Should You Choose a Poly Pro Hoop or is HDPE better?

This is a common question, and in order to answer it, it is important to look at the similarities and differences. In this article we will explore

The differences between HDPE and Poly Pro.

How they behave in different temperatures.

Hear from a popular hoopsmith and teacher about the differences.

And give you the information you need to make an informed decision.

Want to know what the difference is in how these hoop materials perform?

Here are a few comparisons between polypro and HDPE based on reactivity, durability, flexibility.

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When a poly pro hula hoop may be better

Try it with these Hula Hoop Tricks:

Any type of breaks

Hand spins

Palm spins

Nose hooping

Head hooping

Bounces

Wedgies

Any type of move that bends tubing

Most off body moves

When a HDPE hoop may be better

Try it with these hula hoop tricks:

Shoulder duck outs

Leg hooping

Foot hooping

Elbow hooping

Chest hooping

Waist hooping

Hooks (because it doesn’t bounce off as easy as PPE)

Typically most on-body hooping

Polypro tubing

Polypropylene, otherwise known as polypro or PPE, is a tough and flexible plastic. You would typically see this plastic in carpets, reusable containers, and loud speakers. Polypro can be made translucent or opaque. The downside of using polypro is that it can crack in the cold weather or actually shatter when switching from one cold area to a hot area.

HDPE Tubing

HDPE is otherwise known as High-Density Polyethylene or “PEHD” (Polyethylene High-Density). HDPE is typically used in plastic bottles or corrosion resistant piping. It is much denser than polypropylene and can withstand higher temperatures. Meaning it is much less likely to crack or shatter in the cold. HDPE’s downside is that it does not work well in the heat because it gets wobbly and flexible (in a not so great way). This tubing is also easier to kink than polypro.

Hoop Responsiveness

Responsiveness is the bounciness of the hoop, how fast it reacts to your movements and changes of direction. A more responsive material will react faster than a less-responsive one.

If you are a speedy hooper and you want to go quickly, polypro is going to be your best friend. It has a high reaction speed because it is more responsive. It’s very bouncy and is easy to perform change of direction moves like breaks.

Now if you are a hooper who likes control, HDPE is likely the material you want to go with. Although it reacts effectively, there is a bit of a lag in the response, meaning you need to put more effort into pulling of the same moves.

Ultimately you can hoop with either, but doing breaks specifically would take less energy with Polypro. HDPE absorbs more force, therefore you need more force in order to get it to react. Because....science.