The 20 best beard styles of 2021

They said the beard boom was just a fad, but here we are with beards as popular as ever before. Not even a global pandemic could put the brakes on our whisker fixation. From lockdown beards to mask-friendly manes, facial hair is still all the rage.

Beards have always represented masculinity and strength. For most of us, though, beards are about style and that has been a pretty constant fact throughout facial hair history. In recent years, beard styles and care practices have boomed.

Today, we’re seeing #Coronabeards and scruffy beard types, but as we emerge from our homes in a post-pandemic world, we’re going to want to look our best. That means selecting a complimentary beard style that is on trend. We’re going to help you choose. This guide goes over the hottest beard styles of 2021 so you can choose the look that’s right for you.

History of Men’s Facial Hair

The popularity of beards was first recorded in ancient Egypt with the prevalence of fake metal beards and in Mesopotamia, archaeologists have found evidence they were already using beard oil. In Greece, men would style their beards with tight ringlets that represented honor and in ancient India, the beard stood for wisdom.

The dawn of Christianity brought with it an interest in shaving, as the clergy were compelled by church leadership to clear away their facial hair, but the middle ages brought a ferocious renewed interest in beards, so much so that touching another man’s beard was grounds for a duel.

By the 1700s, military men in France were sporting beards and mustaches of many different styles indicating rank and experience. In the 1800s, the British army followed suit, mandating mustaches for all enlisted men. In the 1900s, beards were in and out and then in again and out again.

Who can forget the 1970s cop ‘stache or the rampant handlebars and the Beegees-Esque scruff? In the new millennium, hipsters made the beard cool once again with pencil-thin handlebars shaped to perfection, just out of the way enough to sip their craft beers.

Today, we see more beard styles out and about than ever before, from the scruffy bedhead look to the chiseled box beard and every style in between. There are endless styles to choose from, each with different origins, and each of them saying something different about the wearer. In this guide, we’ll help you pick a style that compliments you and your lifestyle.

How Do I Choose My Beard Style?

Even though there are countless beard styles to choose from, selecting the one that’s right for you isn’t going to be that difficult once you consider your facial structure and your lifestyle. We’re going to help you narrow down your search and choose a beard that’s right for you, your face, and your day-to-day activities.

Short Beard Styles

A beard is usually considered short if it’s less than 2 inches below your jaw. Let’s jump into some of the most popular short beard styles for 2021.

5 o’Clock Shadow

The 5 o’clock shadow gets its name from the stubble that appears on a freshly-shaved face after a long day at the office. It’s just the slightest hint of a beard, a mere suggestion. In 2021, it’s a great alternative to an irritating shave every day and if you’re taking good care of the skin underneath, and rocking a tidy haircut you’re going to look put together. Sometimes known as designer stubble, the style makes you look rustic and a little bit rebellious while giving off an effortless vibe.

To maintain your 5 o’clock shadow, just keep growth to under 3 millimeters and pay close attention to the skin underneath your beard. Grab a good beard oil to stay moisturized and keep the beard dandruff at bay. Outside of that, the 5 o’clock shadow truly is an effortless look.

Corporate

The corporate beard is the height of business casual. Instead of mandating a strict clean-shaven dress code in the office, a short, neatly trimmed, professional beard has become acceptable in its place. With between an inch and a half of growth, this beard style is easy to maintain using a good quality beard trimmer and a few snips around the upper lip. No matter what face shape you have, you’ll be able to rock this beard in the office or on Zoom while you work from home, looking tidy and put together.

To care for your corporate beard, you’ll want to make use of a premium beard oil to keep any flakes from collecting on your suit jacket. Beard balm or beard butter will come in handy for taming those flyaways and, depending on how well your mustache behaves, you might need some mustache wax. If you’re wearing a corporate beard in the office, slip a beard brush in your desk drawer for quick and easy grooming before important meetings.

Short and Rounded

A short and rounded beard is one of the best beard styles for any Kingsman with a round face. It’s easy to maintain with a good beard trimmer. Keep it to under an inch, and follow the curves of your face. Neatly trim your mustache to just above the top lip and you’ve got yourself a tidy short and rounded beard. This look is refined, but rustic at the same time. We’re loving this low-maintenance beard in 2021, but the emphasis should be on moisturizers and conditioners for this look, to build that full appearance and add to its roundness. The beard conditioner, beard oil, and beard butter combo is the cheat code for the short and rounded beard.

Short Boxed Beard

The short boxed beard requires a bit more care than the styles we have mentioned so far. A Kingsman with this style is going to need to keep short boxed whiskers meticulously trimmed and contoured, close to the face. It’s the perfect choice for the Kingsman who doesn’t want the bulk of a full beard. As if it was made for 2021, this beard style goes well with masks and a bald head. You’ll never have to deal with crimps in your whiskers after wearing your mask all day. Keep your beard oil handy, because you’re going to want to keep that visible skin moisturized and healthy-looking.

Scruffy

A scruffy beard is the quickest route to a truly rugged look. Sporting the scruff is masculine and bold, and the perfect accompaniment to a year spent in quarantine. Suitable for any face type, the scruffy beard is going to be around a half-inch in length, maybe more, and easy to maintain. All you really have to do is trim those whiskers when they get too long for your liking. You still want to make use of your beard oil and you’re going to want to invest in a good beard wash and beard conditioner to keep those longer hairs happy and healthy.

#CoronaBeards

Corona beards are sort of like playoff beards, but for a pandemic. It's a beard you start growing in quarantine with the intention of shaving once the pandemic is over. Just because we’re letting our beards grow freely, though, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take care of them. You need your daily beard oil to keep those whiskers happy. Your beard is going to get long and those things act like air filters, just collecting dirt and dust wherever you go, so you need a good beard wash and a beard conditioner to make sure you’re not drying out your mane.

Hollywoodian

The Hollywoodian is notable for the shaved cheeks. If you’re rocking a Hollywoodian beard, you have a goatee, mustache, and a chinstrap but bald cheeks. It’s a little more than a Van Dyke beard. Usually no longer than 2 inches, this style requires maintenance but it’s a great choice if your beard is patchy in the cheek area. Born of Hollywood’s golden era, the Hollywoodian will accentuate chiseled cheekbones and best suit a square or oval-shaped face. Skin will be showing, so it’s important to take care of it using your beard oil daily and after every shower. Invest in a good beard trimmer, a beard brush, and some beard balm to keep up your grooming for a neat and tidy look.