Embroidery hoops are often ignored when doing hand embroidery. However, its importance cannot be overlooked.
Whether working on a personal project, paid project, or teaching others how to do embroidery, embroidery hoops play one crucial role in the whole process.
They enable you to put enough and even tension across the cloth so that the final design can be evenly stitched across the cloth surface.
Embroidery done without using a hoop can be instantly noticed due to puckered fabric’s appearance across the stitched design, resulting from uneven tension.
With that in mind, there are many varieties of embroidery hoops, and selecting the best one to suit your needs can be quite a challenge.
Our Top 3 Recommendations – Embroidery Hoops
“Following are the top three recommended products based on personal experience and customer feedback”
- Pllieay 12 Pieces 3 Inch Embroidery Hoops – (Great Hoops for Embroidery)
- Caydo 12 Pieces 3 Inch Embroidery Hoops – (Excellent Quality Hoops)
- Caydo 6 Pieces Embroidery Hoops – (Great for the Price)
Top 7 Best Embroidery Hoops Reviews
This article looks at some of the best embroidery hoops, identifying their features and how these features make embroidery easier for you.
1. Caydo 5 piece plastic embroidery hoops
Caydo Embroidery hoops are filled with color. After unwrapping them, the first thing you might do is admire the colorful design pattern they form, especially when placed inside the other. They are 5 in total, with blue, orange, rose red, and purple colors. However, the inside rim of each hoop is plain white in color.
The hoops are made from plastic material, which is incredibly lightweight and comfortable to hold.
They vary in size, with the smallest hoop having a diameter of 5” and the largest having an 11” diameter. The 3 middle sizes measure 6.3”, 7.6”, and 9.6” from smallest to largest.
Each hoop has a brass adjustment screw for fastening the outer rim to the inner rim. This helps to grip the cloth tightly so that it can be stable enough to work on. The screw’s nut is textured to give you a grip when tightening, making it easier to use.
Features at a glance
- They are made entirely from plastic (both inner and outer rims).
- The set has 5 hoops with different sizes and different colors.
- They have adjusting screws to adjust the tension between the two rings.
- Circular in shape.
- Very lightweight. The plastic build makes it very light.
2. Caydo 5 piece bamboo embroidery hoops
With this set, you get value for money. It contains everything that you need to start embroidery immediately. The set contains 5 embroidery hoops, 100 bundles of embroidery threads (of different colors), 30 needles (10 needles of size 22, 10 needles of size 24, and 10 needles of size 26). All that is missing is the cloth to work on.
The 5 embroidery hoops are of different sizes, from smallest to largest, 6.1 inches, 6.7 inches, 7.8 inches, 9 inches, and 10.2 inches. These give you the flexibility to sew small or large designs on variably sized clothes. They are made from bamboo, smoothed out to be gentle on the hands, and grip well when holding onto it.
Each hoop’s outer rim has a brass fastening mechanism riveted onto it for fastening it towards the inner rim. This mechanism has a brass fastening screw that makes the actual adjustments by pulling and releasing the outer rim’s ends towards or away from each other.
This helps in gripping and releasing the cloth between the 2 rings/rims, leaving you with a tight, drum-like cloth surface, making it quite easy to lay some colorful designs.
Features at a glance
- The set contains 5 hoops, giving you enough sizes to work with.
- The set is fully featured, with needles and plenty of threads.
- Hoops are made from bamboo material.
- They have a natural wood color.
- Circular in shape.
3. Caydo 12 Pieces 6 Inch Wooden Embroidery Hoops
This set is sold as a wholesale bundle, containing a total of 12 embroidery hoops, at a very affordable price. All the 12 pieces are circular and are the same size in diameter, measuring 6 inches. This gives you consistency in the size of clothes you can use and the size of embroidery to make.
The hoops are made of natural bamboo, which makes them both lightweight and strong. They do not have any color, and therefore, they assume the natural bamboo color as their color. This bamboo is smoothed through sanding, making them very comfortable to hold. They also provide enough grip to help hold the cloth in position in between the two rings.
Each hoop has an adjustment screw to fasten the outer rim onto the inner rim, and in the process, grip the cloth tightly. This tight grip gives you a lot of stability as you sew designs onto the stretched surface.
Features at a glance
- The entire set contains 12 same-sized, 6-inch diameter embroidery hoops.
- The hoops are made from natural bamboo.
- They have adjusting screws for fastening the cloth in place.
- They have a natural bamboo wooden color.
- Very light in weight. Bamboo is very light, which makes it more comfortable to hold as you stitch.
4. Caydo 4 piece bamboo embroidery hoop
This embroidery hoop set contains 4 pieces, circular in shape, and each hoop has a different diameter. From the smallest to the largest, the diameters of the 4 pieces are 6.7” (17 cm), 7.8” (20 cm), 9” (23 cm), and 10.2” (26 cm). This gives you more options to work with when embroidering different cloth sizes or different sizes of embroidery decorations.
Each piece is made from natural bamboo material. This material is polished to a smoothness level that feels comfortable to your hands but still grips onto the cloth fabric. Bamboo makes the hoops light and adds a touch of beauty due to the patterns that wood grain forms on the hoops.
Each hoop’s outer bamboo rim is equipped with a stainless steel fastening mechanism to fasten it to the inner rim. Stainless steel is quite durable, and thus, this component is very durable. This mechanism has a stainless steel screw with a fine, anti-skid, embossed texture, which provides enough grip as you rotate it with your fingers.
Features at a glance
- 4 hoops give you enough size options.
- Easy to use.
- Bamboo and stainless steel are quite durable.
- Very lightweight. You do not strain while holding it when embroidering.
- Not colored. Maintains its natural wood color.
5. U-Lian embroidery hoops
If aesthetics is your thing, then these U-Lian hoops should be your pick. The outer rim of each hoop has an intricately designed, wood-colored pattern. The inner rim is white, but it is usually covered when embroidering, leaving only the outer rim exposed. Each outer ring has a brass hanging ring attached, adding a vintage-like look to the final piece.
Beneath these fine designs, the hoops are made from imitation wood, a durable rubber plastic kind of material. The rubber material in these hoops gives them some elastic properties, which is quite beneficial in embroidery.
For instance, it allows the outer ring and inner ring to form a very tight bond, holding the cloth tightly in place for easier stitching. It also provides an anti-skid texture, making it grippy on the hand as you stitch with the other hand.
Features at a glance
- 2 in 1. It is primarily a set of embroidery hoops but can also act as display frames for the embroidered cloth.
- Contains 3 different sizes (4.3”, 5.7”, and 7.4”).
- Circular in shape.
- I have made it from imitation wood (durable rubber plastic material).
- Wood color for the outer rim, white color for the inner rim
6. Aushen embroidery hoops
This set of hoops has a simplistic design, with the natural bamboo wood color and wood grain being its main aesthetic highlight. They are well polished to have a smooth finish, which is very comfortable to hold.
A total of 5 embroidery hoops are contained in this set. They are circular and come in different sizes; 5 inches, 6 inches, 8 inches, 9 inches, and 10 inches. These different sizes give you the flexibility of embroidering different-sized clothes.
The hoops are quite easy to use. Each has two rings; an inner and outer ring. The outer ring has a chrome steel fastening mechanism, with a fastening screw for adjusting the outer ring’s tightness over the cloth by pressing it against the inner ring.
Its fastening screw is roughly textured to give you enough grip when turning it. Such a mechanism grips tightly onto the cloth, enabling you to stitch intricate designs easily.
Features at a glance
- Set contains 5 embroidery hoops, each of a different size.
- Hoops are made of bamboo and have natural bamboo wood color.
- Circular in shape.
- Very lightweight. Bamboo is very light. This makes it comfortable to hold.
- It contains adjusting screws for fastening the cloth into position.
7. KINGSO 12pc 4 Inch Cross Stitch Hoop
These Kingso embroidery hoops are also sold in bulk. 12 pieces of the same size (4 inches/10 cm) are contained in this set. Their small size makes them ideal for teaching kids art and craft skills. They are also easy to carry due to their small size and can be packed into small bags from home to school daily.
All the pieces are made from environmentally friendly natural bamboo. They are thoroughly sanded to leave a smooth surface that feels good to touch. They are also very lightweight, making them easy to hold when embroidering.
Each hoop contains an inner and outer rim. The outer rim is not a complete circle. The outer rim ends are attached via a chrome-plated screw, which acts as a fastener to pull the two parts together.
While the inner rim is in position, the cloth can be fastened as tight as a drum’s surface between the two rings. This makes it easier to stitch patterns onto the cloth surface because it is held firmly.
Features at a glance
- The hoops are made entirely from natural bamboo.
- They have fastening, chrome-plated screws for adjusting the hoops.
- The set comes with 12, same size, 4-inch embroidery hoops.
- Bamboo surfaces are well sanded, making them comfortable to hold.
- They are circular.
Are You Looking For Embroidery Hoops? Here’s What You Need to Consider
Embroidery hoops and their sets have different characteristics that differentiate them. These include:
Hoop size
Embroidery hoops usually have an inner and outer ring for locking the cloth in place while also giving it tension.
A hoop’s size is measured as the outer ring’s inner diameter and can measure anything from 3 inches to 14 inches.
The size you choose depends on the scale of your project. The cloth should fit perfectly on it, with a little overhang around the edges.
It is also important to choose a hoop that fits your hand perfectly. Oversized or undersized hoops might be very uncomfortable to hold, making the embroidery process uncomfortable.
Hoop shape
Most embroidery hoops are circular in shape. However, other shapes do exist, for instance, squares with rounded corners and edges. The best embroidery hoops (regarding the shape) are selected based on the type of project and mostly based on personal preference.
Material
Embroidery hoops come in two main materials; wood (bamboo) and plastic. Metallic hoops do exist but are not very common.
Wooden hoops are generally preferred due to the material’s quality and the grip you get when holding it. However, very tight adjustments might break the inner rim, rendering it useless instantly. Some people wrap the inner hoop with twill tape to create a more snug fit with just a little bit of adjustment on the fastening screw to avoid this.
Plastic hoops are quite strong. They do not break easily but might be very slippery, especially when you have sweaty palms.
Weight
Embroidery hoops need to be lightweight so that they are easy to hold. Wooden and plastic hoops are generally lightweight, but metallic hoops might add some extra weight so that they can be strong enough to handle tight adjustments. Metallic hoops can also be expensive, and that is why they are not very common.
Packaging Complements
Depending on your project requirements, you should select an embroidery hoop with accompanying items that will suit your needs. Some are packaged with multiple, differently-sized hoops, some have multiple, similar-sized hoops, and others contain needles and threads to get started immediately.
Conclusion
Embroidery hoops can make or break your embroidery project. Selecting an embroidery hoop blindly might bring you many difficulties, and in the end, ruin the final design you create.
The different varieties of hoops have different strengths and weaknesses, which should be carefully considered and compared to your project’s requirements. Such an analysis will make your project a success.