measure the outer diameter in inches. Check out our Hoops 101 page for more information!

Protective tape is a clear layer of tape that goes over your decorative tape. It helps protect your hoop from normal wear and tear & prevents scratches, scuffs, and tape unraveling. Protective tape definitely helps your hoop live a longer life, especially if you hoop on concrete, brick, or any other hard rough surface. I recommend it if you want your hoop to stay pretty for longer! (Definitely a yes for performance hoops!)

The best way to store your hoops is flat on an even surface at room temperature. Try not to hang your hoop up form 1 point (like a hook) for too long... that pressure point with the help of gravity pulls the hoop down, thus stretching and pulling it into a teardrop shape. Try not to keep your hoop coiled down for too long... it’ll start to get comfortable that way and expanding it back into it’s normal, circular shape can be difficult. Be aware of warm environments, like your car. Heat allows the tubing to become malleable and flexible, so it may start to take on whatever funky form it’s positioned in.

Unfortunately there's nothing you can do about scratched/scuffed tape. The best thing to do is take preventive measures, like hooping in the grass or on carpet rather than on concrete. Adding protective tape also makes quite the difference!

For peeling/unraveling tape, a cheap and convenient solution is to use clear packing tape or scotch tape to cover the ends of where the tape is coming up. You could also wrap the ends of the loose tape with gaffer tape.

Deformed hoops… a very common problem among all hoopers and luckily, there are some ways to fix this. However, the best way to avoid this problem is to take preventative measures.

1) Disconnect your hoop and lay it out on a warm, flat surface… like a driveway or somewhere out in the sunlight. If it’s cold out, you can place it near your fireplace or space heater. Hairdryers may work too. After the tubing warms up, slowly bend the plastic back into it’s proper form. If it’s laying flat, physics should do the work for you. This method also works if your hoop is warped like an uncooked pizza (doesn't lay flat on the ground). You can also add something heavy like a few books to help flatten it out!

2) Sometimes, your hoop just needs a little bit of time to get bent back into shape. Do some waist/knee hooping, or some breaks and paddles. This is particularly useful after your hoop has been coiled down for a while.

3) Unfortunately, some hoops are just straight up rebels no matter what you do... and sometimes you just have to blame it on the tubing or the stress put on a connector overtime. Extremely flat or sharp angled connections can usually be fixed with a new connector. (We do free repairs on Hoop Junky hoops that may face this issue, however the customer must pay for shipping both ways.)