There’s something different about having guy best friends in your 20s. It’s not always like having a brother, and it’s definitely not like dating—it’s this weird, wonderful, chaotic middle ground where you somehow become their therapist, wingwoman, and honorary dude all at once.
I’ve always had close guy friends, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that being best friends with guys in your 20s is an adventure in itself. Some days, it’s full of fun, late-night drives, and inside jokes. Other days, it’s wildly frustrating, and you find yourself questioning how they even function as adults. But through it all, these friendships are some of the most genuine, unpredictable, and hilarious relationships you’ll ever have.
The Good: Built-In Protection & Chaos Partners
One of the best things about having guy best friends? They are always down for an adventure. Whether it’s a random road trip, a last-minute decision to hit a concert, or staying up until 3 AM talking about life, they bring a level of spontaneity that keeps things exciting.
They also keep it real. There’s no sugarcoating, no overanalyzing texts, no passive-aggressiveness—just straight-up honesty. If you need brutal but necessary advice, they’ll give it to you. If you need someone to hype you up, they’re there. If you need someone to roast you just enough to humble you, well, they excel at that too. They’ll have late-night sleepovers on my couch when I don’t want to be alone. They’ll tell me when my self-tan looks absolutely ratchet before I leave the house (because real friends don’t let real friends go out looking crazy). They’ll find me a date for a date party just so I can be there with all of them.
And let’s not forget the built-in security team benefit. Walking into a bar or party with your guy best friends? You’re automatically untouchable. If some creepy dude starts hovering, they’ll step in without hesitation—not because they’re trying to control you, but because they genuinely care. And honestly, that’s a level of friendship that’s hard to beat.
Here are just a few more goodies in having guy best friends:
You Get Another Family
One of the most unexpected (but best) parts of being the girl best friend? You don’t just get a friend—you get an entire second family.
Their parents start treating you like one of their own. Their mom checks in on you, their dad makes sure you’re safe, and their siblings start calling you for advice like you’re their built-in big sister. You go to their family cookouts, birthday parties, and even holiday gatherings, and before you know it, you’re just part of the family.
It’s comforting to know that, no matter what, you have another home full of people who genuinely care about you.
They Always Know When a Guy Isn’t It
My guy best friends are the first ones to tell me when a guy is not worth my time.
They see things I don’t. They analyze every red flag, call out every bad habit, and remind me what I deserve—even when I don’t want to hear it. And when I ignore their warnings (because, of course, I have to see for myself), they are always there to pick up the pieces when it doesn’t work out.
They’ll let me cry on their shoulder, show up with my favorite snacks, and distract me with something fun—all while making sure to remind me, "We told you so." (But at least they say it with love.)
They’re Low-Key the Best Handymen
Having guy best friends means I don’t need AAA or a handyman—I’ve got them.
They’ll take my garbage out, fix my broken things, and change my flat tire—but not without roasting me the entire time. ("How do you not know how to do this?" or "I swear, you’d die in the wilderness in five minutes.")
They Never Leave You Out
They will treat me like one of the bros, and somehow, even though I’m usually the only girl at the bar with them on a Saturday afternoon, they never make me feel like an outsider. I’m always included in the plans, always welcome at their table, and always part of the crew.
And if someone has something to say about it? They are the first ones to stand up for me.
Having guy best friends is truly one of the greatest gifts—full of laughter, protection, and endless adventures.
The Bad: The Emotional Brick Walls & the Awkward Reality of Being a Girl Best Friend
Now, as much as I love my guy best friends, let’s be real—they are not always the best with emotions. Trying to have a deep, emotional conversation with them can sometimes feel like talking to a brick wall.
They care, but they don’t always know how to show it. Instead of saying, "Hey, I know you’ve been feeling down, want to talk about it?" you’ll get something like, "Yo, let’s go get food." Or if you’re really lucky, they’ll just awkwardly pat you on the head like a golden retriever who doesn’t know what to do with a crying human.
Their version of checking in is sending you a meme, roasting you, or randomly showing up at your place to drag you out of the house—because to them, that’s how they show they care. It’s frustrating when you just need someone to talk it out with, but at the same time, their presence alone somehow makes everything feel a little less heavy.
Here are just a few more of the not so great things about having guy best friends:
Sometimes, You Just Don’t Relate
As much as I love being close to my guy best friends, sometimes it’s hard to relate to them—and just as hard for them to relate to me.
They don’t understand why I can’t just "stop overthinking a text message" or why I refuse to show up somewhere without mentally preparing for at least an hour. They have no clue why a bad hair day can completely throw off my confidence, and honestly, I don’t think they’ve ever truly experienced the sheer emotional rollercoaster that is trying to pick out an outfit and hating everything in your closet.
And on the flip side, I don’t understand half the things they talk about. Fantasy football? No clue. The absolute obsession with a grill they don’t even own yet? Couldn’t be me. The way they refuse to text back within a normal time frame but will game with their friends for six hours straight? Baffling.
Sometimes, it feels like we’re living in two completely different worlds—but somehow, we make it work.
No Guy Will Ever Believe They're Just Your Best Friend
Let me just say this—no guy you’re talking to will ever fully believe that your guy best friends are just your best friends.
You can explain it a hundred different ways, pull out years' worth of receipts, even have your best friend himself say, "Bro, I would never," and it still won’t be enough.
Because the truth is, most guys cannot comprehend a guy and a girl being this close without some kind of romantic history. So, every time you start talking to a new guy, you have to go through the same exhausting conversation:
"No, we’ve never been a thing.""No, we’re not secretly in love with each other.""No, he’s not waiting for his chance.""Yes, he’s literally like my brother."
And somehow, none of these answers seem to be enough.
Knowing How Guys Actually Work Changes Everything
Here’s another hard truth about having guy best friends: once you know how guys really work, it ruins you a little.
You hear their unfiltered opinions on dating, you watch them put in effort when they actually like someone, and you see them plan cute dates, text first, and go out of their way to make a girl feel special.
And then… you look at the guy you’re talking to, and he can’t even text you back in a reasonable amount of time.
It’s eye-opening, to say the least. Because when your guy best friends put in that much effort for a girl they like, it becomes painfully obvious when the guy you’re into is doing the absolute bare minimum.
It’s frustrating because now you know exactly what effort looks like, and you can’t sit there and pretend like “guys just aren’t good at expressing their feelings” when you’ve seen your best friends literally plan a whole weekend trip for a girl they’ve been talking to for a month.
You Never Know If They’re Joking—And Neither Do They
One of the most chaotic parts of having guy best friends? You literally never know if they’re joking or not.
They could be making the most absurd statement ever, and you’ll sit there debating for way too long if they’re serious. And they, in turn, don’t always know when to stop.
The jokes can be relentless, and sometimes, they don’t realize they’ve crossed a line until you hit them with the classic "Dude. Not funny." Then suddenly, they’re stumbling over their words like, "Oh… wait, I didn’t mean it like that, I was just messing with you."
And let’s not forget the hypothetical scenarios they create for no reason—"Would you still be friends with me if I lost both my legs but only spoke in riddles?" or "What if I started an underground fight club, but it was for charity—would you support me?" Like… what are we even talking about right now?
At the end of the day, though, it’s all love. They might be emotionally clueless, roast you daily, and never take anything seriously, but they’re also the most loyal, protective, and dependable people you could ever ask for.
And honestly? I wouldn’t trade the chaos for anything.
The Adventures: The Stories You’ll Never Forget
Being best friends with guys in your 20s guarantees some of the most ridiculous, unhinged, and unforgettable moments of your life.
Like that time you were supposed to go out for one drink, but suddenly it’s 4 AM, and you’ve somehow ended up on a spontaneous road trip, blasting country music and screaming song lyrics. Or the time you convinced one of them to send the absolute worst pickup line imaginable, just to see if it would work (spoiler: it didn’t).
Or the many, many nights at the frat house, when you would show up in your pajamas, plop down on the living room couch, and watch movies with them until the sun came up—because at that point, they were more like your brothers than anything else.
Or the spring break trips where, every single year, the guys turned it into a personal challenge to see how much beer they could consume in a week, while your personal challenge was seeing how long you could go without getting sunburned. (Spoiler: you lost every time.)
And let’s not forget the night they put you in a car freshman year after leaving the bar and drove you all the way to Tuscaloosa just to get Whataburger—and then crashed at one of their houses for a few hours before driving right back eight hours later. Because in their minds, that was a completely normal thing to do.
Or the time you tried to teach your guy best friends how to do back handsprings and back tucks on the hill in front of their frat house, and let’s just say... it ended in absolute chaos. (You really thought you were coaching Olympic gymnasts, but in reality, you were just trying to prevent them from breaking their necks while getting a few bruises yourself.)
And then there’s the questionable haircuts. Somewhere along the way, you became the designated barber, trimming their hair before date parties, formals, and sometimes just because they didn’t feel like going to a real barber. But nothing will ever top the night you shaved your guy friend’s head completely bald—a decision that seemed hilarious at the time. this was still not as bad as when you bleached his hair the year before. Did I mention this man had his senior pictures the next day- another decision that seemed hilarious at the time., but the next morning, when he looked in the mirror and fully processed what had happened, he might have shed a tear or two.
Through all of this—the late-night drives, the sleepovers, the spring breaks, the impulsive road trips, the haircuts, the failed gymnastics lessons—you realize something:
These guys? They’re family.
And these stories? You’ll be telling them for the rest of your life.
Why These Friendships Matter So Much
At the end of the day, having guy best friends in your 20s is one of the best experiences ever. They teach you how to take life less seriously, how to embrace the chaos, and how to laugh at things instead of overthinking them.
They have your back, even if they don’t always know how to express it. They’ll call you out when you need it, show up for you when it matters, and make sure you’re never left standing alone at a party.
They’re the ones who will roast your life choices, but also threaten anyone who hurts you. The ones who will pull off ridiculous last-minute road trips, but also sit with you in silence when you just need someone there. The ones who fix your car, your broken furniture, and sometimes even your broken heart—all while making fun of you the entire time.
So if you’re lucky enough to have a few great guy friends, hold onto them. Because these friendships? They’re rare, they’re wild, and they’re worth every bit of the chaos that comes with them.
Comments