Best Beard Styles For Men For 2024

You’ll find so many photos of different beard styles, lengths and shapes online, and picking the right one for you might seem intimidating or downright impossible, but it doesn’t have to be.

Jump to the Section You Like

1. How To Choose The Best Beard Style?">
2. The Best Beard Styles
3. Recommendations

How To Choose The Best Beard Style?

Think About Your Face Shape

Guys with oval face shapes can wear almost any beard style. Otherwise, you’ll have to find the right bead style to balance out your features.

Choose a facial hair style that flatters your face shape and makes everything look as oval as possible.

If you have a round face shape, you’ll want to choose something a bit longer, while guys with square face shapes should go for a closely-cropped beard worn tight to the jawline to avoid adding more width. Anyone with a narrow face shape should try for a full beard that widens the jawline.

Consider Thickness

Most beard styles take a while to grow out, but anyone with naturally thick facial hair growth has a ton of options. The right beard style for you depends a lot on your beard growth- a thin, patchy beard won’t look flattering, so choose a style that works with your facial hair patterns.

Growing facial hair isn’t easy (or uniform) for everyone- if your entire beard is patchy, stay away from a long beard style or a thick mustache and try short beards to disguise thinness- a stubble beard or a closely-cropped short beard style that follows your natural facial hair lines will look much better than stringy, long beard hairs.

Plan For Maintenance

Different beard styles for men require different amounts of upkeep. Do some research and decide how much time you want to spend shaving, trimming and moisturizing your beard hair before deciding on a facial hair style. Invest in some good quality shaving cream, razors, a beard trimmer and some nice-smelling beard oil.

Pro Tip: Even if you have a beard, you’ll still need to take care of your skin. Don’t forget to use a gentle cleanser and moisturizer on your face. This will help you avoid itching and ensure that you look good, too.

Do not miss our post on short men haircuts.

The Best Beard Styles

Short Beard Styles

Shorter beards are a great way to experiment with your facial hair and see what looks you like best. Plus, they’re very workplace-friendly and don’t require as much combing and oiling to stay in good shape.

Balbo Beard

This one is similar to a short boxed beard, and includes a slender chin strap, soul patch and a floating (unconnected) mustache. Sometimes, this will be a dramatic-looking chevron mustache but many guys like a thinner style, too.

Hollywoodian Beard

Here’s a very full beard and mustache- the chin strip is a bit squared-off and wide, and the upper cheek hair is shaved off to keep everything looking tidy. This looks great if you’ve got a round face.

Corporate Beard

A bit longer than a stubble beard, it’s one of the most popular beard styles right now because of its simplicity and professionalism. Great for anyone with full facial hair, it works with almost any face shape.

Classic Goatee Beard

Classic goatees are a chin beard that elongates your overall face shape. You can also connect this to your upper lip with a mustache to form a circle beard for a slightly softer look. Another variation of these partial beard styles is the van dyke beard, which pairs a full goatee and detached mustache.

Anchor Beard

The anchor beard is another classic style- if you have thick, full chin hair, then this is a great one for you. Start with a short, pointed beard that runs along the jawline, and add a trimmed mustache.

Medium Beard Styles

There are so many medium-length beard styles available- it’s probably the most versatile way to wear a beard. Here are a few of our favorites.

Verdi Beard

The verdi beard style is perfect for guys with square face shapes, because the midpoint below the chin is a bit longer, which elongates the face. It’s paired with a curled or handlebar mustache on top.

Faded Beard

A beard fade is a great medium beard style that can accentuate a short haircut and add some length to your overall profile. Different mustache styles work with it, but it’s best to stick with something shorter.

Short Boxed Beard

This might be the perfect beard style for anyone who wants to experiment with a full beard, but isn’t sure if their hair is thick enough. It has a full bottom with very neatly trimmed sides. If you’re looking for more fullness on top without the chin hair, something similar that you might like are mutton chops or an imperial beard.

Imperial Beard Style

The imperial beard style is basically a more neatly trimmed version of mutton chops, and is a modern take on the classic style. It looks best with square or triangular-shaped faces, and isn’t as flattering for round or oval-faced men.

Long Beard Styles

Growing a longer beard definitely takes time and effort, especially if you want it to look good while it’s growing out. Make sure to trim it regularly, use a good beard oil and moisturize the skin underneath.

French Fork Beard

Here’s a fun fact: this style didn’t actually come from France, but from noblemen in Germany during the renaissance. Basically, you let your beard grow past your chin, then style it into two “prongs” like a fork.

Viking Beard

Fans of extra beard length will love this style. It typically involves both a full beard (often braided in parts) and a bushy, full mustache, so you’ll need thick hair to create it. You’ll want to avoid it if you have patchy beard growth or a thin, narrow face, since it might make things look even longer.

Ducktail Beard

Other beard styles generally try for an even appearance (a rounded beard is very common), but the ducktail beard style is deliberately shaped and tapered for a distinctive look. It’s a very versatile choice, since you can lengthen or shorten the point to shape the jawline.

Power Beard With Walrus Mustache

Power beards are at least four to six inches long, and can take a few months to grow out properly. Likewise, the walrus mustache is a commitment, and takes a lot of time to grow, shape and keep looking great. Make sure to invest in a beard comb and some oil to keep all the hair looking great.

Lumberjack Beard

This is a very thick, bushy, full beard that generally (but not always) has rounded edges. It’s a popular beard style because it’s easy to upkeep and it looks great on most faces. Just remember to trim it regularly.

Recommendations

You can use these guidelines to pick a beard that’ll look great on you, but it’s always a good idea to bring along some photos when you visit the barber shop. This will help ensure that you get exactly what you want.

When you’re choosing between different beard styles, make sure to talk with your barber about the upkeep, as well as what your mens haircut and hairstyle goals are- this can have a big impact on your final choice.

Citations

The man behind the beard: Perception of men's trustworthiness as a function of facial hair
https://www.scirp.org/html/2-6901043_44185.htm

Beards augment perceptions of men's age, social status, and aggressiveness, but not attractiveness
https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article-abstract/23

Fashions in shaving and trimming of the beard: The men of the Illustrated London News, 1842-1972
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10