How to Choose the Right Embroidery Machine Hoop: A Buyer's Guide

If you’ve ever priced replacement hoops from your original machine manufacturer, you know the sticker shock is real. The good news: compatible replacement hoops cost a fraction of OEM pricing — you just need to know how to pick the right one. Here’s a straightforward buyer’s guide.

Machine Hoop vs. Hand Hoop

First, a quick distinction. A hand embroidery hoop (also called an embroidery ring) is the simple wooden circle used for hand stitching. A machine hoop — also called a tubular hoop — is built for industrial embroidery machines. It’s typically made of durable plastic with two metal arms that lock into your machine.

Both do the same core job: hold fabric taut so stitches land with even tension. But for commercial work, the machine hoop is what matters — so that’s what we’ll focus on.

How to Choose the Right Machine Hoop

Step 1: Know your machine brand and model

Different brands require different hoops. The most common commercial brands are Tajima, Toyota, Happy, Barudan, SWF, Brother, and Melco. Start here — the brand narrows down almost everything else.

Step 2: Measure your arm spacing

Arm spacing is the total width of the hoop including both arms. It varies by brand — commonly 36 cm, 40 cm, 45 cm, or 50 cm — and it can even differ between models from the same brand. For example, SWF machines come in both 40 cm and 50 cm arm spacings. If you don’t know yours, measure it yourself or check with your machine provider.

Step 3: Pick the right hoop size for your design

Hoop size (also called the embroidery area) should be as close to your design size as possible. The closer the match, the cleaner the result. Use an oversized hoop for a small design and you’ll get puckering and loose stitching. When you load a digitized design, most machines will tell you the approximate size automatically — use that as your guide.

Sunway Hoop Sizes & Shapes

We carry a wide range of replacement hoops in round, square, and rectangular shapes, including sizes like:

• 30 cm × 15 cm (12″×6″)
• 44 cm × 17 cm (17″×7″)
• 43 cm × 23 cm (16.5″×9″)
• 40 cm × 38 cm (16″×14″)
• 46 cm × 30 cm (18″×12″)
• 43 cm × 32 cm (16.5″×13″)

These fit Tajima, Toyota, Barudan, Happy, and SWF machines.

Why Shops Buy Replacement Hoops From Us

For 15+ years, Sunway has designed and manufactured replacement embroidery machine hoops at a fraction of OEM prices. Thousands of embroidery shops across North America rely on us to keep their machines running without overpaying for parts.

Ready to order? Browse our full selection of embroidery machine hoops by brand, or send us your machine details and we’ll confirm the right hoop before you buy.