Most of the year, I keep my beard pretty short (~1 - 2 cm), so I just shampoo/condition it with my hair.  Over the summer holidays, though, I usually let my beard grow out, and then I do use beard balm.

I find it keeps my beard much softer.  It also seems to make it a little easier to manage; without it, my hair immediately curls in every direction and looks even thinner than it actually is.

I don't know what the ingredients are, but I assume it's mostly just a hydrophobic barrier to keep the hairs from drying out.  If you have a somewhat longish beard and it's not as soft as you like or it's not growing as long as you'd like, I say try it out.  Note, you only need the tiniest amount, so it usually lasts a good while.

1-2 cm is not so short.. for me at least!

;D

So I use a beard conditioner. I have not seen a huge difference but still better than nothing.

But I guess if someone's beard is quite short, they you really dont need such products.

I find it keeps my beard much softer.  It also seems to make it a little easier to manage; without it, my hair immediately curls in every direction and looks even thinner than it actually is.

I don't know what the ingredients are, but I assume it's mostly just a hydrophobic barrier to keep the hairs from drying out.  If you have a somewhat longish beard and it's not as soft as you like or it's not growing as long as you'd like, I say try it out.  Note, you only need the tiniest amount, so it usually lasts a good while.