If your claw clip slides down the back of your head by lunch, the clip is probably fine. The size is wrong.
Nearly every complaint about claw clips comes down to one of three things, and two of them are fixable by picking a different size. Here is how to get it right the first time.
Why do claw clips slip out of your hair?
First, the jaw is too small to close all the way around the hair you put in it. A clip that cannot fully close is only holding by tension, and tension gives out. Second, the teeth are too widely spaced or too slick to actually catch. Third, the clip stands up off the head instead of lying against it, so every time you lean back you knock it loose.
Size fixes the first one. Shape fixes the third. The second is a question of how the clip was made.
Does more hair always mean a bigger clip?
Mostly, but length counts as much as thickness. Fine hair that falls past your waist needs more jaw than thick hair cut to the shoulder, because there is more weight pulling down. If you are sizing for a bun rather than a twist, size up again.
What size claw clip do you need for your hair?
Our Frenchie comes in four sizes, which makes it the easiest place to explain this. Soft matte finish, gently rounded, with smooth teeth that grip without snagging.
- Petite Frenchie Claw Clip, $7.99. The smallest one. Built for fine hair, short layers, and a small half up section.
- Mini Frenchie Claw Clip, $8.99. The one most people reach for when Petite feels a little too small.
- Standard Frenchie Claw Clip, $9.99. The everyday size and the one we sell the most of. Enough jaw for medium hair.
- Classic Frenchie Claw Clip, $11.99. The largest. Made for thick, long, or curly hair and a full bun.
All four come in seventeen colors: Midnight, Mocha, Caramel, Amber Tortoise, Honey, Roman Clay, Merlot, Oat, Muted Sand, White, Sagebrush, Soft Sage, Prickly Pear, Blossom, Petal, Soft Rosewater, and Lavender.
What if you are between two sizes?
Go up. A clip that is slightly too big still closes and still holds. A clip that is slightly too small will not, and no amount of twisting fixes it. If you are ordering your first one and genuinely cannot tell, start with the Standard.
What is a lay flat claw clip?
It is a clip shaped to sit low and close against your head instead of standing up off it. That one change is the difference between a clip you take out before you get in the car and a clip you forget you are wearing.
Ours is an oval silhouette with an open center, which keeps it light. It comes in two finishes and three sizes each.
- Mini Solid Oval Lay Flat Acrylic Claw Clip, $9.99, for a half up twist or finer hair.
- Standard Solid Oval Lay Flat Acrylic Claw Clip, $11.99, for most everyday styles.
- Classic Solid Oval Lay Flat Acrylic Claw Clip, $14.99, for thick or long hair and a full bun.
Should you pick the matte or the acrylic?
The matte is the quieter one. Soft finish, no shine, seven colors in Buttercream, Light Pink, Hot Pink, Beige, Light Brown, Grey Lilac, and Black, and it is the least expensive clip we make: Mini at $6.99, Standard at $8.99, and Classic at $9.99.
The acrylic is glossy and comes in eight solid colors plus our own prints. Pick matte if you want the clip to disappear, acrylic if you do not mind it catching the light.
Which claw clip should you pick if you want it to be seen?
Some days the clip is part of the outfit. These are the ones for that.
- Classic Claw Clip, $12.99. A proper claw with real grip and a glossy finish, in thirteen colorways.
- Petal Claw Clip, $11.99. A soft scalloped edge that curves like petals, with the desert sol script embossed on the surface.
- Floral Gesture Oval Lay Flat Acrylic Claw Clip, $9.99 to $14.99 by size. Four painterly florals drawn in house: Ember, Brushed Sand, Mulberry, and Apricot.
- Canyon Rose Classic Claw Clip, $12.99. White roses and daisies on a warm clay rose ground, the color of the canyon walls just before sunset.
What holds the pieces that escape?
Every twist leaves something behind by four in the afternoon. The 2 Pack Solid Hair Clips at $11.99 come two to a pack, one for each side, for bangs on a windy day or a half up section that needs help. The Floral Gesture 2 Pack is the same thing in our prints.
Do claw clips damage your hair?
A clip with smooth teeth does far less than a tight elastic, because it holds the hair in a twist rather than cinching it at one point. If you want to be careful about it, the thing to change is what you use when the hair is down or up overnight.
The Mulberry Silk Scrunchie at $14.99 is 100% mulberry silk at 22 momme and 6A grade, which creates less friction than cotton or elastic. Four sizes from Small to XL. The Satin Silk Floral Scrunchie at $12.99 does a similar job in six of our own prints.
Where can you shop claw clips by size?
Everything above ships nationwide. Start with Desert Sol Claw Clips to compare sizes side by side, or browse Hair Clips, Scrunchies, and the whole Hair collection. The rest of what we designed ourselves is in the Desert Sol Collection.
Prices listed are current as of publication and may change. Colors are limited to what is in stock.
