The　failure　behavior　and　energy　absorption　performance　of　aluminum　honeycomb　sandwich　beams　with　glass　fiber-reinforced　epoxy/aluminum　laminates　(GLARE)　face-sheets　under　three-point　bending　are　experimentally　and　numerically　studied.　The　experimental　specimens　consists　of　2/1　(2　aluminum　sheets　and　1　glass　fiber/epoxy　laminates)　GLARE　and　aluminum　honeycomb　core.　The　effects　of　core　height　(8　mm,　20　mm,　40　mm)　and　indenter　shape　(cylindrical　indenter　and　flat　indenter)　on　bending　failure　behavior　are　tested　in　quasi-static　three-point　bending.　Six　sandwich　beam　specimens　(300　mm-long　and　40　mm-wide)　were　prepared.　The　initial　failure　modes　of　GLARE　sandwich　beams　are　observed,　i.e.　core　shear　and　indentation.　The　numerical　model　considering　geometric　nonlinearity　is　established　by　ABAQUS/Explicit　software　and　its　effectiveness　is　verified　by　the　experimental　results　of　specimens　with　the　same　size　and　loading　conditions.　The　effects　of　geometric　and　material　parameters　on　the　load-carrying　capacity　and　energy　absorption　of　the　GLARE　sandwich　beams　are　discussed　in　details.　It　is　shown　that　increasing　the　face-sheet　thickness,　honeycomb　wall-thickness,　the　ratio　of　the　core　height　to　span　length　and　the　elasticity　effect　of　metal　materials　or　reducing　the　side　length　of　the　honeycomb　cell　can　improve　the　load-carrying　capacity　and　energy　absorption　of　GLARE　sandwich　beams.　The　work　can　provide　the　guidance　for　the　design　of　the　GLARE　sandwich　structure　with　honeycomb　core.　©　2022　Elsevier　Ltd