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If the hair on your chin feels a little thin, finding the best beard filler is an effective way to fill things out. We’ve rounded up everything we think you should know about the best options in 2022, including their pros, cons, and best features.
What’s the Best Beard Filler?
Most people use pens to fill out beards, although there are a few other options on the market. A good beard filler works with most beard styles, applies evenly, and lasts a long time once it’s on. Here are our top picks for products currently on the market.
Our top 7 picks for the best beard fillers:
- Best Overall: Softsheen-Carson Magic Grooming Beard Filler Pencil Brush
- Best for Budget Buyers: Pozilan Beard Filler Kit
- Best Water Resistance: Mufun Beard Filler Pencil
- Best for Travel: Tianwei Beard Filling Kit
- Best for Heavy Use: Lberdan 8-Piece Kit
- Best Full Kit: Efatopro Beard Kit
- Best Non-Pen Option: Xikezan Beard Balm and Growth Oil
Most beard fillers are pen kits in some form, but we’re also going to talk about our favorite non-pen option at the end. Before we get into the reviews, though, let’s talk about why beard fillers matter.
Why You Need a Beard Filler

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Appearance is everything with beards, with some people even suggesting specific styles based on facial shape. Unfortunately, nature doesn’t always provide the correct type of hair to get the look you want.
Today, people expect beards to appear full. A thin or patchy beard looks untended, which reflects poorly on you when you’re dealing with others. They might even start asking questions like, “Why are you growing a beard if you’re not taking care of it?”
To be clear, there’s a difference between untended and wavy. While many men enjoy having straight beards, it’s perfectly possible to have a curlier beard that still looks well-tended and professional.
Beard fillers help address this issue by covering the areas that nature doesn’t and helping you get the look you want. Even better, most beard fillers are both functional and affordable, so it’s easy to get them on a budget. Now, let’s take a look at the best options.
The Best Beard Fillers in 2022
Here are our favorite beard fillers currently on the market. Most of these are pen kits because that’s what works for most people, but we have an extra option down at the bottom if you’d rather avoid drawing on your face.
1. Softsheen-Carson Beard Filler Pencil (Best Overall)
- Easy pen-only option
- It lasts up to 24 hours
- Excellent control over amount used
- No additional products to help
- It can get expensive over time
Softsheen-Carson’s beard filler pencil stands out from the crowd as an excellent option for most people. Unlike traditional pens, this filler uses a rotation dispensation system that allows you to control how much of the formula enters the brush head.
That alone would help it stand out from the crowd, but other factors also help it stand out. The specific formula here is comfortably long-lasting, resisting transfers for about 24 hours in most conditions.
It also dries in about one minute, so you don’t need to spend too long waiting for it to dry. Most buyers like the product itself, but the manufacturer strongly recommends pairing it with their other products, including a beard softener, a cleaner, and an exfoliating scrub.
The filler pencil isn’t too costly by itself, but the price goes noticeably up if you’re buying the complete line products. That can make this a harder sell unless quality is your primary concern.
2. Pozilan Beard Filler Kit (Best for Budget Buyers)
Pozilan’s beard filler kit is a good option for budget-conscious buyers. Its comparatively large pen offers great value for the price, and it’s available in both black and brown to help match different beard colors.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to truly recommend this product despite its prominent place on the list, and here’s why: price barely matters. Most beard fillers sell in the $10 to $15 range, so going for a budget option will barely make a difference even over a longer period.
This is a highly competitive product field, too, so most manufacturers are reluctant to raise their prices too much. In other words, quality matters far more than price. Pozilan’s pen is still a perfectly good product in its own right.
Notably, it has four tips on its pen head, which allows a little more precision and control than some competitors. The tight-fitting cap is a nice touch, too. Overall, this isn’t the best option on our list, but it’s a good backup for anyone who wants a simple and affordable beard filler.
3. Mufun Beard Filler Pencil (Best Water Resistance)
Mufun’s beard filler pencil stands out thanks to its excellent water resistance. It’s functionally waterproof and sweatproof, which means it retains its appearance even under fairly strenuous exercise. That alone makes it a compelling option for many buyers.
Although available in a pen-only option, Mufun prefers selling their larger kit. This has two extra components that help maximize its value: a round brush and a hair growth spray. While no spray can work miracles on an area that’s too thin, it can help strengthen and enlarge hair that’s already there, further improving the appearance of your beard.
If you go this route, we recommend buying the large kit to start with, then replacements of the individual pencils until you’re out of the spray and need a refill on that. Rotating between the full kit and the pencils will help keep costs down while still giving you everything you need.
4. Tianwei Beard Filling Kit (Best for Travel)
- Comes with a travel case
- Comes with two pens
- Brush and comb help give more control over the final look
- No brown option
- Pens can be hard to store
Tianwei’s kit is worth considering for one simple reason: portability. This beard filler comes with a hard case that easily fits into a pocket, bag, or suitcase. Keeping everything together helps ensure that you have what you need if you’re trying to touch up a beard while you’re on a trip.
Somewhat unusually, this kit also comes with two pens. That’s a nice touch, especially because the pens are a bit touchy. Users often complain about issues with these pens drying out, and while some of this is due to improper storage, it’s true that they’re also not as good as some other pens.
You need to shake these pens well before using them, and keeping their tips pointed down helps ensure they don’t dry out. That’s not rare for beard filler pens.
But it’s worth keeping in mind if you want to touch up your beard on the go. Portability is the real reason to buy this product, so it’s harder to recommend if you’re mainly looking for something to use at home.
5. Lberdan 8-Piece Kit (Best for Heavy Use)
Lberdan’s kit stands out as an excellent option for sheer volume. This kit consists of four pens and four brushes, all for about the same price as most other kits. If you need a lot of beard filler, this is easily the first choice.
Unfortunately, there’s an obvious problem here. Nobody needs four brushes in every single beard filler kit. Frankly, Lberdan should sell this in variants where there are two brushes and six pens, or just four pens, which would make more sense.
Even with the extra brushes, though, this is a great option based on volume alone. The formula in these pens isn’t noteworthy, but it compares well to other beard fillers.
Specifically, it’s resistant to both water and sweat, which is the main thing most people want. This isn’t a fancy kit, but it’s certainly worth considering for its outstanding value.
6. Efatopro Beard Kit (Best Full Kit)
- Full coloring and shaping kit
- Multiple pen types
- Adjustable shaping tool
- A relatively small amount of ink
- Shaper can be a bit loose
Efatopro’s kit is one of the most complete options available. In addition to the standard brush and regular pen, it has an extra shaping pen for finer detail control. That’s a feature most beard fillers lack.
However, what makes this kit worth considering is the adjustable shaping tool. This is a combination of comb and guide, with an adjustable straight/curve segment so you can outline your beard as precisely as you want.
Most competing tools have fixed shapes and aren’t suitable for as many beard styles. We think this kit is worth getting for the shaping tool alone, even if you change to an alternative like Lberdan for more pens in the future.
7. Xikezan Beard Balm and Oil (Best Non-Pen Option)
- Non-pen choice
- Comes with a heated straightener
- Has a guidebook for styling choices
- Balm won’t work for everyone
- Poor choice for large empty patches
Beard filler pens work great for most people, but they aren’t always the right option. Xikezan’s kit offers a different approach, including a beard balm and a growth oil that helps hair fill out more naturally.
As a bonus, it comes with a heated beard straightener. This offers another way to control your beard’s appearance, especially for long beards. Now, the growth formulas aren’t a miracle cure and won’t fill in bad patches.
However, they can thicken existing hair, and that’s functionally similar to filling things out. Some users point out that you shouldn’t use the heated component every day.
Many people can get by by using it once a month alongside the hair growth products. The main point to remember about this product is that it’s not just what you buy that matters but also how you use it.
Finding the Best Beard Filler for You

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Here are some quick things to look for before you go shopping. While the products are fairly straightforward, there are a few key things you should know:
Product Volume
How much beard filler are you getting when you buy? Some kits offer large pens or several at once, while other kits have a single small pen. This can make a big difference over time.
Shaping Tools
Filling out a beard isn’t just about the filler itself. Shaping tools help you get the exact look you want, but they’re not available in every product. It’s good to get at least one good shaping tool, either individually or as part of a kit.
Color Options
Most beard fillers are only available in black, and a few more are available in brown. Fillers for other colors are extremely rare, so this may limit your options.
Beard Filler Frequently Asked Questions

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Here are some common questions people have about beard fillers:
Do Beard Fillers Work?
Yes, but not in the way most people expect. Most beard fillers darken the skin, creating the illusion of more hair underneath the top layer of a beard. This isn’t the same thing as actual hair growth, which is the only way to truly fill in some areas.
How Long Does Beard Filler Last?
Most beard fillers last about 24 hours. Some will wear off sooner in bad conditions (heavy rain or sweat, etc.), and most don’t last more than a day.
Is It Better To Shave Your Beard Or Let It Grow?
Natural growth is the best way to help fill out a beard. For the best results, try to let it grow for about six weeks without trimming or anything besides mild care.
Can You Pencil In A Beard?
Yes. Penciling in a beard is usually the fastest and easiest way of helping it appear fuller.
Do Beards Get Thicker With Age?
Most beards get thicker until people are at least 30 years old. At this point, you should have a good idea of how thick your beard is likely to be for the next few decades.
So, What’s the Best Beard Filler?
Softsheen-Carson’s beard filler is an excellent option because it offers superior control and an impressive amount of product for its price.
- Easy pen-only option
- It lasts up to 24 hours
- Excellent control over amount used
- No additional products to help
- It can get expensive over time
However, consistency is key if you want to have a fuller, thicker beard. Caring for your beard over time is the best way to get a great look.