The best cologne for men might vary across budget, preference, and occasion, but each operates in service of the same fundamental goal: helping you smell really good. Cologne formulations differ substantially from one scent to the next, but what unites the greatest of the genre is their ability to smartly punctuate your personality—and enhance everyone else’s experience while they’re at it. The opposite is true of bad colognes, too (if you’ve ever been stuck in the elevator with a colleague doused in Axe body spray you know exactly what we mean), so it’s especially important to choose wisely.
The choosing part is where we come in. Landing on the best men’s cologne for you starts with understanding fragrance families, and identifying which ones work in any given context. Woody, citrus, or aromatic colognes, for example, tend to wear well as daily “signature scents”—the smell your coworkers, friends, and the guy at your local bodega associate with you.
The Best Men’s Colognes, According to GQ
- The Best Cologne Overall: Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP, $235
- The Best Classic Cologne: Ralph Lauren Polo EDT, $110
- The Best Iconic Cologne: Chanel Bleu de Chanel EDT, $135
- The Best Long-Lasting Cologne: Tom Ford Beau de Jour EDP, $200
- The Best Unisex Cologne: Calvin Klein CK One EDT, $75
- The Best Vanilla Cologne: Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille EDP, $300
- The Best Bergamot Cologne: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis, $235
- The Best Summer Cologne: The Maker Revel EDP, $175
- The Best Office-Friendly Cologne: Acqua di Parma Colonia EDC, $154
- The Best Date Night Cologne: Givenchy Gentleman Society Ambrée EDP, $118
- The Best Woody Cologne: Hermès Terre d’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver EDP,
$152$84 - The Best Fresh Cologne: Diptyque Eau de Minthé EDP, $240
- The Best Floral Cologne: Aesop Rōzu EDP, $200
- The Best Spicy Cologne: Dior Sauvage Elixir Parfum, $193
- The Best Leather Cologne: Malin + Goetz Leather EDP, $100
- The Best Musk Cologne: Frédéric Malle Musc Ravageur EDP, $370
In This Guide
“Woody fragrances have depth, richness, and are more [inherently] masculine,” says Leila Zagwolsky, co-founder and CEO of the perfume discovery platform Luxury Scent Box (LUXSB). Aromatic and citrus colognes, on the other hand—scents Zagwolsky describes as “bright, refreshing, and energizing”—are better suited to year-round wear. They’re also better candidates for your signature scent than, say, a sensual spicy or leather option, though those sultrier formulations have their time and place.
Regardless of what you’re looking for in a cologne—an everyday go-to, a gloomy-day pick-me-up, a special-occasion statement-maker—there’s a superlative, compliment-eliciting option here with your name on it, each one sprayed, tested, and ultimately loved by us.
Best Cologne Overall: Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP
Why we love it: Let everyone else have Santal 33—in my book, Thé Matcha 26 is the Le Labo scent to beat. I can never quite tell if it’s more smart or playful, more introverted or sexy. In reality, it’s all of those and more, which makes it such a platonic signature scent for the fella with an equal amount of layers. In the time since its debut, I’ve converted half a dozen friends to the cause, and I’m happy to take partial blame if half a million more make the switch, too—it’s exquisite in every way, and more than deserving of its rank here. Many notes in the bottle, zero notes from me.
Best Classic Cologne: Ralph Lauren Polo EDT
Why we love it: There’s a reason the original Polo continues to hold strong nearly half a century into its existence: It manages to be both sexy and professional, a versatile woody-aromatic scent that works in almost every context. Better yet, because there are so many remixes of the OG, wearing the version that started it all still feels as refreshing as the latest launch.
Best Iconic Cologne: Chanel Bleu de Chanel EDT
Why we love it: Even if you weren’t aware of it at the time, you’ve probably caught a whiff of Chanel Bleu at one point or another—and likely haven’t forgotten it since. Its pleasant omnipresence tends to conjure happy memories from those who smell it, especially in passing. (It reminds me of an ex-boyfriend who was all-too-fun and none-too-serious—exactly what I needed him to be.) I always treat myself to a huff when I amble into Sephora, if only to feel 22 again. How’s that for time travel?
Best Long-Lasting Cologne: Tom Ford Beau de Jour EDP
Why we love it: Every time I wear Tom Ford’s Beau de Jour, I feel like I’m cosplaying as a genteel man-about-town. (Joke’s on you: I hate the opera.) More realistically, though, I feel like a writer who hits all of his deadlines with zero notes from my editors, who are all very proud of me. That’s exactly what it’s supposed to do: turn you into the best version of yourself.
Best Unisex Cologne: Calvin Klein CK One EDT
Why we love it: By any metric, this is the unisex cologne. It’s great for couples who share scents, especially when both parties prefer wearing something down the middle. I think of CK One as the perfect weekend warrior, too—when all I want to throw on is a beefy hoodie and shades, it’s mine to enjoy.
Best Vanilla Cologne: Tobacco Vanille EDP
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Tyler Chin
Tom Ford
Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum
If you think that spritzing a vanilla scent will make you smell like a scoop of ice cream, you’re sincerely missing out on a wide array of fragrances that can elevate your already impeccable look. The thing about vanilla is that it pairs well with so many other fragrance notes, which means that the best vanilla scents don’t smell just like an ice cream parlor. Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille does this the best, in our opinion, bringing the leather-like aroma of tobacco to the sweeter vanilla notes, creating a pairing that can best be described as smoking a cigar while eating a crème brûlée.
Best Bergamot Cologne: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis
If you’re looking for a bright and uplifting scent, look no further than bergamot. It’s one of the most popular fragrance notes, which means there are more than plenty of options out there with bergamot as their defining feature. Our noses seem to prefer Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Aqua Universalis: a clean-smelling, bergamot-forward scent that’s accented by notes of sweet florals and a hint of rugged, woody musk.
Best Summer Cologne: The Maker Revel EDP
The Maker
Revel Eau de Parfum
Can a hotel make a fragrance worth spritzing? When it’s New York’s The Maker Hotel, then the answer is “yes.” Its Revel is like summer vacation in a bottle, combining uplifting citrus, bright florals, and energizing pineapple to create a scent that seems to be on PTO all year long. This is the scent you spray right before you head out to the beach so that everyone on the sandbar can get a whiff of you as you’re making your way into your private cabana. In a more likely scenario, it’ll at least make your subway ride to work feel a little more like an excursion to somewhere fun.
Best Office-Friendly Cologne: Acqua di Parma Colonia EDC
Acqua di Parma
Colonia EDC
You want your office scent to smell good, but not so good where everyone can’t get any work done because of the unrelenting assault on the nostrils. You don’t want anything that can come off as too sexy, but you also don’t want something boring. That’s where Colonia comes in. The scent features the golden trifecta of citrus fruits: lemon, bergamot, and orange. It’s fresh and clean, and an inoffensive way to let people at work that you mean business—but in a good way. Colonia is as classic of a scent as they come, and we’re sure it’ll be in the rotation even when you’re far from the office.
Best Date Night Cologne: Givenchy Gentleman Society Ambrée EDP
Givenchy
Gentleman Society Ambrée Eau de Parfum
Date night calls for a scent that’s dark and moody, but still just a tad sweet underneath it all. Givenchy’s Gentleman Society Ambrée is just the right scent for those evenings. It’s a spicy and warming EDP, that combines complementary contrasting notes like balsam and vetiver and leather and vanilla. It’s maybe just a tad fickle, but at the end of the date, you’re surely in for a treat.
Best Woody Cologne: Hermès Terre d’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver EDP
Why we love it: Over a decade-plus of grooming coverage, there are only two bottles of fragrance that I’ve used to the last drop. One isn’t on this list (shoutout to the brilliant Arquiste Nanban, a wintry staple); the other is Terre d’Hermès Eau Intense Vétiver, the best expression of Hermès’ iconic cologne. I went through an entire bottle in just a few months, and it remains one of the best buys you can make for yourself, your partner, or your son. It’s a reliable, invigorating, and head-turning masculine scent that’s perfect for all scenarios and seasons—and it should be triple the price.
Best Fresh Cologne: Diptyque Eau de Minthé EDP
Why we love it: No scent is fresher than this. Wearing it is like stepping out of the best shower of your life, wrapping yourself in the plushest robe on the planet, and ordering room service on the company tab. It might be a pinch too buoyant for some fellas, but it’s catnip for anyone who might be in the suite (or, heck, the shower) with you when that room service arrives.
Best Floral Cologne: Aesop Rōzu EDP
Why we love it: Whenever I wear Rōzu, I swear that some of my high school AP Calculus knowledge comes back into focus. It sounds corny, but it really does make me feel, well, smarter. Maybe I should give the debate team another go after all.
Best Spicy Cologne: Dior Sauvage Elixir Parfum
Dior
Sauvage Elixir Parfum
Why we love it: Of all the Sauvage expressions out there, Elixir excites me the most. I find it perfect for the colder months of the year, the darker half of the day, and any date nights throughout. It has a nice bite, too—a signature licorice-tinged zing that makes it memorable. Memorable on date night…that’s a decent sell, no?
Best Leather Cologne: Malin + Goetz Leather EDP
Why we love it: Malin+Goetz has conjured an approachable—dare we say…polite?—way to wear leather, while still announcing to the world that you are, in fact, just as confident as you are sexy. I love that this expression offers so many notes besides just raw, dripping leather. Despite that sex appeal, though, nobody will call you out for wearing it to the hardware store (or in the middle of May).
Best Musk Cologne: Frédéric Malle Musc Ravageur EDP
Frédéric Malle
Musc Ravageur EDP
Why we love it: Musc Ravageur is aptly named, in that it evokes exactly what it advertises: musk-infused sex appeal—but in a playful enough manner that won’t overwhelm your date. I wouldn’t wear it to the office, but I would wear it if I wanted to suggest—politely, of course—to someone special that I have the place to myself that evening. It’s a nice way to broadcast your complexity without coming on too strong, if you catch my musky drift.
More Colognes We Love
How to Find Your Signature Scent
Your signature scent is the one you wear most often—to the office, to after-work drinks, to re-up on toilet paper at the bodega down the street. Think of it as your olfactive personality. “A signature scent becomes your identity,” says Leila Zagwolsky, co-founder and CEO of perfume discovery platform LUXSB. “Fragrances are not only part of our lives: they’re as individual as a favorite song or pair of jeans.” Here’s how to zero in on the best signature scent for you.
Understand notes and fragrance families
Familiarizing yourself with scent families and key olfactive notes is a great starting point—as is understanding which ones work best as “everyday” scents. At the onset of your journey, Zagwolsky recommends considering woody, aromatic, or citrus fragrance, which work across most occasions and tend to be less polarizing. (Yes, cologne can be polarizing!)
In the fragrance world, the same notes can manifest differently depending on how they’re employed—so it’s also important to understand a scent’s ever-elusive vibe. Is it designed to transport you to the sun-dappled beaches of a private island? Or conjure memories of a rainy day spent indoors? If you’re looking for an everyday scent, steer clear of any vibes that immediately read as overly powerful or expressive.
- This one’s simple: If you like how someone smells, ask them what they’re wearing. You don’t need to jack their signature scent wholesale, but compliments have a way of loosening people’s lips—and they might put you onto a fragrance that feels more distinctly you.
Websites like Fragrantica can help you discover new scents or those similar to fragrances you already know about; they’re a great place to search by brand, season, and fragrance family. (We’re also fans of Fragrances of the World always-helpful matching tool.)
Have a scent in mind? Double-check if the brand behind it offers samples before you commit to a full size. Discovery sites like LUXSB are great platforms for building a low-cost fragrance library, too, if you want few options in the starting lineup once you land on a star player.
Understanding Cologne Types
Ever wondered about the difference between an “EDT” and an “EDP”? It’s not actually all that complicated. The primary differentiator comes down to the percentage of perfumed oils used in the product, which dictates how brands classify their scents. These days, we tend to treat “cologne” as a catchall term for any men’s fragrance, but technically speaking, the term is just one of many you should know about. These are the rest.
1-3% perfume oil concentration. Very few fragrances are true eau fraiches these days; those that are classified as such will last for just an hour or two.
Cologne/Eau de Cologne/EDC
3-5% perfume oil concentration. We tend to refer to the broader category of men’s scents as “colognes,” even when they don’t fall in this range.
5-8% perfume oil concentration. Shop in this range or higher if you want a scent to perform past lunchtime. (And yes, the translation from French is literally “toilet water”. We promise you’ll still smell great.)
8-15% perfume oil concentration. This wide range of concentrations makes EDPs the hardest category to predict in terms of longevity and performance. Either way, an EDP should be noticeably stronger than an EDT.
Parfums tend to be in the 15-30% perfume concentration range, but they can climb up to 40% before a brand switches to “pure parfum oil”. Some extraits and parfums are described as “eternal”—but remember, that’s not necessarily what you should be looking for.
The classifications above aren’t an exact science, of course, but the concentration levels they allude to are a solid indicator of where to set your expectations, and how much a fragrance will cost.
Common Fragrance Notes
Meaning “wood” in Arabic, oud smells exactly like you think it would: woodsy. It’s a commonly beloved fragrance note for men, but when paired with something sweeter or more floral, it helps to add a depth that’s great for all people.
What’s bitter in taste is actually quite sweet and delicious on the nose. Bergamot offers a fine citrus note that’s fresh on the nose, and when it’s paired with something like oud, there’s a wonderful dissonance that makes you think about your fragrance all day long.
Often considered a “manly” scent, vetiver has a distinct smoky aroma to it that’s often compared to incense or cigar smoke.
Why would you want to smell like leather? The same reason that “leather” is a positive attribute when describing wine. Think more vintage sofa than ratty old handbag though, and that’s what you’ll get when you douse yourself in this intoxicating scent.
Musk, which was once harvested from the glands of the musk deer, is now created artificially, and it’s often described as earthy and sweet.
Another citrusy scent, neroli offers more of a “green” tinge than bergamot, so it smells like freshly cut grass that might’ve seen an accident of spilled orange juice.
With a bit of a spicy-sweet aroma, patchouli is often associated with bad smells. But these days, patchouli-forward scents are a complex blend of wood, musk, and spice.
One of the more floral fragrance notes there is, orris has a sweet flower-like aroma that can be balanced out by some darker, heavier notes to cancel out any reminders of grandma’s old perfume.
We describe a lot of scents as sweet, but between florals and citruses, that can mean anything. When it comes to tonka bean, you’ll get something that leans more vanilla, with a hint of baked goods.
How We Tested (and Chose Our Winners)
Testing colognes is one of the best parts of this gig. Writing for GQ affords me access to new scents as soon as—and sometimes, well before—they hit the market; at any given point in time, my personal collection includes dozens of gleaming, unopened bottles. Testing all of them is a full-time job in and of itself, so I keep on ongoing tally of which formulas feel best for which occasions. (You’d be surprised by how many of them don’t pass the simplest sniff test, regardless of where I’d wear ’em.)
In compiling this guide, I kept a particularly close eye on context and budget; not every guy wears cologne the same way or for the same reasons, and the breadth and depth of this list is designed to reflect those differences. Generally speaking, I evaluated each winning pick on the basis of its universal appeal, factoring in a mix of opinions from my sources in the fragrance community, to ensure that every scent included here will leave its wearer looking—and feeling—like the absolute best version of himself.
About Our Tester
Adamy Hurly has been covering the grooming industry since 2013. For most of that time, he’s been GQ.com’s primary grooming contributor, too. For this article, Adam also spoke at length with Leila Zagwolsky, co-founder and CEO of perfume discovery platform LUXSB, to solicit her insights on signature scents and fragrance wardrobes.
Men’s Colognes FAQs
What is the best men’s cologne?
According to GQ, the best men’s cologne for year-round wear is Le Labo Thé Matcha 26, which imbues a smart and sophisticated formula with a welcome dose of subtle sex appeal. We consider it the platonic signature scent for its four-season versatility, too—it’s ideally suited for professional and personal settings, along with every context between.
What is the best way to test a cologne?
Fragrance notes evaporate over time and aromas can change, so if you’re trying a new cologne for the first time, you need more than a first impression. “It’s important to let the fragrance dry-down on skin [before making a final decision],” says Zagwolsky. “Wait a few hours and smell your skin again. If you can imagine yourself wearing this fragrance for a certain occasion or [a specific] mood, it’s a keeper.”
What is one underrated fragrance family that men should consider?
Zagwolsky recommends trying gourmand fragrances, like vanilla colognes, which are often perceived as cold-weather-oriented. Many vanilla scents, Zagwolsky says, can be worn year-round, too. Look for notes that that make you drool, like vanilla, chocolate, almond, honey, and caramel.
