K
Kim Adams
Guest
Some of us may refuse to have one near our car, but there are enough drivers who love them enough to turn car air fresheners into big business. New car smell, vanilla, and mint are still as popular as ever, but ice cream, leather, and even bacon are some of the newer additions being brought in by the many companies wanting a piece of this lucrative market.
Alongside an enormous range of perfumes, the methods of delivering these sweet smelling - and sometimes whacky - flavours are expanding, too. There’s the traditional rear-view mirror hanger, vent-mounts, cans that go under the seat or in a cup-holder, and even sprays that only need to be used when required.
Here, we look at which variation will lift your cabin, getting up close and personal to find out.
We focused on vent-mount air fresheners to ensure we were comparing like with like. We assessed how easy each one was to install, and if it affected how the vent was used. Then we checked if the freshener could damage the trim, and looked for a way to control the amount of fragrance.
Durability was checked over three weeks, while a seven-strong tasting panel rated the perfumes. Finally, we took price into account.
Lynx has done an excellent job of transferring its bathroom-based scent expertise over to the automotive market, and took the victory here. It was also the most popular fragrance with our panel. The minimalist and good-value Little Trees takes second, while Sensi-Qui was our pick of the controllable solutions.
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
Bringing bathroom fragrances to your car isn’t the most obvious move, but it works because Lynx takes victory here. Despite trying the Black version rather than the ever-popular Africa fragrance, it also topped our taste panel’s scores, and this is at the heart of its success. It fitted the vent well, with relatively short prongs reducing the chance of clashing with controls. There’s also little risk of harming trim, because the fragrance sponge is held in a plastic casing.
Buy now from Halfords
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
We ordered Little Trees online, and although the German-language version turned up, the product remains the same. While the price may appear expensive, you get four of the 6.5cm U-shaped impregnated strips, which just slip over a single vent slat, meaning most designs will continue to work unaffected.
Usefully the strips come in separately sealed packs, so you get full use from each one. They were one of the strongest-smelling at the end of our test. Add in second-place spot in our tasting panel’s assessment, and you have a solid runner-up.
Buy now from Amazon
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
If you want to control how much of the fragrance is dispensed, this is our pick. A slider opens and closes a vent above the glass jar of fragrance gel. It means the unit is quite heavy, but it fitted securely in our test car. You get a decent 50g of gel, which showed no signs of fading in our test, lending credence to its 75-day fragrance claim. None of our testers spotted the new-
car perfume, but they liked the subtle mix of aromas and put it third in their ranking.
Buy now from Amazon
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
This product divided our testers, with some barely able to get close to the relatively harsh vanilla and spice mix, while others had it among their favourites. This was a shame, because otherwise it ticks a lot of boxes.
You might be able to find a more acceptable fragrance in the range, and there’s even a scratch-and-sniff test patch to help you decide. You get a hefty 6ml of perfume in the glass jar that slots into the base of the holder, which has a lever to control a sliding vent that varies the amount of perfume released.
Buy now from Amazon
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
There’s a pleasant, minty whiff with a complementary menthol edge to this cute cartoon-style character. The pack claims 45 days’ life, and it was one of the strongest scents at the close of our test. Our panel also liked the fragrance (which could be sampled via a scratch-and-sniff sticker), putting it in the top four. But, in a closely matched top group, it lost marks and places because it has no protective cover so it needs to be kept away from trim to avoid damage.
Buy now from Halfords
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
As the name suggests, you get two lozenge-style air fresheners in this pack. Usefully, the second one is held in a sealed pouch, so you can use them consecutively without losing any durability. A former winner with its tangerine fragrance in various formats, Jelly Belly’s cherry variation was a bit too much for some of our testers, who found it cloying. You can try before you buy, but it suffers from the same damage risk as Little Joe.
Buy now from Halfords
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
There’s a distinct citrus flavour to this perfume, which was generally popular among our panel. But a couple found a harsh edge to it, and those poor scores dropped it down the rankings. The perfume is safely held away from trim, and the second pod in the pack remains sealed until it’s needed. Uniquely here, FRSH Scents says it is a plastic-neutral company and is part of the Plastics Bank, which is working to reduce ocean pollution.
Buy now from Amazon
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
This familiar household name made a good start, because it has a lever to control the fragrance release, and the perfume is kept safely away from trim in a glass bottle. It also fitted easily over the vent slat with short prongs. Less good is the lack of a scratch and sniff sticker, or instructions for putting the unit together.
It also started to fade compared to rivals by the end of the test. That was just as well, because our panel didn’t really warm to the perfume.
Buy now from Halfords
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
Buy now from Halfords
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
Buy now from Halfords
Continue reading...
Alongside an enormous range of perfumes, the methods of delivering these sweet smelling - and sometimes whacky - flavours are expanding, too. There’s the traditional rear-view mirror hanger, vent-mounts, cans that go under the seat or in a cup-holder, and even sprays that only need to be used when required.
Here, we look at which variation will lift your cabin, getting up close and personal to find out.
How we tested them
We focused on vent-mount air fresheners to ensure we were comparing like with like. We assessed how easy each one was to install, and if it affected how the vent was used. Then we checked if the freshener could damage the trim, and looked for a way to control the amount of fragrance.
Durability was checked over three weeks, while a seven-strong tasting panel rated the perfumes. Finally, we took price into account.
Verdict
Lynx has done an excellent job of transferring its bathroom-based scent expertise over to the automotive market, and took the victory here. It was also the most popular fragrance with our panel. The minimalist and good-value Little Trees takes second, while Sensi-Qui was our pick of the controllable solutions.
- Lynx Car Freshener Black
- Little Trees Invisi Sport
- Sensi-Qui Parfum & Gel New Car
Reviews
Lynx Car Freshener Black
- Price: Around £3.99
- Rating: 5 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
Bringing bathroom fragrances to your car isn’t the most obvious move, but it works because Lynx takes victory here. Despite trying the Black version rather than the ever-popular Africa fragrance, it also topped our taste panel’s scores, and this is at the heart of its success. It fitted the vent well, with relatively short prongs reducing the chance of clashing with controls. There’s also little risk of harming trim, because the fragrance sponge is held in a plastic casing.
Buy now from Halfords
Little Trees Invisi Sport
- Price: Around £8.50
- Rating: 4 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
We ordered Little Trees online, and although the German-language version turned up, the product remains the same. While the price may appear expensive, you get four of the 6.5cm U-shaped impregnated strips, which just slip over a single vent slat, meaning most designs will continue to work unaffected.
Usefully the strips come in separately sealed packs, so you get full use from each one. They were one of the strongest-smelling at the end of our test. Add in second-place spot in our tasting panel’s assessment, and you have a solid runner-up.
Buy now from Amazon
Sensi-Qui Parfum & Gel New Car
- Price: Around £2.99
- Rating: 4 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
If you want to control how much of the fragrance is dispensed, this is our pick. A slider opens and closes a vent above the glass jar of fragrance gel. It means the unit is quite heavy, but it fitted securely in our test car. You get a decent 50g of gel, which showed no signs of fading in our test, lending credence to its 75-day fragrance claim. None of our testers spotted the new-
car perfume, but they liked the subtle mix of aromas and put it third in their ranking.
Buy now from Amazon
Air Wick Vanilla & Spices
- Price: Around £4.99
- Rating: 4 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
This product divided our testers, with some barely able to get close to the relatively harsh vanilla and spice mix, while others had it among their favourites. This was a shame, because otherwise it ticks a lot of boxes.
You might be able to find a more acceptable fragrance in the range, and there’s even a scratch-and-sniff test patch to help you decide. You get a hefty 6ml of perfume in the glass jar that slots into the base of the holder, which has a lever to control a sliding vent that varies the amount of perfume released.
Buy now from Amazon
Little Joe Cool Mint
- Price: Around £3.49
- Rating: 4 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
There’s a pleasant, minty whiff with a complementary menthol edge to this cute cartoon-style character. The pack claims 45 days’ life, and it was one of the strongest scents at the close of our test. Our panel also liked the fragrance (which could be sampled via a scratch-and-sniff sticker), putting it in the top four. But, in a closely matched top group, it lost marks and places because it has no protective cover so it needs to be kept away from trim to avoid damage.
Buy now from Halfords
Jelly Belly Very Cherry Duo Vent Air Freshener
- Price: Around £3.99
- Rating: 3.5 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
As the name suggests, you get two lozenge-style air fresheners in this pack. Usefully, the second one is held in a sealed pouch, so you can use them consecutively without losing any durability. A former winner with its tangerine fragrance in various formats, Jelly Belly’s cherry variation was a bit too much for some of our testers, who found it cloying. You can try before you buy, but it suffers from the same damage risk as Little Joe.
Buy now from Halfords
FRSH Scents Calm Scents Lemon
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
- Price: Around £3.99
- Rating: 3 stars
There’s a distinct citrus flavour to this perfume, which was generally popular among our panel. But a couple found a harsh edge to it, and those poor scores dropped it down the rankings. The perfume is safely held away from trim, and the second pod in the pack remains sealed until it’s needed. Uniquely here, FRSH Scents says it is a plastic-neutral company and is part of the Plastics Bank, which is working to reduce ocean pollution.
Buy now from Amazon
Febreze Car Blossom & Breeze
- Price: Around £5.99
- Rating: 3 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
This familiar household name made a good start, because it has a lever to control the fragrance release, and the perfume is kept safely away from trim in a glass bottle. It also fitted easily over the vent slat with short prongs. Less good is the lack of a scratch and sniff sticker, or instructions for putting the unit together.
It also started to fade compared to rivals by the end of the test. That was just as well, because our panel didn’t really warm to the perfume.
Buy now from Halfords
Also tested...
Yankee Candle Car Vent Stick Black Coconut
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
Buy now from Halfords
Medo Cherry Gecko
- Price: £2.99
- Rating: 2 stars
image
Vent stick car air freshener
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
Buy now from Halfords
Continue reading...