30 Best Tattoos for Men Today

What are the best tattoos for men today? We discovered cool tattoos that men have gotten recently and found some stunning examples on social media. “Tattoos for men” is a big category, we understand, but the purpose of this list is to share with you some ideas and inspiration for your own ink.

You might be deciding on the placement of your tattoo or if you want it in color or just black ink. You might also be curious about the current trends that are taking hold. We will share all the insights we can about tattoos for men so you get the full picture of what designs are going to work best for you. There’s no right or wrong way to get a tattoo. You just want to make sure that your design is original and expresses your point of view. Check out these amazing tattoos that guys recently got to get inspired.

Check Out the Best Tattoos for Men Today!

Placement of Tattoos for Men

You can tattoo virtually anywhere you want to on your body but some places are more popular than others for tattoos for men. The upper arm and bicep are some of the most popular locations as these tattoos can be easily concealed or shown off!

Another Arm Piece

Here’s another, larger arm tattoo that practically constitutes a half sleeve. If you’ve been lifting weights and want to show off all the hard work you put into arm day, this placement will be a perfect option for you!

Pantera

Classic designs like this one are timeless. They are typically done with colorful ink and look distinguished.

About the Inner Bicep

Inner bicep tattoos for men look great, but a word of caution: they really hurt. Tattoos on the tender skin of the inner arm are significantly more painful than those done on the outer bicep. For this example, the fish’s tail fin probably stung the worst as you have more nerve endings near your armpit. But, it will look great if you can muscle through it.

Moving on to Forearms

Another extremely popular place for tattoos for men is the forearm. It’s one of the least painful spots to be tattooed as well. Here we find a cool geometric pattern that’s understated but still fun.

Blocks

Another exciting trend with tattoos for men today are these big blocks with intricate fill. Again, we find an abstract, geometric designs inside each block of black ink. If you want to start a full or half sleeve tattoo this is a great way to get the ball rolling.

Express Your Interests

Your tattoo should absolutely be meaningful to you. So, if you are a motor head like this person, something similar will look excellent on your forearm. It shows the world who you are.

Black & Grey

While we wrap up these forearm tattoos for men, let’s take a second to discuss color. For men (and overall), black ink is the color of choice. Here’s an awesome black and grey tattoo for you to see just how effective these types of tattoo can be. But, if color is the way you want to go, be bold!

Chest Pieces

In tattoo parlance, a large tattoo across the chest is called a chest piece. They are very popular with men and women, especially for those who already have inked up arms. Here’s a handsome one that features sharp lines and expert shading.

A Smaller Chest Piece

A chest piece that’s smaller and scale, sitting just beneath the collar bones results in a cool look. A word of caution: getting a tattoo near or over any bone hurts like a mother, so be prepared for some additional sting once the artist tattoos near your collar bones.

Keep Scrolling for Even More Cool Tattoos for Men

Pec Tats

You don’t have to go covering your entire chest in a single tattoo. Instead, you might want something situated on the pec like this snake. A watercolor effect has been applied here to add color and movement. It’s a huge trend at the moment.

Back Tattoos for Men

Let’s talk about back tattoos for men. Your back is a huge part of your body and presents your tattoo artist with a big, blank canvas to work with. You can get something epic or choose just one part, like the upper back which has been done here very well. Notice how the shapes accentuate the shoulder blades and neck? That’s money.

Epic Back Tattoos for Men

If you want to commit a lot and time and money, you can go all-out with a giant back tattoo like this one. It incorporates traditional and neo-traditional styles to great effect.

Thigh Tattoos for Men

Thigh tattoos for men are far less popular for men than women. That’s not to say they’re not uncommon! Here’s a great example with inspiration taken from Star Wars.

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Pop Culture Tattoos for Men

Pop culture tattoos for men are big! Here’s a super fun and colorful one inspired by A Goofy Movie. If you love a film, piece of art, or even meme, consider it for your tattoo. After all, you know what you like.

Calf Tattoos for Men

Here’s another pop culture tattoo. This one’s inspired by Breaking Bad‘s Walter White. Calf tattoos are very very popular with men. You’ll mostly see abstract shapes in these tattoos for men but not always.

Abstract Calf Tattoos

Here’s another calf tattoo, as promised, this one is abstract in nature. Take a look at all of those clean lines and beautiful fill.

Full Leg Sleeves for Men

We share this image with you to show you just how distinct these abstract designs can become and because you might be ambitious. Are you looking for a scheme for full leg sleeve tattoos? Something similar to this would look fantastic.

Foot Tattoos for Men

Foot tattoos for men are far less common than you might think. Most of them are funny, goofy tattoos or abstract. Here’s an example of the latter.

Funny Tattoos for Men

Here’s a tattoo that’s located just under this dude’s ankle. The foot is a great place to put a tattoo if you don’t take yourself too seriously.

Hand Tattoos for Men

Tattoos on the hands and face were once considered too taboo. But today, opinions are changing. If you’re bold and brave, go ahead and get your hand tattooed. Here’s an awesome black, grey, and white ink option.

Colorful Hand Tattoos for Men

As you can see, colorful ink on the hands really does make a huge impact. These are two traditional designs that have been looked at from a fresh perspective.

Neck Tattoos for Men

You need to have nerves of steel to get your neck tattooed but plenty of people do! Here’s an interesting tattoo that lands right on the Adam’s apple (shudder).

More Neck Tattoos for Men

The most popular area of the neck for tattooing is the side, like this one. Classic designs like swallows and roses are never going out of style.

Small Tattoos for Men

We’ve shown you a whole lot of rather large tattoos for men so we thought we’d also share some smaller ones as well. Here’s a small tattoo inspired by Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam.

More Small Tattoos for Men

Initials, words, and just a letter all make for evocative, mysterious tattoos. The person who shared this image wrote that he got the tattoo in Cyprus to commemorate time spent there.

Moody

Here’s an interesting design that highlights the importance of working with a tattoo artist who can help execute your vision. You can enjoy a tattoo that’s wholly original that way.

Sport Tattoos for Men

We could not complete a list of tattoos for men without tattoos inspired by sports. Here’s a fun basketball tattoo that’s been completed with thousands of tiny little dots.

A Knockout

Sport tattoos are extremely popular and for good reason. They’re what we play and what we enjoy being spectators for. These boxing gloves look classy.

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Happy Place

We leave you with this tattoo of a mountain landscape to encourage you to get tattoos that express the things you enjoy most. If you love spending time outdoors hiking, climbing, kayaking, etc. go ahead and get yourself a tattoo that showcases your passion for the great outdoors.

There you go! We took a look at many tattoos for men in different styles, sizes, placements, and colors. We hope this list has helped land on a tattoo idea or placement that will be perfect for you. There’s no right or wrong way to get a tattoo. Ultimately, as long as you are happy with the end result, that’s all that matters. Now, go get some ink!