Amish Swift Vs Umbrella Swift: Which Yarn Swift Is Best To Use?

The Amish style and the umbrella swift are most popular styles of yarn swift. But which is the best? Here’s a comparison between the best models so you can see what’s right for you.

I reviewed, fact checked and updated this post on April 12, 2023.

Table Of Contents

• Stanwood Needlecraft Tabletop Amish Style Swift
• CHIAOGOO Amish Design Wooden Yarn Swift
• Stanwood Wooden Umbrella Yarn Swift
• Schacht Swift
• What Is A Swift for Yarn?
• Amish Swift Vs Umbrella Swift

Best Amish Swift

Stanwood Needlecraft Tabletop Amish Style Swift

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Stanwood is known for its umbrella style swifts. This model is made with the same quality, attention to detail, and hardwood. An excellent tabletop yarn swift.

Pros

• Solid wood, smooth surface, sanded and polished
• Holds skeins between 2 1/2 – 6 ft circumference
• Non-slip pads
• Easy assembly and disassembly
• Convenient storage
• Spins smoothly

Cons

• Friction when spinning
• Squeaks

CHIAOGOO Amish Design Wooden Yarn Swift

Chiaogoo makes this superb quality swift made with solid wood on the market for wooden yarn swifts. It’s wood, and suitable for a permanent or temporary home setup.

Pros

• Four adjustable pegs to hold hank sizes
• Non-skid pads to prevent accidental slipping
• Quick and easy assembly
• Last for years, and it has a high star rating
• This Amish swift Spins smoothly
• Cheap and lightweight

Cons

• Not sturdy
• Makes a squeaking noise

Best Umbrella Swift

Stanwood Wooden Umbrella Yarn Swifts

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This Stanwood umbrella is a popular model of yarn swift. A quiet workhorse of sanded birch.

Pros

• Holds a skein up to 6 ft in circumference
• Medium-sized, and the clamp fits surfaces of up to 1 3/4″ thick
• Excellent quality materials
• Minimal assembly
• Efficient
• Lasts a long time

Cons

• Expensive
• Limited clamping capacity
• Sometimes the screw is faulty, but Stanwood replaces it
• The umbrella slips if you don’t secure it

Knitter’s Pride Yarn Ball Swift

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Made of high density solid wood materials, this quality tool is smooth, and it holds a yarn hank of up to 60″ in circumference.

Pros

• The adjustable clamp fits most surfaces
• Stable
• Smooth when winding yarn
• Quiet

Cons

• Expensive

Amish Swift Vs Umbrella

Here’s a rundown of the differences and similarities of the styles.

The Differences

• The Amish swift sits flat on a tabletop
• The other clamps to a surface
• An umbrella swift is more comfortable to assemble and less bulky
• It’s also easier to storage
• The umbrella expands to fit any size of yarn, and a quick umbrella is more comfortable to set up and less fiddly.
• The Amish yarn swift has adjustable pegs, and vertical swifts work the same way.
• The Amish don’t require a clamp, less likely to damage a surface
• Some find an umbrella one more comfortable to use
• Amishes hold larger hanks than the other option

The Similarities

• They’re designed to hold the skein or hank while you wind it
• They spin on a flat axis
• They’re available in plastic and metal or hardwood
• Prices to suit every budget
• They work with all types of fiber.

Kristine Kelly from Ewe University gives a rundown of the styles.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this comparison of these two styles of yarn swifts helped you. Which do you prefer?

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