Velvet Hair Pins vs Bobby Pins: Which One Actually Holds?

If you've ever worn your hair up, you've used bobby pins. They've been the default since the 1920s. But in the last decade, a different pin has quietly taken over the professional hairstyling world: the velvet-coated U-pin. Here's how they compare head-to-head — and why pros stopped reaching for bobby pins.

The Short Answer

If you need a pin to hold through real movement — a wedding day, a long night out, a dance performance, a 12-hour shoot — velvet hair pins hold better. They're also more comfortable, more invisible, and more versatile. Bobby pins still have a place for quick, light-duty pinning, but for anything structural, they lose.

How Each Pin Works

Bobby Pins

Bobby pins are two parallel metal prongs that hold hair through compression. You pinch a bit of hair between the prongs and hope the friction is enough to keep it in place.

Velvet Hair Pins

Velvet hair pins are U-shaped (two prongs that form a rounded bend at one end) coated in a flocked fiber finish. They hold through friction — the velvet texture catches against every strand of hair it touches, creating thousands of micro-grip points.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Hold

Winner: Velvet U-pins. Because friction-based hold doesn't lose grip when hair moves. Compression-based hold fails the moment the hair shifts inside the pin.

Comfort

Winner: Velvet U-pins. Bobby pins pinch the scalp (that's literally how they work). Velvet pins don't compress — you can wear them for 12 hours without a headache.

Visibility

Winner: Velvet U-pins. Bobby pins are shiny metal, reflect light, and stand out in photos. Velvet pins are matte and color-matched — they photograph as hair.

Versatility

Tie / Different Uses. Bobby pins are best for: small flyaway control, 1920s finger waves, emergency quick pinning. Velvet U-pins are best for: updos, buns, French twists, bridal, any structural style.

Hair Damage

Winner: Velvet U-pins. The compression of bobby pins can cause traction damage over time, especially on fine or chemically treated hair. Velvet pins don't compress.

Cost Per Use

Winner: Velvet U-pins. Yes, they cost more per pin upfront — but you use fewer of them per style, and they last years. Bobby pins get lost, bent, and tossed. Our 100-count Pro Packs last most daily updo wearers 6‒9 months.

When to Use Each

Use bobby pins when:

  • You need to secure a single flyaway
  • You're creating a vintage 1920s finger-wave look that requires visible pins
  • You don't have anything else on hand

Use velvet U-pins when:

  • You're creating any kind of updo, bun, twist, or chignon
  • You have fine, thin, or slippery hair that bobby pins slide out of
  • You have thick hair that bobby pins can't hold
  • You need the style to last hours (not minutes)
  • You're working on a bride, a dancer, an actor, or yourself on an important day

What Professionals Use

Walk into any backstage area at Fashion Week, any wedding hair station at a Four Seasons, or any Hollywood hair department, and you'll see velvet U-pins in every kit. The most widespread brand is Frenchies — developed by a working hairstylist, now used by celebrity hairstylists including Christian Wood.

The Verdict

For everyday utility and quick fixes, keep a small pack of bobby pins in a drawer. For anything that actually needs to hold — a bun, a twist, a wedding day, a performance, or just your regular daily updo — the upgrade to velvet U-pins is one of the clearest quality-of-life wins in hair styling.

Start the Switch