Best Car Air Freshener (Review) 2023 – Top Picks and Complete Guide

When I got my own car at the age of 18, I realized how relieving it is to sit in a car that smells like heaven after a long day of work. Having a nice car interior can certainly elevate your mood and make a lousy Monday feel great.

What is the best possible way to achieve the dream of a car interior that smells right on the spot? Car air fresheners obviously. They come quite in handy, all the time!

Using a car air freshener is as important as using a deodorant. So in this article, we would love to tell you all about them!

Best car air fresheners in 2023

It is not easy to step inside the open market and decide what to buy when you have the option of choosing from literally a million different problems. How great would it be, if someone laid it out smoothly for you?

Oh wait, we have got you covered! After close inspection, experimentation, and analysis, we have compiled for you a list of the best car air fresheners in the market today.

Moreover, they have also been compared against each other for further facilitation with your purchase. So, what are we waiting for now, folks? Let’s jump right into it!

Comparison table of Best Car Air Fresheners

Our 10 picks of best car air freshener

These are the ten products that were chosen by our team of experts after being subjected to intense scrutiny. (Of course, we only want what is best for you!). So without any more delay, let’s jump right into it!

1.    Homy feel air purifying bamboo charcoal air freshener and odor eliminator

Welcome to the very first review of this article. Why have we placed this on number one let me tell you why!

First and foremost, they look really good. They have such amazing and vibrant colors, that doesn’t only make them a good air freshener, but also a good decoration piece.

You can also hang them on the mirror of your car considering how cute they are, plus the fact that they have a string attached to make them able to do so.

The Homy air freshener assures you the highest quality. They contain only the best bamboo charcoal that is made from the bamboo that is older than five years. If the bamboo plants are fresh, they are treated for several weeks in brick kilns with temperatures that range from 800 to 1000*c.

You must be thinking: that is difficult to talk. I want to know what it does to my car! Well, okay then. The charcoal has a million microstructures. What benefit does that have?

These microstructures absorb all extra moisture and pollutants! Which means, it doesn’t just cover the bad smell with the good smell. It removes the bad smell first. And then adds a good scent to the environment.

Hang it wherever you feel like it. Use it however you want!

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Bottom line:
These bags are perfect for the ones who want to say goodbye to smell, with style! Featuring the perfect formula for making the bad scents go away, these bags leave every single breath of yours wanting more of it. Moreover, the quality is excellent for the cost! You can hang several around the house, without putting any burden on your wallet.

2.    Citrus magic BMT616472149 air freshener fresh citrus

Citrus magic aims towards making the safest and natural products. They are not just non-aerosol sprays. They also do not feature any harsh chemicals, but this product still ensures the effective elimination of odors.

Freshen up your car with citrus magic air freshener! They will enable you to remove the most stubborn odors for up to six weeks.

This air freshener for the car is best at cleaning out the bad smells from their root, unlike any other freshener, that just masks the smell.

They feature a dual-action formula which is made up of odor eliminators that are vegetable-based, as well as baking soda. These components are capable of absorbing tough bad odors.

The formula that they use is a unique one that makes sure this product lasts you long. There is also a beautiful wide variety of scents that you can choose from.

They are not just great for your car. You can hang them wherever you want inside your house! Foul odors like mildew, mold, and smoke stand zero chance against citrus magic.

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Bottom line:
If you are a fan of light, fresh scents, this one is totally meant for you. The scent is just enough not to feel like it is overpowering, neither too light. Perfect for your car!

With this placed inside your car, you will neither feel as if your nasal cavities are going to burn and scald due to the intensity of the scent nor that you have made a mistake purchasing an air freshener that is the equivalent of having no air freshener in your car at all!

3.    Bmbu Bamboo Charcoal Car deodorizer/car freshener bag

The one thing about the design of car air fresheners that makes them very user-friendly is that they make it so that it can be hanged easily.

This one gets it right as well. Bmbu charcoal car deodorizer can be hanged very conveniently anywhere around the car, like the back seat or the front mirror.

This product Bmbu air purifiers are carbon activated. They will filter out the air by trapping the bad things that float in the atmosphere, like bacteria, smells, and mold.

The carbon in it works like magic. It binds to the foul things and neutralizes them. Every single package has 300 grams of activated carbon charcoal.

Nobody likes the air fresheners that only have a perfume that combines with the smell and gives a really ugly mixture of the two. This one eliminates odor, doesn’t just mask it!

They can be used in any kind of car, as well as outside the cars. They have multiple functionalities. Stick one in any place that smells bad, and you are good to go!

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Bottom line:
If you are not a mad fan of scents, and just want the smell to go away, this one is or you. It will not even let your car get infested with moisture! By doing that, it can be deemed as the most professional car air freshener.

4.    MOSO NATURAL Air Purifying Bag

Gracefully stitched linen, and great pastel color. This is the first impression you are going to get from this package.

The beautiful bag features 200 grams of bamboo charcoal that is extremely porous. The length and height are both not anything above 7 inches, which means it fits almost everywhere perfectly.

Normal air fresheners have chemicals such as formaldehyde, fragrance, petroleum, etc., which can all lead up to many health problems. But this baby is a natural car air freshener.

Moso Natural Air purifying bag is designed to clean your smells in the most natural way possible. The bamboo charcoal works like a magnetic sponge and attracts all the particles from the air.

You will need no power or no batteries. The Moso Bag is going to work 24/7 days a week and is going to keep your car odor-free and refreshing to be in.

And not to mention, it can last you up to 2 years! That is quite a good time limit, considering the price, which isn’t a lot.

The Moso Bag is all-natural and serves as a great alternative to the deodorizers, gels, candles, crystals, and sprays, which are harmful to the people as well as for the planet.

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Bottom line:
If you are not the kind of person who would want to change their car deodorant every other day, then this is absolutely the one that you need.

All you need to do is to throw the bag out in the sun after every two months and let it say there for an hour. That will make the bag appropriate for further use.

Suitable for not just your car, but for any other enclosed space as well, this air freshener is your best bet for odor removal!

5.    Chemical Guys AIR_101_16 New Car Smell Premium Air Freshener and Odor Eliminator

The Chemical Guys new car spray air freshener is going to make you feel as if you are sitting in a new car every time you do.

It keeps the scent of the new leather seats, clean carpets, and the pure smell of the rubber and plastic car parts intact, even after years. It is almost like falling in love with your car like the first time, over and over again.

It does not only mimic the scent of a new car but also works as a great deodorizer! Then again, it does more than just masking the bad odors of the car by spraying a new one over it.

It contains natural enzymes. How do they work? Just spray some of it on the thing that you think is releasing foul smell into the car. Shake well, and mist lightly on the source of the smell.

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Bottom line:
This product is your best bud if you like the scents of newly bought cars. It will not disappoint you, all you need is one spray, and your entire car is going to end up smelling like heaven.

Moreover, you can also use it in places such as your office or anything that is a shared space. The people around you are going to appreciate you for buying this!

6.    Megiar’s G16402 Whole Air Re Fresher Odor Eliminator Mist, New Car Scent

Megiar’s has a great solution for you if your car does not smell like it used to. A quick and permanent fix is provided for you by the manufacturers of this product.

With this item, you will not have to look for the source of smell at all. It will not only locate the source of odors all by itself but will also work effectively towards removing it!

Designed for one-time use, the new car smell air freshener is going to go all around your car, like through the ventilation system, and then across the headliner and also along with all other areas that are either hard or nearly impossible to reach by hand.

The method of use is pretty easy. Here are the steps to do so.

• Set the fan on high after you start the vehicle.
• Hold the Air Re Fresher in your hand such that the nozzle is facing away from you, and then activate the locking trigger.
• After that, you have to place the Air Re Fresher somewhere in the middle of your car. The best suitable place for that is the floor between the back and the front seats.
• Close all the doors and windows. Allow the refresher to work its magic for 15 minutes.
• Lastly, open the doors after 15 minutes and remove the air refresher. Let the air our for 15 minutes before you sit in the car for use.

See, it is as simple as that. However, you should keep one thing in mind, and that is that the car should not be occupied with any living being during this process whatsoever.

And that’s it. This one-time use is going to permanently remove the nasty odors by fighting them on a molecular level.

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Bottom line:
If you are looking for a permanent solution for your car smell problem, you ought to get this product. You will not have to carry it around in your car or hang it somewhere where it will keep bouncing and hit everyone around it.

Just use it once, and you will be set for at least a few months to come!

7.    FRiEQ Car Purifier, Car Air Freshener, and Ionic Air Purifier

When you are on the road, what is the worst thing that you have to go through? Air pollution.

Air pollution is very damaging to health, especially our respiratory system. I think it is quite clear how hazardous air pollution is, and I would just be stating the obvious if I start listing its dangers.

If the pollution, dust, and dirt get too much, you might begin to feel dizzy and uncomfortable in your car. In fact, you must have faced something like sometime in your car.

This product provides a solution to this problem. It produces negative ions. The function of the negative ions is to boost metabolism, improvement of pulmonary function, and reduce the pressure on the brain.

By doing so, it is not just purifying the smell of your car, but it is also providing you with something that is essential for your health. You can feel at ease with this thing.

You will feel protected and comfortable with this thing in your car. All you need to do is to plug it in the car cigarette lighter. That will turn the indicator light on, to indicate that the device is now working. It will keep working until it is unplugged.

Last, but not the least, it will prove to be the best luxury car air freshener, by complementing the interior of your car due to its sleek design.

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Bottom line:
The perfect long term solution for your car is nowhere. It also works as the best car air freshener for smokers. It doesn’t just remove odors, it secretly destroys them and prevents them from ever coming back.

So if you want to give your car a decent odor-less environment, along with a freshener that looks cool in your car, this is a must-buy!

8.    LITTLE TREES auto air freshener, black ice

If you are a fan of mysterious and mesmerizing scents, then look no further, because here is the product that you need.

The LITTLE TREES air fresheners are going to give your car a high quality, and long-lasting scent. If you hang this up in your car, you will feel as if you have entered an exotic land full of fairies and rainbows as soon as you set yourself in your car.

We all agree that journeys can be quite boring and hectic. But with this hanging from the front mirror of your car, you will feel as if you are letting life enter your lungs and then your soul with every breath you take in.

And that way, every journey of yours, every day, will be completely flipped around after you start using this.

All you need to do is to rip the packet open, stick the tree out (especially after an auto detailing air), and then hang it anywhere you want inside your car. And say hello to a fresh environment!

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Bottom line:
If you want a professional scent, then this is what you should go after. Whether you want a car air freshener for Mercedes or a jeep air freshener, this one is for you as it works wonders for any vehicle at all!

9.    Febreze Hawaiian Aloha Car Vent Clip Air Freshener

Well, who doesn’t know Febreze? I think we all do know it as the queen of all odor removers and scents.

When a product gets famous, it starts using its brand name as a way to sell the products and eventually stops focusing on the quality of it. That is why they go out of business.

Febreze has been in the game for many years now and still does not compromise on the quality of the product that it has to offer. That is why we all love it and buy it when we do not want to love or buy anything else.

The best part is that it fights and removes the odors as efficiently as spreading a beautiful, neat scent all over it. So it does both the jobs extremely effectively.

These packets of odors from Febreze are compact punch packed packets that end a solid perfume, after eliminating all odors. As soon as the odors are gone, they continuously release a fresh scent all over the car.

You just need to clip them at different places inside your car. They will look like little ornaments that decorate your car’s interior too.

The intensity control makes sure that you only get the amount of scent that you need.

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Bottom line:
You know Febreze even if you don’t know any other scents. It has the best rating amongst all other best car freshener scents out there.

If you are looking for everything in one single piece, like a strong scent, odor elimination, and design, then this is the one for you!

10.    MaQma 4 Pack Pet Odor Eliminator and Moisture Absorber Bags

It doesn’t just cancel out all the odors, but also purifies the air using all-natural methods, so that you can breathe better.

It also reduces the allergens inside your car for you to be able to breathe better if you have a sensitive breathing system.

Available in 5 different sizes, maQma lets you choose the size that is most compatible with the size of your car.

To recharge it is too easy,’ you don’t need to refill it like other refillable car air fresheners or charge it with a battery. You just have to leave it out in the sun, once a month, to recharge it!

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Bottom line:
This is the product if you are looking for a simple, hassle-free solution.  Not just for your car, but when you are outside your car, you can also throw it anywhere else, like in your closet or inside your shoes, to remove the moisture or foul scent.

You are going to love its versatility!

Read Also: Best Jeep Grab Handles (Review)

Things to consider when buying car air freshener:

•    Space of the car

This is the first thing that you have to take care of. Some scents of car air fresheners are too strong to be used in small cars. They will become overpowering for you.

And if your car is too big, like a bus or something, then you cannot go with something light. In that case, you would obviously need something big.

And obviously, in that case, you would also need many small ones instead of one big one, as the area around it will become unbearable due to the intensity of the scent.

So keep your car size in mind.

•    Scent preference

Some scents are sweet, some are tough, some are light, and some are strong. You would definitely prefer one over the others.

The scent of the products in this list have been given in the comparison table. So see what you would like your car to smell like before making a purchase.

•    Nature of job

Sometimes, you have to carry things inside your car that tend to make your car smellier than the others.

If that is the case with you, then you need an odor remover more than a perfumed car air freshener. Because perfume will do nothing more than masking the smell, it will only make it worse.

So you better go for an odor remover.

•    Intensity of odor

The more the odor in your car, the stronger your odor remover needs to be. As the intensity of the odor keeps decreasing, you can focus more on perfume than odor removal.

Once the odors have been removed, then you can combine it with your favorite scent to give it the feel that you need.

Read Also: Reduced engine power Chevy Malibu

Frequently asked questions:

Human learning is guided by its curious nature. We understood that you must still have a few questions popping up inside your head after all the reading. So, here we have tried to answer as many of them as possible, to make the process of your purchase as simple and easy as we could. Happy reading!

• • How long do car air fresheners last?

The longevity of the car air fresheners depends upon its kind and the amount of usage. It also depends on the manufacturer. You will mostly find it mentioned in the description of the product.

Butt, for the most part, the charcoal ones tend to last longer than the ones that are just perfumed. The perfumed ones can last from days to weeks, to even months, the charcoal ones can last for years.

How much you drive the car and how much you use the air freshener is also a key factor in determining the age of it.

• • Can the air fresheners work without turning AC or heat on?

Most of the times, yes. Except for the ones that are meant to be fitted on the vents of the cars. For them, you would have to turn your vent on.

While they may not need to have the AC or heat turned on to function, the car air fresheners do need them to work more effectively.

The air from the vents is designed to go everywhere. When it mixes with the air freshener, it carries it to every part of the car. Which means it helps in regulating the flow.

• • Can I put the car air freshener anywhere except the rearview mirror?

Yes, of course! There are different kinds of car air fresheners available in the market, and you can definitely find the ones that need not be hanged on the rearview mirror.

You can hang them at the back of your seats. You can also place them onto your dashboard. The area under the seats is also a reasonable place to put the car air fresheners, as long as they are strong enough.

If you live in a place where it is not allowed to hang anything on the rearview mirror, then you must purchase a freshener that is meant to be placed somewhere, or plugged in.

• • Can I use car air fresheners inside my house?

Of course, you can! These air fresheners are supposed to reduce foul scents, and they can be used anywhere you feel like there is a need.

The only thing is that usually, the car fresheners are made for compact spaces, so they may not be as effective in space as open as your bedroom unless it is a strong one. So take care of that.

• • Do car air fresheners have antibacterial properties?

Most of them do. Unless it is just a perfume, it is definitely going to exhibit some antibacterial properties.

• • What is the best scent for my ride?

You can choose from the ones listed above, according to the size of your car and your scent preferences. Choose a charcoal one if you do not like strong scents. Or combine that with a perfumed air freshener for best results.

• • Can car air fresheners be recycled?

The charcoal ones can be recycled. After you have used the car air freshener to its full potential, you can rip the packet open and use the charcoal in it for different purposes.

You can set it in the soil of your plants, and it will act as a fertilizer. You can also use it around pet litter to reduce the odor. And a lot more.

• • When will I receive my order?

It totally depends upon the manufacturer and the seller you have purchased something from. So check the website before you purchase anything.

• • Do vent car air fresheners fit in the vents?

Yes, they are meant to be fitted in the vents of the cars. Though there is not much difference between the sizes of the vents of different cars, the air freshener clips are still adjustable to some extent.

Their adjustability helps them to fit inside the vents very easily. So you do not have to worry about that.

• • Do air fresheners fog the mirrors?

The good ones are going to try their best that you do not face the issue of fogging.

However, sometimes the poorly made air fresheners are going to fog the mirrors of your car. This can prove to be quite dangerous as it reduces visibility.

Sometimes, your mirrors may also fog because of too much spraying. This can be prevented by spraying just the right amount of car air freshener. Make sure you only use as much is necessary.

Final Thoughts:

There you have it. This was the complete guide to let you in on anything and everything about the car air fresheners.

We have tried our best to lay it out as simply and smoothly in front of you as possible. And hopefully, you will now have a better idea as to what car air freshener scent do you need to purchase.

Keep your budget plan ahead of you, and we hope you manage to land the best deal possible!