Man bun braids have been a strong men’s hair trend for a few years now. The man bun may be a relatively new long hairstyle for men, but it’s been in existence for as long as guys with long hair. And while longer hair can be a fashion statement for many guys, a man bun with braids is easy to get, simple to style, and a stylish way to wear. Plus, long hair for men can be high-maintenance if not pulled back into a ponytail or bun, and man bun braid styles are a unique and trendy way to do it.
From the braided top knot to the 2-braid man bun to high top braids, we’ve compiled the best man bun braid hairstyles. Below, you’ll discover some awesome man bun braids and ideas to help you get the most from your long hair.
If you aren’t sure how to do a bun by braiding your hair or you need fresh braided bun styles to keep things interesting, you’ll love these cool braided man bun hairstyles.
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Best Man Bun Braid Hairstyles
The best braided man buns for you may not be the best for someone else, so it’s important that you think about your hair’s texture, thickness and length when deciding which of these styles you want to try. Some work well for everyone regardless of hair type, and others are better-suited for men who have thick or wavy hair. The cool part about all of these styles is the fact that you can customize them in any way you’d like, whether you want to braid in a different direction or place your bun higher or lower than what you see in the examples.
For instance, the side braid bun is styled on the side instead of the top of your head. Some messy hairstyles even look better with a full beard while others style perfectly with a fade or undercut on the sides to highlight the longer hair above.
Though man bun braid hairstyles offer endless possibilities, the man buns with braids below provide plenty of choices and allow guys ample room to experiment.
Men’s Dutch Braids
Dutch braids are easy to do, and they can look amazing when done properly. Dutch braiding along both sides of the head before pulling your braids back into a bun – either neat or messy – will make it look like you put far more time into styling your hair than you did.
For reference, Dutch braids on guys are styled like an inverted French braid hairstyle; rather than taking each section of hair over the next, you will instead take each section under the one before it, resulting in a raised braid with thicker knots.
Double Man Bun
The double man bun is ideal for guys who have especially thick hair. To accomplish it with braids, just braid your hair all over (think cornrows or smaller Dutch braids), and then pull it up into two buns rather than one.
It may take some experimentation to really find the best double man bun style for your face and look, but that’s the great thing about it – experimenting is fun, casual, and still classy. The double man bun also works well with a fade haircut or undercut on the sides, so be sure to ask your barber to try these cuts and see how they look.
Two-Braid Man Bun
A 2-braid man bun is a trendy long hairstyle for guys who can pull off the look. Start with two braids – one on each side of your head – and you can do either a French braid or a Dutch braid to suit your preferences. Then, make sure the two braids meet at a central point and pull them into a bun. You can even braid the two together to make it appear even more complex.
Doing it in this way helps prevent tangles if you have especially long hair. You can also divide your hair in half right down the middle of your head, create a braid on either side, and then pull each side up into its own messy bun.
French Braid Man Bun
The French braid man bun is another sexy braided hairstyle for men that takes a matter of minutes to put up. Just start at the top of your head and French braid as per the usual, but instead of continuing to braid all the way down the length of your hair, stop when you reach the point where you want your bun to be and twist it up in a knot.
French braids are essential for protecting your hair from the wind, so if you’ll be out on a bike or boat, this is a good long hairstyle to choose. You can divide your hair in half and do separate French braids that meet in a singular bun at the back.
Side Braid Bun
A side braid bun speaks volumes and while it isn’t as common as some of the other braided bun hairstyles on this list, the side braid is unique and hot. Just braid a section along the side of your head and pull it back into the bun with the rest of your hair.
In fact, guys can combine the side braid with any number of haircuts, including a pompadour, slick back, or messy medium length hairstyle. This braid can be thin, thick, clean, or loose – just as long as it suits the type of style you’re trying to create.
Short Man Bun with Braids
A short man bun with braids is an excellent style for men who are in the process of growing out their hair or who simply do not want to grow it beyond shoulder length. Braids for men with short hair work best with one or more French braids close to one another. This is because French braid styles help to hide flyaways and loose strands of hair since short hair can easily be tucked under longer ones.
When the braid reaches the back of your head, simply twist it up and secure it with a hair tie. You can do it with braids on top of your head, on the side, or all over. Short man buns look better when kept neat, but if your hair is long enough, you may be able to pull off the messy man bun look.
Long Man Bun Braids
The long man bun is a popular men’s long hairstyle right now, especially among black men with dreads. Cornrows pulled up into a bun that falls gently in different directions is all the rage, and the good news is that it’s as functional as it is stylish.
No matter how long your hair, braiding it and putting it into a long man bun can help keep your hairstyle out of your way. Long man bun braids are also a great way to extend the time between shampoos since braided hair does not show natural oils as readily as unbraided hair.
Braided Man Bun Fade
The braided man bun fade is a cool hairstyle that combines short sides with longer hair on top. A fade with braids offers limitless possibilities because there are so many different types of fades to choose from – high, low, mid, skin, or temp – and many different ways to style braided hair.
Any of the braided man bun styles above will work well with a fade haircut on the sides. To pull off braids with a fade, you’ll need to start with medium-length to long hair on top – at least 4 to 6 inches. You can go for a short man bun or a long braided hairstyle, and you can use French braids, Dutch braids, or cornrows.
Ultimately, the short faded hair on the sides will create contrast and accentuate the longer braided hair on top.
Man Bun Undercut with Braids
The man bun undercut with braids looks much like the taper fade cut above, but rather than a fade that gradually gets shorter as it works its way down beyond the ears toward the nape, undercut hairstyles are all one length. The braided man bun undercut offers the same contrast and focus on the hair on top, and is often paired with a thick beard for a rugged, masculine look.
Braiding the top section of hair before putting it in a bun adds a great deal of style. Again, you get to choose the number and type of braids you want, so don’t hesitate to try various looks until you find one that best suits your look. The best part about the undercut is that even when you leave your hair down, you can style a slicked back undercut or comb over.
Lastly, if you love this cool men’s haircut, you may want to get shaved sides with your braided man bun for an even shorter cut.
Black Man Bun Braid
The black man bun braid is really the original braided hairstyle for men. Also known as cornrows, man bun braids for black men range from relatively short to longer with dreads.
These braids can be thick or thin depending on your preference and your natural hair. Thick braids work best for thicker hair while thin braids are better for thinner or less coarse hair.
Incorporating some color into your braid is a great way to show off each braid’s definition. Ultimately, whether you get the cornrow fade man bun, the black man’s undercut bun, or box braids, these black men’s man bun braid styles are fresh, trendy and badass. Here are more of the top haircuts for black guys.
Messy Man Bun
The messy man bun is a hot hipster hairstyle for men that remains popular today. Though braids are usually woven into hair in an effort to prevent messy tangles and the like, the braided messy man bun can make quite the statement. Easy to style and maintain, messy braided hairstyles for long hair are the go-to look for guys who are too busy in the mornings or just want a casual but sexy look.
Start with one or more braids that are clearly visible, then pull them back along with the rest of your hair into a bun. Rather than the neat perfectly-coiffed bun you might see, the goal here is to allow bits of hair or individual braids to fall free. This is a great look for men who have long wavy or thick hair.
Braided Top Knot
The braided top knot is nothing more than a man bun tied up high on the head, and a braided top knot bun hairstyle is a sexy way to style this cool look. You can braid all of your hair in rows before pulling it up into the bun, or you can pull your hair into a high ponytail, braid it, and then twist the braid around itself to create the knot.
The primary difference between a top knot braided bun and other styles is the height of the bun; in most styles, a bun that sits high on the back of the head is ideal, but other top knot hairstyles often sit closer to the crown.
