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8 best weighted hula hoops for fitness

Chances are the last time you used a hula hoop was in the playground. But if you want to tone your tummy and take inches off your waistline, it could be the one piece of fitness equipment you need

Popular with celebrities including Beyoncé and Michelle Obama, hula hooping is a great home workout that improves your posture, boosts your circulation and strengthens your core muscles. (Although a top tip from our testers: the hoops we tried had diameters of around one metre so just make sure you clear enough space to avoid knocking things off your shelves!)

According to the American Council on Exercise you can burn seven calories a minute by hula hooping – the same as during a boot camp exercise class.

But the hula hoops you need for fitness are very different to the ones you used as a child. First up, they need to be weighted. Anna Byrne, co-founder of the hula hoop fitness classes HulaFit, says, ‘I’d recommend people look for a weighted hoop that weighs between 900g-2kg for home use (although some people prefer heavier). The bigger and heavier the hoop the easier it is as the weight drives the momentum of the hoop.’

You also need to choose between a smooth hula hoop or one with ridges on the inside. These ridges are meant to stimulate your core muscles and help the hoop stay up around your waist.

Anna has a few tips on how to get started. ‘Give the hoop a spin and wait for it to rotate around your body a few times before you start pulsing your abdomen backwards and forwards. If it starts to drop down, bend your knees quickly and then straighten up.’

Don’t be disheartened if you’re a total beginner and just can’t keep the hoop up. Anna adds, ‘It took me a week of trying every day but I eventually did it! Think less, put music on and keep trying. No one is born with the skills, it’s all down to muscle memory.’

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

She recommends the best moves to try at home for an abdominal workout are:

The Beanpole

Stand with your feet as close together as possible, then raise arms above your head with your hands together. Try and go in both directions (this is harder than it sounds!).

Change the tempo

Try to go as fast and as slow as possible.

Anna adds: ‘If you do this for about 10-15 minutes a day combined with 30 seconds of skipping (using the hoop) or burpees if space is an issue then you should see results within four weeks. The main things to remember is to go both ways and change the pace often. If it all feels easy to do then start mixing things up like holding weights or balancing or adding squats, lunges and jumping.’

And don’t worry about the hula hoop taking up loads of space at home. All the ones we tested came in separate pieces and were super easy to assemble and take apart.

We asked our team of testers – all with varying degrees of hula hooping ability – to rate the weighted hoops based on the workout they managed with them and how comfortable and easy they were to use.

Based on their scores, here’s our pick of the best.

Mirafit 1.2kg Ridged Weighted Fitness Hula Hoop: £7.95, Mirafit

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All our testers loved the Mirafit weighted hoop. The ridges – there for deep muscle stimulation according to Mirafit – means the hoop pretty much keeps itself up on your waist which was a big bonus for our total beginners. (For some, this was the only hoop they managed to actually keep up.)

It was just as popular with our intermediate and advanced hula hoopers. Unlike some of the other ridged hoops we tested, they weren’t uncomfortable and the hoop spun well. This meant all the testers were able to do a hula hoop workout. Great news given Mirafit claims you can lose up to 4lbs a month if you hula hoop for just 10 minutes a day.

It’s also one of the cheapest hoops we tested – a total bargain.

Buy now

Decathlon 100 Gym Hoop 0.9kg: £12.99, Decathlon

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This was the lightest hoop we tested and our testers agreed it was a good entry level choice to get you started as it was pretty easy to keep up around your waist. Our experienced hula hoopers really liked the intensity of their workout with the hoop and could feel it working their core muscles. A smooth hoop with no ridges, it was one of the most comfortable we tested.

As a bonus, you can log in to Decathlon’s Domyos website for free hula hoop exercise videos.

Buy now

ResultSport The Original Foam Padded Fitness Hoop 1.2kg: £16.50, Amazon

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ResultSport weighted hula hoops are some of the best sellers on Amazon and most of our testers agreed this 1.2kg one was a good piece of kit. A midweight, smooth hoop, it was comfortable to use thanks to the foam padding and was popular with our testers who struggled to keep some of the other hoops up on their waists.

ResultSport say this hoop is best for beginners and intermediate hoopers and our testers agreed. However, our more advanced hoopers felt they weren’t working their core muscles quite as much as some of the other hoops we tested so maybe one of their heavier hoops might be a better option if you’re a hula hooping pro.

Buy now

Just be... Active Weighted Fitness Hoop 2.1kg: £19.49, Bopster​

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This ridged hoop was the heaviest we tested and had mixed reviews. Some of our testers felt it was simply too heavy. Not only that, the ridges were a bit uncomfortable for a few of our testers (one described it as a "pummelling"). However, once you get the hoop going, you get a really decent workout and can definitely feel those tummy muscles working.

Buy now

Fitness Mad Wave Hula Hoop 1.5kg: £19.30, Amazon

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This was another favourite among our testers. According to the manufacturers, the wave design on the inside of the hoop helps keep the hoop up on the body. And our testers agreed, saying it was one of the easiest to use. A definite contender that really works your core. It’s also super easy to put together and is a really sturdy piece of equipment.

Buy now

Decathlon Gym Hoop 900 1.9kg: £19.99, Decathlon

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Another hit with our testers, when you get this heavier Decathlon hoop going it quickly raises your heart rate. With good momentum, and no ridges, this was a favourite among our advanced users. As with all the hoops we tested, it comes in separate parts and has a simple ‘click’ system to put it together and take it apart. A solid piece of kit that will definitely tone those abs, bums and tums.

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Opti Weighted Hula Hoop 1.8kg: £19.99, Argos

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At 108cm, this hoop has the widest diameter so you’ll need a lot of space if you want to use it inside. It has a waved design on the outside meaning it’s easy to grip. Yet our testers felt the foam covering wasn’t as soft as on the other hoops, meaning it wasn’t quite as comfortable to use. (Prepare for a few bruises around your middle when you start working out with some of the hula hoops!)

However, when the hoop gets going, you get a really decent cardio workout.

Buy now

Just be... Weighted Fitness Hoop 1.2kg: £13.49, Bopster​

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A lighter version of the other Just be… hoop we tested, this version scored highly for how easy it was to keep up on your waist. This is one of their best-selling hoops and is a great option for intermediate users who want to advance on to trickier workouts. It has ridges but none of our testers found this an issue. At just 1.2kg, it’s an ideal piece of kit to take apart and pack in your suitcase if you want to do a daily workout on holiday.

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The Verdict: Best weighted hula hoops for fitness

All the hoops we tested will give you a good workout and it really comes down to a personal preference of whether you like a smooth hoop or one with ridges. The favourite across all our testers was the Mirafit 1.2kg Ridged Weighted Fitness Hula Hoop which, at £7.95, was also the cheapest by far.

For more advanced users, the Decathlon Gym Hoop 900 1.9kg was a hit, raising your heart rate and working those tummy muscles. And remember: don’t be put off if you can’t keep the hoop up – after a few tries, even our total beginners were getting a great workout.

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