26 Best Cologne for Men in 2026, Reviewed by GQ

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.

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.

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 or eau de parfum intense 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.

Meaning “wood” in Arabic, oud (or “oud wood”) 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, not just those looking to project masculinity.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

The biggest question guys have when it comes to applying fragrances is: Just exactly how do I do it? Some guys will spray it in front of them, then walk into the spritz, while others will spray themselves all over like it’s going out of style. But here’s what you should really do: Apply directly to skin, particularly at your pulse points: the wrists and neck. These are the “warmest” parts of the body, which will help your scent achieve its maximum potential of smelling good. Make sure to apply your cologne at least six inches away so that it can spread, so it’s neither too concentrated nor underwhelming. And finally, start with one spritz before applying more. Don’t be the guy who overdoes it on the cologne and forces everyone to keep their distance so they don’t get a headache from the scent.

Depending on the strength of your fragrance, you may not need to reapply your scent at all. If you’re using an EDP, you’re most likely good for the whole day. On the other hand, if you’re using an EDT you might want to give yourself another spritz every four to six hours. And because of its weakest concentration of perfumed oils, eau de colognes can be re-spritzed most often, say every other hour.

Yes. As we mentioned when teaching you how to apply your scent, start with one spritz before going for a second (or even a dreaded third). You can absolutely apply too much fragrance and not know it as your senses get adjusted to the scent to the point where you can’t notice it anymore—but believe us, the people around you can, and if you wonder why people keep moving away from you, it’s almost a certainty it’s because you over-fragranced.