45 New Super Cool Braids Styles for Men You Can’t Miss

If you’ve grown tired of your man bun, but can’t seem to part with the versatility and attention of long hair, it’s time to try braids for men. Whether you go with a full-out fishtail, or edgy cornrows, there’s a style for any man looking to add some texture to his tresses.

Braids for Men

Today’s men’s braids are not only for guys with shoulder length or long hair. Those who sport the popular long top short sides boys haircuts or the long top undercuts wonder how else they can style their longer tresses up top. Braids are a fresh answer.

1. Braided High Ponytail

Ponytail braided hairstyles work well for men who want to show off a fun dye job. Whether you have a faded blonde ombre, or a fun bright hue, this look will allow you to give your color saturated strands their time to shine. Balance the look with a rugged beard.

2. Zig-Zag Braid for Men

One of the major benefits of braid styles for men is that you are able to experiment with designs. You can get creative with your parting, or you can actually manipulate the braid into the shape of your choice.

3. Braided Extensions for Men

Just because you have short hair does not mean that you have to miss out on the man braid trend. You may play with extensions as well. Box braids use thick yaki braiding hair to create bold plaits—combine different colors for a highlight effect.

4. Intricate Male Braids

If you want a style with some staying power, it’s best to gravitate towards smaller cornrows instead of chunky French braid styles. The latter will come apart more easily with wear and tear. The second benefit of a smaller pattern is that it can be manipulated into more intricate designs as shown above.

5. Double Braided Mohawk

Men who have already embraced the long Mohawk style can get more bang for their buck by incorporating double men’s braids. They are perfect for a beach vacation or guy’s trip when the last thing that you want to worry about is hair products and styling.

6. Braid and Top Knot

Whoever said buns are just for ballerinas and high school girls was sadly mistaken. The look works just as well for guys by using braids to create an edgy faux hawk effect. Of course, tattoos don’t hurt either.

7. Classic Cornrows for Men

Probably one of the most recognizable braided looks thanks to early 2000’s rappers like Xzibit, Jim Jones and scores of others, straight back cornrows are a classic style that men can’t get enough of. The bushy “lumbersexual” beard gives the look a modern hipster vibe.

8. Bob with Braids

Men braids can also be a great accent to an androgynous look. This slanted individual braid bob was a popular style for women in the 90’s (Jada Pinkett and Maxine from ‘Living Single.’) The lack of facial hair makes the hairdo the focal point of your appearance.

9. Double Design Braid

Have some fun and combine two braid designs into one look. Instead of doing something outrageous, opt for two simple styles like wavy and straight plaits so that they can complement each other. The result is an interesting-yet-low key hairstyle that works for medium to long strands.

10. Braid Effect for Short Hair

Just because you don’t have long hair doesn’t mean you have to give up on your braided dreams. Thankfully, with a little styling pomade you can fake it until you make it. Twisting a few pieces in the front to mimic a braid pattern will give you a similar effect.

11. Male Braid with Short Sides

If your hair is longer in the crown, but still too short for a flowing braided hairstyle for men, this is for you. The hair won’t have enough length for a tight weave, which will create a cool petal-like texture. Secure with small elastic to keep it from slipping during the day.

12. Blonde Braided Cornrows

Blonde hair looks great on black men because it warms complexions with gold and red undertones. Thanks to Fetty Wap’s and Chris Brown’s experiments with different shades of blonde, you are sure to be on trend with this style.

13. Short Sides and Two-Tone Braid

Combine a bunch of subtle details to make one impactful look. Double braids, short sides, a small bun and blonde highlights seem simple on their own, but together they are unique and edgy.

14. Crown with Middle Part for Men

It’s a cool idea to create a crown to diversify your braids for men hairstyles. The middle part allows you to create an intricate symmetrical style, encircled by a braided crown. Shaved lines on the side ensure that this is a look truly fit for a king.

15. Braid and Mini-Bun

Think of a braid as an accent for short hair instead of the basis for the overall style. A small inverted braid is perfect for adding pizzazz to the standard man bun.

16. Male Braid Style for Tattoos

Tattoos are a commitment no matter where you put them on your body. But, etching one under your hair is great if you want an option of covering it later. Male braids will pull your hair back in a stylish way to show off your new ink.

17. Braided Bun with Ribbon

Learn the art of accessorizing your men’s braids. Headbands and barrettes might not be your thing, but a subtle black ribbon will add a little drama without doing much.

18. Male Braids into Bun

Flat braids are ideal for boys and men who want to wear a style that does not need to be touched up as frequently. The sleek style may last for over a week and will be getting rugged in a good, stylish way.

19. Blonde Bouffant Braid

Another benefit of a braided style is the volume that you can achieve within the crown. Simply tease the roots before you have your hair braided. For an additional twist, use a different pattern for the tail of your style to create some contrast.

20. Simple Side Braid

Men braids don’t have to be complicated. A side braid is great when you want a no frills style with just a bit of edge. Experiment with different colors or just keep a natural hue.

21. Man Bun Braids

Thanks to the perfectly precise center parting and undercut sides, these sleek, tight braids combined with man bun are all about elegance and style. This is one of the best braided styles for men that flatter virtually all hair textures.

22. Funky Braids

There’s no wonder box braid hairstyles are so popular with men. Apart from being a cool protective style, they are relatively easy to create and amazingly versatile. Box braids can be adapted to look right on both short and long hair, and any hair texture.

23. Two Cornrow Braids with Fade

Cornrow braids are a great choice for men with straight hair. With limitless styling options, it’s easy to achieve them with different types of cuts. Coupled with a full beard and taper fade, this braided hairstyle looks especially masculine and chic.

24. Classic Man Bun with Cornrow Braids

Searching for an alternative to traditional box braids? This sophisticated braided hairstyle for men will leave no one indifferent. Elaborately braided braids, smaller and bigger, look really hot when paired with fresh fade and classic man bun.

25. Side Braids

Side braids are a great solution if you prefer keeping things minimal. Two braids on the sides can replace the traditional undercut, allowing you to enjoy the best of both worlds: sport trendy braids and wear shorter hair on top.

26. Micro Braids

Did you know that you can create braids even on short hair? Well, now you do. With the right approach and a bit of know-how, braid styles are fairly achievable on any hair length over two inches. Small braids look really cool and sassy, especially when they come with a neat undercut.

27. Cornrows for Natural Hair

It’s safe to say that cornrow styles are one of the most favored natural hairstyles. Fair enough, since they do a wonderful job in taming kinky natural hair. In addition, cornrows are easy-to-maintain braids. And yes, you can ask your stylist to create an intricate pattern on your head like this one to make your braids stand out.

#28. Cool Cornrow Braids for Men

Cornrow braids are a cool option for hot summer days that can last for weeks with proper care. They always look neat and work just great on both thick and fine hair.

29. Feed-In Braids for Men

If you crave braided hair but don’t feel like waiting for your tresses to grow out, no worries, you can get chic man braids with the help of extensions. Also, you can use this trick to make your thin braids look fuller.

30. Criss-Cross Crown Braids with Man Bun

Man bun braids are always a good idea when you need to arrange medium to long hair. To make braided hair look even more eye-catching, consider getting multiple criss-cross braids on the crown.

31. Thin Cornrow Braids

If you’re looking for something unusual, consider this intricate braid hairstyle. Such an awesome braided pattern will undoubtedly make you stand out from the crowd. Cornrows look exceptionally good when combined with fade.

32. Fishbone Braids

A fishbone braid is a popular type of African American braid plaited closely to the scalp with a thick braid in the center and thinner cornrows attached to the main braid at an angle. Fishbone braids are a great solution if you want to diversify your everyday man bun. This hairstyle looks really sassy on dark hair with highlights.

33. Fauxhawk Braids for Men

A cool, daring braided fauxhawk like this is what you need to make a statement. Two braids on each side and a braided ponytail make it even more unique. Pair it all with a full beard and shaved sides, and you’ll get a super stylish, masculine look.

34. Fishbone Braids for Men

No matter the pattern, cornrows save the day when you need to tame your natural thick hair. Cornrow braids for men are renowned for perfectly combining style and functionality, so there’s no surprise they’re such a popular choice.

35. Hip Hop Cornrows with Undercut

Among braid hairstyles most favored by men, cornrows hold a special place. Easy to maintain and protective, cornrow styles facilitate healthy hair growth and help your hair look flawless at all times.

36. Spider Braids

We’ll never get tired of saying that braided hairstyles for men are stunningly versatile. An impressive variation of traditional box braids for men, spider braids look like a growing trend. Diagonal cornrows transitioning into box braids really remind of a spider.

37. Medium Length Braids for Men

An unusual pattern can make braid styles truly unique. If you have medium to long, straight or wavy hair, cornrow braids have high chances of becoming your favorite everyday hairstyle.

38. Man Bun Braids with Undercut

Men with long hair can easily change their looks with the help of braid styles. Among a great variety of braids for men, such as French braids, Dutch braids, and fishtail braids, just to name a few, zig zag braids are destined to stand out.

39. Intricate Cornrows with a Top Knot

Short and long, small and big, cornrow braids come in a variety of styles and designs to give men a stylish look. Your crown braid will automatically turn into a masterpiece if enhanced with exciting patterns and matching hair design. This is what people call unconventional braids, indeed.

40. Rock Braids

Braid styles for men are sassy and daring, and by adding more interesting details, you’ll get a bombshell combination sure to turn heads. This braided hairstyle for men is absolutely stunning due to a mind-blowing combination of hair design, fauxhawk, and bright colors.

41. Braided Locks and Co

Men braids inspired by hip hop stars seem to never go out of style. However, today’s men prefer wearing them in a more practical way, gathered in a ponytail or a man bun. By the way, you don’t even need to have long hair for long braids: get any length you wish with feed-in braids.

42. Zig Zag Cornrows into a Pony

We love this minimalist braided hairstyle for its simple and neat, but still ultimately stylish appearance. Zig zag braids gathered in a ponytail are a cool everyday option for men with coarse natural hair.

43. Viking Braid

A Viking braid is definitely one the manliest braid hairstyles for men with long hair you could ever imagine. By braiding your long dread braids together, you’ll get a really outstanding look. You can choose a Dutch braid like this to get a bonus fauxhawk, or try a fishtail braid for a softer look.

44. Ombre Braids

With no doubt, ombre box braids with feed in or bleached ends are a standout styling choice. They are an excellent option if you love braids and feel like experimenting with color but don’t really want to get a permanent hair color done as of now. The contrast between black hair and honey blonde grabs attention and adds that edgy early 2000’s vibe.

45. Man Bun Braids

Long box braids look amazingly hot when gathered in a tight man bun. Combined with shaved sides, they look neat and elegant, which makes them an excellent idea for an office-approved braided hairstyle.

There are many options within the braids for men category which depend on your personal preference. The pattern and texture alone will certainly turn heads, but you can always take the look a step further with fun colors and designs.