Best Men's Haircuts UK 2026: Barber-Approved Styles for Every Hair Type

2026 has seen Men’s grooming evolve massively. Ultra-sharp fades and crops are still commonplace in the barbershop, but we’ve seen a sharp rise in natural, lived-in looks, prioritising a softer feel. From our decades of barbering experience, we know that choosing the right haircut puts you 90% of the way to great style every day, which is why we’ve broken down our best styles for 2026. To make things even easier, we’ve also broken this down by hair type, so you can jump straight to what suits you, alongside a full breakdown.  

Does hair type matter?

Whilst picking a style sounds easy, not taking your hair type into consideration is like buying your shoes without knowing your size; you might get it right, or you might end up looking like a clown with shoes twice your size. This being the case, take the time to look in the mirror and identify your hair type. You can do this by letting your hair dry naturally out of the shower and seeing how it looks and feels. 

Best Cut for Straight & Fine Hair. 

‘Textured’ French Crop - This cut has been at the height of popularity in barbershops up and down the UK for years now, and for good reason. Easy to maintain, easy to style, and looking sharp, textured crops are a great option if you want good style without any hassle. Defined by short choppy texture on top with tapered or faded sides, styling this look is what Styling Powder was born to create. Whilst this look doesn’t fully buck the trend of sharp looks, you get the benefit of being ready for any occasion without looking out of place, be it the gym, the office, or the bar. 

Best Cuts for Thick & Wavy Hair.

Mid-length Waves/soft shag - No other cut better represents the shift in men’s grooming in 2026, from clipper cuts to scissor work, than this style. Soft and emphasising layers, mid-length waves get the most out of a lack of refinement to produce a look that appears effortless and laid back. When it comes to products for this, the combination of a Salt Spray and Matt Paste is truly unmatched. The salt spray provides the volume and definition in the longer layers, whilst the Matt Paste provides the structure necessary to retain control throughout the day. If you want to stay ahead of the curve with your style, then starting the grow-out phase should be in your plans. 

 The Mullet - Love it or hate it, the Mullet has maintained its revival, and we’d say deservedly so! With this style being all about rough texture, Mullets make great use of thicker hair, so if you’re in possession of thick locks, this is a style you need to be considering. If this is the style for you, the dryness of your hair is a key consideration when picking your finishing product. If you have hair that’s not too dry naturally, then the Super Hold Clay is a great choice, providing an ‘Ultra Matte’ finish that won’t leave hair feeling greasy or too fluffy. On the other hand, if your hair is quite dry naturally, you don’t want to go full ultra matte, as this will make it harder to add definition. This being said, the Matt Paste is a brilliant choice for a product that’s matte, but not to the same extent as the Super Hold Clay. 

Best Cuts for Curly Hair

The message 2026 style has reinforced is pretty simple: stop fighting the curls. Straightening and going short with curls is not the way to impeccable style; you need to emphasise the natural movement of your curls, which will leave you with unmatched results. 

Because we’d recommend emphasising your natural curls, there’s no ‘set style’, as your look will depend on how tight your curls are, but don’t worry, that doesn’t mean we can’t guide you. 

Tight Curls - If you’ve got tighter curls, emphasising them means making the most out of the bounce you can achieve with modern products, as well as complementing the look with some edge through a soft taper. The best products for this would be the Dapper Dan Primer or Sea Salt Spray, both bringing extra volume (the key to achieving lift), after which, we’d recommend a touch of the Deluxe Pomade to shape and prevent frizz. 

Soft Curls - With soft curls, we’ve seen the adoption of a short fringe as the perfect way to achieve a style that’s both easy to wear and maintain, as well as looking great. With a fringe, you can also make the style more modern, pairing it with a fade, or more low-key with a taper. Regardless, for the styling, you’ll need something smooth and matte, like the Dapper Dan Matt Paste, to bring structure and frizz reduction without going greasy. 

Honourable mention for low-maintenance. 

Whilst 2026 is certainly shaping up to be the year of the laid-back look, we do have to have an honourable mention for the resurgence of the crew cut. A graduated version of the buzz cut with more length on top (one to two inches), this cut adds maturity to the field of otherwise ultra-short looks, whilst also being the easiest style to maintain. Just a touch of Matt Clay in the morning, and a visit to the barbers every 4-6 weeks, is all this style needs to stay sharp. 

よくあるご質問 

What should I tell my barber when asking for a haircut?
The two most important things to mention to your barber are the look you want and how long before you plan to have your next visit to the shop. This will inform your barber of the length and shape you want, but to help with this, we’d always recommend bringing a reference photo (Our Instagram page is a treasure trove for inspiration). 

How much does the recommended product matter?
Whilst there can be other choices when it comes to styling, to get the best results, you need the best products that will perform. There’s no point getting a quality haircut if you don’t commit to the styling, as you simply won’t get the result you want!