Top 15 Best Yarn Winder Reviews 2021

The yarn winder is, no doubt, a godsend for crochet and knitting hobbyists. With its sophisticated features, it can make things a whole lot easier on your end as well as save your great deal of time. And, contrary to popular believe, yarn winders are quite inexpensive.
I had been crocheting for years without using a yarn winder. At first, I thought there was no need for me to buy one. And, truthfully, I could go along just fine without using one. But, as I looked back in the past, I wish that I have bought a yarn winder sooner.

Not only would it have saved me frustration and time, but it could have made my crochet even more gorgeous. Today, I own a variety of yard winders, and I love each one of them.

But, not all yarn winders are created equal. Some seem to last for eternity while others break down after fist usage. And, there are yarn winders that don’t perform as well as the premier ones.

So, to help you select the best yarn winder for your crocheting needs, I’ve listed down a ton of tips that will surely come in handy on your shopping experience.

Things to Consider When Buying a Yarn Winder

Size of Your Yarn Ball or Cakes

One of the essential considerations, when looking for a yarn winder, is the size of the cake you’re going to make. Also, make sure to consider how much yarns can the winder hold.
Cheaper yarn winder can hold around 3 to 4 oz of yarn. The largest varieties, meanwhile, can hold more than 16 oz of yarn.

Durability

Every crochet hobbyist wants to own a yarn winder that’s manufactured to last more than a lifetime. So, before you buy a yarn winder, take a close look at the materials used to build the components. Ideally, you should avoid plastics since they are known to break easily.
And, if ever there are plastic pieces, see if they are not going to break instantly. Likewise, check if the gears have protection. If the yarn is bound to slip underneath the winding gears, it will ultimately get caught quickly.

In sturdy yarn winding models, the gears are usually protected better. Additionally, the table clamp of the yarn winder should have a decent grip and must be sturdy, ideally without damaging any surface.

Look for Something Easy to Set Up

If you’re a beginner, you really want something that doesn’t require hours of reading the manual, just to operate it. A simple, easy and quick winder is what you need.

Best Yarn Winders Comparison Chart 2021

There are infinite choices on today’s market when it comes to yarn winder. I’ve listed some of the finest ones, to help you select the best yarn winder for your needs.

My Best Yarn Winders for 2021

Need a little help in selecting the best yarn winder? Then, spend a moment reading these tips and pointers!

• Best overall: Knit Picks Yarn Ball Winder
  With its wondrous design, this tool easily transforms yarn skeins and hanks into center, compact pull cakes.
• Runner up: Stanwood Needlecraft Hand-operated Winder
  Featuring a durable metal crank, it’s an incredibly sturdy, quiet, smooth and versatile yarn winder.
• Budget pick: Windaze Manual Yarn Winder
  Portable, convenient, lightweight, durable, and best of all, inexpensive!
• Best designed: Nancy’s Knit Knacks Heavy Winder
  Made perfectly of Maple hardwood, this versatile tool is the ultimate yarn winder for hobbyist.
• Most comfortable to use: Yarn Valet Yarn Winder
  Lightweight, sturdy, functional, whimsically stylish, and so comfortable to use!
• The ultimate time-saver: Boye Electric Yarn Winder
  With its electric motor, this winder can get the job done in a few seconds!
• Best for small projects: Housweety Ball Yarn Winder
  Make your small yarn winding projects a breeze with the tool’s amazing features.
• Best for large skeins: Lacis MO77 Yarn Winder
  A sophisticated, hard-operated winder that conveniently makes thread balls without any tubes or cones.

Best Yarn Winder Reviews 2021

One of the best ways to score the best yarn winder is to read a bunch of reliable reviews. And, to help pick the best tool for your needs, I’ve reviewed over a dozen of awesome yarn winders.

Knit Picks Yarn Ball Winder

They don’t call this yarn winder as one of the most important crocheting and knitting tools for nothing. Ideal for lightweight yarns, this winder can, with ease, turn yarn skeins and hanks into compact and more organized center balls.

Even better, this yarn is so comfortable, thanks to its pivoting winder. Truthfully, my wrists and hands never felt any pain or strain while using this winder. As for the clamp, I had no problem securing it to all my work desks and table edges.

Also, assembling it is fairly easy. In fact, even novices can effortlessly assemble this top-notch yarn winder.

Key features:

• Winds up to 3.5 ounces or 100 grams of yarn, from bulky weights to fingering and lace weights
• Removable spindle
• Folding yarn guide
• Pivoting winder

Yarn Valet Yarn Winder

It’s, hands down, the most comfortable and compact yarn winder I’ve ever used. Plus, it’s easy to use and has an ergonomic grip that lets you hold the winder with just one hand.

The winder is pretty light, too, meaning I can carry it wherever I want. It also has a winding center wherein I can comfortably spin the yarn and turn it into the tight and compact ball that I can store or carry.
As an added plus, it has a compartment where I can hold my small accessories, such as pens, markers, and hooks.

Key features:

• Made proudly in the USA
• Won’t damage or stretch yarn
• It has an internal storage compartment to hold yarn needles and loose stitch markers

Lacis MO77 Yarn Winder

There are many reasons to love this Lacis yarn winder. For one, it’s rather easy to set up as well as operate. I just read the instructions once, and moments later, I began using it.

It’s also portable and lightweight. I literally can carry it wherever I go.

To make things even better, it doesn’t take a great deal of space, making this winder ideal for storage.

Like most premier yarn winders, this one is user-friendly. And, you can wind balls of yarn up to 5 ounces without using cones or tubes,

Key features:

• It has a yard feeder that prevents tangling and creates an even flow
• It can make pull thread yarn balls up to 5 ounces without using tubes or cones

Nancy’s Knit Knacks Heavy Winder

Nancy’s Knit Knacks is, by far, one of my favorite yarn winders of all time. I just fell in love with it, the moment I tried it.

Truthfully, it’s a little big for my taste. But, it’s simply amazing and an excellent tool if you want to level up your knitting game. Heck, this tool can wind up around a pound of yarn at a time.

And, it’s extremely sturdy too, with its ergonomic design as well as lasting and strong materials. And, did I mention that it’s manufactured 100% in the US using Swiss gears?

On top of that, its material is gorgeous maple hardwood. It really looks nice on my table.

Key features:

• The handle rotates, helping prevent injuries to wrist and forearm muscles
• The yarn guide can be swiveled and use in different angles
• It can wind up balls over 1 pound.
• Made of maple wood

Stanwood Needlecraft Hand-operated Winder

Stanwood has been, for years, a well-known brand in the world of knitting and crocheting. And, this yarn winder definitely lives up to its name and hype.

Compared to most yarn winders from Stanwood, this one is cheaper and lighter. In fact, it’s half the size of Stanwood’s typical metal, large winders. But, no mistake about it – this Stanwood yarn winder can do wonders for your hobby.

It’s quieter and smoother, making it a very convenient tool. What’s more, the winder can create yarn balls with an impressive capacity of about 4 ounces.

Key features:

• It has a capacity of 4 ounces
• Durable construction
• Creates center-pull yarn balls

Housweety Ball Yarn Winder

You don’t have to be a whiz, equipped with a set of tools, to prepare this yarn winder. It’s fairly easy to use and ideal for newbies and experts alike in crocheting and knitting.

And, with its lightweight and small size, you can bring this tool wherever you go. I even brought it once on a weekend trip in Mexico.

Another feature I really like is that it barely makes any noise when it’s operating.

It’s not built for large projects, however. It’s only created to wind about 200 to 250 grams. Still, it’s amazingly durable and can withstand tons of winds.

To me, it’s a great choice if you’re new in using yarn winders.

Key features:

• Winds over 200 grams of yarn
• User-friendly
• Sturdy design

Windaze Manual Yarn Winder

Looking for affordable options? Why not invest in a Windaze Manual Yarn Winder? Not only is it inexpensive, but it’s rather durable as well.

Great prices and durability aside, this winder can make your yarn winding experience a breeze. It can create neat and compact yarn cakes and balls effortlessly without using any piece of heavy and innovative equipment.

You can create large-sized balls of yarn and avoid yarn waste since it creates an even flow. Not to mention, it helps prevent tangles, bunches and snags.

Key features:

• Excellently constructed with unrivaled functionality and elegant design
• Portable, lightweight and convenient
• Low noise
• The perfect built-in clamp that lets the winder to be fixed firmly at the edges of benches, chairs and tables

Boye Electric Yarn Winder

I’m not exactly a big fan of electric yarn winders, but somehow, this one swept me away. Whenever I feel tired and lazy, I just use this yarn winder to do the job for me. It does all the winding by itself, and there’s no need to get involved physically.

Just read the manual, learn how to use it, and watch your yarn turn into tidy and neat cakes in a few seconds. And, the device doesn’t need batteries because it works with 120 Volt A/C power.

To me, this machine is ideal for lightweight yarn. I used it on bulky yarns and it did struggle a bit.

Key features:

• No set up needed
• Batteries are not required
• Winds yarns with ease in seconds
• A handy machine for hobbyists and serious knitters

Nagina Nostepinne Yarn Winder

I stumbled upon this yarn winder as I was searching for special wooden needles. Intrigued, I did some thorough research and found out that this tool can be very beneficial for me.

And, immediately, I fell in love with this nostepinne yarn winder. There are no instructions or manuals attached, but luckily, there are plenty of Youtube videos and Vlogs to learn from.

This yarn winder is eye-catching too and feels so nice in my hands. With this tool, yarn winding is such a pleasure, thanks to its smooth finish.

And, unlike my mechanical winders, I can wind wherever I want, especially since it fits right into my bags.

Key features:

• Portable and light in weight
• It has a smooth and polished finish
• Excellent warranty terms
• Sturdy

Stanwood Needlecraft Large Winder

When it comes to heavy-duty winders, you can’t go wrong with the Stanwood Needlecraft Large Winder. When you touch this winder, you’ll know and feel that it’s constructed to last a lifetime.

Although it’s relatively inexpensive, this one is durable and remarkable for heavy-duty use. Heck, it can even handle 10 ounces of yarn skein.

The winder’s gears can be spotted easily, which is cool for those who like to see how things and mechanics work. Its feet are made of rubber, designed to protect the edge of your table from the winder’s metal frame.

Pound-for-pound, this one is arguably the best yarn winder on the market today.

Key features:

• Designed for heavy-duty use
• It has a capacity of 10 ounces
• Flexible and durable gears
• Center-pull yarn winder ball

U-nitt Metal Yarn Winder

This yarn winder is nothing short of wonderful. I wasn’t familiar with this brand, but still, I gave it a shot after reading some positive reviews.

And, I’m glad I did. A week ago, I wound up over 40 yarn skeins with this tool and had zero issues using it. Plus, it’s constructed in metal, making it amazingly sturdy.

Also, I love that I can wind around 10 ounces of yarn cakes with this winder. My typical yarn winder can only handle about 4 ounces. So, you can double who much you can yarn with this machine.

Key features:

• Tool-less and easy assembly
• Metal gears and constructed with cast iron
• It can wind up a ball or cake up to 10 ounces quickly
• Its clamp can work on thick tables (2 and 1/8 inches thick)

Darice Hand Yarn Winder

One of my favorite yarn winders, thus far! It has indeed made my crochet and knitting life so much easier. It speeds things up and makes yarn winding less frustrating.

It’s hand-operated and comes with a nice table clamp. Furthermore, it’s so simple to run and mainly used to make center-pull yarn cakes.
It’s portable, small and already assembled. To use it, you just have to secure the yarn winder to a table with its clamp.

Since it can only hold up 4 ounces, however, it may not be the best solution to wind larger yarn skeins. You’ll likely have to split it up, if you’re winding larger yarn skeins.

Key features:

• Winds up easy and fast
• Perfect for creating center-pull yarn skeins
• Comes with a removable clamp
• Winds yarn by hand

Marrywindix Yarn Winder

Quite a pleasant surprise! I originally bought it for the price, and was amazed by its functionality and durability. As far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the best budget-friendly yarn winders on Amazon.

There’s barely assembly needed to use this yarn winder. You just have to attach it to any desk or tabletop without leaving any dents or scratches. And, it’s light and small, meaning it’s remarkably portable.

Combining potent functionality and a beautiful design, this tool has a sturdy frame that can withstand unintentional drops and bumps.

Key features:

• Portable, convenient and light in weight
• Low noise
• Heavy-duty design
• It gets your crocheting and knitting supplies easily organized

Beisaqi Yarn Winder

So far, I’ve done over 120 yarn skeins, with this tool, and it works like a charm. Even though it’s not a well-known brand, this truly is a pretty convenient and effective yarn winder.

To me, it’s one of the best and most underrated yarn winders on Amazon.

In addition, it’s lightweight, portable and so easy to install. Personally, I think this one works best for smaller amounts of yarn. As far as I know, it can hold up to 7 ounces of yarn.

It’s not bad, especially when you consider most yarn winders have the capacity of just 4 ounces.

It’s free from noise, too! Durability-wise, I think this yarn winder can last for many years with proper care and maintenance.

Key features:

• Sturdy design
• Easy to install on bench or working desk
• Beautiful appearance

Lacis Jumbo Yarn Winder

I simply love this yarn winder because it’s flexible and can hold up to 7 ounces of yarn. Even better, it can wind the yarn diagonally and makes cakes of yarn with a center-pull.

For me, it’s a great solution for different weights and types of yarn.
Another thing I truly like about this winder is that it’s super easy to use. I have thick tabletops, and this yarn winder clamps on them finely. It’s not the best yarn winder I have, but it’s a solid alternative for any crochet and knitting enthusiast.

Key features:

• It winds neatly and does not twist the yarn
• Sturdy design
• It’s designed for heavy-duty

Other Buying Tips

Still having problems in picking the best yarn winder? You might want to check out these hints!

Table Clamps

Table clamps are an important consideration when buying a yarn winder. Trust me, you need a clamp that provides added stability, so your yard winder does not move as you’re winding.

And, it should have a reasonably tight grip without leaving marks or damaging the surface of your table.

Space

Space is a big factor, as you pick the best yarn winder for your needs. Not everybody has plenty of room or a large working space, so it’s essential to consider the winder’s size before you buy one.

Cranking

If you frequently crochet or knit, you certainly need a yarn winder that can survive some serious and heavy cranking. The crank must feel smooth and even, for a constant tension without pulling extra hard on its yarn.

FAQs

Our Top Pick

There’s nothing quite like Knit Picks Yarn Wider. With its beautiful features and compact design, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the best-selling yarn winders on Amazon. As a user of this winder, you get to quickly transform skeins and hanks of yarn into compact, neat and eye-catching cakes.

And, it’s amazingly versatile too, capable of winding of around 4 ounces, from bulky weights to fingering and lace weights. Not to mention, it’s lightweight, portable and can be carried anywhere I want.

To top it all off, it’s designed to prevent strain on my wrists and forearms.