Scents impact our mood! Yes, this is a scientific truth. They can even help us relax and concentrate better, which is essential when driving. You can read more about how scent affects us in this blog.
If you don’t use a car freshener in your car, chances are it doesn’t always smell great. The food you ate in the car yesterday might have left a funky smell...or your current garlic breath does. Driving through newly fertilized fields can leave behind an unpleasant smell, as can the scent of exhaust fumes.
To overcome this problem is easy—buy a car air freshener online or in your nearest supermarket. But how do you find the best car air freshener? Read on to find out.
Tips for Finding the Right Car Air Freshener
1. Choose a Long Lasting Car Air Freshener
You’ll find plenty of different car perfumes on the market—ranging from ridiculously cheap to ridiculously expensive. While the cheap ones may be tempting, they usually only last for one or two weeks.
You don’t need to buy the car freshener that’s the most expensive, but consider one that you know will last for a good four to eight weeks. It may cost more than the cheaper ones, but in the long run it will be a lot cheaper. It will also save you from running back and forth to the store every other week.
Unsure of which ones are long lasting car air fresheners? Resealable car air fresheners and automatic car fresheners tend to last the longest. While some are labeled as luxurious car fresheners, that usually says little about their longevity and a lot about their branding.
Also, see the next point!
2. Consider Product Reviews for the Car Freshener
Before you settle for a particular car perfume, always consider the product reviews. The best car freshener will undoubtedly have some good reviews. While every car air freshener will have some bad reviews (not everyone is going to like a particular scent), unless the majority of reviews are good, stay away.
Also, beware fake reviews. If it sounds like all the reviews are fake, they probably are.
If you’re buying the car freshener in a shop—ask the staff there. Have they used it? Does it do what it says on the packaging? Do customers come back for more?
3. Consider the Strength of the Car Perfume
With a big car (seven seater or more), you need an air freshener that is strong enough to scent the entire car. With a small car (two seater), on the other hand, you have to beware you don’t overdo the scent. If a scent is too strong, it can be nauseating.
No matter the car size, you need a scent that isn’t too overpowering–a lot of people are sensitive to scents. And if the person sensitive to scent is also prone to car sickness, the combination of being in a car with a strong car perfume can be a horrible experience. Note that so-called natural car air fresheners can also be strong, and cause allergies just as ones containing synthetic scents.
You can control the strength of the scent by buying automatic car fresheners where you can control the mode—low, medium or high—or sealable ones. If it’s sealable, like the Sniff Drive cans, just open and close the lid to adjust the scent.
If you choose a paper or fabric car freshener that you hang in your rearview mirror (like Little Trees), you can try to open the packaging but keep it on to ensure it doesn’t emit too much scent in one go.
4. Choose a Car Perfume That Suits All Family Members/Passengers
If you share your car with someone else, or your family rides with you, you need to make sure the car freshener you choose appeals to everyone. If someone doesn’t like the scent, or it’s too strong for them, it can make them feel nauseated. And that’s the polar opposite of what a good car air freshener should do!
Bring your family or co-driver to the store to pick a car freshener, or ask them before picking a scent if buying online.
In Closing
The best car air freshener is one that smells great (both to you and your passengers), one that lasts a fair amount of time, and one which you can control the strength of the scent for (an automatic or re-sealable one). Check reviews online before you buy or ask the staff in the store.
Want to buy a car freshener now? You can find our car fresheners online here.