Both have built-in stitch counters and two light settings—but after actually crocheting with them, I found some pretty significant differences.
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Disclosure: Both crochet hook sets featured in this comparison were gifted to me by their respective brands. All opinions and experiences shared here are my own. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.
I have to admit, when I first started trying light up crochet hooks with built-in stitch counters, I thought the counter would be the feature I’d care about most.
It wasn’t.
The light surprised me.
I’ve crocheted for years, including plenty of projects with dark yarn, and I hadn’t realized just how much I was straining my eyes to see stitches in colors like dark blue and black. Then I tried crocheting with a little light shining directly where I was working.
Oh.
Apparently I’d been making things harder on myself than they needed to be.
I’ve now tried two rechargeable light up crochet hook sets—the Jeciran Light Up Crochet Hooks Set and the Knitly Light Up Crochet Hooks Set. They have a lot in common, but after using both, I definitely have a favorite.
And, interestingly, it isn’t necessarily the one I like the feel of best.
Jeciran vs. Knitly at a Glance
Both sets give you the same basic concept: an interchangeable crochet hook with a built-in light and digital counter.
But they don’t feel like the same product once you start using them.
| Jeciran | Knitly | |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in light | Yes | Yes |
| Brightness settings | 2 | 2 |
| Digital counter | Yes | Yes |
| Interchangeable hooks | Yes | Yes |
| Handle shape | Flat | Round |
| Extra crochet accessories | Lots | Minimal |
| Overall feel to me | Complete crochet kit | Crochet hook set |
| My preference for handle | ✓ | |
| Set I’d keep overall | ✓ |
I’ll get into why below, because that last distinction ended up mattering more than I expected.
The Feature That Surprised Me Most: The Light
I initially thought of light up crochet hooks as something you’d use while crocheting in a dim room.
And yes, it’s useful for that.
But dark yarn is where I really noticed the difference.
If you’ve ever crocheted with black or very dark blue yarn, you probably know the experience of staring at your work trying to distinguish one stitch from another.
I hadn’t really thought about how much extra work my eyes were doing until I suddenly had a light shining directly onto those stitches.
Both the Jeciran and Knitly have two light settings, so I can adjust the brightness depending on what I’m working on and how much extra illumination I need.
For me, that’s become one of the most useful features of these hooks.
It isn’t just a gimmicky little light.
Then There’s the Stitch Counter
This one took some getting used to.
The hooks aren’t magically counting your stitches for you. You have to remember to press the button.
That required developing a rhythm.
Make the stitch.
Pull through the last loop.
Hit the button.
Next stitch.
After a while, pressing the counter became part of making each stitch. But there’s definitely an adjustment period where you have to remember that the counter exists.
And a stitch counter is only useful if you actually use it.
Is a crochet stitch counter worth it?
I think that depends enormously on both the project and the crocheter.
There are plenty of projects where I don’t particularly care whether I’ve made exactly 72 stitches.
But then there are projects where stitch and row counts absolutely matter.
That’s where I found the counter especially useful.
I am also someone who can count the same row three times and somehow arrive at three different numbers.
Of course, not every crochet project needs this much attention to the numbers. Sometimes I specifically want something repetitive where I don’t have to keep track of every stitch. If that’s the kind of project you’re looking for, try my 15 Easy Crochet Patterns That Require Zero Counting instead. But when I’m working on something where the stitch count actually matters, having that little number on the hook gives me something concrete to trust.
Having an actual record I can refer back to is enormously helpful.
Instead of wondering,
Was that 63? Or 64? Maybe I should count the whole thing again…
I have an article of truth sitting right there on my crochet hook.
Provided, of course, that I remembered to press the button.
Jeciran Light Up Crochet Hooks Set: The Complete-Kit Option
Jeciran Upgraded Light Up Counting Crochet Hook Set,Light&Counter,24-in-1
Best for crocheters who want a complete light up crochet kit
The set I’d keep: two light settings, a digital stitch and row counter, interchangeable hooks, plus useful extras like stitch markers, a tension ring, needles, stitch remover, and tape measure.
Price/availability refreshed August 18, 2026 10:54 am.
View on AmazonThe biggest advantage Jeciran has over Knitly isn’t actually the hook.
It’s everything else in the case.
My Jeciran set came with the interchangeable hooks plus things like:
- stitch markers
- a tension ring
- needles
- a stitch remover
- a tape measure
- additional crochet accessories
Do I already own most of those things?
Absolutely.
I’ve been crocheting long enough that stitch markers and yarn needles aren’t exactly scarce resources around here.
But having everything together still changes how the set feels.
The Jeciran doesn’t feel like someone sold me an interesting crochet hook.
It feels like a complete crochet kit.
Everything has a place in the case, and I can grab that one case and have most of the little tools I’m likely to need.
The Jeciran handle
The Jeciran handle is flatter than the Knitly handle, and it took me a little while to get used to it.
I generally prefer the rounder shape of the Knitly.
But something interesting happened once I adjusted to Jeciran’s shape:
the flatter handle actually made using the counter easier for me.
Once I’d developed that stitch-pull-click rhythm, the button was conveniently positioned for the way I was holding the hook.
So while Knitly wins my immediate comfort preference, Jeciran’s design has a practical advantage I didn’t appreciate at first.
Did it cause more hand fatigue?
Not noticeably.
Both hooks are lightweight, and I didn’t notice a significant difference in hand fatigue between them.
I do already take frequent breaks while crocheting, though, so I wouldn’t take my experience as evidence that either hook will reduce fatigue.
They’re simply both light enough that neither stood out to me as significantly more tiring to use.
My Jeciran video review
If you’d rather see the set and everything included with it, you can watch my original Jeciran review above.
Knitly Light Up Crochet Hooks Set: The One I Like Holding
knitly Light Up Crochet Hooks Set with Digital Counter
Best for crocheters who prefer a rounded handle and a prettier, streamlined hook set
I prefer the round handle and floral case, while still getting the light, digital counter, and interchangeable hooks. It doesn’t include all the extras that made Jeciran feel like a complete kit.
Price/availability refreshed August 18, 2026 10:54 am.
View on AmazonI’ll give Knitly this immediately:
It’s prettier.
Yes, that’s completely aesthetic.
No, I’m not pretending it affects how well a crochet hook works.
I still love the roses on the case.
And I prefer the feel of the round Knitly handle over Jeciran’s flatter design.
If I were comparing nothing but the hooks themselves, Knitly would have a real advantage for me.
It’s lightweight, comfortable in my hand, and visually it’s the set I’m naturally drawn toward.
Where Knitly disappointed me
Unfortunately, I’d already opened the Jeciran set.
And that made Knitly feel a little…empty.
The Knitly set is essentially what it says it is: a crochet hook set.
The Jeciran felt like an entire crochet kit.
After opening a case filled with stitch markers, needles, a tension ring, tape measure and other useful little tools, opening Knitly made me notice everything that wasn’t there.
Again, these aren’t expensive accessories.
And they’re mostly things established crocheters probably already own.
But that isn’t really the point.
If I’m buying a set that’s meant to live together in a case, I like being able to grab that case and know my little crochet necessities are already inside.
That’s where Jeciran won me over.
My Knitly video review
You can see the Knitly set more closely in my original video review above.
Jeciran vs. Knitly: Which Light Up Crochet Hooks Are Better?
This isn’t quite as simple as declaring one objectively better.
I’d choose Knitly if…
The feel and appearance of the hook itself matter most to you.
I prefer Knitly’s round handle, and I genuinely like the rose design on the case.
If you already have all your crochet notions organized exactly the way you like them and you’re really just shopping for a light up counting hook, you may not care about Jeciran’s extras.
I’d choose Jeciran if…
You want an all-in-one crochet kit.
That’s ultimately where I landed.
The flatter handle required a little adjustment, but I got used to it quickly—and eventually found that shape convenient for operating the counter.
More importantly, I like having the additional crochet tools in the same case.
If I Could Keep Only One…
I’d keep the Jeciran.
And that’s interesting because I actually prefer the look and feel of the Knitly.
Knitly has the round handle I like.
It has the prettier case.
If we’re awarding points for roses, it wins decisively.
But when I think about which case I’d grab when starting a project, Jeciran is more useful to me as a whole.
The extra accessories turn it from an interesting specialty hook into something closer to a portable crochet kit.
That’s enough to outweigh my preference for Knitly’s handle.
Are Light Up Crochet Hooks Actually Worth It?
Before using these, I probably would have focused almost entirely on the stitch counter.
Now?
I’d pay more attention to the light.
If you frequently work with black, navy or other very dark yarn, having illumination directly at the stitch can make a surprisingly noticeable difference.
The counter is more situational.
For projects where stitch count doesn’t matter much, I don’t need it.
For projects where the count does matter?
I’m the person who can recount a row repeatedly and somehow keep getting different answers.
Having a number sitting right there on the hook gives me something concrete to refer back to.
The only catch is developing the habit of pressing the button.
Who Are These Hooks Best For?
I think light up counting hooks make the most sense for crocheters who:
- regularly work with dark-colored yarn
- crochet in lower-light environments
- struggle to keep track of stitch or row counts
- work on patterns where accurate counts matter
- like crochet gadgets and multipurpose tools
- want a portable interchangeable-hook set
I wouldn’t buy one expecting it to magically make crochet easier or eliminate hand fatigue.
And if you’re perfectly happy with your favorite traditional hooks, you may decide the extra technology isn’t something you need.
But after actually using them, I no longer think the light is just a novelty.
That feature earned me over.
🍂 Building Your Autumn Crochet Basket?
Fall is when my crochet basket starts filling up with deeper yarn colors, cozy projects, and all the little tools I inevitably want within reach. I’ve gathered my favorite seasonal supplies in my Autumn Crochet Essentials Idea List—from yarn and crochet tools to the extras that make a cozy stitching session a little easier.
Need something to put on your hook? Browse my 11 Easy Autumn Crochet Projects, free fall leaf patterns, or fall crochet coaster patterns for your next cozy make.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Final Verdict
If I were choosing between these two sets today:
Best overall: Jeciran
It’s the one I’d keep because the additional accessories make it feel like a complete crochet kit, and once I adjusted to the flatter handle, I found the counter easy to incorporate into my crocheting rhythm.
Best handle and aesthetics: Knitly
I prefer its round handle, and I’ll freely admit the rose-covered case makes me happy.
Neither caused a noticeable difference in hand fatigue for me. Both have useful two-level lighting. Both require you to develop the habit of manually advancing the stitch counter.
And both taught me something I wasn’t expecting:
Apparently I’ve been squinting at black yarn for years when I could have just put a tiny light on my crochet hook.
That alone may have converted me.
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