So you want to grow a beard. We commend you. Welcome to the club. But you have a problem. You don't want to look like a mountain man or a pirate, or you're too lazy to deal with the daily mirror time a long beard requires. We get it. So, what's a man to do? Just go through life bare faced or settle for stubble? How about looking into short beard styles instead? There are far more out there than you might think, and it's our job as certified Bearded Chaps to help you figure out which one is right for you.

Short Beard Styles

You don't have to go big or go home. Short beard styles allow you to have a full face of luscious facial hair without waiting months to feel confident about how you look.

You might not have ever considered this but short beards might also be a better way to protect yourself against COVID-19. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published an infographic that showcased the best beard styles for wearing a face mask. The shorter the beard, the tighter the seal. This doesn't mean you can't have a full beard and still stay safe, but this interesting factoid is another potential advantage of keeping your beard style nice and neat.

Now, let's delve in to some of the trendiest and timeless short beard styles. With so many of us still working from home for the foreseeable future, now is the perfect time to embrace your natural ability to grow hair from your face and declare proudly from a rooftop, "I'm a man now!" Or, you know, just take a cool selfie or whatever and get excited to participate in Movember.

Corporate Beard

Many of the most reserved beard styles for men grew from the strict grooming standards of the corporate workplace. Also known endearingly as the "business beard," this facial hair grows approximately 1 to 1 1/2 inches from your face and is extremely well-groomed and closely trimmed at all times. You can go a little crazy and fill out your mustache, but this no-nonsense style is ideal for the man who wants to keep up his super professional image and still enjoy the pride that stems from having a full beard.

You can keep your beard short or have your barber clean things up during your regular appointment. The corporate style looks great for any man who wants fullness but isn't a fan of excessive length.

Chin Strap Beard

Chin strap beards are great for men who want the look and fullness of a beard but don't enjoy heavy grooming or lots of wiry, flyaway hairs to deal with. Dating all the way back to the 1700s, this style allows men to keep the hair to a minimum without sacrificing coverage. Men with softer jawlines might especially enjoy this look as it can naturally create more definition. You can keep your beard without having to spend a lot of time worrying about growth.

You can add greater volume with a goatee or soul patch, incorporate a mustache or leave things natural if you don't tend to have thick hair growth. For lads who have thin or sparse facial hair growth, a chin strap beard can still be grown out and look great. It'll give you an effortless, bohemian vibe that instantly makes you appear more laid back and put-together at the same time.

Boxed Beard

A boxed beard look great because of its natural edge that accentuates the chin and jawline. Men who want to up their style game and don't mind taking the time to grow a beard will dig this look the most. While this style tends to work best for men with oval or round faces, it can also be work on men with square faces so long as they frequently use a good trimmer to avoid any blockiness.

This is one short beard style that requires more time in front of the mirror. You'll need a variety of tools and length guards to perfect it; keep the chin the longest, then taper the cheeks and sideburns gradually, possibly shifting from a three to a two the farther you move up your face.

You may want to talk to your barber about this style and have him show you the best way to groom if it's your first time styling your facial hair this way. It looks like it will be difficult, but it really just takes a bit of patience and some finesse with some good scissors and a beard trimmer.

Beardstache

Have you ever wanted to sport a sweet mustache but found it a little lacking on your face? Enter the beardstache, the solution to that problem and possibly many more in your life. Who knows. We never underestimate the power of growing a beard.

The traditional beardstache involves a full mustache style, like the Chevron mustache, and some stubble to create a more defined look. Of course, we believe the sky's the limit, so we encourage all men to experiment with this combination and grow their hair to their liking. The length, fullness and style of your mustache will have the greatest influence on how the final look comes together. Go artsy and sophisticated with a pencil or Dali 'mustache, or embrace your rugged side with a handlebar or horseshoe.

Patchy Beard

A patchy beard sounds more like a problem than a style, but it's actually something you can rock even if you notice that your hair tends to be on the thin side. Men with enough confidence and the right beard products can sport a patchy beard that makes them appear effortlessly cool. If you're looking for solutions to a patchy beard, you're in luck. We published a full guide on how you can fill in beard patches naturally. But while you're in the midst of upping your beard game, or you just want to go with your natural hair growth pattern, the patchy beard style is a great option.

You'll need to trim a bit to keep your hair in order, but the trick to the best patchy beard is to allow stubble to work as a buffer against any thin or bald spots and emphasize the fullest parts of your beard.

Stubble Beard

Stubble beard adds an air of mystery and sophistication to your face. The good old 5 o’clock shadow only takes a few days to grow, and it's just about the most timeless and easy short beard style you'll find. If you have dark hair, then you'll gain a much more dramatic shadow in less time. Fair-haired chaps will have to wait a bit longer, but they may not see the "shadow" they're expecting. In this case, we recommend allowing the hair to grow for anywhere between five to seven days.

Are Short Beards Attractive?

Many men are curious what women and other men will think about their beard style. While you shouldn't only grow a particular type of beard to attract a partner, it does influence your self-confidence and naturally affect any potential dates' impression of you as well. Beard styles for men come in many shapes and sizes, so there's no guarantee any one person will find one more attractive than the other. Our advice? Go with what you like the most and the right person will like it, too.

When it comes to a stylist's perspective, choosing the right beard style is all about your face shape. Different beard styles for men influence how certain features are pronounced. The wrong beard styles can accentuate areas you don't want to emphasize further, or they can make you look aged or dishevelled without adequate grooming and maintenance.

In general, though, there is virtually no short beard style that can't be modified to suit any face shape. Play around with elements like a goatee, mutton chops, side burns and a mustache. These give you plenty of opportunity to explore and cultivate your personal style.

We love short beards because they're versatile and relatively easy to grow, even for men who don't experience a lot of facial hair growth. They're also the prime style for men who are trying to grow their beards out for the first time.

What Is The Best Length For A Short Beard?

Short beards can be pure stubble, or they can extend between 2 to 3 inches from the face. Typically, you'll find that the most length in short beard styles is isolated around the chin area. A characteristic of short beards is that the cheeks and sideburns are kept close-cropped. When you're choosing a beard style, think about your face shape. The size of your beard will have various effects depending on the shape of your head and other facial features, namely your cheek volume and jawline.

The Best Beards for Different Face Shapes

A man with an oval face can sport virtually any look well provided that they partake in a regular grooming routine. If your head is symmetrically round on the top and bottom and has a not-too-sharp, not-that-soft jawline, you'll be able to experiment with everything from a full beard to a goatee.

Those with rectangle face shapes tend to have wider jaws and chins, so the top of their heads are more rounded. This means they look best with beards that balance their features. If you have a narrow jaw and wider forehead, opt for a longer style. If the opposite rings true for you, then keep your beard hair shorter while creating more volume on top of your head.

If you have a square face, you should trim your beard around the cheeks and jaw. Short beards with hair on the chin will prevent your facial hair from exaggerating your jawline. If you have a round face, then you'll want to focus more on the chin and keep the cheeks short and sideburns cropped.

Chaps with diamond faces have those swoon-worthy cheekbones, so their beard styles are better off being rounded or boxed. Pointy shapes can make their face appear too sharp, especially if it's isolated around the chin.

Short Beard Styles On Celebrities

Check out these celebrity beard styles to inspire your short beard. Each one has something unique to offer, and it can be helpful to emulate your own look after one that you can find plenty of reference photos for. We're huge fans of David Beckham's and Hugh Jackman's style, for example, and that includes their beards!

David Beckham's classic short beard is a great pick for men with square face shapes.

 

Be inspired by Brad Pitt's hint of stubble - you don't always have to be clean shaved to look professional or suave in a tux.

 

Hugh Jackman's facial hair works perfectly with his slicked-back hairstyle.

 

We think Pierce Brosnan's choice of beard style and chin strap beard frames his face perfectly.

Johnny Depp's short beard styles have always been experimental, running the gamut from boxed beard to beardstache to patchy stubble. We recommend his beard style for chaps who want to stand out in a crowd.

 

Robert Downey Jr. and his beardstache show that you don't always have to be perfectly groomed to look dashing.

 

The charismatic Henry Cavill looks equally good in a beardstache and 5 'o clock stubble!

How Can I Make My Short Beard Look Good?

Any beard can thrive with enough TLC. We recommend getting yourself a suite of decent products like a specially formulated beard balm, beard oil and, of course, beard scissors. You may opt for a beard trimmer or razor instead if you’re only focusing on stubble. Scissors are ideal for anyone whose hair is expected to grow beyond 1 inch; you’ll need it to snip any wiry rebels to keep things clean. Now that you've decided on the perfect short beard style, see the Bearded Chap's range of natural beard grooming products and get your new beard in shape!