The 9 Best Car Air Fresheners You Can Buy Online

Best Overall

Drift Car Air Freshener

$13 at Amazon $13 at Target View on Drift.co

The beauty of the Drift air freshener is its sleek design that can easily blend into the interior of most cars. The warm wood air freshener clips, which are about the size of a credit card, snap onto the visor for a minimalist look. Drift also makes a nearly identical stone air freshener, and a round metal vent clip, should you desire. These natural materials may also appeal to those who want a little less plastic in their lives and in their cars. 

It’s not just what’s on the outside that counts, though. Each Drift air freshener can be refilled with one of many phthalate-free scent cartridges. Drift also smells more subtle than several popular car air fresheners (you may love the outdoorsy smell of Teak or the citrus-forward Grove).

If you’re not sure which scent to choose, you can take Drift’s quiz in order to be matched with something that might suit your preferences. Alternatively, you can sign up for the company’s Scent of the Month package, which gives subscribers a limited-edition scent every month. The only downside is that if you find a scent you really like, you won’t be able to buy that scent again—at least not for a while. 

Type: Visor | Scent: Teak, grove, amber, scent of the month | Duration: 30 days

Best Budget

Little Trees Black Ice Air Freshener

$10 at Amazon $5 at Target $5 at Walmart

Little Trees hanging air fresheners have been enjoyed by generations of drivers. Their popularity is partly due to their low cost and the wide variety of available fragrances. Little Trees air fresheners last up to 30 days, but you have to use them correctly.

While it’s not uncommon to unwrap the cardboard trees before hanging them, it’s better to take them out slowly. A good rule of thumb is to slide the tree out of the plastic one notch (or branch) per week. This allows the air freshener to last longer without overwhelming you all at once.

We should note, however, that in a handful of states, it’s illegal to hang items from the rearview mirror. In some cases, going against the law could result in a traffic stop. So, if you’re free and clear to fly these air fresheners, go for it. If not, you can still stow a Little Tree in the console—down low where it can’t block your view of traffic—for a budget boost of fragrance.

Type: Hanging | Scent: Black ice, royal pine, true north, bayside breeze, and more | Duration: 30 days

Best Long-Lasting

Febreze Car Vent Clips

$31 at Amazon $6 at Target $8 at Walmart

Febreze Car Vent Clips are one of the most popular car air fresheners available, both for how easy they are to install and their strong, long-lasting scent. You can prolong the life of these car air fresheners by dialing the intensity down to the lowest level, allowing the scent to circulate throughout your car for at least 40 days. While drivers who love strong and long-lasting scents will find this pick satisfactory, sensitive buyers may find the smell of these car air fresheners to be a little overpowering.

Febreze offers many scents, including their popular Unstopables line, as well as crossover products with Downy, Gain, Old Spice, and other fragrances. The vent clips are sold as singles or in two-, three-, or four-packs. These clips are compatible with most cars and trucks, but some vent styles may not allow them to clip on. We recommend checking to see if these clips will be compatible with your own car before purchasing it in bulk.

Type: Vent clip | Scent: Linen and sky, platinum ice, laundry fresh, and more | Duration: 40 days

Best Eco-Friendly

Grow Fragrance Car Freshener

View on Growfragrance.com View on Theorganicbunny.com View on Livehealthillie.com

Grow Fragrance is a USDA-certified Biobased label that offers eco-friendly car fresheners that are non-toxic, made from plant-based ingredients, and hypoallergenic. Its fresheners are also free from phthalates, parabens, petroleum, and synthetic petrochemicals. The brand also doesn’t test on animals, and they donate 1 percent of every sale to the nonprofit 1% For the Planet. 

While the brand and its products are certainly eco-conscious, the car air freshener does struggle a bit in terms of scent. The actual scents like Woodland Sage, Blondewood, and Bamboo offer a fresh fragrance for any car, but it doesn’t last very long. Should you go for this pick, expect to replace these air fresheners every week or two for continuous fragrance. 

Type: Hanging | Scent: Woodland sage, blondewood, bamboo, pomelo, and more | Duration: 7-14 days

Best Odor Absorber

Azuna Auto Air Freshener & Odor Eliminator Gel

$17 at Amazon View on Azunafresh.com

The Azuna Auto Odor Eliminator is different from other car air fresheners, as it works by eliminating odors rather than dispersing a strong scent throughout the car. For those who prefer a clean-smelling car rather than one that has a particular scent, this is certainly a good option.

To use Azuna, remove the sticker seal from the plastic case, open the lid, remove the inner seal, and replace the lid. The thick gel within the pod will slowly disperse tea tree oil to freshen your car interior for up to 90 days. 

The only major downside with Azuna’s car air freshener is that it’s only available in one scent. This especially becomes a problem if you don’t enjoy the smell of tea tree oil. However, because this product is designed to work even when hidden under a seat or console, it’s possible to place it out of the way where its scent may be less noticeable.   

Type: Odor eliminator | Scent: Natural, with a hint of lemon | Duration: 60–90 days

Best Vent Clip

Votivo Auto Vent Clip

$20 $10 at Amazon View on Votivo.com

These vent clips from Votivo represent a good faith effort at creating less harsh fragrances, as each clip is paraben-, phthalate-, and formaldehyde-free. The round vent clips are also one of the less noticeable types of car air fresheners and take up a minimal amount of space. When in use, they deliver a subtle dose of fragrance, dispersing it throughout the vehicle as you drive. Although, since the scent isn’t particularly strong, it may not be noticeable for some.

If you find yourself in a similar situation, you can dial the clip to the highest level to release more scent. However, understand that doing so may reduce the duration of the air freshener. Despite this drawback, the vent clips are available in a variety of unique scents, including Pink Mimosa, Clean Crisp White, Red Currant, Honeysuckle, Champaca, and more. You can also buy these individually or in bulk to save on cost.  

Type: Vent clip | Scent: Pink mimosa, clean crisp white, red currant, and more | Duration: 30 days

Best Sachets

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Air Freshener Sachets

$25 at Amazon

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Scent Sachets are available in a limited range of scents, which will be familiar to any fans of the brand’s line of household cleaning products. Made with essential oils, the car air fresheners deliver long-lasting freshness for up to 60 days. We also love that the sachets and their packaging are made with recycled materials.

To use this product, simply open the envelope, remove the sachet from its wrapper, and return it to the envelope. Although the sachets can’t be hung or mounted, they can be placed under a seat or console where they can do their work out of sight. Alternatively, they can be placed in a cup holder, console, or mesh seat pocket if you desire. Since they’re sold in packs, you can pop one in the car and save a couple for elsewhere in your home or work life. 

Type: Sachet | Scent: Lemon verbena, lavender, geranium, and honeysuckle | Duration: 60 days

Best Diffuser

Pura Car Smart Fragrance Diffuser

$35 at Amazon $35 at Nordstrom $35 at Target

The Pura Car diffuser is a smart air freshener that contains a motion detector that turns the device on or off when the car is in motion or parked, respectively. The Pura also connects to smartphones via an app, allowing you to control it from your connected device for extra convenience. Within the app, you can see how much fragrance is left in each cartridge and dial back the intensity to make the product last longer. 

Note that the Pura Car must be connected to your car’s power source in order to work, so buyers should be ready to make room for it in their vehicle’s center console. But if you have plenty of space for this device, know that you can choose from more than 40 delightful fragrances and refill each cartridge as needed. Among the scents, you’ll find several options that are collaborations with home brands like Homesick, Apotheke, Guy Fox, and Anthropologie. If you’re not sure which scent to buy, you can order a scent sample book to help you choose.

Type: Diffuser | Scent: Car wash, road trip, volcano, honeycrisp oakwood, and more | Duration: 30 days

Best Spray

Chemical Guys New Car Smell Air Freshener

$11 at Amazon $11 at Walmart View on Autozone.com

A bottle of Chemical Guys New Car Smell Air Freshener is cheaper than a new car, that’s for certain. Although there may be some who prefer a flowery or fresh scent, if you’re really nostalgic for the first day you bought a car, you’ll find this air freshener gets close to copying that specific smell. Just note that your car will smell like an indeterminate assortment of chemicals—which is the whole point. 

As with most sprays, the smell may be overpowering at first but wears off after a few days—you won’t need more than a few sprays. Just be careful when operating the bottle, as it can be prone to leaks around the nozzle. To avoid any accidental spills, we recommend storing the bottle outside of your car when you’re not using it.

Type: Spray | Scent: New car smell | Duration: 5–7 days