Best Boat Hook Reviews 2018

Boat hooks are generally inexpensive but the trick is to determine which particular brand will last a long time as the money used to replace a broken hook would be better spent on other boat care products and accessories. The design and material of the boat hook could affect the price, but it is ultimately dependent on the brand.

If a strong, durable and lightweight boat hook is what you have in mind, be ready to dole out between $40 and $200 dollars. During the course of this research, we also discovered some cheap boat hooks, but we decided not to feature them because we know a flimsy boat hook with low tensile strength isn't want you had in mind.

Selecting the right boat hook requires careful consideration and without much ado, here is a list of the features to look out for when choosing a boat hook:

• Material
• Design
• Dimension
• Locking system

A boat hook usually consists of the hook head and the shaft. The head of a boat hook can be made from nylon, stainless steel or aluminum. A nylon head could also be reinforced with metal and is really popular amongst boaters. This is because it is quite strong and resists the detrimental nature of sunlight. A stainless steel head is less popular as it could be more expensive and contribute to the weight of the hook.

The shaft/handle connects to the hook head and it can be made from stainless steel, aluminum, plastic or wood. A handle made from wood is more stylish than the rest but it could be destroyed by the elements, especially if it goes overboard. Traditional hook shafts are made from aluminum and they are currently the most popular. The aluminum used could be anodized to prevent corrosion and this makes it last much longer than its wooden counterpart. Those made from stainless steel have more tensile strength when compared to the rest and are also more durable, but this can lead to an increase in the price. The handles made from plastic are not as popular as those made from aluminum but they tolerate the elements and do not cost as much.

Depending on the brand, it’s quite common to find one particular hook head material connected to a different shaft material. For example, a nylon head could be connected to a plastic shaft while a stainless steel head would be connected to a wooden shaft. Note that the way they are connected could generally affect the weight of the boat hook. A wooden shaft with a stainless steel hook would be expected to weigh more than a nylon hook on an aluminum shaft. An ideal boat hook should be lightweight to prevent the user from getting fatigued when using it.

A boat hook is designed primarily to pull or push lines or objects and so the head is designed to carry out that function. Boat hooks come with a 1, 2 or 3-piece head, and in different shapes. The shape and the number of hooks on the head dictates the thickness of lines that can be pulled in. For the shaft, it could come permanently attached to the head or could be detached easily. Those that can detach easily from the head can be attached to other heads for multiple purposes, such as deck brushes or mop heads. Also, some handles are made to extend/retract (telescopic), while others have a fixed length. Some boat hook handles are also designed to float on water. They have a special air system that traps air within the chamber of the handle and prevents it from sinking when mistakenly dropped overboard.

If a boat hook cannot extend your reach, it is useless. All boat hooks are designed to extend your reach but their extension lengths differ. A handle can measure from 4 feet up to 12 feet and can be extended or collapsed to varying lengths. Now it depends on the design of the handle in the first place. A 4-foot boat hook that is designed to be extendable can spread out to 8 feet while a boat hook with a fixed length of 12 feet doesn’t need to be extended to carry out its function. If you have a bigger boat, a longer boat hook will serve better than a shorter one.

The length of the boat hook also affects its storage. Those that extend/retract usually collapse to a smaller length for compact storage and would be suitable for those with smaller boats where storage space is a constraint. For those with bigger boats and larger storage spaces, boat hooks with fixed lengths might not be a problem.

The locking system featured on a boat hook is dependent on the brand and if you are going for one that extends and retracts, it would be wise to ensure it has a locking system in place. The locking system ensures that it stays secured in place when the shaft is extended/retracted. If there's no good locking system in place, when in use, the extended pole may collapse unexpectedly. Some telescopic handles have a twist and lock system in place and with a twist at the desired length, while others have a cam lock option that quickly fastens the extension or retraction of the handle.