12 Best Beard Styles for Men – How to Spruce Up Your Look in 2024

Let’s face it:

For a man, looking good goes beyond outfits, shoes, accessories, and personal hygiene. You also need to choose a suitable haircut and beard style to complement your look.

Now, finding a suitable haircut is easy because there are a ton of variations and trendy cuts out there.

But:

What happens when you want a beard style that works with your hairstyle rather than against it?

Well, it’s quite simple – choose the right facial hair style for your face shape and personality.

Now:

I know your next question will be, “How?”

That’s what this WiseBarber post is all about. Below, I’ll walk you through the best beard styles for men to rock in 2024.

And as a bonus…

I’ll leave a few answers to frequently asked questions by bearded men and wannabes.

Ready?

Let’s dive in…

Today’s Top 12 Beard Styles for Men (2024 Update)

1. Classic Stubble (Short Beard Style)

Short, neat, and attractive – that’s the best way I’d describe a perfectly-done Stubble beard.

Now:

I’ll put more emphasis on the words “perfectly done” because this beard style can be tricky. If done incorrectly, you may end up with a lazy-man style rather than a stylish, trendy, corporate beard.

That said:

A Classic Stubble Beard is a great option for men who want to look stylish without spending a lot of time or resources on grooming.

Plus, it’s easy to style and maintain. 

Notably, one of the biggest upsides about the Stubble beard is that it looks great on just about anyone; regardless of your face shape or beard hair type.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: All

Ideal Beard Hair Type: All

Quick Tip:

Use a beard shaper and a beard trimmer to create sharp contrasting lines that amplify the visibility of your Stubble.

Learn more about Stubble Beard styles here. 

2. A Scruffy Facial Hair Style

Get this:

If you think the Classic Stubble is laid-back, then you haven’t seen a Scruffy Beard.

And:

If you ask me, I think this style is the lazier, carefree version of a Stubble beard. This is the ideal facial hair style for unruly, happy-go-lucky men.

Anyway:

What is a Scruffy Beard?

Well, it is a natural, rugged, untamed beard style. And unlike the Stubble, Beard Scruffs don’t have any maintenance rules or size restrictions. You just have to let it grow naturally and let it be.

However, an occasional comb and trim won’t hurt.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: All

Ideal Beard Hair Type: All

Quick Tip:

To avoid looking like a homeless person, use beard oil on your facial hair. Doing so keeps it moisturized and looking healthy.

Learn more about Scruffy Beard styles here.

3. The Goatee Beard Style

Quick question:

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “Goatee?” Goat beard, right?

Well:

The Goatee Beard style gets its name from goats; due to its close resemblance to this animals ‘beard.’

It’s characterized by having medium-length hair on the chin mated with clean-shaven cheeks. Moreover, this style is quite popular; thus, it has numerous variations.

Note:

A Goatee Beard looks awesome when styled on the right face shapes.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Round, Square, Oval, Triangular, or Diamond

Ideal Beard Hair Type: All

Quick Tip:

With a Goatee Beard, proper styling dictates clean-shaving the cheeks and under the chin (from the back). Doing so draws attention to the chin beard rather than other facial hair regions.

Learn more about Goatee Beard styles here.

4. Boxed Beard Style

Let’s face it:

Whether it’s Long or Short, boxed beard styles for men usually have a strong, masculine feel to them. And that’s probably why it’s a very common facial hair style for men.

So, what is a Boxed Beard?

This is an evenly trimmed beard (usually, 1/2inch) with boxed (angular) edges. For the best results, you can add a crisp, clean neckline and beard outline to add contrast and visibility.

Being a medium-length beard, men with more hair volume – or thick beards - stand to benefit the most from this style.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Heart, Oblong, Triangular, Round, or Diamond

Ideal Beard Hair Type: Mostly, Thick Hair Beards

Quick Tip:

If you choose to go with the Boxed Beard, you’ll look even more attractive if you match it with a voluminous hairstyle on top. A Pompadour or Slick Back, maybe

Learn more about Boxed Beard styles here.

5. The Van Dyke Beard Style

When talking about celebrity-influenced beads styles, it’s hard not to mention the Van Dyke (Vandyke).

Why?

Because this beard style is one of the oldest ones in existence.

The Van Dyke gets its name from Anthony van Dyck – a Flemish Artist/Painter from the 17^th century; well known for having a mustache and goatee.

Now:

In terms of appearance, a Van Dyke beard is characterized as a Goatee with a wide, detached mustache.

One peculiar quality about this style is that you have the freedom to style your stache as desired. However, an original Van Dyke Beard should have a handlebar or imperial mustache.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Oval, Triangle, Round, or Heart

Ideal Beard Hair Type: Thick, Wide Mustache, Medium to Long chin hair

Quick Tip:

Just like the Goatee, you need to make sure the cheeks and areas under (behind) the chin are clean-shaven. Also, remember to disconnect the stache from the chin hair.

Learn more about Van Dyke Beard styles here.

6. The Balbo Beard

Much like the Vandyke, the Balbo Beard gets its name from a famous figure; in this case, a WW1 Italian Aviator known as Italo Balbo.

And, yes.

The Van Dyke and Balbo Beards look almost the same. The only difference is that the latter features a soul patch and hair under the chin along the full length of the jawline.

Moreover, the most popular mustache styles for Balbo beards are the Chevron and Handlebars.

Anyway:

Modern Balbo beards are known to have short or medium-length hair on the chin but can still look good with a full beard.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Oval, Square, Round, or Heart

Ideal Beard Hair Type: Preferably, thick and medium-length

Quick Tip:

If you want sharp contrasts between your cheeks and the jaw line, cut your beard in even lengths. However, for a more laid-back vibe, you can smoothen the transition from your sideburns to your jaw line with a nice, converging fade.

Learn more about Balbo Beard styles here.

7. The Garibaldi Beard Style

If you’re a fan of long beard styles, this is it.

The Garibaldi has evolved into an attractive beard look for men today. And even better, it doesn’t take much to achieve this – just a little patience and TLC along the way.

To get a Garibaldi, you need to grow a beard to a length of seven to eight inches. Once you achieve the length, trim your beard on the edges to create a nice, rounded shape.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Oval, Square, Round, Triangle, or Diamond

Ideal Beard Hair Type: Long Beard

Quick Tip:

With the Garibaldi, growing a beard requires time and patience. During that growth period, you need to keep it moisturized by applying beard oil every once in a while. Also, this style can be a great way for anyone with a patchy beard to hide their blotches.

Learn more about Garibaldi Beard styles here.

8. The Duck Tail Beard

Simply put:

A Duck Tail beard is a facial hairstyle that features medium-length (or slightly longer) strands on the chin.

And the bottom edge of the beard (right under the chin) is usually trimmed to create a pointy - sometimes rounded - look. Thus, resembling a duck’s tail.

Perhaps, one visible quality worth noting is that the chin’s strands are kept slightly longer than the cheek hairs.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Diamond, Triangle, Rectangle, Square, or Round

Ideal Beard Hair Type: All. But, preferably, thick hair

Quick Tip:

A Duck Tail Beard is more versatile when it comes to mustache styles. Because it looks great with different types of mustaches and you have the option to connect or disconnect your stache from the rest of the beard.

Learn more about Duck Tail Beard styles here.

9. Chin Strip or Soul Patch

First things first:

Most people tend to mistake Chin Strips for Soul Patches. If you’re one of them, here’s how these two differ.

• A Chin Strip Beard is merely a strip of hair that runs from the lower lip down to the chin.
• On the other hand, a Soul Patch also begins from the lower lip but goes only half of the distance between the lip and the chin.

Now:

Much like the Stubble, Soul Patches and Chin Strips are stylish, versatile, and low-maintenance beard styles; moreover, they are quite easy to achieve.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Rectangular, Square, Round, or Heart

Ideal Beard Hair Type: All

Quick Tip:

To draw attention to your Soul Patch or Chin Strip, you have to clean-shave the rest of your facial hair regions. Also, for men who’ve been struggling with beard cowlicks and patches, these styles are your best bet.

Learn more about Chin Strip and Soul Patch Beard styles here.

10. The Circle Beard

Now:

If you are looking for ways to hide your soft jawline or to smoothen out the sharp edges of your square face shape, you should consider getting a Circle Beard.

Why?

Well, aside from being stylish and trendy, Circle Beards are also quite easy to style and maintain; thus, making them very popular among working-class men.

Why is it called a Circle Beard?

It’s simple. This beard style gets its name from its appearance/shape. Circle beards are a combination of a short beard goatee and a natural mustache. Joining the two creates a circular shape.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Oval, Square, Round, or Rectangle

Ideal Beard Hair Type: Thick, Medium-Length hair

Quick Tip:

For uniformity, use a short, fixed-length guide on your hair trimmer to create an evenly-sized beard. Because when the strands are short, it becomes easier to style this beard without messing up.

Learn more about Circle Beard styles here. 

11. A Faded Facial Hair Style

The best way to complement a faded haircut is to couple it with a Faded Beard.

Right?

This beard style looks great, is trendy, and will definitely leave heads turning. However, it’s not something you can DIY.

That’s why you’ll need a professional barber for this.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: Oval, Round, Square, Diamond, or Rectangle

Ideal Beard Hair Type: All

Quick Tip:

To get the best out of your Faded Beard, the hairline design and finish must be neat and near-perfect.

Learn more about Faded Beard styles here.

12. Tapered Facial Hair

With Tapered Facial Hair the general idea is the same as a Faded Beard style. The only difference is that the fade doesn’t get down to the skin.

Simply put:

This style creates a fade-like gradient without taking out too much length or volume from the beard.

My Recommendations:

Ideal Face Shape: All

Ideal Beard Hair Type: Thick, Full Beards (preferably, medium-length or long)

Quick Tip:

Unlike Faded Beards, a Tapered style requires more volume/fullness. Thus, this style is ideal for men with thick hair. However, if you have thin hair and would like to try this, ensure your strands are slightly longer.

Learn more about Tapered Beard styles here.

Summing Up…

And there you have it - 2024’s best beard styles for men who want to look good.

Now:

Keep in mind that you’ve got a lot of options and different variations of each to choose from.

Therefore, to get the best out of your beard style, you need to find one that complements your face, haircut, personality, and overall look.

That said:

Do you have any questions or thoughts you’d like to add to this topic? If so, feel free to talk to me in the comments section below.

#StaySafe.