Crocheting With Furls vs Clover Amour: A Real-Use Review

I didn’t need new hooks, but suddenly I had them. In a very unexpected Christmas surprise from my husband, Andy, this year, I received the start of my set of Furls Gold Streamline crochet hooks. A splurge I hadn’t been willing to make myself, but one that had been tempting me for months. If you’ve been a part of the crochet community online for a while, you’ve probably heard of Furls, but if you haven’t, they’re basically the Ferrari of crochet hooks. Super cool, fun to look at, and supposedly glide with the yarn like butter.

I decided that, for all the other indecisive queens and kings out there, I would compare them with my all-time favorite, Clover Amour, which, funny enough, were also a gift from Andy. Clover Amour is another well-known crochet hook line, arguably the internet’s favorite. It’s a much more cost-effective route than Furls (more on this in a sec), but still an investment compared to the ten-dollar hooks you get in the starter kits on Amazon, which I myself started out with. By the end of this, I’ll be able to tell you whether the Furls are worth the arm, leg, and firstborn son that they cost, or if you’re better off sticking with good ol’ Clover (no cap, or whatever the kids say now).

Appearance and Hook Feel

Undeniably, the Furls hooks are visually stunning. I personally opted for the Polished Gold Streamline hooks, but they have a variety of options, including metal, resin, and wooden lines. The polished metal hooks have a beautiful shine and an elegant handle. The Clovers definitely don’t measure up to the Furls in terms of aesthetics. They are a basic silver-colored aluminum hook with different colored soft-grip handles, each size being a different color. While this does make it easier to visually spot which size you’re looking for, it’s not the most aesthetically pleasing. I like all my stuff to match, so the Clovers don’t really do it for me in that regard.

Furls 4 mm and Clover 4 mm

Both hook brands are marketed as being ergonomic and easy on the hands. This is Furls’ biggest upper hand on Clover. The Furls hooks are not only more ergonomically friendly, but they also have a really lovely weight to them that just feels good on my wrist for some reason (hey, I didn’t say this was a professional review). The Clovers have a soft grip over an aluminum hook, as opposed to the fully aluminum makeup of the Furls Streamline. This is fully a matter of personal preference. Some might like the soft touch of the Clovers, while others might prefer the solid structure of the Furls. However, for me in this category, the Furls take the cake with the weight and aesthetics alone.

Stitching Experience

Okay, okay, I promise I’ll stop stroking Furls’ ego now. I’ve used the Clover hooks for about two years now, as I spent my first year with a basic beginner set from Amazon. When you go from those beginner sets to a nicer set like the Clovers or Furls, the difference is palpable. The way the yarn glides on either set compared to the Amazon or Temu alternatives is so smooth, your hands and fingers will thank you for the upgrade. With that being said, when I upgraded from my Clovers to Furls, the difference was honestly just nonexistent. The only upgrade in stitching experience that I noticed with the Furls is that the groove at the end of the hook seems to be a little deeper set than normal hooks and grips the yarn a bit more securely when pulling up a loop. Other than that, I would say the actual experience of crocheting with the hooks is identical.

Durability and Longevity

I’ve had my Furls for literally a week, so I can’t speak much to their durability yet, but it is worth mentioning that they have a lifetime warranty on their hooks that is, from what I’ve heard, a very cut-and-dry process when making a claim. My Clovers I’ve had for two years, and I have yet to have one break or bend on me. However, there have been several occasions where it felt like the hook itself was going to slip out of the soft grip handle. Other than that, they have held up very well. If you look at the ends of my most-used hooks (hello 5.00 to 5.50 mm), they do have some visible scratching and a different texture than my other sizes. I think this is due to overuse, and it doesn’t affect my overall experience.

Price and Value

For a full set of twelve Furls Streamline Metal Hooks, you’re going to pay $312, ranging from sizes E to P. If bought individually, they are $26 per hook. That’s a lot, obviously, especially in our current economy. Clover hooks, however, will run you just under $100 for sizes B to N/P. They are also sold in two separate packs, so if you mainly work with smaller-sized hooks, that set goes for $50 and the larger hooks for another $50. It’s nice to have the option to only buy the sizes you typically use and still get a “full set.” Clover takes it home for me in this category. You get quality at a good value. Not to say you don’t get good quality with the Furls, just that the price-to-value comparison isn’t there for me with the Furls.

Conclusion

Overall, if I had to tell you what to do, I’d say the Furls are not worth the splurge. They are beautiful, sleek, and I love having them as an addition to my treasure trove of craft supplies and notions. However, if I ever had to re-buy them, like if someone stole them or I lost the entire set, I don’t know that I’d be able to get myself to pull the trigger knowing they’re not that much, if any, better than the Clovers. I would say, though, that spending the extra $40 on the Clover set versus the basic Amazon sets will have your wrists thanking you, especially if you work with acrylics and kitchen cottons.

Let me know what you think about the Furls vs. Clover debate, or what your favorite hooks are!