All over TikTok, video ads pop-up showing women exercising with a weighted hula hoop. Some are real — like the Infinity Hoop — while others are knock-offs using ads from the legitimate products. (You can tell the difference as to whether or not they allow comments on the post). Either way, it looks like these women are having a blast exercising and losing weight.

I have searched and searched for legitimate reviews — not paid advertisements or “influencers” who received the item for free. Even articles claiming they reviewed the top 5 smart weighted hula hoops seemed liked paid advertising. So I decided I just needed to pick one and try it for myself.

After reading every article and watching every youtube review I could find, I decided on the Dumoyi Smart Hula Hoop in Blue. Why? To be honest, I picked this one because of the reviews and there was a ten dollar coupon but only for the blue one (at the time of purchase).

I measured my waist and weighed myself before I started. In hindsight, I should have done all my measurements. I made myself a 30 day chart so I could keep myself accountable and keep track of my progress. My goal — use the smart hula hoop for 30 minutes every day for 30 days.

Today marks two weeks of using the smart hula hoop every day for 30 minutes. I am down five pounds and two inches off my waist.

Is it all because of the smart hoop? No!

The smart hula hoop got me up and moving. It is easy and fun — but loud!!! I wear a fitbit so I know that it does not burn 800 calories in 30 minutes like the box says. Maybe you could burn that much. My fitbit does track it as being an “elliptical” workout or power walk so I am burning a lot of calories but it is more like 200 calories in 30 minutes.

I like to put on a movie with fun music — like Dirty Dancing, Grease and Grease 2 — and complete my 30 minutes (and sometimes more). After the first week, I started to feel more energized after the 30 minutes so I would follow it up with dancing or walking to reach 10,000 steps.

I am also eating better and taking all kinds of vitamins and supplements. I see a difference in how I look and feel so that motivates me. So it is not just the smart hula hoop that helped me shed five pounds and two inches but it was definitely a catalyst.

The biggest con for the smart hula hoop is that it is very loud. I would not be doing it every night if I still lived in an apartment with thin walls. My dogs and cats are used to the sound now. They used to run out of the room in the beginning. I also have to turn up the TV to hear it while I am hooping.

If noise is not a deal-breaker, then I would highly recommend a smart hula hoop for anyone looking for a fun workout without having to go to a gym or buy super expensive home equipment (that would probably just collect dust).