So I got this based on the video reviews that said it is easy and fun and effective. I am a big girl, pushing 300 lbs, and I wanted something I could do in front of the TV that I might actually use. The hoop arrived nicely packaged, and was pretty easy to put together, especially if you squeeze the "inner" link together just a little. But be aware, that not everyone is a natural at this. The first night I tried it, I was terrible at it. The only circles of the ball were all a result of me throwing it to start it. I just couldn't keep it going. Then my 23 year old son tried it and of course, he could do it within just a couple tries! So some people are good right away, but not me, but I'm also not one to give up easily. The second night I tried again and was almost as bad. I tried shortening the rope but that didn't work for me, but I think I shortened it too much. I also think I was trying to use too much hips, but really this really needs more of a back and forth motion of your whole body. The third night I started hopping back and forth from foot to foot and what do you know, I was able to keep the weight going, but with a lot of effort. The hopping quickly wore me out, I went maybe 5 minutes. The fourth night I shortened the rope just a little, so kind of medium length, not as much as before. I also figured out that I had the hoop way too loose and low on my hips, so I took out a couple of links and that moved it way up over my stomach. This seemed to make it much easier and I was able to hop smaller and go for longer, about ten minutes with only 4 or 5 "restarts". I also found that it helped when my feet were further apart and one foot was a little forward. Tonight is one week later, and tonight I was finally able to keep the weight going with out having to hop. I could just shift my weight back and forth. I was also able to change positions with first one foot a little more forward for a while and then the other foot. This helped my back and knees to not ache. And I was able to keep going with just a few "restarts" for a whole half hour!Now, is it fun...well I like it better than riding an exercise bike or walking on a treadmill. I keep it right on the coffee table, and so far I have used it almost every night. I do see myself using it most nights. I do feel my heart rate up a little, so I'm getting more activity than before and that's a good thing. Time will tell if it is effective. No matter how hard I try, nothing has changed my weight more than 5 pounds in several years, so if this makes a difference I will be very happy. It might take a long time, but hey, the best exercise equipment is the equipment you will actually use.

I absolutely love this product. It is well designed and fun to use. Yes fun! It is not quiet, but the noise doesn’t bother me. At first I struggled to keep it going; however, with determination, I found the correct rhythm for me. Now I can exercise 30 minutes easily(after almost 2 months. I am very picky and I like quality products. I ordered a product similar to this one from another vendor and I was not pleased with it. I highly recommend this one. Thanks Rudy Run for making shopping on-line easy and for your product meeting customer’s expectations.

Why did you pick this product vs others?:I have been internet stalking this type of item for months. I have arthritis in my feet, knees, shoulders, back pain and I’m fat now so exercising is really hard as even walking hurts!  The way you move for this looked like something I could do to get started on losing weight without killing myself. I did decide to wear my back brace (just one of those kind that Velcro around your middle) and add an extra link to accommodate. I’m glad I did because I think it really helped. By the second real attempt I made I was able to keep it going for pretty much as long as I wanted until I got tired and switched directions/sides. After trying it I went back and rewatched a few videos and for me what worked best was the way I saw guys doing it mostly - one foot slight forward and one back and you at making like a rocking motion. The noise is not that bad. It’s certainly not silent but I was watching TV on volume 10 and had no trouble hearing it. It did seem louder going counterclockwise than clockwise and didn’t seem to ride as smoothly? But maybe I have a hitch in my giddy up going that way. I love that the weight bag is soft silicone and you can adjust the length of the cord easily so for me it hits my thigh and not my knee when it drops. Very easy to assemble and use. I’ll update once I’ve tried it for awhile but as of tonight I’m a little sore in my thighs mostly after almost 30 minutes of hooping. Ease of use:Relatively easy with a bit of a learning curve to find the stance that works best for you. Weight loss:I guess we will see!

I’m looking to gradually getting to doing more exercise this year, but I wanted an alternative to my preferred methods of walking or biking that I can do indoors when I am busy until it’s too late to walk or in inclement weather. This works great, because it is also extremely easy to watch tv while using this product, which helps encourage me to use it on days I’m feeling especially lazy.It works well, the links seem sturdy when clicked together and the ball is a decent weight. It takes a second to figure out how to use it; I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying they have to put it on the shortest length not to hit anything, only the shorter it is the harder it is to make it spin. When the ball is out further it can use its own momentum to help it spin, which helps you get it to go faster. I have my string at the maximum length without issue; I stand in front of my tv just far away not to hit it and it isn’t low enough to hit the coffee table behind me. If you have rambunctious children or jumpy dogs this may be a problem and you’ll need to find a private place to use it safely.I’ve only used it two days for 30 mins each, and though I haven’t quite worked up a sweat I am seeing a similar calorie burn to when I go on my usual walks, which are typically about 1.5 miles and just under 30 mins. I’ve found that if I can get it spinning good I can sometimes even lift my feet up, and if I can keep my hips twisting at the right rhythm it’s almost like running in place and I did get my heart rate up a few times. (Note that I’m overweight but not obese; if you have serious extra weight you would probably need to work up to that level of moving). I did already remove a link after just two uses, but rather than it being a miracle product I just figured out the best way to get the ball to move, which meant wearing it a little tighter so that is wouldn’t fall down to my waist as easily (I wasn’t necessarily wearing it loose before, but when the ball is moving quickly it pulls the band away from your body a bit, so you need to wear it a little tighter than you might think).The only potential issue I see is that it seems like the wheels on the internal track may start to wear down over time, especially since I’ve been able to move it fast. I’ve only used it a couple times so this is not quite a problem yet. I’m hoping this won’t become a huge problem, but if it does I will update.I’m hoping that as I continue to use it I can master the rhythm better and be able to get my heart rate up for longer. It is the exact same motion as regular hula hooping, but in my opinion more fun because I don’t have to stop to pick it up each time it falls, I just throw the string around my body easily if I lose the pacing and it drops. I don’t think it by itself will help me lose weight, but I am optimistic that combining with my walking and biking it will help me get in track, and mostly keep me accountable for the lazy days I don’t want to go outside and would rather catch up on my shows.

IMPORTANT READ:A few things you should know about this- when it works it’s really fun and you can definitely feel the burn if you use it regularly for 20-40 minutes a day.However it is LOUD- not for a small house or shared apartment, and when you use it regularly for long periods of time, it breaks!The 4 track wheels split shortly after I got it, and now several months later I started using it again and 1 link has been breaking every session I’ve used it this past week and the weight and broken piece go FLYING, almost breaking my lamps in my living room.Fortunately I have extra links in the box, but 4 links have broken THIS WEEK.My advice, get a silent foam weighted hula hoop without the flying weight attached to it.Should be less hazardous.

I was skeptical at first because I'd seen so many of these marketed. When I got it, it took a bit of fiddling to get it adjusted- the weighted ball has a length adjustment which affected how it spun for me at first, but it was easy to fix. The hoop itself is also very easy to add/remove links as needed.Once I got everything to fit and move how it was supposed to, I did 15 minutes for a first try, and I was pleasantly surprised how low-impact, yet effective the workout was. The hoop was comfortable to wear over some light clothes and didn't bite into my skin at all. The next day I was sore like I'd done a much tougher workout!The only downside I would say is the sound, but it's not terrible- it's about what I would expect for a modular item such as this. For the price, I would say it's very much worth it to give it a shot.

Very easy to use and adjust to your size!

This is very easy to use once you figure out how to keep it going. (Your motions). The ball spins very quickly, make sure you have enough room around you so not to break or knock over anything.Workout quality I'd call it easy.Quality of hoop, it's a hard plastic, easy to put on and take off. Does not pinch or dig into the skin.The weighed ball is one solid piece, I've read other brands have like an Easter egg type ball.I've had it for a month, nothing sticks, all works well. You'll notice inches off but not so much weight off at the end of a month. Keep going, don't be discouraged!

Works great

Very nice product

One star because customer service ghosted me!Bought this product, all seemed fine until the 4th use and then the ‘3 baring truck’ they’re so proud of shattered into pieces!Emailed customer services who were initially responsive but after they asked for a screenshot of the order on my Amazon account. I sent this immediately but it’s been complete radio silence since then.Considering this supposedly best on the market product breaks after 4 uses, you might as well try one of the cheaper alternatives.

The plastic material is not of good quality. The use of the exercise is good.

Love it! Wished I had tried a long time ago.