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Plane travel with your hoop shouldn’t be a problem, as a number of MoodHoopers have successfully taken their hoops on flights. When travelling with a hoop there can be two main concerns, storing the batteries properly and collapsing the hoop to stow it easily in luggage or as a carry on.
Collapsing your Hoop:
Check out this how to video: How to Collapse your Hoop. Depending on the size of the hoop once collapsed, the hoop might be able to fit into your checked luggage, but you can also travel with your coiled hoop as a carry on item. It’s not advised to stow the hoop in the overhead compartment, or shoved into a space that is smaller than the hoop.
If you must stow the hoop in the overhead bin, at the very least keep an eye on the place that you’ve put your hoop and check to make sure larger items/bags aren’t squishing it, as other passengers may not realize there’s a hoop there. When hoops are collapsed, the tubing can become kinked if it’s compressed from different angles. It’s best to keep your hoop stored in a spot that keeps it free from being squished. Bent, kinked, or cracked tubing isn’t covered by the warranty, so it’s important to keep an eye on your hoop to make sure it’s stored safely.
Hoop Batteries:
Check out the FAA Guidelines about rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (hoop batteries) for plane travel. The guidelines say ”Spare (uninstalled) lithium ion and lithium metal batteries must be carried in carry-on baggage only. When a carry-on bag is checked at the gate or at planeside, all spare lithium batteries must be removed from the bag and kept with the passenger in the aircraft cabin. The battery terminals must be protected from short circuit.”
Important: Keep all hoop batteries in their plastic battery travel case while they are being transported. Hoop batteries that are not protected by the plastic storage cases should not be put into your bag, as this can cause a short circuit. You can find spare battery cases here: Hoop Battery Travel Cases
Hoop batteries are 3 times as powerful as normal batteries, so it’s important to follow the guidelines for transport and travel, but it’s also important to be be familiar with the Hoop Battery Safety & Care Guidelines.
Check out all Hoop Batteries and Power Accessories to make sure you have everything you need for your trip! Batteries should always be inspected to make sure they’re not damaged before using them in your hoop or travelling with them. If there’s an info page on an airline or travel website that specifically says otherwise about these contained batteries, it’s definitely best to defer to any information posted, or from your own research, as that would be the final word.