The Best Face Masks for Men With Beards

Bryan Nelson, president of theWorld Beard and Moustache Associationas well as theAustin Facial Hair Club, has also experimented with several styles. Some masks had a pouch he could tuck his beard into; others had a split seam down the middle with a shapable nose bridge. The one that worked best, however, was a pleated variety from Tultex. “It looks like a cloth surgeon’s mask and ties around the back in two places: behind the ears and at the top of the neck,” says Nelson. “It’s washable and reusable and, at under $2 each, quite affordable.” To wear it, he ties the top straps behind his head first, then ties the bottom straps to ensure the mask is snug under his chin, with his beard “being smashed as tightly as possible.” Though the pleated style feels more secure, Nelson also likes Tultex’sear-loop maskbecause it’s easy to slip on and off.

Chris Donnelly, co-owner ofSouthSide Vintage & Quality Goodsin Minneapolis, also prefers a pleated style over flat or more fitted masks. “The pleats allow flexibility in how the fabric is arranged on the face,” he says. “The bigger size is key for comfort, and the double layers of thin, finely woven cotton are cool and comfortable. It’s still sweaty on a hot day but bearable.” If the weave of the material is tight and the fabric is washable, Donnelly is okay forgoing the filter, and he tends to lean toward bright colors and vintage/retro patterns — as exhibited by masks from Minnesota brands Miah Gabrielle and Mille.

Taylor Welden, an industrial designer from Austin and vice president ofBeard Team USA, has found two mask-makers he “absolutely loves.” One is Trakke, which sews its double-layer waxed cotton masks by hand in Scotland; the other is DEFY, a small accessories company in Chicago that offers a range of sizing. This is an important detail because, as Welden notes, it “provides extra volume for a large mustache or beard.” The outside of DEFY’s mask is made of denim but it’s lined with supersoft Micro French Twill, making it cozier against the face. As VP of theAustin Facial Hair Club, Welden also plugs his official club mask — a three-ply, polyester rainbow-skeleton number made for folks with or without facial hair.

With a beard past his belly button, Jacksonville, Florida, teacher Devon Holcombe, a.k.a.Moustache Devon, struggled to find a mask that could wrap around his chin without crawling up his face and blocking his eyesight. At first, he was using hair clips to attach a conventional mask to his beard. Then he discovered Unhinged Labs, a Las Vegas–based purveyor of beard-friendly masks. These gently curved face coverings with clear acrylic side pieces and nylon paracord straps proved “more breathable than a normal mask,” while the rear connector made it more adjustable. And so far, says Holcombe, “it hasn’t been itchy.” Most important, the bandanna-mask hybrid is cut in a shape that allows the beard to fall naturally down his neck.

David Goldfarb, who works in business intelligence for a law firm in Philadelphia, started the pandemic with a poorly fitting mask he found on Etsy. “It made my beard puff out in a weird way at the bottom,” he says. “I’m unfussy about both my beard and mask, but the combination of having a big head — I call ahead before going to get a ball cap because they don’t always stock my size — and a beard had me struggling to get one that fit.” He adds that he’s “a big baby” about nonnatural materials touching his skin. “Cotton was a must,” he says. Old Navy’s masks, sold by the five-pack, hit all the right notes.

Brian Delaurenti and Johnathan Dahl, the Portland, Oregon–based Instagram influencers behind thethe Gay Beards, also vouch for Old Navy masks, explaining that their “looser fit doesn’t leave such a restricting impression on our facial hair.” They appreciate the brand’s cheerful selection of fabrics, too, which includes florals, paisleys, polka dots, pastels, and leopard print. “Having to wear a mask in public is depressing,” say the Gay Beards, whose whole mission is centered around spreading good vibes and positivity. “For this reason, wearing masks with lots of colors and flowers is a great option to lift the spirits of yourself and those around you.”

Marcus Harvey, an Atlanta-basedcelebrity barberandgallery owner, tested five different styles of face masks before he found one that suited him best. “I’ve tried ones with vents on the side, a velcro strap in the back, ones that go around the ears, and one that went around the ears using two bands.” Outside of a custom “BarberStar” mask, his favorite face covering comes from DIOP, a Detroit-based, African diaspora–inspired brand that sews its masks with fabric imported from West Africa. In addition to reducing virus transmission, Harvey likes to think of mask-wearing as a spa treatment for his beard, buttering up his whiskers with Bevel beard oil and beard balm before slipping on a mask. “You get a lot of steam while wearing the mask,” says Harvey. “This gives my beard a deep conditioning treatment, with the mask functioning like a satin robe or silk do-rag for the beard.”

“I’m fortunate to have aclothing designeras a girlfriend, so we’ve been making our own masks from a modified design we found online,” saysMadison Rowley, an artist, filmmaker, and two-time World Beard Champion based in Portland, Oregon. His first mask was made with scraps of Pendleton wool the couple had leftover from a coat. This Pendleton mask, sourced on Etsy, is similar, but note that Rowley prefers elastic that goes over the back of the head, as opposed to loops around the ears, because he finds it more secure.

Editors’ note: Earlier this month, astudyout of Duke University claimed that bandannas blocked very few particles and that wearing “fleece neck gaiters,” such as Buffs, might actually be worse than wearing no mask at all. A day after that study was released, Slate made acompelling casefor why it should not be blindly accepted. Buff issuedits own statementas well.

Nate “Chops” Johnson, founder and president ofthe Gentlemen’s Social Club of Los Angeles, has been in the competitive bearding scene for nearly a decade. “When all this started back in late February, early March, I knew we’d all eventually be required to wear a mask,” he says. “As a man with 21-inch sideburns, this posed a problem.” Johnson experimented with cloth masks that looped behind his ears or had filter pockets. But these were designed to fit over the mouth and chin, which lead to the dreaded mask beard. “It also looked kinda funny — all that hair squishing out of the bottom of a mask,” he says, adding that the 6-year-old son of a friend astutely asked him, “Did you kill a wolf and make a scarf? Because that’s what your beard looks like with a mask on.” For a while, Johnson wore a “bank-robber-style bandana,” tied behind his head with its knot tucked into a hat. “That was the most comfortable, because the beard flowed freely down without obstruction.” He did, however, worry how intimidating this style looked in public: “I was afraid I’d get stopped by security!”

That’s when Johnson bought a neck gaiter to pull up over the mask. Now he wears them in tandem, treating the gaiter as an added layer of protection. “Masks are annoying but necessary,” says Johnson, who tries to “take some of the seriousness out of the situation” by having fun with the designs. To wit: the glaringlyfauxLouis Vuitton and Gucci masks he bought outside a local grocery store, and a Great White–print gaiter from shark enthusiast Euan Rannachan. “I get a ton of compliments on it,” he says. “I also have aJason Vorhees COVID hockey maskon the way, made by Tom Savini — the guy who created the makeup effects for the first fourFriday the 13thmovies.”

MJ Johnson, a Minneapolis-based World Beard and Moustache Champion and director of growing operations atBeard Team USA, tried to make a medical-grade N95 mask work but couldn’t get a good seal. His sister then sewed him a custom mask with a filter pocket and ties in back (easier on the ears), but that still required him to braid or band his beard before tucking it in. The workaround: bandannas. “You can cover your nose, mouth, and most or all of your beard — plus you look like an outlaw, which is a bonus,” laughs Johnson.

Both Johnson and Nelson are fans of the neck gaiters from Oscar Mike. “These are super for people with bigger beards,” says Johnson. “They’re high-quality and [offer] lots of coverage.” Nelson concurs: “It’s a three-layer mask that is machine-washable and very comfortable. Also, all Oscar Mike sales benefit injured or disabled veterans.”

Delaurenti and Dahl of the Gay Beards loathe a beard dent. “Fresh out of the shower, beards are more malleable,” they explain. “Putting on a mask that’s too tight during this ‘soft’ stage can leave your beard with a terrifying divot once the mask is removed. From there, recovery is challenging.” That’s why, when they’re not sporting their Old Navy masks, they lean toward paisley-print bandannas and gaiters, like this lightweight multi-clava from Eddie Bauer. “This style of face covering allows a beard to maintain its form without string messing up its shape,” say the Gay Beards. “It’s a sleeker look.”

Steve Manning, a soccer coach in Seattle, is also firmly in Camp Gaiter. He has mostly been sporting an ultrastretchy BUFF mask — except during protests, when he switches to a traditional bandanna. “Marches can get extra hot, and [a bandanna] makes it easier to breath.” (BUFF also makes a more traditional face mask with a filter.) And like Harvey, Manning adds a dab of beard oil before slipping on a BUFF or bandanna. His go-to is an arboreal organic oil from Deschampsia, whose scent he describes as “calming and pleasant.”

When Atlanta-based photographer and five-time World Beard and Moustache ChampionJeffrey Moustacheventures out in public, he twirls up his impressive mustache and tucks it into a LaViebyCK cloth mask. “They have a nice soft lining inside, so it doesn’t brush or pull on my facial hair or stubble, and they contain a filter pocket for added protection,” he notes. “I also enjoy the designs and supporting an African American–owned business that is donating masks to hospitals in need.” In fact, 100 percent of the proceeds fund the production of free masks for medical personnel.