Imagine you have two cars parked in front of you. On your left side, you have a vehicle with a smelly interior – one that is emitting odors enough to overwhelm your nostrils. On your ride side is an incredibly fresh-looking car that is also giving a nice clean scent. Which of the two will you ride in?
Of course the latter. Then why shouldn’t you purchase the best car air freshener? It won’t only neutralize the stinky car odors that may be there for a variety of reasons. A car air freshener also produces a relaxing ambiance and creates a pleasant driving space.
Sounds like something you’d gladly pay for? Then scroll down to check out the ten best smelling car air fresheners that money can buy. Some of them will only mask foul odors. Others would eliminate them altogether. Yet all will leave your car smelling new and fresh.
Best Car Air Freshener
The Freiq car air freshener offers many outstanding features. Foremost among them is its ability to purify your car’s interior air and also refresh it. It does that by releasing negative ions that eliminate odor-causing particles to improve air quality and fragrance.
The negative ions allow the air freshener to get rid of stale odors, smoke smell, and foul odors. They also empower it to get the better of contaminants like viruses, bacteria, and mold. Little wonder, then, that it’s known as the best air freshener for cigarette smoke in car.
One of this model’s ends will plug into the 12v cigarette lighter to operate on autopilot. The other has a blue LED light that will beautify your car’s interior. Also there is the indicator light. It will stay on as long as the air freshener’s level hasn’t reached close to empty.
Key Features
ü Eliminates bad odors, smoke smell, and bacteria
ü Plugs directly into the 12v cigarette lighter
ü Blue LED light to beautify your car’s interior
ü Competitively priced
Why We Like It:
The FRIEQ car air purifier and air freshener eliminates terrible odors, takes care of viruses, bacteria and mold and also infuses your car’s interior with a fresh fragrance.
Here is one of the most popular car air fresheners on the market. It is available in forty-two colors and is delivered in a pack of 6 to ensure long-lasting usage. Those of you who are allergic to strong smells might want to go for its ‘sliced’ and ‘supernova’ scents.
Others who prefer a strong smell would be better served with the ‘rose thorn’ or ‘blackberry clove’ or ‘bold embrace’ fragrances. Though the majority prefers the ‘vanilla pride’ scent because it takes good care of unwanted odors but without overpowering your nostrils.
Putting up this air freshener is super easy. The adhesive on its back lets you attach it to a clean, dry and wax-free surface – like the top of your dashboard. This means you can both put up – and take it down – in less than five seconds.
Key Features:
ü Available in 42 scents
ü Easy to put up and remove
ü Fragrance lingers on for weeks
ü Universal fit
Why We Like It:
The Little Trees is an incredibly easy-to-use that is easy to put up and remove and lasts weeks in normal weather conditions.
Hoping to get your hands on an air freshener that smells like men’s cologne? Want something that could last three to four weeks? Not willing to pay a fortune for both the abovementioned features? Then you’d find plenty to like about the Little Trees Black Ice air freshener.
You may have guessed by now that the scent is pretty masculine. What you may not have deduced is that it doesn’t go overboard as other air fresheners do. Its refreshing yet musky notes keep your car’s atmosphere pleasant without getting to the heads of its more sensitive passengers.
And the best thing about this air freshener? Its pack of 24 strips lasts a month. Sure, some people may have hoped for two dozen strips to last longer. But you cannot complain about their longevity once you juxtapose it with this air freshener’s price tag, which is pretty low.
Key Features
ü Smells like men’s cologne
ü Whole pack lasts up to a month
ü Comes in bold and attractive packaging
ü Works anywhere
Why We Like It:
The Little Trees Black Ice air freshener smells like men’s cologne and lasts a month while being available at a price that won’t blow a hole in your pocket.
The Yankee Candle Car Jar air freshener has an eye-catching catching design that won’t look out of place in most vehicles. It packs a powerful fragrance that will keep on scenting your vehicle’s interior for up to four weeks, more if the weather is favorable.
Equally noteworthy is its long strap. The majority may use it to hang the air freshener to the rearview mirror. Those with an imaginative mind may take advantage of its length by wrapping it around the metal rods in the driver seat’s headrest.
There is another area where these car jars outsmart your standard cardboard air freshener. The scent that it churns out is potent enough to overpower and neutralize smoke smells. But it won’t weigh your nostrils. It means you’d be able to enjoy the fragrance and not get troubled by it.
Key Features
ü Lasts up to 4 weeks
ü Eye-catching design
ü 100% recyclable
ü Hangs on the back of the driver seat
Why We Like It:
The Yankee Candle Car Jar air freshener stays out of the driver’s view and churns out a scent potent enough to neutralize strong and stubborn smells.
The Maison Berger refillable diffuser set is pretty easy to operate out of the package. You only have to open its vented end, place the scented ceramic in the middle, close the end and hang it to your car’s vents using the vent clip. That’s where the good news will start.
Its front-facing control panel is loaded with icons. One of them – which consists of numbers ranging from 1 to 5 – lets you select the scent’s release intensity. The other will start blinking when the inner scent level is falling and it’s time to refill.
And the best thing about this diffuser set? It is available in nine highly sought-after options. They include anti-pet odor, anti-tobacco odor, aquatic freshness, aroma energy, eternal sap, and exquisite sparkle, among others. You can thus easily find a scent complementing your preference.
Key Features
ü Easy to set up and refill
ü Lets you regulate scent release intensity
ü Available in nine different scents
ü Up to four weeks shelf life
Why We Like It:
The Maison Berger refillable car vent diffuser set is straightforward to set up and refill and is as easy to use thanks to the convenient icons on its control panel.
Febreze has long been the choice of people looking for the best new car scent air freshener. Models like this are the reason why. It is equipped with an odor-eliminating gel that relies on your car’s airflow system to disseminate its scent throughout your vehicle.
You can keep on using this air freshener for up to 30 days at the low setting and under ambient conditions. Though its shelf life may fall to less than 20 days during hot or humid conditions. Which is why we recommend you buy two packs of this air freshener if it’s a scorcher out there.
Doing so won’t hit you hard in the pocket as this air freshener is one of the most inexpensive on the market. Though that isn’t because it has cut any corners. Had that been the case, it wouldn’t have offered features like self-activation, flow control, and more.
Key Features
ü Lasts up to 30 days
ü Eliminates stubborn odors
ü Allows you to select the level of intensity
ü Mess-free operation
Why We Like It:
This best smelling car air freshener lasts up to a month in favorable weather conditions and churns out a scent capable of neutralizing the toughest of odors.
Three features of the Yankee Candle Square Starter Kit make it a must-have. The first is its eye-catching design which won’t let this product look out of place in most vehicles. Its brushed nickel finish will also add a class of its own to your vehicle’s interior.
Then there are the various scents that it offers. They include nine of the most in-demand fragrances, from the soft pink sands to the bold leather fragrance. You can also pick up midsummer’s night, clean cotton, Sicilian lemon, and vanilla cupcake scent. The list goes on.
Regardless of the scent you’ll pick up for your car, you’ll find one thing in common. All of them boast an above-average shelf life of up to 30 days. Yankee Candle further sweetens the deal by throwing in one refill in the kit, without charging you a penny. That means you’ll have the first refill for free.
Key Features
ü Eye-catching design and finish
ü Includes a refill at no extra cost
ü Available in linear, square, and geometric designs
ü Mess-free operation
Why We Like It:
The Yankee Candle Square Starter Kit packs an eye-catching design, long-lasting scents, and a spare refill without charging you anything extra for it.
Most car air fresheners you see on the market don’t do much besides masking odors. That is to say they envelop the unwanted smell with scents of their own. Meguiar’s G181302 is different. Its potent formula empowers this air freshener to eliminate stubborn odors altogether.
You have two options when it comes to using this model. Those of you who are in a hurry might spray it while driving and it would take care of unwanted odors. Others with a little extra time on their hands can start their vehicle, turn on the AC, spray this air freshener, and close the door for up to 15 minutes.
Your patience will be rewarded. While you might be busy doing some important stuff, this air freshener will get into every nook and cranny of your vehicle’s interior to suss-out unwanted smells, leaving behind a rich, black chrome scent.
Key Features
ü Removes odors permanently
ü Requires one-time use
ü Leaves behind black chrome scent
ü Refreshes and purifies the air
Why We Like It:
The Meguiar’s G181302 whole car air re-fresher removes odors permanently on one-time use while also leaving behind a black chrome scent that we adore.
The Zendora car air purifier is equipped with a 5-stage air filtration system that receives dirty air and churns out one that is non-toxic. The mechanism with which it achieves that objective is a little technical, but we have to explain the details. Here’s why.
Three of the five stages are responsible for keeping your car’s indoor air healthy. The most important among them is the HEPA filter. It blocks particles as small as 0.3 microns and keeps smoke, pet dander, and dust from re-entering your car.
Then there are the activated carbon prefilter and UV filter. The former eliminates bad odors and, via the help of essential oils, adds fragrance to your car. The latter, meanwhile, kills airborne viruses and germs, as well as mold and fungus spores.
Key Features
ü 5-stage filtration system
ü Attaches to the back of the front seat
ü Kills airborne viruses and germs
ü LED indicator displaying low/high power modes
Why We Like It:
Most car air fresheners that you see in this review only do what their name implies. The Zendora Car ‘Air Purifier’ goes one step ahead by removing particles that may make your car’s air toxic.
The Bigfoot Air Freshener offers a two-step installation. You just have to remove it from the delivery box and use the included string to hang it on the rearview mirror. The pine scent coming out of it will be strong to freshen up your car’s interior in a matter of seconds.
It is available in packs of 2 and 3 but we recommend you buy the bigger pack. That’s because one sachet will, at most, go empty after six to seven days. Buying three of them will thus save you from ordering a replacement anytime soon.
Key Features
ü Strong pine scent
ü String for hanging included
ü Lasts up to two to three weeks
Why We Like It:
The Bigfoot Air Freshener delivers a pine scent that is strong enough to mask any unwanted or stubborn odor in your car’s interior.
How to Choose Car Air Freshener – What to Look For
You need to answer several questions to find the best car air freshener. The most obvious is the type of fragrance you like. A second is how long the car air freshener will last. A third is whether you want your ideal product to mask odors or eliminate them.
The fourth question relates to the type of air freshener. Some of them are relatively bulky and can only be installed on the dashboard. Others are slim and offer plug-in utility. Still others are available in the form of a can, sticky gel, and spray or vent sticks.
Don’t know the answers to these questions? Don’t worry as we’re here to help. This detailed buying guide has every piece of information you’d ever need to find the right air freshener. After going through it, you won’t have any excuse for buying the wrong product.
How does it smell?
What kind of scent do you want in your car? It depends on your personal preference. Some of you may like to keep things light whereas others may prefer strong scents. Though those with allergies might want to stay as clear from over-powering smells as possible due to obvious reasons.
On the whole, women prefer a fruity or sweet scent, i.e., vanilla, peppermint, sandalwood, and lavender. Men, on the contrary, like to wear scents that are masculine and stronger. Examples include wood fragrance, mint citrus, and warm cinnamon.
How long will it last?
It depends on the type of air freshener. Gel-based products last longer than aerosol-based air fresheners because they do not melt away and let you cover-up and reseal them when not needed. This reduces their wastage and helps them last longer.
Weather also plays a part. The same deodorizer that will last 45 days in cold weather might get empty in 30 days when it’s hot out there. That’s because warm/hot air causes perfume droplets to evaporate quickly, thereby forcing you to re-spray the freshener more frequently.
Will it mask odors or eliminate them?
Most air fresheners that you see on the market only ‘mask’ odors by absorbing the odor molecule for a specific time. Once that time passes, the odor molecule is released. That’s why with them, you’d smell both the fragrance as well as the odor.
That doesn’t mean that odor eliminators don’t have issues of their own. Such products might give your car a pleasant clean scent, but at the cost of your bank balance. That’s because most odor eliminators cost twice as much as an air freshener that masks foul smells.
What type of air freshener do you need?
Here are the five most common types of air fresheners:
Ø Cardboard: These air fresheners let you clip them onto surfaces or hang them from your rearview mirror. They are incredibly cheap and produce pleasant scents that are capable of masking odors. Almost all of them won’t last more than a week.
Ø Plug-in: As their name implies, these air fresheners require you to plug them into your vehicle’s cigarette lighter socket. They’d then use the electricity to heat the stored liquid, before releasing its scent into the air. You can count on them to eliminate odors.
Ø Can: Also known as gel-based air fresheners, their operating mechanism is quite impressive. These products store scented chemicals in a glass that allows the gel to evaporate and freshen up the surrounding air when it’s exposed to air.
Ø Spray: You already know everything you need to about spray car air fresheners. They work just like any household air freshener, requiring you to spray their inner aerosol by pressing their nozzle. Spray-based air fresheners don’t last as long as other types.
Ø Vent sticks or diffusers: They are attached to your car’s vents and use your vehicle’s air circulation system to transmit their fragrance. They are incredibly affordable and produce a scent that is as consistent as your AC’s airflow, which is to say that the scent is pretty consistent.
Where will the air freshener fit?
Depending on the type of air freshener you buy, it can fit into one of the following positions:
Ø Onto the rearview mirror: Almost all the best luxury car air fresheners come with a nylon rope using which you can hang them onto the rearview mirror. This arrangement has its strong points, i.e., it allows both the passengers and the driver to use the freshener effortlessly. But the air freshener might also end up obstructing the driver’s view, especially if it’s bulky.
Ø Back of the driver’s seat: Such products also come with a nylon rope, one that is big enough to wrap around the metal rods in the headrest. They are difficult to use for the driver because they’d have to reach to the back of their seat to press the nozzle and release the scent. Though they’re a cinch to use for passengers, especially those sitting in the backseats.
Ø On the vents: We have already explained that vent sticks or diffusers use this route to spread their fragrances throughout your car. These products operate on auto-pilot – they start churning out fragrances the moment you turn on your vehicle’s air circulation. But you can adjust the rate of their release by increasing/decreasing the vents’ airflow.
Ø On the dashboard: Can-based air fresheners come with a sticky adhesive at the bottom to let you affix them onto the dashboard. Whether or not you like their placement is a matter of personal preference. As some drivers prefer them over vent sticks because of their manual operation, whereas others think that they obstruct the passengers’ view.