Hula hooping is not only fun, but it’s also a great form of exercise that can help you burn calories and sculpt your body. Traditional hula hoops can be challenging to use, though, as they require a lot of practice and coordination. Thankfully, smart hula hoops eliminate that barrier to entry.
Unlike standard hula hoops, which spin around your body and can easily fall, smart hula hoops sit close to the body. They feature a gravity ball attached to a short rope that rotates around your body. This eliminates the chance of them slipping down. Some models, such as the Simplife Smart Hoola Hoop, even feature a timer that makes it easy to track how long you have been exercising.
Traditional hula hoops are large rings that rotate around your body as you swing your hips. They are a fun and effective source of exercise. However, they can also be quite challenging to use. Beginners often have trouble keeping the proper rhythm, which is vital to keeping the hula hoop high around the waist where it is supposed to be. Instead, it falls, frustrating many users and breaking up your workout.
Smart hula hoops have a different design. They are notably smaller and sit close to the body. The biggest difference, though, is in how they work. Rather than the entire hoop rotating around the body, they have a weighted ball attached to a rope.
The rope is attached to a small anchor with wheels that spins around the hoop on a track as you swing your body. This stops the hoop from falling down.
Though they have the term “smart” in the name, smart hula hoops aren’t smart in the traditional sense of being connected devices. Instead, the term is used to signify the unusual design.
Any time you have something making contact with your skin, you'll want to be comfortable. The last thing you want is to cause chafing or irritation while working out. The most important factor for smart hula hoop comfort is the pads responsible for holding the hoop in place. These may be rubber or silicone, with the latter generally being the most comfortable and least likely to cause skin irritation.
Some smart hula hoops have a vibration setting, which is supposed to provide a therapeutic massage or aid in fat burning. However, this increases the fat-burning effect you get from exercising with the hula hoop is unproven. The vibration is also very weak. Even if it was more powerful, vibration massage while activating muscles has few therapeutic benefits. For those reasons, it may not be worthwhile to pay additional money for a smart hula hoop just for a vibration setting.
If you like to track your fitness metrics, choosing a model with a display panel makes sense. Depending on the hula hoop, the display panel may show the number of hoops, calories burned or simply the elapsed time since you started exercising.
Because smart hula hoops sit close to the body, they need to fit you well. To that end, nearly all are size adjustable to fit a wide range of body types. To adjust the size, you simply add or remove sections as needed.
Though not important to functionality, some people like all of their workout equipment to match. Smart hula hoops come in various colors ranging from basic black or white to more vibrant colors like pink and blue.
Most smart hula hoops cost $20-$60, depending on the included features.
A. The amount of calories hula hooping burns depends on many factors, including your age, your current fitness level and how intensely you hula hoop. On average, though, most people burn between 4 and 7 calories per minute hula hooping.
A. Traditional hula hoops can be difficult to use and require some skill to keep them spinning properly. However, smart hula hoops are exceptionally easy to use and require almost no previous experience or practice, making them an ideal choice for beginners.
What you need to know: This beginner-friendly option is a good choice for those new to hula hooping, thanks to its sturdy build and easy size adjustment.
What you’ll love: It’s held in place via soft silicone pads that won’t irritate the skin. Plus, its gravity ball moves along the track smoothly, which helps promote a nice rhythm to your motions.
What you should consider: It can be hard to take off if you have long nails.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Swiss Activa+ Smart Weighted Hula Hoop
What you need to know: With the ability to adjust from 24 to 44 inches in diameter, this hula hoop can provide people of all sizes with an effective fat-burning workout.
What you’ll love: It comes with a digital counter to track your progress and includes 7-day training videos.
What you should consider: It's challenging to assemble and disassemble, which can be frustrating for some.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Dumoyi Smart Weighted Fit Hoop
What you need to know: This hula hoop has 360-degree shock-absorbing massagers, making it ideal for beginners and all ages.
What you’ll love: Its gravity ball is attached to a retractable string, which allows for more organized storage between uses, and it comes in two attractive colors.
What you should consider: It makes a lot of noise when hooping.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Brett Dvoretz writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
