I'm a thumb quilter and put quite a bit of pressure on my needle when hand quilting. I've found that the two best brands, hands down!, are Roxanne and Foxglove Cottage by Jeana Kimball.
I actually prefer Jeana Kimball's -- they are strong and consistent in size and strength.
I can't remember how many different brands I've bought -- TONS -- and found that half would break immediately, the other half bend, and the eye would be "clipped" or bent or otherwise distorted. They don't seem to be consistent in the package. And sizing is different, too.
I use a size 10. If I know I'm going to be quilting over a lot of seams, I'll go up to a size 9. The extra length and circumference of a bigger needle helps you make more consistent stitches across seams.
Blessings!