Hanyousheng 200 Pieces Hair Ties Review: cheap, colourful bands that you won't cry over losing

I’ve been using these Hanyousheng 200-piece hair ties for a couple of weeks between my own hair, my kid’s hair, and a random stash in the bathroom drawer. So this is not a fancy salon product review, it’s just how they behave in real life: school mornings, messy buns, quick ponytails before running out the door. In short: they’re small, basic, and there are a lot of them.

The first thing that hit me when I opened the pouch is the quantity. Two hundred sounds like a random number on Amazon, but in practice it means you can leave them on every sink, in bags, in the car, and you still have more. If you live in a house where hair ties vanish like socks in the wash, that alone is pretty useful. I bought them exactly for that reason: stop stressing every time one disappears.

My expectations were low at this price. I assumed half of them would snap or stretch out after a few uses. Surprisingly, that hasn’t really happened yet. A few got a bit looser, but nothing dramatic. They’re not magic, but they handle daily use on a kid who never stops moving, plus my own medium-thick hair for half-up styles. So for basic everyday use, they get the job done.

It’s not a perfect product, though. They’re definitely on the small side, and if you have very thick or very curly hair, these are going to be more for ends of braids or small sections, not a full ponytail. Also, the colours are bright and a bit random, so if you’re into super coordinated, minimalist looks, this set might annoy you. But if your main goal is “cheap, functional, plenty of spares”, they make sense.

On the value side, this pack makes sense if you go through hair ties quickly or have multiple kids. You’re getting 200 small elastics for the price of what some shops charge for a tiny pack. That means you stop treating each band like it’s precious. If one snaps after a while or gets lost in the car or at school, you just shrug and grab another. For me, that alone is worth a lot because I was tired of rationing the last few decent hair ties in the house.

In terms of quality versus price, they sit in a good spot. They’re clearly not premium salon elastics, but they’re also not those awful bargain-bin bands that snap as soon as you look at them. They last long enough, hold well enough, and you get plenty of them. Compared to some branded kids’ hair tie sets where you pay mainly for cute packaging and get maybe 20 bands, this is a more practical option if your main concern is function and quantity.

There are a couple of limitations that matter for value, though. If you or your kids have very thick or very curly hair, you might not get as much use out of them because they’re small. You’d probably end up using two per ponytail or reserving them for braid ends only. In that case, the value drops a bit because your use cases are narrower. But for fine to medium hair, especially on babies and young kids, they cover most everyday needs.

Overall, I’d call the value for money pretty solid. You’re paying a low price for a huge quantity of basic, usable hair ties. They’re not perfect, and there are better options if you want something stronger for adult hair or sports, but for kids’ daily hairstyles and general household use, they make financial sense and reduce the constant “where did all the hair ties go?” drama.

The design is as simple as it gets: small circular elastic loops, no metal parts, no fabric wrap, just nylon/rubber elastic. The main thing to understand is the size. At 2 mm thick and 25 mm in diameter, these are on the mini side. On my toddler’s fine hair, they’re the right size for small ponytails, pigtails and the ends of braids. On my own hair, they’re more of an accessory for detail work than something to hold a full ponytail securely all day.

In use, I normally wrap them three times on my kid’s hair and sometimes four if I want it really snug for running around or at the playground. On my hair, for a half-up style, three wraps feels secure without pulling. If I try to use one to tie all my hair in a ponytail, I can do it, but I have to really stretch it and I get the feeling it won’t last long used like that. So design-wise, they’re clearly targeted at babies, toddlers and kids, not adults with thick hair.

The multicolour design is a plus if you like to play around: you can stack two different colours on the same ponytail, or use one colour per braid. My daughter likes choosing her “colour of the day”, which actually makes the morning hair routine a bit easier. On the downside, if you want something discreet for school photos or more formal occasions, you’ll probably dig around the pile to find the less bright ones, because most of them are quite loud colours.

The lack of metal parts is good: there’s nothing hard to snag the hair or rust over time. It’s just smooth elastic. That said, because they’re so thin, if you’re rough when taking them out, you can cause some pulling. Design-wise, they’re not trying to be fancy; they’re just simple, colourful loops that do what they’re supposed to, as long as you use them on the right hair type and for the right hairstyles.

Comfort-wise, I tried these on three types of hair: my baby’s very fine hair, my older kid’s slightly thicker but still straight hair, and my own medium-thick straight hair. On the baby (around 5–6 months), I only do tiny sprout ponytails on top of the head, nothing tight. One band wrapped carefully two or three times holds the hair without leaving a mark on the scalp. She doesn’t grab at it more than usual, so I take that as a sign it doesn’t bother her too much. Obviously, you still have to be gentle and not yank it off, but for short periods they seem comfortable enough.

On my older kid, who wears them to school all day, they seem fine. At the end of the day, when I take them out, I don’t see big dents or serious marks in the hair. If I’ve wrapped them three times, they’re snug but not brutal. Four times can feel a bit tight, especially if I’m not careful placing them. She hasn’t complained about headaches from them, which she did with some thicker, harsher elastics we used before that had a tougher core.

On my own hair, for half-up styles or securing the end of a braid, they’re basically invisible comfort-wise. I don’t feel any pressure points or pulling as long as I don’t overwrap them. If I try to use them for a full ponytail and really stretch them, they start to feel a bit too tight and I end up with a slight tension feeling after a while. So for adults, I’d say they’re comfortable for light use and small sections, but not the best choice for a full, tight ponytail all day.

In terms of removal, the comfort really depends on how patient you are. If I unwind them slowly, they slide off without ripping out chunks of hair. If I’m in a rush and just pull them out, they do catch a bit, especially on the baby’s fine hair. But compared to cheap clear plastic elastics, these are softer and less brutal overall. So comfort is decent as long as you don’t over-tighten or rush the removal.

The brand says these are made from rubber and nylon, and that’s exactly how they feel: stretchy core with a soft, slightly matte outer texture. They’re not fabric-wrapped like classic adult hair ties, more like those small elastics you often see for kids’ hairstyles. When you stretch them, they go quite far without that crunchy feeling you sometimes get with very cheap rubber bands. They bounce back reasonably well, especially for the first several uses.

In practice, I’ve had maybe one or two that felt a bit looser after a week of daily use, but nothing actually snapped on me yet. That’s better than the random supermarket pack I had before where every third band would either break while I was wrapping it or be so stiff it didn’t stretch evenly. Here, the quality is more consistent. They all seem to have similar elasticity and thickness, which sounds basic, but with this type of product it matters.

The outer texture is smooth enough that it doesn’t catch on the hair too much, but it’s not slippery like silicone either. When I slide them off gently, they come out without dragging a bunch of hair with them. If you just rip them out quickly, you’ll definitely feel some pull, especially on fine kids’ hair, but that’s more about how you use them than the material itself. Compared to those clear plastic micro bands that are almost disposable, these feel more solid and less likely to dig into the hair.

After a couple of weeks, the colours haven’t faded or transferred, and there’s no weird smell coming off them, which is something I always check with cheap rubber products from random brands. Overall, the materials feel like basic, decent-quality elastic: nothing fancy, but clearly above the “single-use and snap” level. For the price and the quantity, I’d say the material quality is pretty solid.

The packaging is basic but practical. The bands arrive in a small, clear plastic pouch with a zip-style closure. It’s nothing fancy, no premium box or anything like that, but for this type of product, I don’t really want extra cardboard and plastic. The pouch is small enough to toss into a handbag or a changing bag, and that’s exactly what I did with half the pack. The rest went loose into a bathroom drawer, and I instantly regretted that because they spread everywhere.

Having the pouch makes it easy to keep a dedicated stash for when you’re out and about. I keep a few in the glove compartment of the car and a few in my work bag. Because there are so many, I don’t care if the pouch starts to look messy; I just grab a handful and go. If you’re someone who likes everything super organised, you might end up putting them into a nicer container at home, but for basic storage, the original pouch works fine.

There’s no unnecessary plastic insert or hard-to-open packaging, which I appreciate. You open the pouch once and you’re good to go. It also means kids can access them easily if you let them pick their own colours, which speeds up the morning routine a bit. On the other hand, because the pouch is soft, if you leave it open, they will spill out in a drawer or bag. So you do need to remember to close it properly.

Overall, the packaging matches the product: simple, cheap, and functional. No one is buying these for the unboxing experience. You get a clear bag full of small, colourful elastics, and that’s basically all you need for something that will mostly live in drawers, bags, and random corners of the house.

Durability is always a bit funny to judge with hair ties because they’re basically consumables. You know some will stretch out, some will get lost, and a few will snap. With that in mind, these Hanyousheng ties hold up reasonably well. After about two weeks of daily use (3–5 bands in rotation each day between my kids and me), I’ve had zero outright breakages while tying, and only a couple that felt noticeably looser after repeated use.

What I’ve noticed is that if you stick to using them on fine to medium hair and don’t overwrap them, they keep their shape and elasticity pretty well. The ones I abused a bit – like trying to secure a thick adult ponytail or wrapping them too many times on a thicker section – are the ones that start to relax faster. They’re still usable, but they don’t grip quite as firmly. That’s normal at this price range, but at least they don’t immediately deform after one use.

Another durability point: they don’t seem to fray or peel. Some cheap elastics start to show little fibres or the outer layer starts to crack. So far, these still look smooth. The colours haven’t faded, and there’s no stickiness or weird texture developing, even on the ones that have been in and out of hair multiple times. I’ve also had one go through the washing machine in a pocket by accident and it came out basically the same as before.

Realistically, you’re going to lose a bunch before you actually wear them all out. That’s kind of the point of buying a 200-pack. You don’t treat them like precious items; you use them, misplace them, and grab another. For that use case, I’d say the durability is perfectly acceptable. They’re not indestructible, but they last long enough that you feel you’re getting proper use out of each band before it gives up.

In the pack you get around 200 tiny elastic hair bands in different bright colours, plus a small storage pouch. The pouch is a simple plastic zip bag, nothing fancy, but it’s actually handy because otherwise these would be everywhere in about two days. I tossed half the pack into the bathroom drawer and kept the rest in the pouch in my bag. That way I always have a few on hand when my kid’s hair starts falling out mid-day.

The bands themselves are about 2 mm thick and roughly 25 mm in diameter, so they’re really mini. Think more “end of a small plait” or “tiny ponytail on a toddler” rather than big scrunchie. On my 5-year-old’s fine hair, one band is enough for a small ponytail or pigtails, and I usually wrap it 3–4 times. On my own hair (shoulder length, fairly straight, medium density), I use them mostly for half-up styles or to secure the ends of braids. For a full ponytail on adult hair, they’re a bit borderline unless your hair is very thin.

The colour mix is quite cheerful: pinks, yellows, blues, greens, etc. There’s no real logic or pattern, it’s just a pile of bright colours. My kid likes that because she picks colours to match her clothes or just stacks a few random ones. Personally, I’d have liked a few more neutrals (black/brown) in the mix for days when I don’t want my hair tie to shout from across the room. But for kids, the colour chaos is fine and even fun.

In terms of first impression, they look like standard mini elastic bands you’d buy from any supermarket, just in a bigger quantity and with a bit more consistency in thickness. They don’t have that greasy or dusty feel some very cheap bands have. So visually and in the hand, they feel like basic but decent hair ties, which is pretty much what they are.

In terms of pure effectiveness, they do what they’re meant to do: hold small sections of hair in place for a full day of normal kid chaos. I’ve used them on school days, park trips, and at home, and the ponytails or braids generally stay put. On my 5-year-old’s fine hair, two ponytails secured with one band each (wrapped three times) last from morning to late afternoon without coming loose. They might shift a bit if she’s really active, but they don’t just fall out on their own.

For my own hair, they’re effective for half-up styles and braid ends. I wouldn’t rely on them for a tight high ponytail for a workout – they’re just not built for that kind of load on thicker adult hair. I tested it once during a light workout and the ponytail slowly sagged. So if you’re an adult looking for sport-level hold, I’d go for thicker bands. But for kids’ hairstyles, low ponytails, or small sections, they hold well enough.

About snapping: so far, I haven’t had one break while putting it on, which is better than most cheap mini elastics I’ve tried. I can feel that if I push them too far (like wrapping five times on thick hair), they’re under real tension, so I’m sure some will eventually snap. But after a couple of weeks of daily use, a handful are a bit looser, yet still usable. So their lifespan per band is not endless, but given there are 200 of them, it doesn’t feel like a big problem.

They also work well for small detail work: securing the bottom of plaits, sectioning hair for more complex styles, or doing multiple small ponytails on toddlers. They’re small enough that they don’t look bulky, and the colours make it easier to see where each one is when you’re undoing everything. Overall, effectiveness is good as long as you respect their limits: small hair amounts, kids’ styles, and light-duty use.