Circular Needles. Please recommend

[LetGoLetThem1234]

I have been knitting for a few years. I would consider myself an intermediate level knitter (I can knit socks, shawls, hats, scarves, blankets, simple repeated patterns, colour work etc )

I have used double pointed needles and also (cheap) fixed length circular needles.

Would like to use circular needles to make knitting jumpers, cardigans a little easier.

Would like some recommendations for really good adjustable length circular needles please?

Thanks

I liked the Knit Pro set with bamboo tips. They had a good variety of needle sizes and cord lengths to choose from.

I have a set of Knitpro Symfonie interchangeables. I really like them as I prefer wooden needles to metal ones. The downsides are they break if you sit on them 😜 and the printed sizes wear off really quickly but I keep a needle sizer in the pack with them.

In terms of affordability they are at the bottom of the price range. I also like that my local yarn shop sells replacement tips and different length cables - if I remember correctly the set doesn't come with 3.25mm tips so I bought those separately.

Another who uses knit pro symfonie. I have some fixed ones and a set of three interchangeable ones.

I am also using Knitpro and am very happy with them. I just wish I had gone for the cables that swivel in the first place!

I love the Lykke Interchangeable Sets. They come in lovely colours, and you buy extra cords & different size needles if needed. I like the 5” sets, the needles go from 3.5mm to 12mm. But you can get different ones. I much prefer wooden needles, I fine them better to knit with and less likely to stick in your fingers. They are expensive but I knit a lot and these are my go to. I may have more than one set, I find them additive. Have a look on the needle store, they have loads.
https://www.theneedlestore.com/collections/lykke-interchangeable-needle-sets

It's worth checking if the circular you like using have an interchangeable set. I have a lot of knitpro symphonie interchangeables but the quality of any I've bought recently is nowhere near the same as the ones I was buying 15 years ago, when they had more consistently pointy tips and better joins between the wood and the metal.

I'd start with buying one interchangeable circular needle of a few types you might like to try out, before buying a full set. Pick sizes that you use a lot, because extra tips are then very useful in the future.

I have several KnitPro sets with different length tips and from different materials, but I started with buying a single needle of each type I liked. I discovered that I prefer metal tips for speedy general knitting and wood tips for slippery wools (such as linen/cotton mixes). I also have one (very £££) Chiagoo set for doing more intricate knitting such as lace, because their tips are very sharp, so better for this purpose. I'm not keen on swivel cables, because the join is a bit bulky, but most people seem to like them. It's just so individual and definitely worth trying one needle of several types before investing in a full set.

Have a watch of some YouTube (or tick-tock etc, whatever's your thing) reviews of different interchangeable needles. I like the YouTuber Nimble Needles '' for this, but there are many reviews from different people out there.

Also, be aware that Knit Pro/Knitters Pride/Knit Picks (name depending on the country) also make needles for some other brands (Lykke and some Drops needles, among others), so Knit Pro needles are compatible with those brands too.

What gauge do you knit at? I like Knit Pro because all the knit pro stuff is interchangeable, and I don't have to keep track of things so much. I have a wooden set, a short set, and a metal set for using with different kinds of wool. All the cables work with all the needles and all very available where I am.
But... knit pro does not make smaller interchangeable needles. So if you always knit a smaller gauge then you need another option.

I am saving up for the Hiya Hiya shorties, but I am not looking forward to adding an incompatible system to my collection.

I use Hiya Hiya interchangeables, I have collected both bamboo and steel tips and just use whichever I fancy or which suits the yarn, same cables work for both.

The Chiaogoo needles are very popular because they have a really untwisty cable, I’ve got one fixed needle of those and it is great but I’m not planning to change, maybe I’ll start buying a few cables and tips here and there. I have one SeeKnit bamboo fixed needle too but its cable is very annoying so I avoid using it. I have a couple of KnitPro Zings that I bought when I first started, they’re okay but they’re very blunt and the cables are like the SeeKnit one and so I tend to avoid them.