Alexandra Ramirez
1. Arotags
Best Overall Car Air Freshener
5/5 Product Rating
Each air freshener is laser engraved for a beautiful appearance that will look as good as it smells.
There are no dangerous chemicals in this car air freshener and they are phthalate free as well.
The fragrance will provide you up to 5 weeks of freshening. One of the popular things about Arotags is that they are totally American made so the production is all kept in the United States.
This is something that many consumers feel very strongly about.
The natural poplar wood and the fragrance oils combine to provide you with a car air freshener that can last as much as 6 times longer than other types of air fresheners. Just hang it on the rear view mirror and you’ll have a product that will keep your vehicle smelling great in an elegant and stylish way.
– Jonathan Maxwell
2. Wonder Wafers
Best Overall Car Air Freshener – Runner Up
4.8/5 Product Rating
Each container has 250 unwrapped wafers that are ready to use. The formulas provide long lasting scent and the easy to seal container keeps the remaining wafers fresh and ready to use when you need them.
All you need to do is put a few under the seats around the vehicle for a great smelling vehicle that will be a pleasure to ride around in. There are over 22 different fragrances to choose from including:
- Mulberry
- Lavender
- Cinnamon
- April Fresh
- Baby Power
- Aqua Frost
- European Leather
- Creamy Vanilla
- Black Royale
- Fresh and Clean
- Island Breeze
- Fresh Lemon
- Mountain Pine
- Jasmine
- Midnight Musk
- Nu Car
- Orange Slice
- New Leather
- Wild Cherry
- Pina Colada
- Strawberry
- White Air
With all of these different choices available, you won’t ever have to have the same fragrance twice. They provide a lot of variety for you to enjoy. If you’re looking for a simple way to freshen your vehicles, these wonder wafers will do the trick.
– Jonathan Maxwell
3. Little Trees
Best Budget Car Air Freshener
4.5/5 Product Rating
Little Tree provides many different types of fragrances to choose from so you never have to use the same fragrance twice if you don’t want to.
This pack contains 24 new Little Tree™ fresheners. Each one is its own little tree card and they are good quality as well.
There are 4 Little Trees in each scent for a total of 24. Scents that are provided in this Classic Scents pack are:
- Vanillaroma
- Strawberry
- Bouquet
- Spice
- Royal pine
There are many different scents available as well including assorted fruit scents, mango, Ocean Mist, Passion, White Water, Morning Fresh, Pina Colada, Bubble Gum, Black Ice, No Smoking, New Car and others too. If you love variety in a car air freshener that works, you will love Little Tree™.
– Jonathan Maxwell
Car Air Freshener Buying Guide
Types of Car Air Freshener
There are many different types of car air fresheners on the market to choose from. We have outlined them below and added some information about each type so you can compare them and decide which one works the best for your vehicle.
- Aerosol spray – Aerosol sprays are not designed for long term use but they are great for fast acting freshener. Aerosols are meant to be sprayed directly on the surfaces of the vehicle, such as the seats, carpeting, floor mats, etc. One drawback to the aerosol is that it can leave a bit of a residue behind that may need to be wiped off.
- Hanging Cardboard – These small pieces of cardboard can come in many different shapes. They have a string on the top part of the air freshener that allows you to hang it from the rear view mirror. It releases fragrance when it is exposed to the air. It is not recommended to lay them on the dashboard since the fragrance can discolor the material of the dash where it is lying. Depending on the brand and strength of the scent, these cardboard car air fresheners can last 2-6 weeks. They are very cost effective and come in a variety of scents and shapes that you can choose from.
- Vent Sticks – Vent stick air fresheners are pretty awesome little devices. All you do is attach them to the air vent itself via the little clothes pin style end that simply slides onto one of the vent dividers. As the air from the vent, whether cold or warm, passes by the vent stick, fragrances are released throughout the vehicle. It is a great way to freshen you entire vehicle fairly easily. Vent sticks will usually last 2-4 weeks before needing to be replaced. They are usually sold in pairs or sets of 2, 4, 6 or more and are available in a variety of scents. Most people put vent sticks in several vents to ensure the scents go throughout the vehicle. Don’t use too many or you could overpower the vehicle with too much scent.
- Plug-In – This type of car air freshener plugs into the cigarette lighter. It has oil based fragrances that are released once the oil is heated. This type of air freshener is great for getting rid of stronger odors and will fill your vehicle with whatever great scent you have chosen. They are easy to use and last a long time too.
- Oil Wicks – This is a relatively new addition to the car air freshener options that you have to choose from. Oil wick fresheners work by placing the wick into the fragrance bottle. Oil wick fresheners usually last at least 30 days but if your vehicle is particularly smelly, this might be shortened somewhat. This is a great choice for RVs and large vehicles like big trucks and vans. They are a little more expensive than some of the others we have talked about but the length of time it lasts makes the extra cost worth it.
- Gel – If you remember the old fashioned jello-like air fresheners that everyone used to put in their bathrooms, you will understand what these gel air fresheners are like. The gel can come in the form of a plastic housing or sometimes it is just the gel itself that you stick to the dash or somewhere on the vehicle. It is not a good choice if you are trying to get rid of strong, unpleasant odors.
- Can – Can car air fresheners come in a variety of scents and are super easy to place in your vehicle. They come in cans that have holes in the top for the fragrance to get out. The fragrance part of the can is usually made of gel. They can be placed in the console between the front seats, under the front seats and under the back seats as well. You can even put one in your trunk.
- Electronic Ionizer – These are more air purifiers than they are air fresheners. Their job is to remove the odors from the air through purification. Plug it into the cigarette lighter to do its jobs. There are two types of ionizers: ozone producing and filtering. Both have their advantages. Remember that you will not get a particular scent when using an ionizer and that you will be removing the odors not covering them. You can use an additional air freshener like one of the ones we’ve talked about above in addition to the ionizer. This is particularly useful if you or your passengers are smokers.
- Non-hanging Paper – this is another new type of car air freshener. It is a thin piece of paper fabric that has the oil fragrance in the fabric. This type of freshener gives off a pleasant smell in whatever scent you have chosen. It is very similar to the cardboard fresheners and they don’t last very long but they are available in many varieties.
Conclusion
Using car air fresheners in your car is a great way to keep it smelling fresh and clean which is a really good thing for commutes and trips. There are many different types of air fresheners that are used in vehicles. It gives you a lot to choose from but it can also be stressful to try and figure out which ones are the best for your particular needs.
One of the best ways to help the air freshener last longer is to not have a filthy, messy vehicle. This enables the air freshener to work normally rather than have to work overtime to compensate for messes and lack of cleaning.
The information in this buyer’s guide and the three top rated choices for car air fresheners featured above are designed to help you sort through the large number of types and choices so you can come up with the right choice for your vehicle size and situation. You can even decide to try several different kinds to see which ones you like the best.
Resources
- Little Tree – https://www.littletrees.com
- Arotags – http://www.arotags.com/
- Wonder Wafers – http://www.wonderwafers.net/
