While it’s possible for a hoop to be truly defective or damaged, being a bit out of round is normal and adjusting it to be round enough for most needs is a common part of owning a hoop.
Whether from storage, shipping or use, a lightweight high-performance hoop can warp under it’s own weight when resting upright against a wall, or hanging from a single hook.
Luckily a hoop does not need to be perfectly round to perform well. Even perfect isolations and delicate balancing moves might not reveal an ever so slightly oval hoop.
A quick google search will bring up countless explanations, instructions and videos about how to make your hoop rounder, but basically it just needs what most of us need when we’re out of shape: a warm massage :)
Simply laying your hoop on a flat surface in the sun for a few hours may allow it to relax into a more round shape. Flexing/massaging it to make it rounder while its warm may also help.
If a warm sunny day isn’t easily available, a hair dryer, or tub or sink full of hot water will also work.
- hot water: pass the hoop through the hot water, rotating it slowly, until it is nice and warm, then massage as needed.
- hair dryer: be very careful not to over heat it! Gently get the whole hoop warm, then massage as needed.
Hoops are made from about 8 feet of semi-flexible industrially produced tubing that is not perfectly constant along its entire length, so some slight variation is natural, and it can be affected by how it is stored and used.
Hoops are rarely perfectly round and not likely to stay that way during normal handling. Avoid leaving a hoop on an un-even surface in the sun, and definitely not in a hot car!
If your flowtoys hoop is badly deformed, damaged, or not meeting your needs in any way, please contact us.