Table of Contents
- View The Best Car Air Freshener Below
- 1. Febreze Car Air Freshener
- 2. Ozium Smoke & Odor Eliminator
- 3. Little Trees Car Air Freshener
- 4. Febreze Car Unstopables Air Freshener
- 5. Car Cuties Cat Air Freshener
- 6. MOSO NATURAL Air Purifying Bag
- 7. Enoch Car Air Purifier
- 8. Yankee Candle Car Jar Air Freshener
- 9. TwinkleBirds Car Air Purifier Ionizer
- 10. Be in a Good Mood Car Air Freshener
- Car Air Freshener Buyer’s Guide
Using the best car air freshener in your car can make a world of difference to the interior feel of your vehicle.
Sometimes cars smell bad. We’ve all been there. There are situations where smells come up in the air that you simply can’t seem to get rid of, whether these come from a particularly smelly exhaust or that sweaty bag of gym clothes you keep hidden in the trunk.
Either way, air fresheners can come in handy.
Below, we have compiled 10 of the best air fresheners on Amazon.com for you to take your pick from. We hope this buyer’s guide is useful to you.
View The Best Car Air Freshener Below
1. Febreze Car Air Freshener
With Odor Clear Technology, this car air freshener from Febreze doesn’t just cover over the smells in your car but cleans them fully away. To use it, you attach the freshener to your car air vent, before enjoying a pleasant scent which will last up to thirty days.
To activate the air freshener, you will need to push the clip up until you hear a click, and then clip it to the air vent. These car air fresheners also come with a scent intensity dial, which does exactly what it sounds like – it alters the smell intensity of “freshness” you want in your cabin.
Included in this package are four car air freshener scents, including two lots of Linen and Sky, and two lots of Hawaiian Aloha.
Pros:
+ Linen and Sky / Hawaiian Aloha scents
+ Attaches to the air vent
Why We Liked It – This air freshener is our favorite for car usage because of its quick effect, pleasant scent, and good value.
2. Ozium Smoke & Odor Eliminator
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This 0.8 oz spray is an odor eliminator, meaning it will eliminate odors and smells from anywhere in the air, both in your car and home. As well as eliminating odors, rather than masking them, the spray contained in this bottle is a disinfectant. This means that, when sprayed in the air, the solution kills airborne bacteria and germs.
To use it, you should spray it into the center of the car, trying not to get too much product on the seats or any other fabrics in the car. You can repeat this several times daily if necessary.
Pros:
+ Odor eliminator, rather than specific scent
+ Handheld spray
Why We Liked It – Ozium is one of the best car air fresheners because it does a great job of, quite simply, getting rid of bad smells.
3. Little Trees Car Air Freshener
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Buying this pack of great value Little Trees air fresheners is one of the best ways to make your vehicle smell nice. This package contains six individual car air fresheners. The scent will last in your vehicle for a long time, with customers reporting that one air freshener can last at least three weeks, and can also be used outside the car if you want. This particular car air freshener pack that we’ve selected will release the loved “new car smell” scent into the air.
You use them in the standard way, by hanging them around your rearview mirror.
Little Trees is a globally-recognized brand in the air freshener market.
Pros:
+ New car smell
+ Hanging freshener
Why We Liked It – We liked this one because Little Trees is a trusted brand that has produced air fresheners for a long time. Oh, and the scent is a really good one.
4. Febreze Car Unstopables Air Freshener
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It’s Febreze again. This pack of air fresheners contains four separate products. Two of them come with the scent “Shimmer” – a floral, lively fragrance that will certainly get you going in the mornings and comfort you when you miss the Spring. The other scent is, quite nicely, named “Fresh.” You will get the smell of clean air from this car air freshener. Customers love both scents.
Compared to standard Febreze products, the Unstopables air fresheners contain twice as much “scent power.” By that, Febreze means that they provide more perfume ingredients, and the odors will last in the car longer.
These air fresheners are used by attaching them to the car’s air vents and selecting the level of scent intensity that you want using the dial.
Pros:
+ Shimmer and Fresh scent
+ Attaches to the air vent
Why We Liked It – These are some of the best car air fresheners for filling your vehicle with intense, delightful smells.
5. Car Cuties Cat Air Freshener
The air fresheners from this company are long-lasting and give a pleasant smell, but their real selling point comes from where your money goes. A portion of the proceeds from each sale goes towards PAWS Chicago, which is an animal shelter charity attempting to find a solution to the euthanizing of homeless pets. The design of the air freshener is either cute, ridiculous, or both, depending on how you view it. Either way, it will bring a smile to your face every day as you drive into work.
To use it, you tear the plastic packaging around the air freshener and hang it in your vehicle. After a couple of weeks, you then remove the plastic completely for another burst of pleasant odor. This makes it last as long as possible.
Pros:
+ Long-lasting scent for a chemical type
+ Hanging freshener
Why We Liked It – We liked that some proceeds from the sale of this air freshener go towards a good cause. The design is also a fun one and will have you smiling, no matter who you are.
6. MOSO NATURAL Air Purifying Bag
To freshen the air in your car, sometimes you don’t need to fill it with artificial scents to mask or remove odors. Although it’s designed to be used in larger spaces, the Moso Natural air purifying bag is perfect for use in a car. It contains no toxins and chemicals, instead of being filled with bamboo charcoal. Without releasing an odor itself, this air purifying bag absorbs and removes bad smells, as well as pollutants and allergens. It also helps to prevent mold, mildew, and bacteria forming due to moisture build-up.
You can reuse this product for up to two years. To rejuvenate it, you should place it outside in sunlight about once a month for approximately one hour. Even at the end of its life, this product is kind to the environment, as the active ingredient of bamboo charcoal can be safely recycled into the soil.
Pros:
+ Natural air purifier
+ Odor eliminator made from natural products – place somewhere away from desirable surfaces, such as mats, seats, and trim
Why We Liked It – We liked how environmentally friendly this one is, as well as how long it can last.
7. Enoch Car Air Purifier
The Enoch Car Air Purifier featured here releases negative ions into the immediate environment. These ions bind with dust, pollen, and smoke particles, as well as others, to help remove smells from the air. This makes breathing in your car much healthier than without using this product or something else like it. The scent that’s emitted is somewhat similar to the smell of rain in summer. Enoch says to use this product over a long time. You might not notice a change in odor inside the car immediately, but with longer usage, you may eventually notice a significant improvement in air quality.
Plug this car air purifier into the power socket in your car to use it. It also features an LED to let you know when it’s working, as well as 2 USB slots so you can charge your devices while you drive too. Clever.
Enoch’s car air purifier comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, as well as a 1-year warranty.
Pros:
+ Ozone scent – similar to the smell of a summer rainfall
+ Ionic air purifier
Why We Liked It – This is a basic ionic air purifier that will, over a couple of weeks, help to keep your vehicle virtually smelling of relaxation.
8. Yankee Candle Car Jar Air Freshener
This pack of three Yankee Candle car air fresheners is great because who doesn’t love Yankee Candles? Coming from the USA, these air fresheners will last about 4 weeks. When the gel in the air freshener dips below the label, you know that it’s time to put a new one in.
Pros:
+ Yankee Candle scent
+ Hanging / gel
Why We Liked It – The smell of Yankee Candles is always a great way to start and end your day.
9. TwinkleBirds Car Air Purifier Ionizer
This air purifier from TwinkleBirds is another one that plugs into your 12V power supply. Similar to the Enoch car air purifier, it removes bad odors and pollutants in the air, as well as bacteria and viruses, by emitting a safe level of ozone. As well as this, this product also features dual USB ports. It operates effectively between 14 degrees Fahrenheit and 104 degrees Fahrenheit.
Just so you know, it’s completely normal to hear a bit of sound coming from these air purifiers.
It’s also important to check the ion outlet cover with these. You should not use it if anything doesn’t look complete or you can see any wires. You should take care to not drop it or handle it with wet hands, and so on.
To sweeten the deal, this car air purifier also comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a lifetime warranty.
Pros:
+ Ozone scent
+ Ionic air purifier
Why We Liked It – We’ve included this model because of its reassuring lifetime warranty.
10. Be in a Good Mood Car Air Freshener
Be in a Good Mood has produced this car air freshener for aromatherapy as you drive. The scent is relaxing and refreshing, rather than some intense chemical car air fresheners. The products are filled with essential oils and no chemical stabilizers, which means you get a pleasant smell that overrides existing bad odors.
To use this car air freshener, you attach it to the car’s air vent and turn on the ventilation, so it diffuses around the vehicle nicely. It will last for around about 60 days before the essential oils run out.
Important: Please note, this essential oil diffuser air freshener contains ingredients that may cause allergic reactions in some. Please always read the label of whatever air freshener you decide to purchase to make sure it’s safe for you to use.
Pros:
+ Scent: essential oils
+ Essential oil diffuser
Why We Liked It – We included this essential oil diffuser air freshener because it makes your cabin about as relaxing as it can get.
Car Air Freshener Buyer’s Guide
Health and Safety
Not every car air freshener is best for anyone. In fact, some kinds of car air fresheners can be genuinely dangerous if you’re allergic to any of the ingredients, due to you being cooped up inside the car with all these ingredients. Air fresheners with essential oils, in particular, can cause a lot of damage if you’re allergic to anything in them, despite the nice smells that essential oils bring. Chemical-based air fresheners can also cause respiratory problems for some people.
Please always read the labels and ingredients fully to make sure you’re not allergic to anything in it. If in doubt, it’s best not to risk it. The best way to keep your car smelling nice if you find yourself in this situation is to clean it often. We would recommend at least once a week to keep it smelling nice, while also removing as much as you can that produces the smell in the first place, such as old gym clothes or damp carpets.
Also, if you’re using an electronic air purifier, as mentioned in the products section, don’t use it if there are any exposed wires, or if you have wet hands. Electronics can be dangerous and you should always be careful.
With all car air fresheners, but particularly chemical-based ones, you should keep them out of reach of children or pets to make sure nobody gets hurt. Chemical air fresheners should also never touch plastic or paintwork, as they may cause damage. They must also never be kept in an enclosed space, such as a glovebox, once opened and activated.
How Do I Use My Air Freshener?
They all come with instructions, but in general:
Simple chemical air freshener products come with a little string on them, which you can attach around your rearview mirror. Common examples of these include Little Trees products.
Some air fresheners for cars clip onto your air vents via a clip on the back. You often find a dial on these, too, to set how strong you want the scent to be.
Electronic air purifiers plug in to your 12V power socket and get to work by themselves.
With natural air purifiers, again, you really just have to put in the car somewhere where they won’t spill over or damage the materials around them.
What is the Best and Longest Lasting Car Air Freshener?
Of the products we have listed above, a couple of the more natural car air fresheners can be expected to last up to 60 days. This is the best you are going to find for air fresheners. With most “normal” chemical car air fresheners, their expected lives are generally closer to 2 to 4 weeks, which is why they’re often sold in packs of 3 or 4 or more.
To get the best air freshener for lasting a long time, you will want to use an air purifier, whether that’s an electronic one that releases ozone, or a natural one such as the Moso Natural air purifying bag with its bamboo charcoal ingredients. Both of these have their drawbacks and benefits, but they can both be expected to last much, much longer than the usual car air fresheners. We’re talking months and even years.
If, however, the scent is a priority, then the chemical ones are the easiest and quickest for masking and, in lots of cases, also eliminating odors. Despite not lasting as long, chemical car air fresheners are best at quickly flooding your car with a nice smell and sustaining it for a decent amount of time.
How Do I Keep My Car Smelling Good All the Time?
We also touched on this in the “Health and Safety” section above, but it’s worth mentioning again in more detail.
Clean it. Inside and out. Use a vacuum cleaner to remove particulates and air out the car. Clean the mats and seats as often as possible. Wipe down the dashboard and trim and generally keep everything neat and tidy. Store as little as possible in the car and make sure there aren’t any areas of damp in the car. The worst areas for this are generally the footwells, trunk, or around the spare wheel if your car has one.
Car air fresheners will also do a good job. They will mask or eliminate odors effectively. It goes without saying that the fewer odors they’re tasked with managing, the more effective they will be at doing it. We wouldn’t recommend relying entirely on air fresheners for the best results, although, of course, they do help a great deal – it’s important to keep on top of everything yourself as well.
Conclusion
The best air freshener for you is out there.
We all have our different individual tastes and what we like the inside of our cars to smell like. Air fresheners add that little extra something that makes going for a drive just that little bit more enjoyable.
When you’re choosing your car air freshener, bear in mind everything we’ve said in the above article – especially your health and safety! If in any doubt, it’s not worth the risk. That aside, choose a smell that you like or a purifier that works best for you, and away you go.
We hope this article has been useful for you and that you can use it to decide what the best air freshener for you is.
Thank you for reading.
