17 Best Beard Products 2026: Service Every Type of Scruff

It’s hard to think of a time when beards weren’t fashionable, but there was a time when they were maybe too fashionable. The so-called “millennial beard” emerged in the late aughts and early 2010s, as hipsters traded the clean-shaven look of the ‘90s and early aughts for considerably more facial hair. The whole thing then became a little too ‘Epic Bacon’ if we're being honest, and also took the beard-care product market in a specific Lumberjack-Edison-Bulb-Core direction. Think packaging featuring burly woodsmen, Vikings and faux wood grain on the labels.Thankfully, there’s an entirely new generation of men's grooming products simply focused on clean and effective formulas. These days, you really can have a great beard without becoming a Beard Guy. Just be normal about it, and take care of the thing. Invest in a good trimmer, and respect that dandruff and tangles and funk are real, and that you'll need a maintenance routine. What does that look like? Well, that's what we're here for. Below, the four key stages of keeping your beard beautiful, and all the products we like best for doing so.Step One: Trimming Your BeardThe Best Beard Trimmer OverallPhilips NorelcoAll-in-One 7000 TrimmerThe consensus here at GQ, and pretty much everywhere else on the Internet, is that the Philips Norelco Multigroom is the best beard trimmer money can buy. Better still, it handles head and body hair, too. For me, the 7000 Series, which I’ve been using for about five years, is the sweet spot. The pricier 9000 Series comes with a few additional attachments, but the 7000 already includes more than most people will ever need. It’s also lighter than the 9000, making it ideal for tossing in your travel kit. For customization, power and battery life, it hits every mark.The Best Zero-Gap TrimmerBevelBeard Trimmer for MenYou may have seen the term “zero-gap” before. It simply means the blades are aligned to cut as close to the skin as possible. That makes a zero-gap trimmer great for creating crisp lines and cleaning up edges, though the uninitiated should trim carefully: it’s also easier to nick your skin, or clip an ear.Bevel’s trimmer was designed by Black men for Black men. Built with curly and Afro-textured hair in mind, it pairs a powerful 6,000-rpm motor with up to eight hours of battery life. (It also happens to be one of the best-looking trimmers around, so you won’t mind leaving it out on the bathroom counter.) Just one word to the wise—it purposefully doesn’t come with comb guards or a pile of attachments. This is a precision tool made for shaping longer beards, carving clean lines and keeping your edges sharp.The Best Upgrade Beard TrimmerBraunSeries 9 All-in-One Beard and Body TrimmerThe Norelco is the better value, and already does just about everything, but Braun’s All-in-One Series 9 is for the guy who wants to do everything with slightly more control. The biggest upgrade is its locking precision wheel, which lets you move between 52 length settings without constantly digging through your Dopp kit for a different guard.AutoSense technology adjusts the motor to your beard’s density, and PowerBoost gets it through especially thick patches. Dedicated detailing, contouring and precision-shave heads make it particularly good for crisp lines, smooth fades and other work that requires a steadier hand than simply mowing everything down to a number two. The charging stand and handsome case completes a handsome setup built for anyone who takes beard maintenance seriously.The Best Barber-Quality TrimmerWahlProfessional Black Peanut TrimmerWahl is an American grooming OG. The company invented the first practical electric hair clipper in 1919, and remarkably remains family-owned. It introduced the corded Peanut in 1992, and more than three decades later, it’s a genuine modern classic. Working barbers prize it because it’s a compact little workhorse, delivering dependable power and consistent cuts for years on end.It looks a little funny, but that stubby, rounded shape is all part of the charm (Wahl leans into the name with a peanut shell texture.) It looks as though it would sit in the palm of your hand, but it’s actually ergonomically designed to rest between your fingers for greater agility around cheek lines, moustaches and other tight spots. Wahl also makes a cordless Peanut, but devotees will tell you the original corded model still has more muscle.Step Two: Shaping Your BeardThe Best Precision RazorPhilips NorelcoOneBlade 360Philips Norelco has this particular market cornered. The OneBlade trims, shaves and edges, and can even handle body grooming with the right attachment. You might think this kind of gadget should be gimmicky, but it’s actually widely beloved, easy to use and really affordable.The cartridge-style blade is gentle on sensitive skin and makes it easy to carve clean lines and tidy your neckline (or even squeeze in a quick full shave). Add the body-grooming attachment, and you can get your manscaping on, too. Its compact size and light weight also make it an excellent travel trimmer when you don’t want to lug your usual setup around.The Best Disposable Precision RazorIf the OneBlade feels like overkill for a quick cleanup, a disposable precision razor is a solid alternative. You can use it to tidy your neckline, sculpt sharper angles into your beard, define the edge of your moustache, or even see of the unibrow while you’re at it.The Transparent Shave GelBaxter of CaliforniaBeard Line-Up Shave GelYou know how your iPhone magnifies text when you hold down to copy it, so you can actually see what’s happening beneath your finger? It’s the same idea with a transparent shave gel, which lets you see exactly where the razor is going while sharpening the edges on your beard. (Cover your beard in classic white foam instead, and it's all too easy to make one wrong move.) Baxter of California’s version also contains aloe vera, eucalyptus oil and a supporting cast of skin-friendly vitamins.The Best Beard ScissorsOntakiBeard & Mustache Scissors & CombsWhen you first start growing a beard or moustache, you’ll quickly discover that facial hair does not grow evenly. A proper pair of scissors lets you catch strays, trim a moustache before it starts dangling over your upper lip, and clean up your sideburns between barber appointments. They’ll also make short work of any unsightly nose hairs. These black Japanese-steel numbers handle all that precise grooming, and look cool doing it.Step Three: Conditioning Your BeardThe Best Beard Oil OverallJack BlackBeard Oil for MenIf you don’t want a medicine cabinet full of beard gear, just please buy one thing: beard oil. Growing a beard, or simply keeping one around, can lead to dryness and itchiness. A good oil tackles both by conditioning the hair and moisturizing the skin underneath.Jack Black may be a widely familiar, widely available men’s grooming brand, but that's because it's genuinely top notch. The beard oil feels light, absorbs quickly and leaves behind a healthy shine and subtle fragrance. And I think we can all agree that a pump beats messing around with a dropper.The Best Budget Beard OilAt just over ten bucks, Honest Amish's beard oil has developed something of a cult following, and also boasts being Amazon's top seller. The formula is made up of an all-natural blend of organic avocado, pumpkin seed, sweet almond and argan oils, and finished with a woodsy, slightly spicy scent. Plus, it’s handmade in Western Pennsylvania—literal Amish country—so the name isn’t merely a bit of cute old-timey branding.The Best-Smelling Beard OilHoraceTobacco & Vanilla Beard OilHorace’s beard oil, with its tobacco and vanilla scent, is Tom Ford-cologne coded without charging Tom Ford prices. The warm, sweet-and-spicy scent makes your beard smell expensive, while jojoba, argan, grapeseed, almond and castor oils soften coarse hair and add shine. Bonus: it's made in France, vegan and 99-percent naturally derived.The Best All-Over MoisturizerCaldera LabThe Base LayerThe skin beneath your beard is still in need of care, even if you can’t see it. Caldera + Lab’s The Base Layer is designed to moisturize your face and shorter beards without leaving either feeling greasy. It’s an especially smart option if you’re not one for oils and don’t want separate products for the bearded and unbearded regions of your face. Everybody wins.The Best Beard Oil for Black HairLike its excellent trimmer, Bevel’s grooming line was created with Black men in mind, though anyone with coarse or curly facial hair should pay attention. GQ contributor Timothy Beck Werth found that the oil made his beard look fuller without creating extra frizz, a deceptively difficult balance to strike. Werth also appreciated the subtle fragrance, a welcome departure from the lumberyard scents that dominate the beard-oil aisle.The Best Hair Oil (for Beards)Indie clean-beauty brand F. Miller makes a tightly edited range of skin-and hair-care products that are tough to beat. (I personally love the toning spray). Technically an all-over hair oil, the multipurpose formula can be worked through the hair on your head to nourish a dry scalp and smooth frizz. Then whatever’s left on your hands can go straight into your beard or body hair. Step Four: Maintaining Your BeardThe Best Beard ShampooSeven PotionsBeard ShampooCould you wash your beard with a 9-in-1 bottle you use on your hair, face and whatever else? Sure. But beard hair is coarser, and, as we’ve discussed, the skin underneath is particularly prone to dryness and itch. Seven Potions uses a gentler formula to clear away sweat, oil and the occasional bit of food without stripping the entire area, while glycerine, aloe and kukui nut oil help keep things soft. The particularly sharp yellow-and-blue bottle also stands out from the pack.The Best Beard BalmHonest AmishHeavy Duty Beard BalmIf beard oil feels too loose or doesn’t provide enough control, reach for a balm instead. It’s essentially a thicker, waxier leave-in conditioner that hydrates and holds, which is great for longer beards. Honest Amish wins again here, combining natural and organic oils, butters and waxes in a formula that softens, conditions and lightly tames without looking like you put gel in your beard.The Best Beard BrushA beard brush is ideal for short to medium-length beards. Daily brushing softens the hair, works through tangles, exfoliates the skin underneath and can even train your beard to grow in the right direction.Kent has been in the brush game since 1777 and holds a Royal Warrant, so it knows its way around a bristle. This one is made with genuine boar hair, hand-sewn into a wooden handle. That craftsmanship explains the price, but an object you use every day is sometimes worth spending a little more on.What Beard Grooming Tools Do You Really Need? An Expert Sounds OffThe return of the American beard in the 21st century coincided with a renaissance in men's grooming. Men now have entirely new ways to primp and groom every hair on our bodies. The men's skin care boom also fathered many new brands and products for your bathroom shelf (too many, frankly), and we want to narrow it down for you. To help us out, we consulted Matty Conrad, owner of Victory Brand and one of GQ's go-to grooming gurus.Conrad is a professional beardsman with a wealth of knowledge, and we wanted to know, what are the bare necessities for a well-groomed mane? He told us he separates beard care products into two categories for his clients: tools (trimmers, combs, brushes) and care (oils, washes, styling). “These two can get very convoluted and busy given the amount of beard care that suddenly seems to exist. It’s become quite an industry over the last eight years."Conrad considers the following items essential: beard trimmers, beard brushes, a beard pick, moisturizing washes, beard oil, and styling products. But he also warned us that it's easy to misuse many of 'em. Take beard oil as an example. “Beard oil has become the most popular product for beards in the last decade, but most guys use it wrong or just over-use it period,” Conrad says. "Beard oil is meant to condition the skin underneath the beard and to help replenish the moisture that is lost due to the moisture-wicking effect of having a beard. Unfortunately, beard oil has been sold as a must-have/must-use daily product to every guy that endeavors to sprout some facial hair, but honestly it’s more prescriptive than that. Just use it when your beard feels dry or your skin is irritated and flaking.”For beginners, we advise starting with the basics—a good trimmer and brush. “A good trimmer [for] keeping your beard outlined and clean looking is paramount for getting through that awkward grow-out stage and is necessary for maintaining a quality beard and keeping you from looking like a toilet brush has taken up residence on your face. A beard brush stimulates blood flow helping your beard grow healthier and stronger. It also disperses natural conditioning oils through the beard. It will keep your beard looking healthy and sharp and is often better than a beard comb for controlling fly aways."How To Choose Beard Care ProductsThere are far too many beard products for there to be so few good beard products. Sadly, despite the explosion of options in the men’s grooming space, most of these new products can be safely ignored.So, how do you find the products worth adding to your grooming routine? I’ve found word of mouth to be the most reliable indicator of a product’s quality, but you can also glean a lot from ingredients lists. Besides the obvious (look for products free of parabens, phthalates, and artificial fragrances), check labels to make sure the product uses natural ingredients that hydrate and nourish your facial hair and skin without irritating it. I look for ingredients such as witch hazel, vitamin E, sunflower seed oil, avocado oil, squalane, and grape seed oil.Guys with sensitive skin may also want to avoid products with heavy fragrances and essential oils, which can be too harsh on the skin. You can’t find many fragrance-free beard products, but they do exist if you look hard enough. Personally, products with plant extracts and essential oils don’t irritate my skin, but tread lightly regardless.When shopping for beard trimmers and combs, be 100% sure the product can handle your beard length before ordering. Many popular trimmers, including the ubiquitous Phillips Norelco Multigroom Series 9000, only trim hair up to 16mm in length (about 0.63”). For longer beards, Panasonic, Bevel, and Braun’s trimmers work better. Likewise, look for beard combs with deep, fine teeth, otherwise they won’t be able to glide through your hair properly.Finally, let me reiterate one piece of important advice: Don’t overdo it. Your beard doesn’t need a million washes, conditioners, oils, and balms. Choose the ones that apply to your specific facial hair needs—not an “all-of-the-above” approach.How We Chose These ProductsWe've been advising fellas how to style and groom their facial hair since the beard boom of the 1970s. Every year, our editors and grooming experts test new beard care products, and we consult barbers and stylists for their insight as well. Only the most elite products get the nod, and we never recommend a product we wouldn't use personally.