Speed knitting needles

Dear community,
What are speed knitting needles, and are they really faster for knitting than “regular” needles?

If I remember correctly, these were the needles with a plastic cord and a stopper at the end of the cord.

  Before that, there were only long knitting needles. And using those to knit a sweater or a jacket was very tedious and exhausting.
First, there was the weight that, over time, took a toll on your arms and shoulders, and second, when working on large pieces, you always had to push the stitches close together, otherwise they’d slip off the needle.  Every now and then, I’d use a wine bottle cork as a stitch stopper.
And third, the needles were bulky.

Then came the “quick-knit needles.”

That was a huge relief.
But knitting didn’t really get much faster either.😉😉

A quick search on my go-to search engine reveals:
Fast-knit needles are straight needles, but only the tip—for a few centimeters—is the corresponding needle size. Behind that, the needles are thinner so that the stitches can slide along more quickly.
So, technically, they should probably be called “fast-slide needles.” 

I really like the needles with the plastic cord.
I’m currently knitting a sleeveless vest with them.

Yes, I also prefer to knit with circular needles because it’s just very convenient to be able to slide the knitted piece onto the cord, but it doesn’t actually go any faster—I still have to knit each stitch individually, just like I always do.

Veronika, you’re right about that, but it does save time if you don’t have to keep pushing the stitches along.
Above all, it’s more fun, because I can feel that pushing in my bad hand.

Yes, that's true.