Crochet hooks are useful tools to have on hand. Crocheters and knitters both need them for various tasks, and it’s helpful to have a range of different sizes to work with.
Crochet Hook Brands
My advice to crochet beginners: Before you get too comfortable with one particular brand of crochet hook, try out several. I make this recommendation because, if you wait too long to experiment, you may develop a strong preference for the brand you began crocheting with — even if that brand would not necessarily be the best for your individual crochet work. If there’s a “best hook” out there for you and your way of crocheting, it’s good to discover that early on, before you get too comfortable with a brand that wouldn’t work as well for you.
Boye Crochet Hooks
A Boye Crochet Hook Set Including 8 Aluminum Crochet Hooks
The Boye brand name has been around since 1906. It began with the founding of the Boye Needle Company, although they didn’t begin manufacturing crochet hooks until 1917.
I have, and often use, Boye hooks that date back to the early 1980s — plus some from the 90s and early 2000s as well.
You can usually find inexpensive aluminum Boye hooks for sale at your local “big box” craft store for a few dollars each, and they’re also sold in sets.
These hooks are fine to work with; they’re sturdy, affordable, and they get the job done. I have bunches of these in my craft supply stash, and I use them often.
The big downsides to Boye’s standard aluminum hooks: Some of them have raised text on the thumb rest, which can rub on your skin while you are crocheting, creating irritation. Their handles are not ergonomic. Also, if you’re crocheting in a cold room, or outside in the cold, the hook gets cold. That’s because of the aluminum material, and the same thing would happen with any aluminum crochet hook; it isn’t unique to the Boye brand. If you want to avoid frozen-finger syndrome, a bamboo, wooden or plastic hook would be a better choice.
Nowadays, Boye makes a variety of crochet hooks including double-ended crochet hooks, Tunisian crochet hooks, and Jumbo plastic (size P) crochet hooks, in addition to their usual lines of steel and aluminim crochet hooks.
Susan Bates Crochet Hooks
Here you can see one of my favorite Susan Bates Silvalume crochet hooks. It has a bamboo handle and the usual inline hook. This crochet hook is pictured With Other Craft Supplies: Simply Cotton Organic Yarn; My Maggie Holmes Planner Extension Pages; and a Swatch of Fabric I’m Crocheting Using the Instructions from Melissa Leapman’s Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters.
Susan Bates is another longtime, big brand name of crochet hooks. Standard Susan Bates hooks are “inline” hooks, meaning that the head of the hook is in line with the rest of the hook.
Pictured above, you can see one of my current crochet works in progress; I am crocheting with a Susan Bates Silvalume crochet hook and working in a stitch that Melissa Leapman calls the “Sieve Pattern,” from her Indispensable Stitch Collection for Crocheters.My most-used Tunisian crochet hook is a Susan Bates size J hook. See photos below for a better idea of what the Susan Bates afghan crochet hook looks like.
Susan Bates Tunisian Crochet Hook, Also Known as an Afghan Hook
Susan Bates hooks are probably also available at your local big box craft store.
Clover Crochet Hooks
Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hook Set
I have a set of Clover Soft Touch ergonomic crochet hooks that I love using. I highly recommend them. Clover also makes lovely bamboo crochet hooks and knitting needles. I own some of their bamboo knitting needles, and love those as well.
See Also: A Beginner’s Guide to Knitting Needles
Crochet Lites: Light-Up Crochet Hooks
Crocheting dark-colored yarn with a Crochet Lites crochet hook — As you can see, the light helps you to see your stitches better.
The first time I heard about crochet hooks that light up, I thought, “how silly!” I’m here now to eat those words, because I was soooooooo wrong about that. Light-up crochet hooks are not silly at all; they’re one of the best inventions ever. And I’m not just saying that because once, these crochet hooks saved my life. If you’re curious about how that happened, I invite you to read about it (among other things) in my product review of the Crochet Lite crochet hook.
More Crochet Hook Brands:
- Addi crochet hooks
- Tulip Etimo crochet hooks
- Chiagoo crochet hooks
- Lion Brand crochet hooks
- Skacel crochet hooks
Related Resources:
- Click here to find crochet rug patterns.
- Click here to find our main directory of crochet information.
- Click here to learn your your crochet stitches.
- Click here to learn all about crochet techniques.
- Click here to find more vintage issues of Needlecraft magazine.
- Click here to find our main directory of vintage crochet patterns, projects, ideas, books, magazines, and pictures.
- Click here if you want free instructions for learning your crochet stitches.
- Click here to learn all about crochet techniques.
- Click here to find drop-dead-gorgeous antique crochet patterns by Mary Card.
- Click here to check out more craft project ideas.
By Amy Solovay
About the Author — Amy Solovay is a freelance writer with a background in textile design. She learned to crochet as a small child. After earning two degrees, one of which is in textile design, she launched a career in the textile industry. She has worked as a textile print colorist, knit designer and director of design for various Los Angeles based fabric manufacturers. Later she transitioned to writing about crochet, knitting, crafts and other topics for major media outlets. She enjoys designing crochet and other craft patterns, and she invites you to make use of them.
This page was last updated on 8-29-2024.