This hoop is good for beginners who want to be able to take their hoopjoy on the road. Whether you use all six segments or only five, the hoop is large enough to accommodate most adults and to keep up without wearing yourself out as you learn the basics.I found three cons to this product, but none of them should deter you from buying it. I only mention them as a heads-up. First is the clacking noise the hoop makes when you spin it. That happens because it''s segmented and the connection spots have a little give.
Second is the connectors themselves. If you don''t have slender fingers, it takes time to get the hang of disconnecting the segments without hurting a digit.
Third is the fact that the tape can get scraped up pretty easily if the hoop hits hard surfaces often enough. This is common to all hoops, however, so it shouldn''t be a deal-breaker. To avoid scratching up your hoop too much, hoop on carpet or a mat indoors and on grass outdoors whenever possible.
As for the carry strap, it''s sturdy and will hold the six segments together snugly until you''re ready to assemble the hoop.
The DVD that comes with the hoop is a short (about 12 minutes) introduction to the Hoopnotica program. It includes just enough moves shown to whet your appetite for the company''s workout and instructional DVDs, but does not have an actual workout on it. It''s more informercial than anything else, but it will give you enough info to get you started, so consider watching it before you head out with your travel hoop.
Addendum 9/10/09 I purchased the "new and improved" travel hoop from Hoopnotica''s website and it is much easier to take apart. And, I asked for a discount for it since I had bought the other one and it was too difficult to take apart and now had to get this new one. They gave me the discount. I buy from their website, not amazon, because they have a much bigger selection of hoops to choose from.I have purchased 3 Hoopnotica Travel Hoops. I must say the Travel Hoops are some of the "favorites" in my collection. There are MANY reasons this hoop is for you!
#1 TRAVEL you can take this little baby anywhere! The newly redesigned hoop has special buttons that push in to each section which make it easy to assemble and breakdown when needed. This is PERFECT for someone with small amounts of storage space in their home. Its also great for the hooper on the move who wants to hoop on the scene, like at a concert or at the park! It can also be easily taken to the gym or any other location.
#2 SIZE If you are new to hooping you may not know that different sizes can change the way you hoop. This hoop has 6 segments which if all assembled together, will give you a regular/large sized adult hoop. I found this size to be extremely helpful when I first started learning how to hoop dance. The hoop takes longer to spin around you therefore, giving you more time to recover if the hoop starts to drop! Its also a great size for men! If you are a petite or if you have a child or young adult that wants to give the hoop a spin simply take one segment out and assemble with 5 segments. This smaller size is great for those with smaller bodies or it can be used to really pump that heart rate! Hooping can burn 400-600 calories per hour! I like to call this size the "zippy" size. Its a little bit quicker (less of it to travel around your body) and a little bit sassier.
#3 STYLE It comes in two great colors pink w/ gold and blue w/ silver. I have both and they are great! I do not have the strap but I have the Hoopnotica Tote. Its pretty stylish and matches the hoop. The interior of the bag has a great polkadot pattern and the outside of the tote has a small pocket for keys, cell phone, cash etc.
#4 EASE OF USE This fabulous hoop has one great little secret. Its the pink or blue tape. Its a special cloth like tape that "sticks" to your body and most clothing types. Hooping should usually be done in some type of natural fabric material like cotton to be really effective. This tape makes learning the moves a little bit easier! As I mentioned before the special tabs on the buttons make putting this hoop together a snap, literally.
This product is really amazing. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!The packaging of the travel hoop is nice and flashy. I really like the idea of the travel hoop combo kit which includes the starter DVD, detachable/collapsable hoop and hoop carrying strap. Unfortunately, the box it came in was of a better quality than the hoop itself. I spent days reading through all the reviews and didn''t really appreciate the negative feedback from other customers regarding loose screws/nails. Well, I really should have. My order arrived today and I didn''t even bother to open the DVD since the whole thing needs to be returned. It looks pretty enough; however, the hoop''s construction isn''t sound and won''t withstand being assembled and disassembled often. I was able to easily assemble it; however, I noticed that the plastic insert pieces are only loosely riveted into each hoop section. One vigorous giggle could dislodge the rivets and cause the hoop to fall apart. Luckily for me, I had difficulty deciding on a hoop and purchased this one through Amazon and went directly to the Troo Hoops store in New York City for a custom made hoop. I wanted a back-up hoop in case the reports regarding the Hoopnotica Hoop proved to be accurate. Given that the Hoopnotica brand has been favorably featured in a lot of TV news and fitness magazines/podcasts, I just didn''t anticipate the Hoopnotica hoop being as shoddy as it actually was. I had hoped that I''d end up with one great hoop (Troo Hoop) and one good/OK hoop (Hoopnotica). My hopes were dashed since the Hoopnotica hoop will clearly fall to pieces if used too often; thus, it is being returned to Amazon. It is a shame to have to return it due to its cheap and defective construction. I really would have liked to have kept the other items in the kit. Hoopnotica seems to be the only brand offering hoop strap (included in kit) or a portable hoop bag (available as a separate purchase).
Note: I also purchased the Sport Hoop/Trim Hoop from Amazon to have a heavier hoop as a back-up. It has not arrived yet so I cannot comment on the quality for Sport Hoop''s Trim Hoop.
Update as of 7/31/2010 I also ordered the Trim Hoop from Sport Hoops (via Amazon) and it arrived today. While assembly could be a bit of a challenge since you need to feel for the depressions in the sponge to know exactly where the connection should join with the other section, it is sound and sturdy once properly assembled. In summary, both the Troo Hoop Travel Hoop (8 sections) and the 4 pound Trim Hoop are better than this captioned Travel Hoop from Hoopnotica. If you must have a Hoopnotica hoop, then I''d recommend one of their one piece hoops to avoid problems with the unstable connections of their version of the "travel hoop".I was so thrilled when I finally received my hoop but once I saw the poor construction I became concerned about whether it will hold up or not. I only used it a few times before the nails, which barely held it together, started to come out. Another annoying thing is is that it creaks loudly when I am hooping. After this happened I did some research online and found out how to make my own hoop and that is what I am going to do next instead of paying another high price for shoddy workmanship. The harness is also badly made. Part of it is not even sewn down.
Very unhappy!!!
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