If you've noticed that we haven't mentioned the beard comb included in Jack Black's kit, that's because our mothers taught us that if we can't say anything nice, not to say anything at all. The Beard Lube by itself costs $28, so ignoring the comb isn't costing you anything.
The Basic Kit for Regular Beards: King C. Gillette Beard Care Kit
King C. Gillette
Beard Care Kit
The King C. Gillette line provides beard and shaving products that are a step above cheap drug store shaving creams and oils. This particular bundle includes the brand's GQ Grooming Award-winning beard balm (for keeping those hairs soft and in place), the double-duty beard-and-face wash, and a beard oil. At $30 for a collection of full-size products (including that 11 oz. bottle of cleanser), it's a cost-efficient bundle that leans on tried-and-true ingredients—argan oil, cocoa and shea butters, jojoba oil—that'll keep your beard in king-level condition.
The Basic Kit for Curly or Coarse Beards: Bevel Beard Goals Kit
Bevel's Beard Goals Kit has been a favorite of ours since 2021, when we first started reviewing beard kits. Bevel is best known for its no-expenses-spared hardware, with beard trimmers and hair clippers that look better—and perform better—than most anything else out there. The brand was born with the intention of creating better grooming products for Black men, and that holds true for this beardcare kit—though the pomade, conditioner, and oil will work well for anyone with curly or coarse hair. Compared to the similarly-priced Gillette set above, Bevel's lacks a cleanser (we've got some suggestions), and triples down on smoothing and softening the skin and follicles with an oil, conditioner, and pomade.
The Best Beard-Trimming Hardware Kit: Panasonic Ultimate All-In-One Kit
As dedicated beard trimmers go, the Panasonic Multishape Ultimate All-In-One is not first in line in our best beard trimmers review. It's hard to beat a dedicated product, and the Multishape is more of a Swiss Army Knife—though one we vouch for, if you can put it to use. The kit features a handle with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery that can accept five attachments, two of which are designed for facial hair maintenance: a foil shaver to erase stubble, and a beard trimmer with four guides plus adjustable lengths (just twist the head).
Beyond beard maintenance, the Multishape also has a nose-and-ear hair trimmer and two toothbrush heads, including an adapter. Which is to say: the Panasonic Multishape can do a lot of jobs. It isn't the best at any one of those jobs, but it'll simplify your countertop and keep your Dopp kit streamlined while traveling.
How We Chose These Beard Kits
We encountered a few common issues when searching for beard sets: Low-quality products, sets that were missing necessary grooming tools, or kits with too many similar products. So, what do we look for in beard kits? High-quality products from trusted brands that add up to a solid deal. Ideally, these products come in a convenient and cost-effective package.
We started by checking the beard and shaving kits made by our favorite grooming brands: Bevel, Jack Black, Kiehl's, Horace, Scotch Porter, and more. We also checked the options available at our favorite retailers, including Amazon (of course), Nordstrom, Sephora, and SSense. While we didn't test the kits as-sold, in the course of our always-on grooming product reviews (culminating in the annual GQ Grooming Awards), we have tested most of the products included in these kits. GQ editors and product reviewers have also tested a small mountain of beard care products for our various shopping guides over the past decade. As such, we're uniquely qualified to judge the contents of these kits.
In total, we found six beard and shaving kits we can recommend—seven including a multitool-esque beard trimmer. We realize that's a small fraction of the beard kits for sale on sites like Amazon, but we stand by these selects.
About the Author
Timothy Beck Werth is an experienced editor, writer, and product reviewer with 15 years of experience as a journalist. He mostly covers beard care, tech, smart home gadgets, and home goods for GQ Recommends. Tim's reviewed countless beard grooming products for GQ and other sites, and he's had a beard for the past decade. At any given time, his bathroom is full of boxes and boxes of beard oils, trimmers, washes, razors, and brushes.
