The ponytail doesn’t always need to make a whole production out of itself. Mini scrunchies keep things a little more low-key, with enough gathered fabric to add some color without turning every hairstyle into a scrunchie moment. They’re particularly at home with smaller ponytails, half-up hair, braids, and anywhere else a little less volume feels right.

There’s also something nice about having options beyond the basic hair elastic. A scrunchie can be part of the hairstyle rather than something that’s only there to hold it together, even when the rest of the plan is as simple as pulling the hair back and getting on with the day. Sometimes that tiny bit of print is all the effort the morning is getting.

And then there are all the hairstyles that somehow require more than one hair tie. Pigtails, paired braids, little sections pulled back here and there — suddenly the smaller size starts opening up possibilities that have nothing to do with being a miniature version of something else. Turns out there’s plenty to do with a little scrunchie.