A beard kit is an easy gift to buy and an easy one to get wrong. Most kits are built for a straight, medium beard. A man with a coarse, curly beard needs more moisture than that, and a man with a short, neat beard has no use for a jar of styling wax.
So start with his beard. This guide is sorted that way: coarse and curly beards, complete kits for any beard, premium picks, scent samplers and small gifts for a stocking. Find the section that sounds like him.
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Quick picks
- Coarse or curly beard: the Scotch Porter Beard Kit.
- One complete box: the Every Man Jack Beard Care Kit.
- Premium gift: the Jack Black Beard Grooming Kit.
- He likes to try scents: the Viking Revolution Ultimate Beard Care Collection.
- Stocking stuffer: the Honest Amish Beard Kit Gift Box.
How a beard routine works
Most beard kits cover four steps. A beard wash cleans the hair and the skin under it without stripping it the way bar soap can. Beard oil moisturizes the skin and softens the hair. Beard balm conditions too, and adds light hold to tame flyaways. A brush or comb spreads the product and trains the hair to lie in one direction. Our guide to what beard oil actually does explains the first product most men start with.
For the man with a coarse or curly beard
Coarse and curly beard hair tends to be drier and tangles more easily, so it needs richer conditioning and a gentler tool. These sets are built for that. Our guide to beard styles for Black men has ideas for shaping it.
Scotch Porter Beard Kit
The Scotch Porter Beard Kit is a four-step set made for coarse, dry facial hair: a hydrating beard wash for two or three times a week, a daily conditioner, a beard oil and a beard balm to tame flyaways and hold the shape. Each step builds on the last, which makes it a good full routine for a man who has only ever used soap and water.
Bevel Boar Bristle Brush and Pearwood Comb
The Bevel brush and comb set pairs a 100 percent boar bristle brush with a dual-sided pearwood comb. Bevel designed it for coarse, textured hair, to help lock in moisture and reduce frizz and breakage, and it works on waves as well as beards. It is a good add-on to any oil or balm on this page.
SheaMoisture Beard Kit
The SheaMoisture Beard Kit is made for full beards, with certified organic Fair Trade shea butter and maracuja oil to soften and condition. SheaMoisture says the products are free of sulfates, parabens and phthalates and suit all hair types and skin sensitivities.
For the man who wants one complete box
Every Man Jack Beard Care Kit
The Every Man Jack Beard Care Kit has five full-size pieces: a beard and face wash, a Beard & Scruff face lotion for itch and flakes, beard oil, beard butter and a wooden comb, all in a sandalwood and teak scent. The products are vegan and made without parabens, phthalates, dyes, sulfates or silicones. An Aged Bourbon version has the same five pieces in a different scent.
Grave Before Shave Beard Care Pack
The Grave Before Shave Beard Care Pack covers every step: a 6 oz beard wash with argan oil, a 1 oz beard oil, a 2 oz beard balm and a wild boar hair brush with a handle, all in the Gentlemen’s Blend scent.
Mad Viking 4-Piece Beard Care Kit
The Mad Viking Valhalla kit has the four products most beards need: a beard wash, a conditioner with biotin to fight frizz, a beard oil and a beard balm, in a sandalwood and vanilla scent. It is made in the USA. The same four products come in two other scents: Fjord (mint, lavender, orange blossom and cedarwood) and Fenrir (pink pepper, rum, bourbon, vetiver and tobacco).
Viking Revolution Ultimate Beard Kit
The Viking Revolution Ultimate Beard Kit is the tools-and-products box: a boar hair brush, a double-sided comb, beard scissors, a sandalwood beard oil and a sandalwood styling balm, packed in a metal gift box that travels well. It suits a man who trims his own mustache and edges between cuts.
For the man who has everything
Jack Black Beard Grooming Kit
The Jack Black Beard Grooming Kit is a travel-size four-step set: a sulfate-free beard wash, a beard oil made with certified organic oils, Beard Lube (a clear formula that works as pre-shave oil, shave cream and after-shave conditioner) and a comb. Jack Black says it suits all types of facial hair. The small sizes make it a good gift for a man who travels for work.
The Art of Shaving Beard Oil and Beard Balm
The Art of Shaving Beard Oil tames and moisturizes beard and mustache hair with a non-greasy finish, in the brand’s sandalwood scent. Pair it with the Art of Shaving Beard Balm, a sandalwood conditioner that softens stubble and beard hair and moisturizes the skin. Both are made without synthetic dyes or alcohol.
Baxter of California Beard Grooming Oil
The Baxter of California Beard Grooming Oil is a one-ounce oil with avocado oil that conditions the beard, softens it and tames flyaways. Baxter says it helps prevent itching. It is a polished single gift for a man who already owns tools.
For the man who likes to try scents
Viking Revolution Ultimate Beard Care Collection
The Viking Revolution Ultimate Beard Care Collection is nine pieces: three half-ounce beard oils (sandalwood, spiced vanilla and sweet tobacco), three one-ounce beard balms (sandalwood, coffee and whiskey, and spiced vanilla), a brush, a comb and a beard pen for filling light spots. He can match the scent to the day.
Stocking stuffers
The Honest Amish Beard Kit Gift Box holds the brand’s beard wax, oil, balm and soap. For something smaller, the Honest Amish Beard Balm is a two-ounce leave-in conditioner with shea butter, coconut oil and argan oil, handmade in the USA. The Viking Revolution brush and comb set pairs a boar bristle brush with a pear wood comb in a velvet pouch.
How to choose
Look at his beard and his bathroom shelf. If his beard is coarse, curly or dry, choose a kit with a conditioner and a balm, not just an oil. If he keeps it short, an oil and a comb are all he needs; balm and wax matter more for longer beards. If he already has a favorite oil, buy tools or a premium version of what he uses. Our guides to using beard balm and trimming a beard help him get more from the gift.
If he has sensitive skin, look for unscented or fragrance-free products; our hypoallergenic beard products guide lists options. For a trimmer to go with the kit, see our electric shaver and trimmer gifts, and for more ideas, our grooming gifts guide, sorted by hair type.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between beard oil and beard balm?
Oil is mainly a moisturizer for the skin and the hair. Balm also moisturizes, but it contains butters and waxes that give light hold, so it shapes the beard as well. Many men use oil daily and balm when the beard needs taming.
Is a beard kit a good gift for a man growing his first beard?
Yes. The first weeks of a beard are often itchy, and a wash and an oil help with the dry skin underneath. A complete kit such as the Every Man Jack set also teaches the routine.
Which beard kit is best for a thick beard?
A thick beard needs more product and a sturdy brush. The Scotch Porter kit and the Grave Before Shave pack both include a wash, an oil and a balm. Our guide to caring for a thick beard covers the routine.
