Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a warranty on the LED hoops?
Yes the LED hoops come with a 2 year warranty on any electronics. Although issues are rare, they are electronics and things can happen from time to time. We are very quick and professional about taking care of the random incidents that could arise. We will fix your hoop and ship it back to you very soon after receiving it so you do not have to go long without it!
What is NOT included by warranty?
Water damage is NOT included in the warranty. Although the hoops can be used safely in some rain, they are NOT waterproof and should NOT be submerged in water or stored outside or in moist/damp places. If you suspect water damage has occurred, sometimes the only thing that was damaged in the hoop is the resistor which is a quick fix….so we usually encourage sending back the hoop to see if that’s the case. If the whole circuit is damaged/fried though, this is not a fixable or covered. Tubing condition is NOT covered by warranty. The HDPE tubing is very durable and will not break or kink easily, while polypro is more delicate and has been known to crack/break if hit hard enough. Polypro is most delicate in cold temperatures so a good rule of thumb is that if it is cold outside, keep your hoop on grass versus concrete. In the case that your tubing is kinked or cracked, we charge a 20 dollar re-tubing fee in addition to the return shipping costs (10 dollars for USA customers). The insert tubing of the connectors is included in this ‘not covered’ part of the hoop. Although the hoops will coil back around and connect into themselves when collapsed, doing so puts a lot of stress on this insert tubing. We provide Velcro straps to collapse hoops so that you do not have to coil them into themselves for travel. Zip ties or electric tape also work well for this. I do not recommend any tape besides electric tape because electric tape will not leave sticky residue on your tube like most other tapes will.
Tape condition is NOT covered by warranty, but if you pay for return shipping I will gladly retape your hoop free of cost. I will not clean all the sticky glue and dirt and stuff off of the tube though very well….but I will get the new tape to cover up most of that anyways so that you can ‘spot clean’ the rest of the tubing when you get it back.
What is the difference between HDPE and polypro tubing?
HDPE (high density polyethylene) tubing is very durable. Its more bouncy/flexible than polypro tubing. Polypropylene (polypro) tubing is very stiff/rigid….which makes it more delicate, but also very responsive…which is why it is preferred by many experienced hoopers. HDPE tubing is white and polypro is clear, but the light output from the tubing is no different….the leds look just as bright with HDPE tubing.
What tubing is better for beginners?
HDPE tubing is better for beginners since it is so durable.
What tubing diameter hoop should I get?
The 7/8” tubing is preferred by many beginners, or those who just like a heavier hoop. This 7/8” od tubing compares very closely to the 3/4” id black tubing at hardware stores that is used for day hoops. The 3/4” tubing is great for intermediate level hoopers. Some beginners may also like this tubing if you are already pretty good at keeping the hoop up and would like to learn some tricks and dance moves next. Some advanced hoopers still like the 3/4” tubing as well just to have a little more weight than the 5/8” hoops. This 3/4″ od tubing compares very closely to the 1/2″ id black tubing at hardware stores used for day hoops.
The 5/8” tubing is our thinnest and lightest option for tubing. It is not recommended for beginners. This tubing is mostly preferred by advanced level hoopers. It is also more highly recommended to add the counterbalance option with this tubing.
What is the difference between i.d and o.d?
Inner diameter (i.d) is the diameter of the hoop measured from one inside edge of the hoop directly across to the other inside edge. Outer diameter (o.d) is the diameter of the hoop measured from one outside edge of the hoop directly across to the other outside edge. Therefore the o.d of the hoop takes the tubing thickness into account. We use inner diameter to do our hoops, but if you only know the outer diameter you are welcome to give us that, we can do the conversions. Just be sure to specify it as ‘o.d’ so that we can be sure to make it correctly!
What are the common sizes for 7/8” tubing?
These hoops are generally made between 35-40” id. The most popular size for them seems to be 37” id
What are the common sizes for 3/4” tubing?
These hoops are generally made between 30-36” id. They are requested smaller at times, at about 28”, and sometimes as large as 38” id….however they are much more popular between about 32-36” id. We generically make our hoops at 36” id with this 3/4″ tubing if no other size preferences are listed.
What are the common sizes for 5/8” tubing?
These hoops are generally made between 26-30” id. We do NOT like making them any larger than 32” id. The tubing is so thin and light that they become ‘wonky’ at larger sizes….like sort of flimsy. Please do not order this tubing larger than 32” id….if you do I will end up writing you to try and convince you to go a little smaller. In the end if you insist on a larger sized 5/8” hoop we can certainly make it that way, I just prefer to get this point across to be certain you get what you are anticipating.
Should I counterbalance my hoop?
Counter-weighting is a preference thing. The hoops have a battery on one side of the tubing so some people like to add weight to the other side to balance out this weight. Not adding the balancing fee to your hoop will not make it seem totally awkward or anything like that….it will hoop perfectly fine without it. This is more of a thing for advanced hoopers who do a lot of breaks and isolation style moves. Personally, the balancing never seemed necessary to me when I used 3/4”tubing (and definitely don’t bother with 7/8” tubing). I do recommend balancing the thin 5/8” hoops though since hoopers using this advanced level tubing tend to hoop in a style that is more affected by the balance effect of the hoop.
What is the difference between ribbon and dot strobe LEDs?
Ribbon strobes leave long ribbon-like trails. A 3 color ribbon strobe will leave a trail where the three colors are connected in the ribbon-like fashion. The trails of ribbon LEDs are like solid color trails….one continuous line. Dot strobes on the other hands have black space between the three colors so that the trail looks like a dotted line trail. The one color dot strobes do the same thing. My hoop does not look circular, how do I fix this? The hoops are all circular when they leave here, so do not panic if yours is a little off when you receive it. We coil them nice and small for shipping so that we can ship priority for a good price. After being coiled for a few days it is very common for the hoop to be a little off at first. Just connect the LED hoop together into the second hole (so fully closed), and you can work it into shape a bit. They are not super delicate that you will do damage. You can push/pull gently on the tubing in the areas where it looks like it needs it. HDPE is more durable and flexible so working it is easier, polypro is a little more stubborn…but I promise they will all get to circular with a little help. Lying the hoop flat (and put together) in the sun or someplace warm will also help.
Will any batteries work in the LED hoops?
The hoops will only work with 3.6V lithium batteries. Generic AA or AAA sized batteries for household appliances will not work to power the hoops as they only provide about 1.7V of power. Some people have told me they can get the lights to turn on by doubling up on one of these batteries…..please NEVER PUT MORE THAN ONE BATTERY IN THE HOOP. If you put more than one lithium battery in there you could fry the circuit, and the hoops will not properly close with more than one battery in there anyways so you will damage the connection area of the tubing. We sell extra batteries if you lost yours, or you can shop for them on your own. The 7/8” and 3/4″ hoops run on a AA sized lithium rechargeable battery (14500 series), and the 5/8” hoops run on the AAA sized (10440 series).