These Lightweight Claw Clips Feel Almost Invisible — But Stay Like Nothing Else

Courtesy/InStyle

Certain movie scenes define coolness for years to come. For me, it was watching Lindsay Lohan play poker opposite herself in The Parent Trap. It's indelible, from Annie's "read 'em and weep" delivery to Hallie strolling in while "Bad to the Bone" plays, swinging her sock full of quarters. She puts her sunglasses on top of her head, blue polish sparkling, hair effortlessly twisted up with enviable face-framing bangs. It. Was. Everything.

Rewatching the scene about two decades after the first time, it's wild to me that we never see the back of Hallie's head. I could've sworn one of 1998's finest claw clips was responsible for her hairstyle, and I've tried to replicate it near-daily since my fateful first viewing. Alas, her exact clip is left to the imagination — but thanks to Amazon, now there's an incredible one to fill that void.

I'm a millennial, but let no one say I'm out of touch with the youth (do not come for my hair part). I was first alerted to the wonder of Tocess's claw clips by TikTok, but then discovered they're an InStyle editor favorite. "These might just be the nicest looking hair clips I've ever owned," said our own Christina Butan. Fans say the 4-inch claw clips are stunningly sturdy and come in four matte shades: a pastel pink and green that sing spring, and classic black and tan.

Shop now: $17; amazon.com

On top of being plain stylish, the rubberized coating is the secret to the clips' gripping power. It's won them 3,000+ five-star Amazon ratings, with shoppers writing that the 4-inch clips are fantastic for gripping hair without the tension headaches that come from most clips and ponytail holders. A strong spring keeps the clip in place for hours, they say, yet it's somehow weightless.

On polar ends of the spectrum, smooth, "baby fine" hair that escapes from all other clips stays put, while it likewise contains "extraordinarily thick," unruly hair that explodes in humidity. "With my previous hair clip I could feel the teeth against my scalp, but with these clips it's like it's not even there," one shopper writes. "My bun used to slip down with my previous clip, but these ones hold hair in place. EXCELLENT hair clips!"

Shoppers say it's been an ongoing search to find clips that are wide and powerful enough to hold up a lot of hair, since no matter how expensive they are, so many snap under duress. But at $4.25 a piece, this Amazon buy keeps hair exactly where you place it for a full day — even through workouts with ample jumping. Thanks to the uniquely soft texture that's easy on hair and doesn't dent, it's so prized that one reviewer reports her mom trying to steal her Tocess clip.

Per another shopper, they're truly a special, elusive find, and "if you're unsure if you should buy them, you should." One last reviewer concludes: "Ugh, finally. I picked up hair clips from Target and they couldn't hold my hair but these are absolutely FAB! Feelin like a bad b." Hallie Parker would be proud.