The 10 Best Red Brown Hair Color Ideas in 2024

Red brown hair color offers incredible dimension and seems to glow from within with a fiery warmth balanced by earthy brown. These warm, nutty shades vary from the lightest copper chestnut brown and medium auburn brown shades to deep burgundy and mahogany tones. 

This jam-packed color guide explores the ins and outs of reddish brown color, from color ideas featuring the trendiest shades to tips for choosing the perfect red-brown color for your complexion! 

Which red brown hair color will you end up with? Let’s start with the basics and check out some gorgeous color ideas! 

What’s Considered Red Brown Hair Color?

• Shades from light copper chestnut to dark mahogany
• Colors can feature golden, coppery or deep, violet-red tones
• Warm colors best suited for warm or neutral undertones

Red brown hair color includes a multitude of shades with blended red (usually copper, violet red, or auburn) and brown (like golden brown, dark and milk chocolate, bronze, or espresso) tones.

The result is wildly dimensional color that shows more reddish tones in the light and more brown in shadows. Reddish brown hues can be red-heavy (like auburn) with more red tones than brown.

They can be brown-heavy (like chestnut) with more brown tones than red. Or they can be equally balanced shades with hints of both red and brown tones blending together. Deciding on a red brown hair color is exciting because of the variety.

But it can also be a real challenge because there are just so many options. Focusing on the overall overtone – more red? More brown? Equal amounts of both? – you want to see makes the choice so much easier! 

Most Popular Shades of Red Brown Hair Color

Some of the most popular red brown hair colors right now include various shades of chestnut, coppery browns, auburn, russet red-brown, burgundy, maroon, and mahogany. These colors range from heavy browns with subtle red undertones to bold reds balanced with a little earthy or dark brown.

Lighter red brown shades with a golden or copper undertone (like chestnut or golden copper brown) take on a glowing, warm appearance that looks amazing on anyone with warm undertones. If your undertones are peachy or golden, consider these types of red brown colors. 

Deeper red brown colors with a violet red or dark auburn undertone feature balanced warm and cool tones, so they’re more suitable for people with neutral undertones.

If your undertones are olive, yellowish, or an equal balance of warm and cool, you’ll look amazing in deeper red brown colors. Now, let’s check out some of the most beautiful red brown hair color ideas for warm and neutral undertones!

10 Gorgeous Red Brown Hair Color Ideas

Whether you’re after a fiery red shade with nutty brown undertones or an alluring brunette color with sparkling auburn accents, one thing is certain: There’s a red brown hair color for you. You just need a little inspiration to find out which shades and tones you like best! 

1. Brilliant Mahogany Brown

This deep, alluring shade of mahogany is one of our favorite red brown colors for women with neutral undertones. It’s dark and rich with incredible shine that gives the color a glistening, almost highlighted effect. This shade features well-balanced brown and red tones if you just can’t decide which color you like more!

Read Next: 25 Brown Hair With Blonde Highlights Ideas

2. Radiant Copper Brown

Copper adds a certain radiance and sparkle to brunette shades of all depths. We love this medium chocolate brown blended with bubbly copper color for a beautifully mixed shade! It’s ideal for warmer undertones and skews a little more brown than red. 

3. Lustrous Chestnut Balayage

If you’re looking for a little more red in your reddish brown color, don’t sleep on auburn-tinged chestnut! This multi-toned balayage look is a deep espresso brown at the roots.

However, it transitions into full-fledged auburn chestnut from the midshaft down. Add lowlights for a little more dimension! This color perfectly suits warm undertones.

Read Next: 30 Amazing Ash Brown Hairstyles for 2024

4. Rich Blackened Chestnut

Red brown shades can offer a lot of captivating depth when you pair a deeper red undertone with a dark shade of brown.

Here, dark chocolate tones dominate the color with glimmering violet-auburn essence shining through in the light. This deeper color works well for neutral undertones with the cooler violet and dark brown tones in the mix. 

5. Deep Golden Auburn

This deep auburn color gets illuminated with a subtle golden undertone that gives the hue a coppery gleam. It’s the ultimate shade for women who want to go for a red-heavy color with a little more depth.

This color can work equally well for warm and neutral undertones thanks to the cool violet tones in the auburn color and vibrant golden copper tones. 

6. Golden Earthy Copper Sombre

Light earthy brown tones darken the roots of this sombre (subtle ombre) color and leave a trace of nutty brown to tame the subtle copper lengths.

Hints of gold characterize this look and make it especially flattering on warm undertones. It’s well balanced with equal amounts of brown and red tones. 

7. Mahogany Ginger Balayage

Rich, mahogany roots transition into auburn and finally light ginger tones in this dimensional balayage look. The focus is on the red shades in this look with brown adding a little more depth and shadow for balance.

Since it gradually lightens toward the ends into a warm, golden coppery tone, it’s best for women with warm undertones. 

8. Bronzed Copper Brown

Bronze tones stand out in this nutty brown color with gleaming copper undertones. It’s a very warm color, so it’s not ideal for neutral undertones but looks incredible on warm undertones. Radiant copper and bronze lift the nutty brown to give it fiery warmth that seems to glow from within.

9. Chocolate Auburn

Chocolate auburn is such a classic red brown hair color. It’s rich, polished, and looks naturally sun-lightened with well-placed balayage highlights lending a little brightness.

Deep, dark chocolate tones mingle with brilliant auburn to create a dimensional shade that appears to change color in the light. This shade works well for neutral undertones. 

10. Glistening Auburn Chestnut Brown

Did someone order a glistening chestnut brown, heavy on the auburn? If you haven’t, you should. This color brings a surprising amount of depth and bold color with a reddish-brown chestnut base mixed with light-scattering auburn tones for richness. Neutral undertones will absolutely slay in this color. 

Will Red Brown Hair Color Suit You?

You’ve seen some beautiful examples of the diversity and range you’ll find in red brown hair colors. From light golden brown shades with coppery accents to darker auburn and mahogany-toned browns, your red brown color options are many. 

But how is this color family going to look on you? Will it suit your complexion and skin tone or totally clash?

Fortunately, it’s easy enough to determine if red brown shades will suit you before you apply a drop of dye. Here’s what you need to check before you commit to this color. 

• Your skin tone. Is your skin fair/light, medium, or deep in tone? The more melanin you have, the darker you can go with your reddish brown shade without the color appearing too harsh against your skin. If you’re very fair, try opting for lighter red-brown or red-heavy colors if you’re interested in deeper shades. Red adds a brightening effect even to darker browns. 
• Your undertones. Are your undertones warm, neutral, or cool? Warm undertones look amazing in golden, copper, chestnut, and bronze red-brown shades. Neutral undertones do well with rich browns paired with auburn, violet-red, and mahogany accents. Cool undertones can try the same shades as neutral undertones, but they’ll likely still appear too warm for a blue/pink undertone.
• Your commitment to maintenance. While brunette shades can be very low-maintenance and easy to care for, red is known to be one of the highest-maintenance shades and fades extraordinarily fast. How committed are you to maintenance to keep your reddish brown vibrant and pure? If you know you won’t bother to get touch-ups every 4-6 weeks or so, you might want to skip these shades. 

You Might Also Like:

• Best Hair Colors for Warm Skin Tones
• Best Unnatural Hair Colors for Cool Skin Tones
• Best Hair Colors for Neutral Skin Tones

Red Brown Hair Color Maintenance Tips

Speaking of maintenance, let’s talk about keeping your red brown hair color looking salon-fresh. First, know that adding red to any color – blonde, brown, even black – means you’ll need touch-ups more often because red fades fast.

Like, you’ll need to touch it up every 4-6 weeks fast. Red pigment molecules are actually bigger than other colors, so they don’t penetrate strands as deeply and therefore don’t last as long. 

Maintaining brownish red hair, then, requires a bit more effort and more salon visits. But there are things you can do to help maximize your color vibrancy for a longer period of time right at home! 

• Switch to a sulfate-free shampoo. Shampoos formulated without sulfates are gentler on strands, meaning they won’t strip color molecules from dye away as quickly as regular shampoo. Look for a special shampoo for colored hair for even more fade-fighting power. 
• Wash your hair less often. If you’re washing your hair daily, or even every other day, you’re contributing to the fading process. There’s a good chance your strands can stand waiting another day or so in between shampoos – and even a modest reduction in washing will help prolong your red brown color. See How Often Should You Wash Your Hair? for more info.
• Minimize chlorine and UV exposure. Spending too much time in the sun or pool without adequate protection will fade your red brown color faster. If you’ll be outdoors or swimming, try to protect your hair with a swim cap, wide-brim hat, or hair sunscreen to prevent fast-forwarding the fade process. 
• Limit other sources of damage. Any way you damage your hair can make your color fade faster, whether it’s with heat styling, chemical processing, or the above-mentioned UV rays and chlorine. Take care to use heat protectant before blow drying or using hot tools to style your hair. And avoid other chemical processes – straightening treatments and relaxers, perms, highlights, etc. for a couple of months after dying your hair. 
• Moisturize and deep condition. It won’t technically help with fading, but it will help keep your color looking more vibrant! Moisturizing your hair with conditioner and regular deep conditioning treatments will help you avoid the dull appearance of dried-out strands. 

Read Next: Can You Use Purple Shampoo on Brown Hair?

So, Could Red Brown Hair Color Be Your Next Shade?

We’ve looked at what red brown hair color is, the many different shades within this category, and several cute color ideas with reddish brown tones. We’ve covered the skin tones and undertones different red brown shades look best on and tips to maintain this color.

What do you think – is red brown the right color for you? If you have warm or neutral undertones, it’s guaranteed that you can find a great shade of reddish brown to suit you.

Go lighter in color if you’re fair and take things deeper with more brown tones if your skin is medium or deep in tone. If you’re fair and want a deeper shade of reddish brown, opt for one with more red in it for the most flattering effect. 

Cool undertones aren’t really suited for warm red browns, but deeper tones in this category with violet red, auburn, or mahogany undertones will be the closest match. 

From golden coppery brown and chestnut shades to the intense depth of darker mahogany and deep auburn, there’s no limit to the red brown shades you can dream up.

You just might land on the perfect color to flatter your complexion and accentuate your best features! Just make sure you’re up for the enhanced maintenance requirements – red really keeps you on your toes!