Table of Contents
Introduction:
The best beard shaping tools would be something that gives you a symmetrical, even look without wasting your time.
Before that, Are you one of those who waited for so long for your beard growth and then ruined it with a small mistake?
If yes, you are not alone, my friend. All have gone through it once in their lifetime.
Well, I have a solution for you! You must explore the best beard tools.
I know you are also stuck on whether these tools for beard shaping are worth buying? I have two reasons for trying the best beard shaping tools.
1.No guesswork: Saves time and look
Whether an adult or a beginner, you must agree that beard growth takes time and patience. After waiting so long for a full-fledged beard, what if you are not satisfied with your uneven look?
The reality is that copying a symmetrical look on both sides of your face requires a lot of guesswork, which is time-consuming and takes patience and hard work.
Trimming your beard in a specific style becomes incredibly simple and time-saving when you will use a beard shaping tool.
If your hands are strong and steady and you manage to maintain symmetry on both sides, you do not need the best beard shaping tools.
2. No need for going barbershop:
You need a dose of reality if you think paying $10-$20 for a beard shaping template is a waste.
Tell me, how many times have you visited a barbershop? And how long is your look sustained, and at what cost?
If you have a job where you carry a look, you have to spend lots of bucks in a barbershop to maintain it. On the other hand, beard shaping templates will do the job in a few minutes without asking for money again and again.
Let me tell you, a barbershop will cost you $20-$40 every visit, whereas the best beard shaping tools will come under $20.
Best beard shaping tools: Our picks
Preview | Features | Amazon affiliate link |
 Aberlite Beard Shaper Kit |
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 Beardclass Beard Shaping Tool |
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 The Cut Buddy Shaping & Styling Tool |
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 GROW ALPHA BEARD Shaper & Beard Shaping Tool |
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 Monster&Son Beard Shaping Tool |
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What is a beard shaping tool?
Beard shaping tools, also known as beard templates, are stencils and rulers used to trim beards, mustaches, goatees, hairlines, and necklines.
For using them, you need to stick a beard shaper to your face and make an outline on your face and neck using a beard pen. Then focus on the desired shape and remove the remaining beard to attain the perfect edge.
These beard shaping templates come in plastic, wooden, and steel material. I recommend you never purchase wooden or steel templates as they are heavy and opaque; you cannot visualize what is underneath.
Always go with the transparant plastic ones.
Beard shaping templates usually come with 3-4 edges, including curve cut, step cut, gentle curve cut, and curved step cut.
If you are a beard lover, you may notice it comes unevenly sometimes, and trimming the contours of the face on both sides becomes tough as on one side you have more fledge beard than the other.
In this case, beard shapers help trim symmetrical contours and clean necklines in much less time. Also, it eliminates trimming guesswork and promotes accurate trimming.
5 Best beard shaping tools:
Aberlite Beard Shaper Kit
Why aberlite??
High-grade plastic
Aberlite shaping template comes in a non-fragile, durable, and high-quality plastic material. High grade means its capability to resist shock and scratches.
Other beard shaping tools may cost half the money you spent here, but after a few use, you will realize the poor quality of their product. Their product gets blurred with lots of scratches and breaks easily.
Anti-slip rubber
Have you ever used any beard shapers earlier? If yes! You may know how these shapers slip and result in an uneven design, as they do not have anti-slip rubber.
But in the case of aberlite, it is equipped with anti-slip rubber that ensures your shaper remains steady or still to get an incredible result.
White barber pencil
A barber pencil, in this case, is not a crucial thing if your beard shaper has anti-slip rubber as you can trim easily after putting the beard shaper.
But it eases your entire process. You can outline the shape you want after placing a beard shaper on your face.
Transparent
Aberlite is crystal transparent. Transparency is one of the crucial factors one must consider while purchasing, as you must know what is underneath.
It gives you an idea to trim better.
Full size and long edges
It covers your entire face and allows you four edge designs for the cheek line, including a gentle curve cut, a deep curve cut, a straight step cut, and the curved step cut.
Hairline shaping
Aberlite helps trim the hairline as it has a 90-degree corner for the edge up.
Why not??
Expensive
Aberlite is a little higher in cost than other beard shapers.
Not for traveling
It is highly rigid and large, so you can not take them everywhere you explore.
No combs
Everybody wants some extra goodies like a comb and pouch at this price.
Beardclass Beard Shaping Tool
Why beard class??
Multiple beard designing
Beardclass offers multiple beard designing options, including curve or Straight cheek lines, Necklines, Goatee lines, and Sideburns.
It is a handy, comfy beard shaper anyone can hold it for long and perform accurate trimming.
Transparent
It is transparent, which ensures more precise beard trimming and shaping.
Precision technology
It has 1 mm edge technology that allows any razor, trimmer, or clipper to slide along the edges easily.
In simple words, it helps to trim more precisely than other beard shaping tools.
Comb on the side
When you trim your beard or mustache or hairline, you need to straighten the hair and make them free from knots and frizz.
It has a comb on its beard shaper, which saves time.
Extra goodies
Who does not like extra goodies when spending good money? Beardclass offers a pair of scissors, a comb, and a keychain with beard templates.
Why not?
Durability factor
The quality of plastic is not a premium one. When we compare it with aberlite, its quality is a little average.
Poor quality scissor
They are just playing with the mind of the customers. The quality of the scissors is below average.
Not for fat people
Some people with thick necks are not happy with this shaping kit as they struggle to trim using their kits.
No-slip rubber
The tool slightly slips as no-slip rubbers are available for resistance.
The Cut Buddy Shaping & Styling Tool
Why cut Buddy??
Compact
The cut buddy beard shapers are small in size that helps to hold easily and trim as you can easily adjust it in any direction.
If you find this compact shaping tool too small, you can go with The Cut Buddy Plus. The plus version is for larger heads.
Thin edges
The cut buddy comes with thin edges compared to aberlite and beard class which helps in trimming. You can trim or shave more precisely when the templates are much near the skin.
Good grip
It has anti-slip rubber at the center that ensures your shaper remains steady or still to get an incredible result.
Edge with scale
As everyone gets, it is for the measurement. You can mark the exact outline on both sides of the face and trim it with precision. It helps to make clones on both sides.
Flexible
Of course, it is durable and made with high-quality plastic. Plus, it is flexible and can bend easily without breaking or cracking.
Travel friendly
It comes in two sizes (small and large). Both are compact and travel-friendly. You can take it anywhere as you don’t have to worry about its size and rigidness.
Various beard shapes
The cut buddy beard shapers come with various angles and shapes and are ideal for headlines.
In starting, you may have to face trouble understanding the unique design, but once you get it, it becomes much easier to shape your beard at home.
Why not?
Not transparent
Unfortunately, this shaper misses out on the most crucial feature. It is slightly opaque, which does not allow us to see what is underneath.
No combs and scissors
They provide no extra goodies except the barber pencil of no use.
Ideal for only cheeks
It is not a suitable option for mustache and goatee but for trimming beards, sideburns, and headlines.
GROW ALPHA BEARD Shaper & Beard Shaping Tool
Why GrowAlpha??
Transparent
Grow alpha beard shaping tools are crystal clear transparent, which is the good part as you can see through the remaining beard crucial for better precision.
Affordable
The Grow Alpha Shaping Template comes under $10, which is one of the cheapest options if compared to the ones we discussed earlier.
Plus, you get a beard comb along with a barber pencil.
Easy-grip
The design of this shaping tool is different than the other. It looks like a ‘Y’ letter where one can use a side like a handle, and the other two sides help in styling. Grow alpha has the best grip as the template is a little larger, and you have to hold it properly.
Anti-slip rubber
At the center of the template, the grow alpha has a rubber that helps to keep the template in place and provides resistance for better trimming.
Fine edges
The tool has fine edges that help the trimmer or clipper slide easily. This small thing saves a lot of time.
Beard comb and Barber pencil
At this price, you get a beard comb and a barber pencil. With the comb and pencil, you can easily detangle the beard and mark the measurements for beard trimming.
Why not?
The size is too large.
If you are a person with small hands, you may get into trouble by purchasing this product. It is quite large and needs a person with a good grip.
Slightly rigid
As it comes under affordable range with so many extra things, they have the quality of plastic slightly off. It is rigid and can easily break.
Not travel friendly
As it is large and rigid, you can not take this anywhere as it may break or create inconvenience.
Monster&Son Beard Shaping Tool
Why monster & son??
Leveling marks
Monter & son comes with leveling marks on the template that helps to trim symmetrical on both sides of the face. Also, it makes the process hassle-free as you do not need to do any guesswork.
Affordable
If we compare the monster & son beard shaping tool with other brands, then this is cheaper than the other. It comes under $ 10 where other s’ range is above that.
Though, you have to compromise with the quality at a cheaper rate.
Various styles
It helps to shape the neckline, the cheek line, the mustache, a goatee, sideburns, and more. Plus, it is one of the best tools for curve cut and step cut. All you need is to place the template and trim the remaining hair.
Best for people with the broad jawline
The template is large (6 inches), which is good and bad at the same time.
The good thing is that it is compatible with people with a broad face. But the bad part is you can not take this everywhere, first because of its size and second plastic is not so strong.
Semi-transparent
It comes in a semi-transparent, or you can say in transparent bluish color. It gives an idea of what is underneath and what to trim. But of course, it is not as glassy as other brands.
It comes with an inbuilt comb.
Like other brands, it also has a comb on the sides of the template, which helps to detangle any knot or straighten the beard.
Why not?
Concave curve
For trimming a goatee, you need a convex curve, but it has a concave curve which makes it unsuitable for goatees.
Poor plastic
The plastic is not a premium one as it is breakable, rigid, and of poor material. And by the way, what do you expect at such a low price.
Visibility
As I discussed before, the template comes in semi-transparent blue color that makes it difficult to visualize what is underneath.
No extra goodies
They do not provide any extra combs or scissors as expected.
How to choose the best beard shaping tool kits?
After reading the complete buyer’s guide, you will be able to judge the best beard shaping tools out of the abundance.
Material
The beard shaping tool comes in three materials:
Metal:
The beard shaping templates made with metals are opaque, heavy, and cold. One may feel discomfort while using so as you cannot see through what is under and how much is trimming.
Plus, nobody likes the cold feeling, especially during winters.
Wooden:
Wooden beard shaping tools are much better than the metal ones as they look classy and are light in weight. The only problems are they are opaque and easily get cut or scratched while trimming.
Plastic:
There are two kinds of beard shapers in plastic material, transparent and opaque. Of course, you must go with the transparent one as you need to see through.
My recommendation is a transparent plastic beard shaping tool as they are light in weight and you can visualize underneath.
Edges & angle
As a new age man, you would know that trends are changing in daily life, and every man wants to look up to date.
In that case, the beard shaper having multiple curves and straight-line options would be the best option. It should have at least 3-4 edges for shaping cheek line, neckline, sideburns, mustache, headline, and goatee.
Comb edges:
Try to see this option on the beard shaping tool as it might look unnecessary but saves a lot of time and promote precision.
In that case, you do not need any comb for trimming, and it helps in giving more accurate styling.
Flexible
Most of the cheap quality templates are rigid and breakable. Do not go with the lowest option as you do not want to spend money on the same thing now and then.
Try to invest one time on a good quality product that lasts forever. Good quality templates are flexible, which is crucial.
Measuring scale
You must go for the beard shaping template equipped with a measuring scale. It helps to mark the replica on both sides using a barber pencil. You get a more precise look using them.
Price
You know that the beard templates can design at a low cost, so their selling cost should not be more than $20.
You have to go in between $10-and $20. Spending too less or too much will be wrong. But if the brands are providing some extra stuff with the template, the price may go higher than $20.
Compact
You have to choose a portable travel-friendly beard shaping tool of small size. If the size is large, it may get a break during travel. Plus, you may face inconvenience protecting it all the time.
Extra Accessories
Try to go for the complete kit as it saves a lot of money plus, who does not like extra stuff?
The kit should have a clipper, scissors, barber pencil, combs, and a traveling pouch.
Some beard shaping techniques:
We will go through the best way to shape your beard and the actions you should take to speed up the process.
Cleansing
We generally underestimate the first step, which is cleansing. People consider why it is vital to clean the face before trimming it, as they will clean it at the end.
But let me tell you, shaping along with the dirt debris and pollution will not give that perfect look.
Cleansing makes your facial hair free from sticky dirt and pollution and gives volume to the beard.
Clean your face with a beard wash or a cleanser and dry it with a towel.
Combing
Combing is the second step as it helps to detangle the knots and makes your beard straight which is crucial before trimming. It helps to prevent uneven trimming. You can find the best beard combs here.
Measuring marks
The best beard shaping tools come with a measuring scale on one side of the template and a barber pencil.
Some people find it useless as anyone can shape a beard using templates. But when you mark the exact points, your shaping process becomes easy and fast.
Plus, few people are not confident enough even with the templates, and they have unsteady hands. So these marks can help them a lot.
Preparing razor or trimmer
You require either a razor or trimmer to clean the remaining beards after placing the template on your face.
So make sure you have changed the blades or charged the trimmer before shaping.
Wrapping towel
You have to wrap the towel around your neck or wear a beard bib to ease the clean-up process after shaping your beard.
Using the best beard shaping tool
Choose the best beard shaping template out of the above list and decide on a particular look that you love on your face.
After analyzing the look, you may get clear where to work first. It could be sideburns, cheek lines, jawlines, goatees, and even hairlines. The best part is you can start from anywhere.
Place the template on the face and apply light pressure; otherwise, your look may become uneven.
After placing the template following the marked cheek line or jawline, start trimming or shaving the rest of the beard.
Precision using scissor
After the whole shaping process, you can manually touch up using scissors.
Clean up
Firstly, shed the trimmed beard on the towel or bib, and throw it in the dustbin. Using a hairbrush or hair blower, you can clean the sticky hair.
In the end, wash the template, dry it and place it in the pouch.
How to make a beard shaping tool at home?
Doing DIYs is a fun thing and saves a lot of money too. Are you one of those who think the best beard shaping tools are not worth buying?
Then this section is definitely for you. After this, you may get convinced to make one and buy it at some point in your life.
I have given you the easy steps to follow where you need a few things only, and you can make it in an hour. Consider the below four steps:
Material required:
You have to decide whether you want to make it with cardboard, wood, or plexiglass.
Well, I would recommend plexiglass as it is a versatile plastic that is transparent, flexible, and safe from water, whereas cardboard can get wet during usage and become useless afterward.
And a wood requires a lot of precision work as it is pricky and loses its finishing while trimming.
As a beginner, you can go with cardboard and later with plexiglass.
Also, you will need some stationery like a marker, scale, compass, protector, paper, etc.
Marking measurements
The best technique to mark measurement is to take your face measurement or consider the offered dimensions on Amazon beard shaping equipment, which makes an optimum size for everyone.
The first method would be much easier and save your time.
Draw the template on blank paper with the right angles and curves.
Cutting
Cutting is the most crucial factor while DIYing. For cardboard, you need a scissor, but plexiglass requires a sharp knife.
Never forget to wear safety gloves and eyeglasses. Cut the replica by placing the paper version on it.
Finishing
Take sandpaper, rub the edges and make it smooth so that it will not hurt your face.
Are beard shaping tools worth it? Wrap up
The best beard shaping tools are worth buying as they save money and time and give you precise styling.
If you do not want to waste your time, you can try the Aberlite beard shaping tool. It is our top pick up and the best quality product.
People who have steady hands and can shape beards in one go without losing confidence can skip buying these tools.
Kayden is an entrepreneur, writer, hairstylist working in a professional salon. He specializes in men’s grooming. He loves to blog about beards, hairstyles, and skincare.