How To Choose The Right Beard Style For You

Ah, fair bearded friends. If only having a perfectly-sculpted beard that hugs your face, fully fills, and fits your jaw and neckline was as simple as just letting it grow.

But guess what gents? Face fur grows differently for all of us. And, we have different noggins that come in all different sizes and shapes. Some of you have enviable, sculpted square jawlines. Others have more rounded features.

We’re all men, dangit! We’re here to tell you that there’s no one right way to grow and maintain a beard, but there may be one right way for you. 

So, let’s take a look at a few of the popular beard styles to help you decide what you want to grow.

First, Consider The Shape Of Your Face

Face shapes fall into six categories:

• Square
• Oval
• Rectangle/Oblong
• Round
• Diamond
• Triangle

While some of those shapes might sound ridiculous, they’re not! Keep reading!

You should consider your whole face shape when determining what beard style to grow. The ultimate goal here is to make your head become as oval as possible. To do this, you’ll need to consider how long your beard grows below your chin and how wide it grows from your face. 

Some will look better growing beneath the chin but cropped from growing out wide. Others will look better with shorter beards closer to the chin but grown out on the sides to provide width to your face. 

And does your hairstyle matter? Sure does. A haircut with height and a long beard is going to make your head look like a Subway sandwich. Probably not a great look! 

Square Face Beard Styles

Congrats on having a classically-masculine face shape. You’ve already got a wide dome here so try to avoid a beard style that makes your face look wider. Your best move is to keep your beard and hairstyle closely cropped. Think more like a buzz cut and stubble. Yes, you dudes can also pull off the trendy mustache. Go for it!

Best Beard Style For Oval Faces

If you’ve got a wider chin and forehead (or fivehead), your face likely has softer, curved lines that create the ovular shape. This is the most flexible face shape, so congratulations! You can really get away with whatever beard style you’d like to grow. Short beards, long beards, full beards, go nuts. You can even pull off the goatee! Limitless options for oval face bros.

Beard Styles For Rectangular/Oblong Faces

Got a more rectangular, or oblong, face shape? Your soft edges will also provide you with some flexibility and allow you to handsomely wear most beard styles. Your elongated features and strong jawline should remain prominent, so we recommend not growing a long beard. Think more along the lines of a shorter beard or stubble, but if you want to let it grow wild, keep it fairly cropped from getting bushy on the sides or diving too far into your neckline. 

Best Beard For Round Faces

If you have more of a round face, you can use your beard to create angles. Trim your beard to create the illusion that you have an angular face by carving out lines for your jawline and chin.

Here, you’ll keep your sides closely cropped (seriously, no sideburns round face guys!) and grow more length in the chin. Thick or long beards will only make your face look even rounder. 

Diamond Face Beard Styles

A diamond face? Yeah, that’s a thing. This means you have wide cheekbones but narrow jaw and brow lines. How’d you manage that? Gifted genetics, we guess. 

You fellas should shoot for a full beard that expands your thin jawline. Also consider a haircut that adds width to your forehead. Then, your diamond face will start to appear more oval.

Beards For Triangle Face Shapes

Triangular faces include a wide jawline, narrow cheekbones, and an even more narrow forehead. Well… sorry guys, but a beard is just going to make your already wide jaw look even wider, and your little forehead look pointy. You can rock a chin strap or a goatee, but a beard beyond stubble may never look quite right for you. 

Other Factors To Consider

It’s not just about your face shape, although that should certainly serve as your baseline.

Grow your beard to a length you find comfortable and that makes you feel good. You want a confidence boost here, not a nuisance. If one of our recommendations doesn’t suit your personal style, don’t sweat it! We’re just trying to provide guidelines to help you, but we encourage you to grow whatever style of a beard that makes you happy.

Do consult with your wife, do make sure you’re allowed to grow the beard style of your dreams in your given occupation. (Example: Do you play for the Yankees? Sorry, still no dice. But you can grow a mustache!)

Find the style that is comfortable for you, gets wife and work approval, and doesn’t drive you nuts with upkeep. No matter your face shape, what feels best will often be what looks best.

If you need help with the maintenance and grooming, Weatherbeard is here to help! Start by sculpting that beard with some of our beard balm, available in scented or unscented options. You’ll maintain a cleaner look that lasts and feels better all day!