Purchased from: Yarn Bow on Ebay
Purchase Price: $12.00 (+2.00 shipping)
Hook Size: US H / 5.00 mm / 6.25″ / 16 cm
Description: Addi Swing Hooks are developed with comfort in mind, the handle is constructed of two plastics: one colorful and soft, and the other, white and firm. The two balance each other perfectly for just the right amount of flexibility. Available in:
US A (2.00mm), B (2.50mm), C (3.00mm), D (3.25mm), E (3.50mm), 3.75mm, F (4.00mm), G (4.50mm), H (5.00mm), I (5.50mm), and J (6.00mm)

Review:

First thing’s first,at first glance you can obviously see that the overall shape and size of the addi swing is completely different than a standard  hook. In this review, I will be directly comparing the addi swing with my favorite hook of the moment by international company “Pony”.  The Pony hook is a standard “H” 5.00mm hook made of lightweight aluminum and powder coated for a less slick and slippery tool. It also has a smaller “thumb” indentation than most where the size of the hook is written on. Other than that, it is really no different than any standard hook you can get on the market right now.

The first thing I want to address that was the second most obvious difference between the two hooks and that is weight.

The Addi Swing is a whopping 19 grams. For comparison, I also weighed the Pony hook which came in at 8 grams- less than half the weight of the Addi and just for a better idea of how much the Addi weighs I also weighed a 10 inch long double ended afghan hook that came in at 15 grams. To summarize, the Addi Swing weighs 4 grams more than a double ended afghan hook, and 11 grams more than my standard hook. The weight difference is pretty significant and can be noticed even just by touch.

Next I would like to address the actual feel of the hook in my hand. First of all, I’d like to point out that I hold my hook like a “Pencil”. There are two common ways to hold a crochet hook, one is called “Pencil Method” the other is called “Knife Method”. For more information, check out this WikiHow on how to hold a crochet hook. Now, on the left photo I am holding the Pony hook. If you look carefully at the shadows you can see that there are a few “pressure points” that occur when I hold my standard hook. When holding the hook, it creates a pressure point where it rests on my hand crossing my index finger. There’s also pressure between the tips of my thumb and index finger while grasping the hook. These pressure points are not at all unusal and pretty much just comes with the territory so to speak. However, when holding the addi swing hook the back end “swings” outward it is no longer pushing on my hand around my index finger. It just softly touches my hand at that point. Although while there is no longer a pressure point there, the hook has a slight line where the plastic was obviously casted in a mold and glued or melted together (this happens frequently with plastic items. If you look around the house and pick up something made of plastic like say a happy meal toy, you will notice a “seam”.). This seam kind of brushes against the skin and can get slightly irritating but I have not found it a major problem, I just wish Addi had thought to sand the seam down a bit.

In the actual act of crocheting, the addi swing does feel better as far as not having those pressure points pinching at my hands and I feel as though I could go longer without cramping up. The down side is the weight difference, it made my upper arm tired more quickly but that will probably go away with use.

Overall, I would give it an 8 out of 10. I’m not sure that I would replace all of my hooks with Addi Swings (especially considering the cost!) but I do see myself buying at least one more. Also, I’d like to make a note that I’ve tried the clover soft grips before and absolutely hated it, so these are definitely better than the soft grips.

Feel free to leave any questions or comments! I hope this helps anyone thinking of buying an Addi Swing Hook.