The Best Crochet Hooks for Amigurumi

Ask any crocheter her feelings about crochet hooks and you’re likely to hear some strong opinions. Of all the supplies we use, I think our hooks are what we’re the most choosy about. With so many options, which are the best crochet hooks for amigurumi?

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First things first – there are no “bad” or “wrong” crochet hooks. What one crocheter may love, another may hate. The same person may love one brand of hooks for blankets, but not for amigurumi (hint: it’s me…more on that later).

What’s important is finding what works for you. I’ve tried a LOT of hooks and am here to help you sort out which hooks work well when making amigurumi (and which don’t).

Parts of a Crochet Hook

Before we get ahead of ourselves, here’s a quick refresher on the parts of a crochet hook. Different hook brands design these parts differently, and this has a big impact on how a hook works and feels.

Main parts of a crochet hook:

• Point/tip: the uppermost part of the hook that enters a stitch first
• Head: the top of the hook that actually “hooks” the yarn
• Throat/Neck: located between the head and the shaft; the yarn travels down the throat/neck to the shaft as a stitch is worked
• Shaft: where yarn loops rest as stitches are being worked
• Thumb rest: a slight groove or indentation in the hook, meant for resting one’s thumb
• Handle/Grip: the lowermost part of the hook, held by the rest of the hand

Important Considerations when Choosing a Hook

Let’s face it – the sheer number of hook brands and types available can be overwhelming. Here are a few things you’ll want to consider when choosing a hook for your next amigurumi project.

Size

Amigurumi typically requires a smaller hook size than other crochet projects. A smaller hook helps give you the tight, close stitches needed to keep your stuffing from showing.

A common amigurumi combination is DK weight yarn with a size D/3.25mm crochet. My personal preference is light worsted/aran weight yarn with a size E/3.5mm hook (the very bottom of this blog post has a chart about hook sizing that you may find helpful).

If you’re following a crochet pattern, the recommended hook size should be listed. You’ll want to choose a brand of hook that comes in the smaller size you’ll need.

Material

Crochet hooks come in a variety of materials. Which hook material is best for amigurumi? There’s no “right” answer, but it must slip in and out of your tight amigurumi stitches easily AND feel comfortable to you.

Here’s a bit more information about each type of hook material:

Aluminum

Aluminum hooks are made of the lightweight metal aluminum. The best aluminum hooks have treated metal that is incredibly smooth and has been anodized to be strong and durable. Smooth hooks are important for amigurumi, so aluminum is a great choice.

Many crocheters love aluminum hooks, but not necessarily aluminum handles. If the entire hook is aluminum, it may be uncomfortable in your hand. I’ll get more into this as we discuss the best and worst crochet hooks below.

Steel

Steel hooks are metal as well, and heavier than aluminum. They are very strong and durable, and most often come in the smallest hook sizes meant for crocheting with thread. Steel handles can be uncomfortable, however, and are not often used for amigurumi.

Plastic

Plastic hooks are a budget-friendly option, but have some drawbacks. While they’re mostly smooth, they can have little pits or bumps of plastic that stick up just enough to snag your yarn. They break more easily than other materials and aren’t particularly durable.

Wood

Wood hooks are some of the most beautiful around. They are usually lightweight and many crocheters like the feel of wood hooks in their hands.

Wood, however, does create more friction with the yarn. If you’re using a slippery fiber, like bamboo, and crocheting something with looser stitches, wood might be ideal.

But for amigurumi, especially if you’re using cotton yarn like I so often do, wood hooks feel like they get “stuck” and can slow you down.

Handle/Grip

In my opinion, a hook’s handle can really make or break it. How comfortable a hook feels in your hand depends on its handle, and comfort is important when crocheting amigurumi.

Why? Because we tend to crochet amigurumi with tighter tension, and that can strain our hands more quickly.

Some hooks have a thin, aluminum handle. Others have a soft, rubbery grip. Still others have large, rounded, or specially carved handles. These all affect the way the hook feels in your hand and how easily (or not easily) your stitches flow.

In addition, you may crochet with a knife grip, a pencil grip, or you may have your own unique way of holding your hook. Your grip will affect the way a hook feels in your palm and between your thumb and forefinger.

Inline or Tapered

Crochet hooks are either made in a tapered or inline style.

Tapered hooks, as the name states, are tapered from the shaft to the hook head. Their hooks are a bit shallower, are rounder, and stick slightly up and out. Tapered hooks move in and out of stitches quickly and easily, and crocheters with joint or wrist pain tend to like them more.

Inline hooks have throats/necks that are the same width as the shaft. Their hooks are slightly deeper, have sharper angles, and sometimes pointier tips. The sharpness of the hook can split yarn, but crocheters with looser tension sometimes like inline hooks for the uniformity they provide.

Which Brands Have the Best Crochet Hooks for Amigurumi?

I know that was a lot of background information, but it’s good to keep in mind as you select hooks for your amigurumi projects. Let’s look at my very favorite hooks (and a few that aren’t my jam…)

Clover Amour

I won’t keep you in suspense – Clover Amour hooks are my favorite for crocheting amigurumi. They are comfortable, smooth to stitch with, and never give me any issues.

Single hooks are listed for $8.95 on the Clover website but can be found cheaper on other websites (Amazon sells this multi-pack at a savings as well).

The hook and shaft are made from aluminum, while the handle is made from elastomer. The aluminum is really smooth, which helps me crochet more quickly and without my yarn catching on anything. The handle is soft and rubbery and very comfortable. It’s also a good size for my hand, which is important to me.

I highly recommend these hooks for amigurumi!

Clover Soft Touch

While I love Clover’s Amour line, I feel “meh” about their Soft Touch line of hooks. Like Amour, these hooks are made from aluminum but the handles are made from ABS resin, which is a type of plastic.

The Soft Touch hook is advertised as ergonomic, but I’m not sure why…the plastic handle isn’t very comfortable. It’s also a shorter hook, and I found its neck and shaft too short to stitch smoothly. I kept hitting the handle too quickly in the stitch and it was kind of jarring.

Clover Soft Touch hooks are $8.25 on their website, but overall I’d pass on them and choose Amour instead.

Tulip Etimo

Have you heard of Tulip’s Etimo hook? I hadn’t for a long time, but now I think it’s the second best hook for amigurumi! I love its smooth aluminum and its elastomer handle…it is very soft and comfortable.

The only reason this hook comes in second (behind Amour hooks) is its size. It’s a small hook overall, and while I have small hands and don’t mind that, the neck is just a smidge too small for how I stitch. I think it has my favorite thumb rest though.

The Tulip Etimo is typically $12-13 on Amazon. If you have hands on the smaller side, I’d definitely give it a try!

Furls

Remember earlier when I said some people love a hook for larger projects but don’t love it for amigurumi? That’s how I feel about Furls hooks. I have some beautiful Furls Streamline wood hooks in larger sizes that I’ve used for wool hats and larger blankets and I absolutely love them.

Furls was kind enough to send me two of their hooks in smaller sizes to try for amigurumi. When it comes to quality, Furls hooks can’t be beat. Their hooks are made from fantastic materials and made specifically to be ergonomic (which explains their price – $26 per hook).

For some reason, though, I just couldn’t get into a groove crocheting amigurumi with a Furls Streamline metal hook. I felt slower and more awkward than normal, and it took me a while to figure out why.

I have small hands and I think Furls’ hook style is too long and too heavy for my liking. Their larger hooks (that I love) are wood, and thus lightweight, so it’s possible I just really prefer a lighter hook.

(I know some amigurumi crocheters who absolutely ADORE their Furls hooks, so you may want to try one for yourself to make a decision).

WeCrochet Brights

Alright, let’s cut to the chase. I tried these hooks and couldn’t believe how much I disliked them. The handles were just okay, but the hook metal was practically unusable. It was rough, caused a lot of friction with my yarn, and felt cheaply made.

I didn’t even get through one project before I passed them along to another crocheter who was interested in trying them.

The WeCrochet Expanded Brights set costs $24.99 on their website. Their reviews are 4 and 5 stars, so it’s possible I received a bad batch. I’ll never know because I’m staying far away from these hooks!

Susan Bates

Many crocheters start out with Susan Bates hooks. They’re readily available at big box craft stores, and are all my mom and grandma ever seemed to have (that and Boye). I spent years crocheting with Susan Bates before I ventured to other hook brands.

I know some people hate these hooks and it’s usually because of the thin aluminum handles. If you deal with any kind of joint or wrist pain, these are hard to use for hours on end.

They’re about $5.75 each on Amazon. If you love them, no judgment here, but when you’ve got a little extra money to spend, I’d upgrade to Clover Amour.

Boye

Boye hooks are almost exactly like Susan Bates, but are more often tapered whereas Susan Bates are often inline.

They’re fine, but nothing to write home about, and aren’t nearly as comfortable as what’s possible. These hooks are usually less than $5, and for a few more dollars you can try a more comfortable hook.

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I hope this guide to the best crochet hooks for amigurumi was helpful! Maybe you heard about some familiar favorites and even found some new crochet hooks to try. I’d love to know what you think.

While you’re here, this guide to the best yarn for amigurumi may come in handy too. Let me know in the comments – what’s your favorite hook to use when making amigurumi?

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