This is why bearded men make the best partners

Science says so, OK?

Words – Jessica Dady

From the editors of GoodtoKnow

If you're a fan of a man with a beard you've come to the right place. Bearded men really do make the best partners, and not just because you can groom them to your heart's content – according to science, this is why you fancy them so much.

We've always felt that those bearded folk make cracking other halves, and now it's official! A recent survey looked at what attributes women go for in a partner and discovered that 26% of women prefer their men with facial hair as opposed to a smooth face. And we quite agree – just look at Jamie Dornan, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bradley Cooper, to name but a few.

Here are 8 reasons why we wouldn't swap our bearded other half for anyone.

1. They're just so damn manly

OK, so we might be stating the obviously but it's seriously true – men with beards just look (and act!) so manly, and if you're all for a man's man then a beard is the way forward

2. You can groom them

Buy them a little beard comb and watch them go! Men with beards just love to be groomed and luckily enough, we love to groom them too (but only because we want to have control over the way they look. Plus it's one step closer to female world domination… a step too far?)

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3. A beard takes years off (and has health benefits, too)

Smack a beard on your man and you've taken years off his age. Facial hair means less wrinkles, less spots and of course, no more harsh shaving rash.

Beards have also been said to help with allergies, stopping pollen or dust entering your nose and respiratory system and helping protect your man's skin when it comes to sun exposure.

4. They look more and more like your dog every day... If you're into that sort of thing...

Noticed that your husband or partner is starting to look more and more like your pet dog? It's probably the beard.

They do say that owners end up looking like their dogs, and a beard is one step closer to a statement becoming reality.

5. If they put on a check shirt, you've got yourself a lumberjack (fantasy come true)

Hands up if you're a fan of the Lumberjack look? Even if you're not, get your bearded partner to pop on a check shirt and have a jolly good old chuckle at his remarkable resemblance to a fairy tale legend.

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6. They become the centre of most conversations – only when you want them to be, of course

If they've got one epic beard you've got yourself a conversation starter right there. Take your bearded hubby or boyfriend along to work dos and family get together and watch those awkward moments fade away

7. They're celeb trendy

Beards are SO in. You might not know it, but your bearded fella is very on trend right now, just like various male celebs.