I also prefer a 12" hoop, as I have short arms. I once read a formula for determining one's ideal hoop size related to arm length. I found a very sturdy wooden hoop at my LQS; it is labeled Quilter's Resource. It was much more substantial than the ones at JoAnn's. I replaced the screw with a longer one from one of the larger JoAnn's hoops I'd tried, which made it possible to keep the hoop looser.