Crochet Hooks with LED Lighting

Today, I was surprised and amused to see online that there are actually crochet hooks with LED lights on the tip. Have you heard of them, or have you even tried them yet? I imagine it would be too bright for me—or would it actually be helpful when working with dark-colored yarn? What do you think?

I’ve seen these hooks too.

Whether they’re practical or not—I have no idea.

I’d much rather know what happens to these hooks if the LED stops working.
Can it be replaced, or is it “hazardous waste”?

Hi Ina,
I’ve seen these hooks online, too. But I haven’t quite figured out the point of them yet. Personally, when working with dark-colored yarn, I just put on my reading glasses—which I don’t need for regular knitting or crocheting.
But if someone believes in them and finds that crocheting with a “light machine” helps them, then that’s fine.

I once bought some cheap plastic hooks on vacation and found them absolutely terrible to crochet with. The thin ones bent, and the yarn didn’t really glide smoothly either. OK, they were good enough for vacation. Since the tip can only light up if the hook is made of plastic, it probably won’t be very easy to crochet smoothly with them either… plus, the little light is molded right into the hook, which definitely doesn’t make it any sturdier. But I don’t have any real experience with the light feature myself.

I also think it’s probably pretty impractical. I’d much rather use one of those LED lights you can hang around your neck. But I haven’t tried those yet either...;

I recently read some reviews of these hooks on Facebook.

Most people wrote that they didn’t get on very well with them because the light is dazzling.

I could also imagine that, for me personally, the light would be more of a distraction than a
help. I have good lighting at my crafting station and don’t have to craft in
the dark.

From what I understand, some people use these hooks to crochet in a dimly lit room while watching
TV. 

I received a crochet hook with LED lighting as a gift, and I can say from experience: These things are useless! The plastic hook is very blunt, so the yarn gets caught on it. The lighting isn’t very helpful—you automatically end up looking into the light and get blinded. You can’t see the stitches any better with dark yarn either, since the light is too bright, and single crochet—for amigurumi, for example—is nearly impossible because the hook is very unstable where it connects to the handle.
The only advantage: the batteries are replaceable. 

Thank you so much for your answers. That’s pretty much what I thought. LEDs are being built into everything these days, but I don’t think we need them.

I wish everyone a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the sunny day.
Best regards, Ina

With all this LED hype, I always think about how much hazardous waste is being produced—not to mention all the plastic. I’m now switching to natural materials whenever possible, which are also more durable.

@Mowi19 I completely agree with you there. I recently heard about illuminated bras. Who needs something like that???