Best hair band for men: How to choose a men’s hair band for sports, running and more
Whether it’s because long hair styles for men have become more popular in recent years, or it’s a consequence of lockdown, searches for “men’s hair band” and “hair band for men” are now in their hundreds and thousands every month. Here’s our pick of sports, fashion and running men’s headbands
H eadbands for men and guys with long hair have drifted in and out of fashion for decades, helped by the likes of footballers Jack Grealish, David Beckham, Gareth Bale et al.
Using a hair band for men is great on the days your hair just won’t behave and has a life of its own, or if your hair is at the midway point where you can’t quite tie it back. Using a men’s hair band for sports, or during your skincare routine is also handy.
FURTHER READING: 5 of the best long hair styles for men: How to style your long locks for any occasion
Best Men’s Headbands UK
1. Best men’s hair band: Men’s Metal Vent Tech Headband – £15
2. Best value hair band for men: Kalenji Multi-Purpose Running Headband – £4.99
2. Best Alice band for men: Tooth Comb Headband – £3.99
3. Best men’s headbands for sports (fabric): French Fitness Revolution Headband– £16.90
4. Best men’s headbands for sports (elastic) : Adidas Training Headbands – £17
5. Best hair band for men set: AIM Clouded Metal Headband (6pcs)– £8.69
6. Jack Grealish-style headband: Mytoptrendz Flexible Stretch Comb Headband for sports/long hair – £2.50
7. Best bandana headband: Unisun Bandana Headband – £10.59
8. Best elastic headband: Kuou Elastic Sports Headband (4pcs) – £4.29
FURTHER READING: The male perm is one of this year’s top men’s hair trends, here’s how to nail the curly look
1. Editor’s Pick: Men’s Metal Vent Tech Headband
£15 | Buy now
LuluLemon This men’s hair band from LuluLemon is one of the more expensive entries in our best men’s headbands list but it’s worth the extra money.
It’s seamless, making it more comfortable and less likely to cause rubbing or friction. It’s made of a sweat-wicking fabric which keeps sweat out of your eyes, and it also contains something called Silverescent technology.
This stops the bacteria in your sweat from forming on the band, which stops it from stinking and transferring the smell onto your hair.
It looks tighter than it is. In fact, it’s the most comfortable men’s headband we’ve tried and is great for wearing for long periods. Its four-way stretch also helps keep your earphones in place, or keep your ears warm.
This men’s hair band is available in five colours:
- Asphalt Grey/Rhino Grey
- Classic Navy/Mineral Blue
- Black/Graphite Grey
- Black/Slate
- Green Jasper/Blue Chill
2. Kalenji Multi-Purpose Running Headband
£4.99 | Buy now from Decalthlon
Kalenji 
Made from a breathable mesh of 100% recycled polyester, this headband wicks away perspiration and dries quickly to keep you fresh, as well as warm when training outside.
Not only can it be used to keep your hair off your face when running, training or at the gym. It doubles up as a snood for when you’re taking a break and get cold, or if you’re looking to dry off your neck and chest after a workout.
It can even be fashioned into a bandana-style headband and worn on a night out, or as a hat when you’re looking to cover up greasy hair.
This headband comes in six colours: Pale grey, dark grey, black, orange, white and a special red edition. All profits from sales of the latter Red January version goes to Red January’s official charity partner, Sport in Mind.
It is designed for heads that measure around 59 cm but because it’s made of stretchy fabric, it can be worn comfortably on heads between 51cm and 63 cm.
3. Tooth Comb Headband
£4.79 | Buy now from Amazon
Wearing this hair band on a night out is perfect for keeping your look clean and fresh.
It’s a solid black headband that can be worn with most outfits and pulls the hair back neatly and with minimal snagging.
The ends of the headbands are smooth and rounded to prevent causing any digging behind the ears.
As a result, this super affordable headband for men and women is comfortable to wear for long periods without spending a fortune. It also comes in a pack of two.
4. French Fitness Revolution Men’s Headband
£16.90 | Buy now from Amazon
We like the feel of this headband, it is smooth and almost like satin and it doesn’t pull any of the hair during use.
All while keeping sweat from our face.
Having a double layer not only helps keep this headband snug on your head, without being too tight but the fabric is made by Coolmax.
This means it absorbs sweat and moisture while keeping you cool.
5. AIM Clouded Metal Headband
£8.69 | Buy now from Amazon
They are flexible enough to fit any head size and, because they’re made of soft metal, they should sit comfortably.
Adding further to the comfort, each of the headbands is lightweight and they have soft sleeves on their ends so that they don’t cut or irritate the skin behind your ears.
You can also experiment with the different styles, or keep the thicker ones for sports and the thinner, Zigzag-style headbands for nights out or when you want something a little more discreet.
6. Adidas Training Headband for Men
£15 | Buy now from Adidas
admin | MBman Combining style with substance, this three-pack of training men’s headbands should have something for everyone. In fact, these are the best men’s running headbands we’ve tried.
There are three bands of different widths and slightly different colourways.
The thinnest is white with the graphical part of the Adidas logo, the middle band is black with the words “Three Stripes” written across it, and the thickest band is black with the full-size Adidas logo.
They’re all made of a mix of nylon, polyester and elastane and have silicone strips on the inside that stop the bands from moving while you’re playing sports or running, and so on.
7. Mytoptrendz Flexible Stretch Comb Men’s Headband
£2.50 | Buy now
Mytoptrendz This is the best headband for guys with long hair, or those who have short to mid-length hair which moves a lot during sports or running. Its multiple teeth grip tightly preventing the hair from sliding around your head, all while keeping your style in place.
For £2.50, you get two circular, plastic flexi-stretch zigzag headbands that measure around 12cm when closed. You will need to stretch them a little before applying them to your head and we recommend you do so slowly the first time to make sure they don’t snap.
8. Unisun Bandana Headband for Men
£10.59 | Buy now from Amazon
Their fabric design makes them stylish for nights out or trips to the pub, but they can also be used as a sweatband, making them suitable for sports.
This particular bandana has an elastic back so that it’s easier to put on than the headbands you need to tie manually.
Most bandanas have to be folded to the right size and tie around your head, which can be a faff and means they don’t always stay put.
Being breathable and soft also means that this men’s headband is kinder to your scalp and hair.
9. Kuou Elastic Men’s Headbands for Sports
£4.29 | Buy now
The material is an elastic stretch, which is relatively soft and less damaging to the hair, and because they’re bonded with a satin wrap, they won’t pull or snag on the hair when you remove the headband.
Many bands of this style have metal bonds with sharp edges that can easily pull out hair when removed.
Elsewhere, these bands have a non-slip design and are commonly used when playing tennis.
They’re also great for running and, because they come in a pack of four, you have the option of leaving them in your gym bag, car, bathroom, and coat pocket.
Types of headbands for Men
Getty Images/iStockphoto
There are various types of men’s headbands on the market. To make it easier to find the best one for your hair type and length, we’ve described the different types of headbands for men.
Thin headbands for men
Also known as Zigzag headbands, Alice bands, or tooth headbands, David Beckham and Zayn Malik are renowned for wearing these. Alice bands are great at pulling the hair back with effortless ease and once on, they look pretty discreet. They’re usually made of plastic and are curved to the shape of your head. They’re a popular men’s headband for sports, and for guys who need to keep their long hair out of their face.
Standard men’s headbands
The standard headband for men, also known as the elastic headband, is made of a single, thin piece of material wrapped around a long piece of elastic. They fit around your head, usually rather snugly, and can be worn at the front or centre of your head. These also double up as hair bands if you’ve got hair long enough to put in a ponytail and you need to keep it off your face and neck.
Bandana headbands for men
These headbands for men are more for everyday use; a comfortable, larger band made of material that keeps hair out of your face but also covers up greasy roots. They’re usually made of a single piece of fabric you put around your neck first and then pull up over your face and onto your hair. They can be a little trickier to tie, but they help absorb sweat, or they can be used to match an outfit. If you’re looking for the best fashion headbands for guys, bandanas are usually a good place to start, given the fact they’re available in different fabrics and designs, and can be worn in different ways.
Choosing a men’s hair band for sports
Sweatbands are the best men’s hair bands for sport. They tend to sit on your forehead, rather than on top of your head, and work to stop sweat dripping into your eyes, as well as keeping your hair out of the way. You can alternatively buy electric and fabric headbands that keep your long hair out of your eyes when running, or similar.
How to wear a headband men
This really depends on the type of men’s headband you opt for but there are a couple of tips to bear in mind.
Plastic headbands for guys with long hair are the easiest to wear because you place the comb found on the underside of the band at the front of your hairline and simply push it back and through the hair. The shape of these bands means they should sit comfortably and stay still while keeping the hair in place.
Elastic bands work in a similar way, but they don’t have comb bristles. Instead, the tension in the elastic is what keeps this type of men’s headband in place, and stops the hair from moving. To wear these bands, place them over your head and around your neck, like a necklace.
Now grab the front of the band, lift it to the front of your hairline and gently push it backwards. You can decide how far you push it back, based on how comfortable and secure it feels, and how long your hair is.
The same method is used for the circular comb-style men’s headbands. These headbands combine the grip of Alice bands, but the comfort of elastic bands. Stretch the circle over your head, lift the band (with comb bristles facing towards your face) to your hairline and then close the circle by pushing it through the hair at the front. The back of the circle should grip and move automatically.
Bandanas are a little trickier because they can be tied in various ways. Yet this also means they’re highly versatile. The video below should give you some tips.
As a word of warning, however, it’s not ideal to wear a men’s hair band all the time. They rub and add pressure to hair follicles which can cause breakage to the hair.
Wearing a headband for a couple of hours won’t do much harm but constant wearing can pull around the edges of your hairline and cause it to recede. You can read more about this in our guide on How to prevent hair loss in men. Wearing a hair band for men can also lead to tension headaches when worn for long periods.
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