The combs are amazing, I will never go back to clips. I tried so many different kinds and they all had problems. Yeah, you're right that the small ones do hold better but they hurt, and then they hardly hold any hair so what's the point. I like the versatility of the comb as well. You can hold it on your crown area, to pull back your hair directly above your head, or you can put it on the side to side sweep your hair. You can even put two combs, one on each side to pull back your hair on both sides with a center part. I hope that makes sense. It takes a bit of learning to be able to use them though. You don't put them in like you would comb your hair. They would surely fall out. You put them so the teeth face forward, against the "flow" of your hair. What I usually do is pull up my hair with my hands into a pony tail type of thing on top of my head (the front of your hair at the crown), hold that tail against the top of my head, then insert the comb with the teeth facing forwards into the body of the tail of hair. I hope that makes sense. I don't use the combs with the fat teeth. Those are for the back of your head to hold all your hair together in a bun. I don't like things that go behind your head as much 'cause I wear stuff in my hair to make myself feel nice, so I can see it in the mirror. Not so other people can see it when I have my head turned away from them! And putting the fat teethed-combs in your hair is a much harder technique and much more painful lol. And if it falls out, you don't see it falling 'cause it's behind you. Anyways, I'm rambling now. Make sure you buy combs with the teeth looking exactly like the ones in my pictures. I buy all mine at the dollar store. I wonder if I can find pictures of how to wear a comb in your hair. I could always take pictures of myself if I can't find any lol.