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The 12 Best Car Air Fresheners to Buy for a Pleasant Drive

Joel Patel
By
nose patrol best car air freshener.
Photo by Jay Miller on Unsplash

It doesn’t matter if you’re driving the fastest car or a trusty classic, a vehicle that passes all odor, fragrance, and whiff inspections is a refined ride. After all, smell is directly responsible for much of our memory. Whether it’s a bumper-to-bumper commute or you’re planning a road trip, you need a reliable car freshener to eliminate the nastiest of smells.

To help you decide, we’ve hand-selected the best car air fresheners to turn your vehicle into a fragrant delight for your hot date or passengers. Let’s take a look at each one so you can give your vehicle a scented makeover that lasts.

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Best Overall: Febreze Car Air Freshener

Four packs of Febreze Car Air Freshener on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

With two different scents, the Febreze Car Air Freshener is a pack of four dependable vent attachments that add pleasant fragrance while using Odor Clear Technology to keep your vehicle fresh. Its sturdy design stays in place and allows you to control how much fragrance you release at a time. No more overwhelming perfumes that mask foul smells, just the crisp breeze from this plug-in air freshener.

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Best Eco-Friendly: Purggo Car Air Freshener

A PURGGO Car Air Freshener attached to the back of a car seat.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Be clean and go green with the chemical-free Purggo Car Air Freshener. Made from 100% activated bamboo charcoal, this sustainable solution eliminates unpleasant odors from your car without any added fragrances. Ideal for car owners with allergies or perfume sensitivities, this is the durable freshener that recharges with the sun to provide over a year of odor-free air. At the end of its lifecycle, the bamboo charcoal filling becomes a fertilizer that nourishes your plants and reduces your carbon footprint.

Best 2-in-1: Ozium Air Freshener and Sanitizer

A bottle of Ozium Air Freshener and Sanitizer on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fight airborne bacteria with the disinfecting power of the Ozium Air Freshener and Sanitizer. This heavy-duty product offers hospital-grade strength to neutralize odors, freshen the air, and help keep you healthy. Perfect for car-share drivers who come into contact with many people, this effective formula is easy to use.

Best Crowd Pleaser: Air Spencer CS-X3 Car Air Freshener

An unopened Air Spencer CS-X3 Car Air Freshener beside its packaging.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While some fragrances are hit or miss depending on the nose that smells them, you can’t go wrong with the Air Spencer CS-X3 Car Air Freshener. Its blissful candy smell takes you back to the days when you’d pop a piece of bubblegum in your mouth and cruise around the neighborhood with your buddies. For a happy feeling that makes you smile, mount this attractive freshener’s case onto your dashboard and let it blend with your vehicle’s interior.

Best Essential Oils: Arotags Wooden Car Diffuser Air Freshener

A bottle of Arotags Wooden Car Diffuser Air Freshener beside a hanging Live Life car air freshener.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Made from beautiful Amish Wood, the Arotags Wooden Car Diffuser Air Freshener enhances the look of your car with an outdoorsy vibe you can smell. This long-lasting diffuser includes a durable bottle of scented oil to deliver 365+ days of natural freshness. If you don’t like artificial fragrances or unhealthy chemicals, you’ll appreciate the goodness of this aromatherapy solution for your ride.

Best Budget: Little Trees Sunset Beach

A Little Trees Sunset Beach on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Enjoy the scent of a tropical getaway for a fraction of the cost with the Little Trees Sunset Beach. With an attractive design, this classic car freshener hangs from your rearview mirror to deliver a delicious aroma that won’t break the bank. And with the value pack of six, you always have another handy little tree air freshener to give your car a burst of freshness.

Best for Smokers: Ozium Smoke & Odors Eliminator Gel

A pot of Ozium Smoke & Odors Eliminator Gel on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Eliminate the smell of smoke and get your car smelling fresh with the Ozium Smoke & Odors Eliminator Gel. This efficient freshener neutralizes the stench from carpeted cars and gets rid of unpleasant chemical odors. If the air at your joint is also a little funky, take this versatile product to your home and put an end to the lingering smell of smoke.

Best Masculine Scent: Chemical Guys Leather Scent Premium Air Freshener

A bottle of Chemical Guys Leather Scent Premium Air Freshener on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For drivers who love the elegant scent of leather, the Chemical Guys Premium Air is the handsome fragrance that leaves your car smelling like new. With natural enzymes that eliminate and reduce unpleasant odors, this spray creates a welcoming masculine ambiance. Dilute this concentrated solution with up to 2 gallons of water and spray it on your upholstery for stylish freshness.

Best for Pet Owners: One Fur All Pet Car Air Freshener

Four paw-shaped One Fur All Pet Car Air Freshener.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Take your furry friend everywhere you go and keep your car smelling clean with the One Fur All Pet Care Air Freshener. Tested in small spaces and free from chemicals that could harm you or your best pal, this long-lasting freshener neutralizes odors and adds premium fragrances to your car. Its charming paw design is a cute detail for grooming vans or animal lovers.

Best Spray: Meguiar’s Whole Car Air Re-Fresher

Three bottles of Meguiar’s Whole Car Air Re-Fresher on white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sometimes, foul odors seem to get stuck in hard-to-reach areas. For those stubborn smells that won’t go away, you need the power of Meguiar’s Whole Car Air Re-Fresher. Its efficient air freshener spray penetrates upholstery to eliminate odors and leave your car with a fresh aroma. Available in a variety of scents, this compact bottle continues to deliver as it circulates with the AC in your car. It’s a great solution for athletes who keep their gear in their vehicles.

Best for Choices: Bath & Body Works Car Fragrance

A pot of Bath & Body Works Car Fragrance in Sugared Snickerdoodle variant.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Bath & Body Works is known for having some amazing smelling candles and hand sanitizer, but the company recently expanded to offering car air fresheners. At the moment, Bath & Body Works has 31 different scents that are all available in refills. You’ll need to get a vent or visor clip, which is available in a variety of designs including a plain matte gray to a fuzzy Pomeranian, but after that, all you need are the refills. While it’s easy to write Bath & Body Works off for having a store that instantly gives you a headache, the brand has some of the most unique and strongest car air freshener scents on sale.

 

 

Best Natural Odor Eliminator: Moso Natura Air Purifying Bag

A gray Moso Natura Air Purifying Bag beside four packs of the same product.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

 If you have a truly horrible stench in your car, putting an air freshener in the cabin won’t work. Sure, it will mask the smell for a day or two, but it’s not going to get rid of the bad odor completely. If you’re looking to get rid of an odor to freshen the air in your car, Moso Natural’s air purifying bag will get the job done. The small linen bag is filled with activated bamboo charcoal to get rid of bad odors in a space of up to 90 square feet. The chemical-free, fragrance-free product is good for up to two years as long as you put it in the sun for an hour every month, which helps the charcoal release any absorbed moisture and odors.

 

How to Keep Your Car Smelling Good

Making your car smell good all the time is as easy as finding the right air freshener for your personal taste and your everyday habits. No matter what your car smells like today, our selection of the best car air fresheners helps you find the fragrance that awakens the senses and leaves your passengers with a lasting impression. With a wide variety of solutions for every lifestyle, these reliable products help you remove unpleasant odors and keep your car feeling fresh every day of the week. Even if it’s only been a minute since your last car wash, these dependable fresheners make sure all your rides are a sweet spin.

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Joel Patel
Joel Patel
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Joel Patel is a former contributor for The Manual. His work has also been featured on Autoweek, Digital Trends, Autoblog…
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