How to choose CIRCUS DIVISION aerial hoops

Start with four questions

CIRCUS DIVISION sells one professional hoop, designed and made in Italy: a 25 mm steel tube, 2.75 mm thick, with no welded tabs. You do not choose between a “beginner hoop” and a “pro hoop”. You choose the diameter, one or two hang points, and the hardware that matches a structure a qualified person has already checked.

1. What outside diameter do you need, measured with the chair method?
2. Will you hang it from one point or two?
3. Will you attach to a concrete ceiling, a beam you can wrap, a wooden beam you can screw into, or do you already have shackles?
4. Do you want a ready kit, or the hoop plus tape and connectors on their own?

This page does not replace a class. Play sells aerial hoops for trained people, or for beginners under a competent teacher. Always put a certified fall mattress under the hoop. Never train alone. Have a professional confirm that the ceiling or beam can take a dynamic aerial load before you order an anchor kit.

The right size

Play sizes hoops by outside diameter (OD). The inside diameter is 5 cm smaller. If another brand lists inside diameter, do not mix the two numbers.

The official Play method — the one used by most hoop teachers — is:

• sit on a chair with a straight back;
• measure from the seat to the top of the head;
• add 10 cm.

The result is the recommended outside diameter. Round to the nearest size in the table.

Item	Outside diameter	Inside diameter	Weight
CDAHO85	85 cm	80 cm	4.75 kg
CDAHO90	90 cm	85 cm	4.95 kg
CDAHO95	95 cm	90 cm	5.20 kg
CDAHO100	100 cm	95 cm	5.45 kg
CDAHO105	105 cm	100 cm	5.80 kg
CDAHO110	110 cm	105 cm	6.15 kg

A second method, used in hoop teaching when you already work foot catches on the top of the hoop: stand, bend at the hips to 90°, measure from the floor to the lower back and add 5 cm. It can give a slightly smaller size than the chair method. If the two disagree, use the Play chair method unless your teacher asks otherwise.

Schools that share one hoop among mixed adults often stock 95 cm as the middle of the range. That is a class convenience, not a Play “standard size” rating. Between two sizes, the larger hoop is usually easier to sit in; the smaller one is easier to control at the top of the hoop.

One point or two

The CIRCUS DIVISION hoop has three 10.5 mm holes drilled in the tube. The same hoop can hang from one hole or from two, with 55 or 60 cm between the outer holes. You do not buy a different model.

	Single point	Double point
Typical feel	Turns and swings in every direction. A swivel makes the spin cleaner.	Swings mainly forward and back, like a playground swing. More stable for holds.
Space	Fits a smaller room.	Needs a little more height and a structure that accepts two connectors.
Hardware	One shackle, or a polyester loop through the centre hole.	A pair of CIRCUS DIVISION shackles.

If you are not sure, start on one point: it needs less room and the hoop can move to two points later. Many studios keep both options on the same hoop.

What this hoop actually is

The tube is calibrated steel, 25 mm × 2.75 mm, black powder-coated against corrosion, with a double tube across the weld. The hang points are holes in the tube, not welded tabs. The profile stays smooth: no raised plates to catch skin or clothing.

• Working load limit: 170 daN (about 170 kg). Breaking load limit: 1000 daN.
• Certification: European standard UNI EN 913:2019.
• Inspection by a skilled person every 12 months, recorded on the life sheet.
• Warranty: 3 years from the purchase date. Designed and made in Italy.

The load of the system is always the weakest link: plate, bolts, beam, sling, shackle, hoop. Read the aerial hoop technical specifications before you install.

Shackles, sling and height

Play recommends the CIRCUS DIVISION stainless-steel shackles: they are made for these holes, the pin has an O-ring so it does not unscrew, and the Allen key is included. One shackle for a single point, two for a double point. You can also hang the hoop directly on a polyester loop with a girth hitch or a prusik, with or without a swivel.

Measure the anchor height from the floor to size the sling. For home use, Play recommends the hoop itself at about 120 cm from the floor: sitting and inverting stay possible without the head hitting the ground. The 75 cm double-sheath sling in the ready kits is sized for a domestic anchor around 2.75–3 m.

Tape

Play recommends tape for grip, safety and comfort. Apply it from the bottom of the hoop, spiralling upwards, on a clean dry tube, without wrinkles. The stretch cotton tape is 5 m × 50 mm, 95% cotton and 5% elastane: it follows the curve and does not leave sticky residue in the hand.

Hoop teachers usually tape a hoop that beginners will climb and sit in. An untaped powder-coated tube slides more and can pinch: useful later, not a requirement to buy a different hoop.

Which kit matches your ceiling

Warning: always have an experienced professional confirm that the ceiling or beam is suitable. Stair treads, curtain poles, untested trees and domestic furniture are not anchor points.

Your structure	What to order
You already have a verified connector	Hoop only, or hoop + pair of shackles.
Ceiling about 2.75–3 m	Hoop + shackles + 75 cm double-sheath sling.
Concrete or wooden ceiling	Hoop + sling + ceiling plate and carabiner. The 12 cm plate takes throughbolts or wood screws.
Exposed beam you can wrap	Hoop + shackles + 75 cm sling + 80 cm truck-loop beam kit.
No suitable ceiling or beam	A free-standing aerial rig (TP420 / TP560 / TP700), checked on a suitable floor.

Plate details: anchor plate technical specifications.

Ready kit or pieces

• Hoop only — you already have shackles and a verified hang point.
• Hoop + pair of shackles — single or double point on an existing connector.
• Hoop + shackles + 75 cm sling — typical domestic ceiling height.
• Hoop + shackles + sling + ceiling plate — concrete or wooden ceiling.
• Hoop + shackles + sling + beam kit — wrap around an exposed beam.
• Tape — one 5 m roll covers a hoop; a second roll is useful in a school.
• Padded carry bag — if the hoop will travel.

Browse the aerial hoops collection.

By situation, not by “level”

Home, after real lessons

Size with the chair method. Start on one point unless your teacher wants two. Pick the kit by the ceiling a professional has approved. Set the hoop near 120 cm from the floor. Tape it. Put a certified mattress on the fall path. Never train alone.

Circus school or studio

95 cm covers most mixed adult groups; keep a smaller and a larger hoop if you can. Inspect every 12 months, record the life sheet, and withdraw a hoop at the first crack, permanent bend or serious corrosion. A spare hoop avoids cancelling a class.

Already spinning or working the top of the hoop

You do not need a different Play model. You may want a swivel on a single point, two shackles on a double point, more verified height, and a structure rated for dynamic load. The hoop stays the same; the room and the hang change.

Before you add to cart

• A professional has approved the structure.
• Size comes from seat-to-crown + 10 cm, as outside diameter.
• You have decided on one point or two.
• You have CIRCUS DIVISION shackles, or they are in the kit.
• The sling or plate matches the ceiling or beam.
• Tape is on the order if you want grip from the first session.
• A certified fall mattress will sit under the hoop.
• A teacher or other competent person will supervise.

Next: technical specifications · hoops and kits · shackles · tape · ceiling plate