To use a banana clip, brush or finger-comb your hair back as if making a ponytail. Open the clip and hold it vertically against the back of your head with the hinge at your nape. Gather your hair into the clip, close it from the bottom up until it clicks, then let your hair fall out of the top.
A banana clip holds hair in a vertical line instead of a single point, so it makes a full, cascading ponytail without the tension of an elastic.
What Is a Banana Clip?
A banana clip is a long, curved, comb-like clip that opens on a hinge at one end and locks at the other. Its two curved sides have interlocking teeth, so when it closes it grips hair along its whole length. Most are 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) long, and they come in different widths and tooth styles for different amounts of hair.
How to Use a Banana Clip, Step by Step
- Detangle and gather your hair at the back of your head, as if you were about to make a ponytail.
- Open the clip fully and hold it upright, hinge at the bottom near your nape and the open end pointing up.
- Place it against your head so both sides sit either side of the gathered hair.
- Close the clip from the bottom up, pressing it against your head until the clasp clicks.
- Arrange the ponytail. Pull the hair out of the top so it spills over, then loosen a few pieces at the front if you like.
Banana Clip Hairstyles to Try
- Fountain ponytail: the classic look. Clip all your hair vertically and let it cascade out of the top.
- Half-up banana clip: clip only the top section for volume at the crown with the rest down.
- French twist: twist your hair vertically up the back of your head and close the clip along the twist.
- Low and sleek: clip at the nape with the hair smoothed back for a polished finish.
Banana Clips for Curly Hair
Banana clips suit curly and coily hair because they hold a lot of hair without squeezing it into one tight point the way an elastic does. Gather curls with your fingers rather than a brush to keep their shape, choose a wide clip with long teeth for thick curls, and let the ponytail sit loose so the curls can spring up out of the top.
Our guide to types of hair clips covers the different kinds of banana clip and when to choose one over a claw clip, and you can browse styling clips in our hair accessories range.
Banana Clip vs. Claw Clip: Which Should You Use?
| Banana clip | Claw clip | |
|---|---|---|
| How it holds hair | Vertically, along the length of the clip | At one point, over a twist |
| Best for | Full ponytails and cascading styles | Twists, buns and half-up styles |
| Hair length | Medium to long | Short to long, depending on size |
| Tension | Spread out along the clip | Concentrated where the clip sits |
If you want a twist or updo instead, see how to put thick hair in a claw clip or how to claw clip short hair.
FAQ
Why won’t my banana clip stay closed?
It is usually holding too much hair. Use a wider clip, or take a smaller section and leave the rest down.
Can you use a banana clip on short hair?
Only if your hair reaches past your collar. Shorter hair can’t be gathered along the length of the clip, so a small claw clip works better.
Are banana clips coming back?
Yes. They were a 1980s staple and have come back as an easy, low-tension way to wear a ponytail, especially for thick and curly hair.
