HDPE Tubing

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) tubing is the most common type of tubing used in LED hoops. It is a semi-transparent or "milky" white color. It is a harder, more rigid plastic that holds its shape very well.

The majority of LED hoops are made with 7/8" HDPE tubing. Since this tubing is larger and has smaller bend radius, it is not offered in our mini hoops. It is a great size to use if you're not sure what size you need.

The 3/4" HDPE tubing is less common for full size hoops, but there are a good number of LED hoops that use this size. It's smaller size also makes it ideal for mini hoops down to 22" in size.

SuperFlex Tubing

You may not have heard of SuperFlex and are unsure what it is. SuperFlex is technically known as Linear Low-Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) tubing. It is a more flexible, softer tubing. The 3/4" and 7/8" varieties are also much more transparent than their HDPE counterparts. Since the tubing is softer, please be aware that it will more easily scratch or scuff.

The flexibility of the 3/4" and 7/8" sizes make them very well suited to mini hoops since they bend much easier with out as much worry about kinking. The 1″ size holds its very well, but has thicker walls than the other sizes. It works very well in normal size hoops for those who like a heavier hoop. The LLDPE tubing also has more of a tacky surface and is much easier to keep spinning for the less experienced hoopers.

Picking your tubing size

The most common question we get about tubing is how the sizes compare to the standard black tubing used in non-LED hoops.  This can be more than a little confusing to those unfamiliar with how each type of tubing is measured, so here's a quick reference chart that should handle a good deal of these questions.

Hooping Styles and tubing

If you’re a hooper who likes your tricks, you should probably go with the HDPE tubing which is a bit stiffer and holds its shape regardless of hooping style. While it is great in medium to large sized hoops, HDPE is not as accommodating for smaller mini hoop styles because the tension the smaller diameter poses may increase the risk for kinks. While the HDPE is still “collapsible”, it is not quite as versatile as its more flexible SuperFlex counterpart and can only roll down to approximately a 22 or 24 inch circle.