An angled bob haircut is characterized by shorter hair in the back and longer hair around your face. The transition from short to long is gradual, creating the angled appearance.
What Is An Angled Bob?
An angled bob is a short haircut where the hair is cut at an angle, making it shorter in the back and gradually longer towards the front. There are many specific varieties of an angled bob, such as A-line, inverted, graduated, and stacked. It’s a versatile haircut that can be customized to work with every face shape and hair type.
The Best Angled Bob for Your Face Shape

Before I get into these recommendations, you need to understand face shapes. It’s true that scientists have confirmed distinct face shapes and their traits. The thing is, each of us is 100% unique. (Source)
Don’t fret if your face shape doesn’t fall perfectly into one category. Go with the one closest to your face shape. You can also pick 2 if you’re really split down the middle.
The most important step is confirming your face shape with your hairdresser. With that, you’re sure to get a fantastic result.
How to Get The Best Angled Bob Based Upon Your Face Shape:
- Diamond. The goal is making your cheekbones look less wide, creating the illusion of an oval shape. You’ll want voluminous layers near your jaw and temples, which creates that illusion.
- Heart-Shaped. The goal is making your forehead look smaller and rounding out your chin slightly. (Bangs are perfect for achieving this!) You should get a shoulder-skimming angled bob with no volume in the top, but lots of bouncy layers around your face and ends.
- Oval. Congratulations, you have the ideal face shape! You can truly wear any style of angled bob you want. Consider your routine and desired level of maintenance to make the best choice for you.
- Round. The goal is to make your face look longer. You’ll want an angled bob with lots of volume on the top and crown area but stays sleek around your face.
- Square. The goal is adding roundness to your features. Ask your stylist for layers that reduce volume around your temples and jaw but add bounce around your cheekbones.
- Rectangle. The goal is to make your face look a bit shorter and rounder, like an oval face shape. Ask for a chin-length angled bob with a good amount of volume in the sides, but no height on top.
Hair Type Considerations for an Angled Bob

Your hair type has a huge influence on your angled bob’s upkeep.
When you find your perfect inspiration photo, consider how long it’d take you to style it the same way. If you fall in love with an ultra-sleek and shiny inverted bob but have curly hair, styling will take a lot of time.
The Most Flattering Angled Bob Variations For Each Hair Type:
- Wavy Hair: A stacked angled bob will help show off your waves. If you straighten your hair, ask for a longer cut with medium layers to reduce poofiness and frizz.
- Curly Hair (including perms): A stacked A-line bob with lots of layers will bring the best out of your curls. Bangs can be hit or miss with this hair type. Ask for your stylist’s recommendation if you’re on the fence.
- Coily Hair: Layers are your best friend when it comes to coily angled bobs. Ask for layers in the back too, rather than a graduation. This will create balanced volume, and the cut will still be flattering as it grows out.
- Straight Hair (including relaxed hair): Inverted and A-line bobs tend to give straight hair an edgy feel. If you want a softer style, ask for an inverted bob with layers and beveling through the sides.
- Fine Hair: The shorter, the better when it comes to angled bobs on fine hair. Shorter styles will create more movement and volume in your hair. Asking for graduation in the back can help boost volume, too.
- Thick and/or coarse Hair: Be careful not to take your angled bob too short. Lots of layers for reducing weight and bulk are fine. But if you ask for something shorter than chin-length, you’ll be stuck with a lot of volume and poofiness.
- Gray Hair: The texture of your grays will impact which angled bob is right for you. If your gray hairs are thick and wiry, a stacked angled bob will look gorgeous. You won’t need to do much daily styling. If your gray hairs are fine and soft, try a shoulder-skimming angled bob with side bangs. This will highlight your facial features.
- Damaged or heavily processed hair: Cutting off the most damaged parts of your hair is the best thing you can do. An inverted angled bob won’t require daily use of hot tools, so your hair can recover a bit. You’ll also want lots of layers to reduce frizz and split ends.
How to Style an Angled Bob Haircut

The best thing about an angled bob is that it can be customized to suit any hair length, type, or texture. But I’ve still got some styling tips for your new ‘do below.
Styling an Angled Bob on Fine to Medium Hair
The key to styling with this hair type is getting hold, volume, and texture. There’s nothing worse than noticing your hair has fallen flat halfway through the day. Luckily, the right products can keep your locks from ever looking limp.
My all-time favorite is SexyHair Volumizing Spray Mousse. This brand has lived up to its name since its 1998 debut. I love this mousse because it adds so much volume, but it won’t make your hair sticky or crunchy. Best of all, it’ll hold for up to 48 hours.
Focus the mousse on your roots. Then use a small amount on the rest of your hair. To get the most volume, set your blow dryer to low or medium and use a round brush to dry your roots.
You can round brush your ends if you want a full, bouncy look, or use a flat paddle brush to create sleekness.
Styling an Angled Bob on Thick or Damaged Hair
The struggle is real when you have thick hair! You want to get your hair dry and styled before your arms get exhausted. But going too fast with the blow dryer or hot tools can lead to a messy end result.
And the same is true for damaged or heavily processed hair. In this state, your hair takes longer to dry than when it’s healthy. (Source) You’re dealing with the same woes as someone with thick hair. Either way, you need a product that protects and tames your tresses to make styling easier.
That’s why I have to tell you about My Amazing Quick Dry Shake ‘n Spray. (And it is amazing.) This heat protectant will reduce your hair’s drying time—whether you air or blow dry. It’s also 100% vegan, rich in amino acids, fights tangles and frizz… I could go on.
After your hair is dry, you can style it with any hot tools you’d like. In my experience, using this product also cuts down on how long it takes to curl or straighten my hair.
Styling an Angled Bob of Wavy, Curly, or Coily Hair
The way you style an angled bob with waves, curls, or coils depends on your goal. With blow dryer and flat iron, you can completely straighten it into a gorgeous, sleek style. Or you can embrace your texture and enjoy a super low maintenance daily routine.
If you want to smooth out your locks, I suggest Oribe Straight Away Smoothing Blowout Cream. It’s pricey, but it’s worth it.
Heat damage can cause breakage and split ends to your already-fragile texture. Using this blowout cream will reduce dry time, help with the straightening process, reduce frizz, and boost shine.
If you want to go natural, all you need to do is a bit of scrunching with a good product. My favorite it Ouidad Advanced Climate Control Styling Cream. It’ll amplify your curls, waves, or coils—especially when you take the time to scrunch after washing.
And it’ll protect your angled bob from frizz, humidity, and UV damage all day. I love how lightweight and non-greasy this cream is, especially considering how much it does for my hair.
Maintaining Your Angled Bob Haircut

The maintenance for your angled bob is one of the most important things to consider. Extremely dramatic inverted versions require daily styling and frequent trims, for example.
That’s why I broke down maintenance into the levels below. By considering your face shape, hair type, and desired level of upkeep, you’ll get a haircut that’s absolutely perfect for you.
Haircut frequency:
- You want to visit the salon as little as possible. Ask for an inverted bob without any graduation or stacking. The inversion will help the cut last longer. And stacked bobs need frequent trims. Whether you’re busy with work, kids, or just the chaos of life, this cut will always look great.
- You don’t mind getting trims every couple months or so. A graduated or A-line bob will create the feeling of effortless style. Ask your stylist not to go super dramatic with the stacking or angle. These types of angled bobs need trimming every 8 to 10 weeks.
- You’re happy to stop by for quick cleanups often. You can go as bold as you’re comfortable with. Experiment with trendy bangs, shaving the back extremely short, a dramatic angle, or all 3 to find a style that matches your bold personality.
Daily styling:
- On a good hair day, you can roll out of bed and be ready in 2 minutes. Request a soft, lived-in angled bob without sharp lines. This type is perfect if you’re a busy mom!
- You’ll spend 10 or 15 minutes doing your hair whenever you have to go out. Try an inverted angled bob without graduation. Ask for short to medium layers so you have the choice of curling your hair or wearing it straight.
- You’re fine spending up to an hour primping each morning. You’ll want to choose an angled bob that suits your face shape. But otherwise, do whatever you want! If you’re willing to blow dry, straighten, or curl your hair daily, I suggest trying lots of variations.
The Most Popular Angled Bob Haircut Ideas:
There are plenty of unique ways you can get an angled bob. Below, I’ve put together photos of some of the best angled bob haircuts and hairstyles to inspire you!