Types of Hair Clips: Names, Pictures and Which One Suits Kids

The 10 types of hair clips, with names

Here's the whole family on one card, so you can point at the one you mean.

1. Snap clips (tic tac clips)

A thin, slightly curved strip of metal that you press until it clicks flat. Press the middle again and it pops open. In India almost everyone calls them tic tac clips, after that sound.

They're light, they hold a small section, and they come in every print imaginable. Best for fringes, side partings and holding back the bit that keeps falling into a child's eyes.

2. Bobby pins

The two-pronged black pin in every handbag. One side is straight, one is wavy. Wavy side goes down against the scalp for better grip. They're made to disappear into hair, so they're for holding, not for showing off.

3. Claw clips

Two rows of interlocking teeth on a spring hinge. Twist the hair up, open the claw, clamp. Big ones hold a full bun of thick hair; small ones do half-up styles. The grown-up favourite of the last few years, and the clip you'll find on every mum's head at 7 am.

4. Alligator and duckbill clips

A long, flat clip with a hinge at the back and teeth or a smooth edge along the jaw. Salons use plain ones to section hair. The small padded ones, often with a bow or bobble on top, are the classic baby and toddler clip.

5. Barrettes (French clips)

A flat decorated top with a metal bar underneath that snaps into a catch. They hold more hair than a snap clip, which makes them good for half-up styles on medium to long hair.

6. Banana clips

A long curved comb that closes around a ponytail from both sides. Very 90s, now back. They suit mid-length to long hair and give a fuller ponytail without a band.

7. Hair slides

A plain or decorated bar you push into the hair without a hinge, held by tension. Pretty, but slippery on fine or very straight hair.

8. Bow clips

Strictly speaking a bow sits on top of another clip, usually an alligator or a barrette. We list it separately because it's how most people shop for one: by the bow, not the mechanism.

9. U-pins (juda pins)

A U-shaped pin, plain or decorated, that you weave into a bun. It's what holds a juda together for a wedding, and what Nani has been using for forty years.

10. Comb clips (side combs)

A short comb, often with pearls or stones on the spine, that slides into the side of an updo. Mostly an occasion clip.

It's not about which clip is prettiest. It's about which one holds the hair you've actually got.

Which type of hair clip suits which age?

Kids' hair is finer, they run more, and they lose things. That changes the answer.

The under-3 row isn't us being fussy. Small hard pieces are a choking risk for babies and toddlers, and a clip that cracks or a spring that comes loose leaves exactly that. It's why our own clip pages ask for grown-up supervision for children under 3 and no clips at bedtime.

Snap clips vs claw clips vs bobby pins: which one when?

These three cover most of daily life, so here's the quick head-to-head.

• Snap clips hold a small section and are meant to be seen. Choose them for a child's fringe, a side parting, or two clips stacked above one ear for a party.
• Claw clips hold a lot of hair at once. Choose them for your own bun, or a teenager's quick half-up.
• Bobby pins hold quietly. Choose them to fix stray bits under a bun or plait, where nobody should see them.

IN: two printed snap clips above one ear / OUT: one giant bow for a school day

How to make hair clips stay in fine or slippery hair

"They slide out by lunch" is the oldest clip complaint there is. A few fixes that work, most of them free:

1. Clip over a twist. Twist a small section once, then snap the clip over the twist. It gives the clip something to bite.
2. Go smaller, not bigger. A small, light clip on a small section holds better than a big clip on a big one.
3. Clip on day-two hair. Freshly washed, conditioned hair is at its slipperiest.
4. Angle it. Slide snap clips in slightly diagonally, pointing back, rather than flat across the head.

Tip: keep clips on the card they came on, or in one small dish by the door. Most clips aren't broken, they're just somewhere else.

One more thing parents should know: tight is not better. The Raising Children Network notes that constant tension from tight ponytails, braiding and styling can cause patchy hair loss called traction alopecia. Vary the parting, and take clips out when they're not needed.

Our snap clips, if you're shopping

Everything in our hair clips collection is a snap clip: a glossy printed clip on a metal snap clasp, with smooth edges and light enough for fine hair. Every design comes in a pack of 2 for ₹199, a pack of 4 for ₹299 or a pack of 6 for ₹439. Prices checked on our store on 15 October 2026.

Swipe through a few of the prints.

A few that do well: Kittens Day (an orange tabby and a Siamese in jumpers), Candy Stripe in mint with pink or purple, the Poodle clips and the Rainbow clips.

They're decorative clips, so treat them gently. Open the clasp to take a clip out instead of tugging it through hair, keep them dry, and take them off for sports, swimming and bed. Bent or forced clips can crack.

Want her name printed on the clip instead? Our sister store makes personalised name hair clips. For gifting ideas, see Kanjak gifts for girls, and for the bigger picture on what's trending this season, read our festive accessories trends issue.

Want the K-drama look? Our guide to Korean hair clips shows eight styles and how to do the stacked clip look on kids.

Most clips aren't broken. They're just somewhere else.