Product Review: Chiagoo Bamboo Circular Needles

Knitting needles are hotly debated in the fiber arts world.   And while I’m, admittedly, not a knitting expert, I do have an opinion when it comes to the needles I use.  I discovered Chiagoo needles shortly after I had completed my wedding veil, a cobweb silk monstrosity which I knitted on a cheap set of metal needles.  Throughout the project, my stitches slipped off the smooth needles and made the work frustratingly slow and it didn’t help that the cable was stiff.

It was a few months later when I discovered Chiagoo’s bamboo needles and fell in love.  If I had only had these needles a few short months before!

Pros

Though Chiagoo was my first experience with bamboo needles, I have found that they are still my favorite.  The wood has a smooth finish with just enough texture to hold stitches in place.  It doesn’t catch on silk or other fine fibers, even when knitting unspun silk.

I can be rough with my tools, especially when I travel with them and I have yet to break any of my Chiagoo bamboo needles, circular or DPNs.  I’ve bent more metal needles and broken more cables in the same time period than I’d like to honestly admit to.

Cons 

If you’re looking to use the magic loop technique, I think there are some other needles out there that are better.  While Chiagoo’s red cables are noted for their flexibility, I don’t think the cables on their bamboo needles share that same flexibility.  I’d rate them a medium flexibility.

I am also not a fan of the 9″ circulars.  While these tiny needles seem great for sleeves, socks and gloves,  I found that their small size tired my hands very quickly.  I would pick up DPNs first on any day.

Analysis

I rate these needles a solid four out of five stars.  I use them almost exclusively in my studio, except for the rare moments of lace knitting which benefit from a slicker needle or projects that need a more flexible cable.  They are sturdy and handle a wide range of projects.

Conclusion

Though I have experience with Addi, Clover and other brands of needles, I have found Chiagoo to be my personal favorite.  Because I use and recommend them, if you are looking for Chiagoo needles, I offer them in my shop, links below.