Side by side
Buzz Cut vs Crew Cut
Both read as very short, and in casual speech a crew cut is often just called a buzz.
Classic
Buzz Cut
One guard, whole head, done. It exposes the shape of your skull completely, which is either the point or the problem. No styling, no product, no bad hair days.
Full buzz cut pageScissor
Crew Cut
Short and graduated, slightly longer at the front than the crown, tapered at the sides. The most practical cut in the list — no product needed, no styling, and it never looks wrong.
Full crew cut pageWhat actually separates them.
A buzz cut is one length everywhere — a single guard run over the whole head, no graduation, fifteen to twenty minutes. A crew cut is graduated: longer at the front than at the crown, tapered down the sides, and the top is cut with scissors rather than clippers. That length at the front is the point of it, because it gives the cut a direction and a front-to-back shape a buzz does not have.
| Measure | Buzz Cut | Crew Cut |
|---|---|---|
| Guard range | Scissor only | 1-2 |
| Chair time | 15-20m | 25-30m |
| Back in | 1-2 wks | 2-3 wks |
| Instrument | Scissors | Clipper + scissors |
| Category | Classic | Scissor |
| Suits | Oval, Square, Diamond | Oval, Square, Diamondsame |
| Hair type | Straight, Thick, Coily, Fine | Straight, Thick, Fine |
Pick on upkeep, not on the photo.
Choose the buzz cut
You want zero styling, zero product, and the cheapest maintenance on the list. You will need it back every one to two weeks to keep it even.
Choose the crew cut
You want short without looking shaved, and you want something that still has a shape when it grows. Two to three weeks, and it is the more flattering of the two on almost every face.
If you want a crew cut, say scissors on top and ask for more length left at the front. Ask for a number all over and you have ordered a buzz.
The words for each.
For a buzz cut
- Give the guard number. A one is shadow, a three is visible hair.
- Say whether you want it graduated at all, or genuinely one length.
- Ask for the neckline and sideburns cleaned up — that is what separates it from a home job.
For a crew cut
- Ask for a crew cut with a little more length left at the front.
- Give the guard for the sides and say scissors on top.
- Ask for a taper rather than a fade if you want it softer.