Choosing the best hair clips is about both practical and aesthetic considerations. Good hair clips keep one's hair in place, while great ones do so with some degree of style. The keys to choosing those hair accessories are knowing what type of closure works best with one’s hair and having an eye for what hair clips will complement both the hair and the shape of the head.
Choosing the closure that works best for one’s hair is the single biggest factor in finding the best hair clips. Bobby pins and other slender pin-type hair accessories work to hold very small sections of hair snugly in place. These pins can work for thin or thick hair, though thick hair will likely require a larger number of bobby pins to work well.
Clasps have a long metal piece with two openings on one end. When someone pushes the metal piece into place, two small hooks catch in the holes, holding the hair barrette together. This type of clip holds a swatch of hair in place. This is likely a better hair clip style for someone with thick strands of hair, because the clip will not hold individual hairs and thin hair will be more prone to slipping out of such a clip.
For thin hair, one should choose hair clips that close completely, holding tightly to every piece of hair caught in the clip. Basic snap clips or barrette-style closures work best in these situations. These closures have a long metal piece that slides under a metal hook at one end of the bow. With this type of clasp, the long metal piece will hold all the hair caught within it as tightly as possible.
In addition to considering the type of closure on a hair clip, the complement of the clip to both the head and hair matters. Bows and other hair accessories wider than one’s head detract from the person wearing the clip. Mothers often put their small daughter in hair bows that are too big. Scaling back to something smaller allows the hair clip to function as an accessory rather than the main attraction.
The best hair clips will have the visibility the wearer wants. Some clips are brown or black and small, making them fairly discreet in dark hair and ideal for when a wearer does not necessarily care for others to see the clips. For clips that are more of an aesthetic adornment than a practical accessory, one should consider where the clip will be worn and just how visible it should be.