Best Crochet Hook for Beginners – My 3 Favorites!

There are a ridiculous amount of crochet hooks on the market. Small hooks, large hooks, metal hooks, wood hooks, plastic hooks, interchangeable hooks, and everything else between. With such a broad variety out there, it’s often rather overwhelming – I know it was for me! In this post, I want to get down to the very basics: what is the best crochet hook for beginners?

Here, I just wanted to share my 3 favorite – and my least favorite – crochet hooks. The ones I use daily, vs the ones that are currently in the bottom of my crochet basket, tangling more yarn than they’ve ever crocheted. 

The Best Crochet Hook of All Time:

Without a doubt, these hooks are my favorite – and this brand is touted as the best crochet hook from many other crocheters too. Easy to grip, and so very smooth, these hooks have lasted years and years with no noticeable difference in quality. The downside: they’re expensive, and as far as I can find, they must be bought individually. If you have the budget and really want to give these hooks a try, I recommend getting a Size G (4.00mm) first, adding more as you need them. Some crocheters prefer the rubber-handled alternative, the Clover Amour, which can be found here – fortunately, it does come in a set.

PROS:

• Buttery smooth: it glides easily through yarn

• Flat handles make them easy to grip

• Lightweight

CONS:

• Expensive

• Must be purchased individually

A Cheaper Alternative:

I’ve been crocheting with this specific set of crochet hooks for several years now. Their buttery smoothness is close to that of the Clover Soft Touch, but at a fraction of the price.  They come in a nice roll-up storage bag, which might sound like a silly thing to praise, but at the rate that I tend to misplace crochet hooks, it’s very nice to have dedicated spot where hooks go! There are a few areas where these fall short of the best crochet hook, however. For one thing, I’ve worn away the labels on most of them! The colors have faded a bit too, which makes telling the difference between F and G difficult. In my opinion, they should have made these two hooks entirely different colors. Another grievance: just recently, as I was crocheting with my G/4.00mm hook, I ripped the metal hook clean out of the rubber handle. To be fair, that was after 3 years of almost daily use, and a bit of super glue fixed it in no time, but it was a nuisance all the same. 

PROS:

• Comparable to Clover Soft Touch for glide and smoothness

• Inexpensive

• Grippy

• Convenient pouch for storage

CONS:

• The labels rub away after a while

• The handle and hook can potentially separate

• The rubber handle can be hard to clean

The Best Crochet Hook for Price and Durability

Though I’ve only used this set for a little while, I’ve so far been pleased. The chunky handle is easy and satisfying to grip, while the hook’s smoothness matches the Lewhoo hooks above. However, unlike the Lewhoo hooks, these have a full ‘tang’ – a knife term, but I feel like it applies to crochet hooks too. What it means is that the metal hook extends all the way through the handle. No more broken hooks and super glue! As an added plus, part of the labels are indented on the handle.

I say ‘part’ of the labels; this brings me to this hook’s main con. On one side of the handle, the size is intended, as I stated, but this label only includes the millimeters. Flip it around to the other side and you’ll find the letter label, which is simply printed on with ink, and is even easier to rub away than the Lewhoo hooks’ labels.

PROS:

• Smooth

• Chunky handle that’s easy to grip

• Extra long hooks

• Recessed label (in mm)

• Full tang

CONS:

• The letter label is only ink, and is easy to rub off.

Crochet Hooks to Avoid

At least at first, I recommend avoiding crochet hooks made entirely of wood/bamboo. When I first designed my crochet chicken pattern, I thought it would be more picturesque to have the photos featuring wooden crochet hooks. Super cute, right? These were the ones I purchased – and it was definitely a mistake! I don’t even think I made it through the first 3 rows. The yarn snagged terribly, and though I was a relatively experienced crocheter, the bamboo hooks felt clumsy in my hands. For this reason, I also recommend purchasing crochet hooks with actual handles, rather than a straight rod. A grippable handle really does help!

Just to finish my crochet chicken story: since I had already purchased those horrible wooden hooks, I decided to use them anyway. After making a row with my Clover hook, I set it aside and replaced it with a wooden hook! You can see some of those photos here. Needless to say, I haven’t touched those wooden hooks since. Not even for future pattern photos!

With all that said, I would absolutely love to try crochet hooks with wooden/bamboo handles – just with a metal hook!

Conclusion

Crochet hook style often comes down to personal preference, but if you’re a brand new to crocheting, you probably don’t have a preference yet! If you’re overwhelmed by options, I recommend going with the very basics and trying one of the crochet hooks above. Another good option is to bring a spool of yarn to a craft store and try a few hooks out right in the aisle!

You’ll soon find one you love, and if not – you’ll probably soon have more crochet hooks than you know what to do with, if you’re like most crocheters!

Save this post for later by pinning the image below!