The 20 Best Colognes For Men, Tested by Grooming Experts

If you want something low key, you can't do better than Bleu de Chanel. It's the fragrance for guys who think they don't like fragrance.

This cologne has a bit of hot chili pepper in the mix, and, honestly, how can you not love a cologne with a bit of hot chili pepper in the mix? If you still need convincing, though, the patchouli and cedar—not to mention the dash of florals—should do the trick.

The dominant note in this fresh, green cologne is clary sage, which somehow smells earthy and fresh at the same time. At first smell, it’s crisp and light, but as it dries down the rich rosewood and narcissus reveal themselves. It doesn’t stop there; the note of sclarene, a molecule that smells metallic, gives an electric buzz that you can’t quite put your finger on and adds a depth you won’t find in other fresh colognes.

Acqua Di Giò is one of the most popular colognes, and to be honest, we get why. It's earthy and woody (thank goodness for natural fragrances) with masculine notes of green tangerine, persimmon, and rosemary.

Surely, no cologne list is complete without Jo Malone London. One of the best scents for everyday, this cologne evokes the seaside and waves crashing onto rocks, with woody, earthy notes of sea salt and sage.

Perfumers use amber to add warmth and depth to colognes and this one has a lot of it. But unlike other amber-forward scents, which can sometimes be heavy, this one also has a lot of citrus in the mix along with other notes of cinnamon, ginger, and neroli. It definitely doesn’t smell like your typical men’s cologne, which is exactly the point.

Inspired by a specific 1960s-era cafe in Paris called The Orpheon, this deep fragrance blends notes of tobacco and burnished wood to create a warmth that feels old, but in a good way. There are also notes of tonka mean (which smells kind of like vanilla) and juniper berries (which smells a little like gin). It’s the kind of cologne you wear when you want to pretend you’re somewhere else.

This bold yet wearable fragrance is undeniably vanilla, but the overall sweetness of the note is tempered with a bevy of green from cypress, vine, and hay and grounded with patchouli for a darkly masculine vibe perfect for winter.

The hero in question in this masculine cologne is wood—and a lot of it. There are three different kinds of cedar in the base (Atlas cedar, Virginia cedar, and Himalayan cedar) that give it a wood-forward but still richly layered aspect. There’s also a healthy dose of spiciness coming from both black pepper and juniper in the heart and a touch of fresh bergamot in the top to open up your palette.

Like the quietly luxurious clothes Cucinelli is known for, the house’s first fragrance feels like wrapping yourself in the softest cashmere sweater possible. Top notes of ginger and bergamot open with freshness which quickly gives way to green and woody clary sage, cypress, and juniper before drying down to a smooth, warm finish of clearwood and Ambrox Super.

Choosing a favorite Tom Ford fragrance can be an exercise in futility because they’re just all so damn good, but you can’t go wrong with a classic. Oud Wood, one of the original scents in the collection, continues to be a crowd pleaser and the luxurious mix of oud, sandalwood ,and Chinese pepper smells incredible on literally every man.

At this point, Sauvage is a men’s cologne icon. Known for its fresh, spicy kick that dries down to a warm wood vibe, it’s modern and masculine and extremely versatile. Wear it to inject a little flair into your daytime vibe or turn on the charm at night.

The floral cologne for guys that don’t like florals, this unisex scent doesn’t shy away from the fresh, clean smell of lavender, but dirties it up with a base note of musk to give it an earthy, sweaty sensibility which also allows the smooth warmth of tonka and amber to come through.

The best colognes don’t just smell great—they tell a story. This standout from L.A.-based Perfumehead is all about the smokey cowboy bars of the 1970s Sunset Strip, which are brought to life with notes like spicy cinnamon bark, smoky tobacco leaf, boozy whiskey, smooth suede, and sweaty black musk. It’s masculine, sexy, and nostalgic.

This is one of the most popular and iconic men’s colognes of all time for a reason. It’s packed with sweet, fruity notes like bergamot, lemon, black currant, and pineapple yet is still classically masculine thanks to a base of patchouli, cedarwood, birch, musk, and oakmoss. Known for its longevity, this luxe cologne is crowd pleasing enough to be a daily signature scent and unexpected enough to be reserved for special occasions.

Sometimes fragrances hit it big right away and sometimes it’s a slow burn. This warm, floral, woody unisex scent exploded a couple of years ago, especially among men, after being somewhat of an under-the-radar sleeper hit for years. It smells rich, elegant, and modern—a scent that is still slightly unexpected on a man, but is also instantly recognizable to those in the know.

Fans of vetiver love this fragrance simply because it has the highest concentration of vetiver you can find (seriously) which is undeniable in both quality and quantity. As it evolves and reveals other notes like sandalwood, oakmoss, and musk, it takes on a deeper, layered quality that’s incredibly magnetic.

One of the original and best-selling colognes in the popular Byredo collection, this intellectual scent may smell sweet at first thanks to notes of peach, plum, peony, and violet, but it dries down to something sexier thanks to base notes of leather, patchouli, and smooth vanilla. Consider it one of the ultimate cool-guy colognes.

It's not going to make you smell like you just smoked a joint in the literal sense, but this herbal, green, woody scent, with just a hint of smoke and floral notes, captures the idea of weed pretty darn well. It's one of those tongue-in-cheek scents that you can wear anywhere but still gives a little elbow to the ribs of the establishment.

If there is one thing this charismatic, fresh, and fun fragrance can guarantee, it’s compliments. It’s one of those colognes that’s popular for a reason: It’s just damn good. There’s a lot going on in the formula: a fresh top of mint, green, apple and lemon; a smooth middle of tonka bean and ambroxan; and a woody, sultry base of cedar, vetiver, and vanilla.