If you want cool, charming and meaningful ink, wrist tattoos are always a versatile and unique option for men. The most popular wrist tattoo ideas have traditionally been religious symbols, quotes, initials, geometric shapes, tribal art, bracelets or bands, and other masculine designs. However, wrist tattoos for men have transformed over the years to include an even wider range of badass design ideas. In fact, tattoos on the wrist can have many meanings and given their visibility, it’s important for your artwork to suit your look. To spark your creativity and help you find something authentic, check out the best wrist tattoos for guys to get right now. Discover tattoo designs for the male wrist that are truly inspirational, fun and amazing.
Wrist Tattoo Ideas
Small Wrist Tattoo
There’s less space to work with on the wrist, so a small tattoo can be a stylish and special option to consider. Slender and sleek designs not only fit the location nicely but are also trendy, especially simple ideas like numbers, dates, phrases, lyrics, flowers, birds, a crown, and other cool pieces.
Simple Wrist Tattoo
Sometimes the best wrist tattoo is a sweet and simple one. Minimalist ink is a modern and stylish take on the wrist, like a small shape, simple word, or understated rendition of an animal that’s usually more complex. Fortunately, a more simplistic design hurts less in this sensitive area.
Meaningful Wrist Tattoo
Though you can get any kind of artwork you’d like, most men choose the wrist as a location for a meaningful tattoo. This is because this spot is highly visible, and can serve as a reminder of whatever the design stands for. Dig deep for inspiration for this tat to create something that speaks to you, whether it represents a philosophy, memory, place, or loved one.
Tribal Wrist Tattoo
If you want unique styling and shading, tribal wrist tattoos make for a stylish piece you’ll love looking at regularly. With their bold and intricate designs, cool tribal ideas can be wrapped around the wrist to form a cool bracelet or wristband tattoo. Consider getting a design that sits just above the cuff so you can decide whether to cover or display your tribal tattoo.
Side Wrist Tattoo
Because it’s a slender and narrow area, the side wrist doesn’t allow for much size variation in tattoos. The recommended style is a sleek and simple tattoo, like a word or quote, so that you don’t overwhelm the side of the wrist.
Full Wrist Tattoo
While many people choose to ink a smaller section of their forearm, some men choose to stand out with a full wrist tattoo. This type of body art maximizes the space and uses the entire area as a canvas, which is perfect for intricate, detail-oriented designs. The pain might be heavy, but it will look so smooth in the end.
Top of Wrist Tattoo
Many men gravitate toward a top of the wrist tattoo that they can easily look at and admire at any time, both for themselves, onlookers, and anyone who reaches in for a handshake. Some common ideas for the back of the wrist are patterns, symbols, and quirky designs, like bar codes or illustrations.
Inner Wrist Tattoo
The inner wrist is a high-quality location for a tattoo, especially since it’s not necessarily visible right away; it can act as a subtle surprise for the wearer when he flips his wrist around. Men sometimes choose a small and sleek tat here or use the space to crawl up the arm.
Wrist and Hand Tattoo
One way to make the most of a wrist tattoo is by also extending it to the hand. Choose or create a design that thoughtfully uses both spaces in a fluid movement. One example is an octopus, where the head starts at the wrist and its legs expand on top of the hand.
Inspirational Wrist Tattoo
The wrist is a high-traffic area for viewership, so you might as well make your tattoo count; an inspirational, intentional, and motivational piece of ink is perfect for this spot. It can be a word, quote, or phrase that excites you, moves you, or keeps you going.
Cool Wrist Tattoo
Since it’s such a central location, why not decorate your wrist with a truly cool tattoo? Depending on your style and aesthetic and what you define as the-bomb-dot-come, this tattoo ranges from badass masculine designs to creative and artistic pieces of art, traditional ink to a one-of-a-kind creation.
Wrist Name Tattoo
If there’s someone you truly love, the ultimate expression of dedication is to tattoo their name on your wrist. Location-wise, the wrist lays it out there for the world to see (or even yourself, if you need a reminder for how to spell their name). Design-wise, it can be anyone from a partner to a parent, child, pet, or even a city that you’ve fallen in love with.
Wrist Bracelet Tattoo
A common design for the wrist is a bracelet-inspired tattoo, that wraps around the hand or forearm. This kind of band is highly versatile and is easily personalized. Some men go for a simple solid black bracelet, while others prefer dotted lines or a louder pattern.
Flower Wrist Tattoo
Men have been tattooing flower-inspired body art for generations since they’re forever trendy, flattering, and symbolic of nature, health, and spirituality. Whether your ink starts at the wrist and extends up the arm as a sleeve or remains a single piece, you won’t regret a thorny rose or a lotus flower.
Infinity Tattoo on Wrist
Infinity tattoos on the wrist are a meaningful way to express yourself. While the infinity symbol can have many meanings to you, the sign most commonly refers to the eternal or an individual’s limitless potential. Trending, simple and cool-looking, infinity tattoos have grown in popularity over the years. For more unique design ideas, consider combining the infinity symbol with a rose, bible verse, arrow, or feather.
Wrist Quote Tattoos
Wrist quote tattoos are the perfect way to keep yourself feeling motivated, inspired or at peace. Because wrist tattoos with words can be extremely visible, it’s important to find quotes, phrases, or lyrics that truly represent a timeless and true life philosophy. Alternatively, men can also consider one-word statements with a powerful symbol like an infinity, heart, animal, or clouds tattoo for added emphasis.
Love Tattoo on Wrist
Honor loved ones with a cool meaningful design by getting a love tattoo on your wrist. For instance, if you believe and live by the phrase “all you need is love”, then a love tattoo is a great fit. We recommend inspired illustrations, words, or names that demonstrate your passion, commitment, and loyalty.
Cross Tattoo on Wrist
Because of the elongated shapes of both the Christian cross and the human wrist, combining the two seems like common sense. A cross tattoo on the wrist is a refreshing and lasting way to honor your religion and express your faith.
Bible Verse Wrist Tattoo
The written word of God is very powerful to many Christians; a common wrist tattoo is commemorating your favorite bible verse. You can write it out fully or go for the shortened Bible citation, like John 3:16.
Anchor Wrist Tattoo
Many men gravitate toward anchor wrist tattoos because of their inherent masculinity, naval history, and symbolism of staying grounded and safe. You can incorporate chains and other sea-inspired elements into the design as well to play up the nautical vibe.
Heart Tattoo on Wrist
As the literal life-bearing organ in the body, hearts are both vital and incredibly cool. Some men choose heart tattoos to capture this essence. The wrist is a great spot for a heart tattoo with names, especially if you want to show love for your family or honor lost loved ones.
Initial Tattoo on Wrist
If there’s someone in your life who means the world to you, an initial tattoo is worth considering. The wrist is a great spot to showcase to the world who matters most, and also give yourself daily reminders of your loved one.
Wrap Around Wrist Tattoo
Many men decide to cover their wrist in a tattoo that wraps itself entirely around the arm. Wrap-around tattoos come in all kinds of types and sizes, from simple and chic lines to intricate scenes. Some ideas include a nature image like a mountain range or tree line, snakes, fire, sound waves, the ocean, or a vine.
Bird Tattoo on Wrist
Bird tattoos are known to symbolize many things, from nature to freedom to nomadic tendencies. Specific birds represent different things as well – many American men are known to sport a patriotic eagle, while religious people are drawn to the dove, or big-personality guys might choose peacock feathers to highlight their individuality.
Semicolon Wrist Tattoo
Semicolons on the wrist are common and significant tattoos. This tattoo represents people who faced suicidal thoughts but ultimately decided to live; the semicolon symbolizes that there’s more to a person’s story, rather than an abrupt end – an author chooses to continue the sentence. Its placement on the wrist is to the benefit of the wearer, who can look at their ink and remember their strong decision to keep going and living.
Crown Wrist Tattoo
Men who either enjoy the idea of royalty and power or see themselves as a success-chasing king are compatible with a crown wrist tattoo. It’s representative of fortitude and pride, which makes the pronged symbol perfect for those who capture those ideals. Also, they match nicely with a partner’s crown or tiara tattoo.
