Contrary to popular belief, colognes aren’t just for men, and perfumes aren’t just for women. The main difference between the two products is that perfumes have more potent scents.
We know that not all of us can get to the store or find that perfect scent ourselves. That’s why we’ve put together some of our recommendations for the best perfume and cologne subscriptions that can be delivered right to your door.
To help you find the perfect subscription, we asked professionals from various industries to share their top picks. From a NASM-Certified Personal Trainer's recommendation of ScentBox to an Operations Manager's endorsement of Luxury Scent Box, here are the top four perfume subscription services and why they stand out, according to industry experts.
- Scent Trunk: Best for Variety
- Scentbird: Best for Luxury
- Perfume.com: Best for Budget
- Olfactif: Best for the Bored of Normal
- ScentBox: Best for Women
- Debonair Scent: Best for Men
- SensUniqueParis: Best for Unisex
- Luxury Scent Box:
- Scent Magic: Best for the Minimalist
- Fragrancenet.com: Best for the Beginners
- Skylar Clean Beauty: Best for the Environmentalist
Our Top Recommendations for Cologne Subscriptions
Here is our list of the best perfume and cologne subscriptions, including our choice of the best for categories like luxury, budget, beginners, and environmentalists, among others.
Best for Variety: Scent Trunk
Scent Trunk currently offers three subscription boxes to choose from. The “Original Edition,” the “Supernatural Future,” and the “Botanical Machinist.” Each month, a 5ml travel atomizer of your choosing will be delivered.
The Original Edition box is a manual subscription, so you’ll receive the same scent monthly unless you change your account settings. With the other two, you’ll automatically receive the new scents in the same order they were released.
Best for Luxury: Scentbird
Scentbird features designer and niche fragrances from companies like BVLGARI, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Tocca, Balenciaga, and more.
To start the subscription, you take a short quiz that helps their designer team pick scents perfect for you and your lifestyle. If you are specifically looking for a perfume and cologne subscription with creed, this is the one for you.
"Quality, Variety, and Affordability"
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After analyzing various factors such as affordability, quality, customer reviews, and the variety of scents offered, I can confidently recommend Scentbird as the best perfume subscription service in the market.
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With Scentbird, subscribers get access to over 500 designer and niche fragrances, the option to customize their queue each month, and a sleek and user-friendly website/app. Their high-quality and long-lasting fragrances make them an affordable subscription price worth it. Scentbird also offers perks such as a loyalty program and exclusive sales.
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Overall, Scentbird stands out as the best perfume subscription service in terms of quality, variety, and affordability.
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- Tarun Saha / Co-founder and CEO / StallionZo
Best for Budget: Perfume.com
With the cheapest perfume and cologne subscription box, Perfume.com is a great place to try new colognes on a budget. Immediately on their homepage, you’ll see two options for either men or women. They boast over 500 brands to sample from.
You’ll be able to pick out which scents you want to start with and then begin creating a queue, so future you doesn’t need to worry about subscription options!
"Designer Scents at Low Cost"
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Perfume.com Fragrance of the Month Club is one of the best perfume subscription services because of its wide variety of popular designer fragrances. Subscribers can try a variety of scents each month, allowing them to explore and expand their fragrance collection.
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This service provides access to sought-after fragrances at a reasonable cost, offering a convenient and enjoyable way to discover new scents and keep up with the latest trends in the perfume industry.
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- Roy Lau / Co-founder / 28 Mortgage
Best for the “Bored of Normal:” Olfactif
With over 300 scents to choose from, you’ll never have to worry about smelling like the person next to you. You’ll receive three or six samples (depending on the box) curated with different scents each month.
You’ll be able to choose between “Women’s” or “Men’s.” The Women’s are more floral and vibrant, while the Men’s are more traditionally masculine and unisex. Each vial is 2 ml and contains around 20 sprays. With three samples, that’s 6 ml a month!
Why do we like this subscription so much? Because they offer colognes that are difficult to purchase unless you live near an independent perfume shop or boutique, which gives the masses (that’s us!) an opportunity to explore rare scents.
Best for Women: ScentBox
With over 850 designer fragrances like Versace and Prada, you won’t run out of new scents anytime soon.
We picked this luxury scent box for our girlfriends because they offer more than just perfume, which, as we know, we run into a lot when shopping for cologne for women.
ScentBox allows you to choose one or two fragrances per month by adding them to your “Fragrance Calendar.” This way, you can plan ahead. In addition to the subscription box, they also sell bath products, candles, skincare, CBD, and more!
"Personalized and Diverse"
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ScentBox offers a personalized and delightful fragrance experience that is tailored to your unique preferences. What sets ScentBox apart is its extensive selection of over 850 authentic designer fragrances.
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Whether you prefer floral, oriental, or fresh scents, they have an incredible variety to choose from. The best part is that you have the freedom to select a new fragrance each month, ensuring that you're always discovering exciting scents that align with your evolving tastes.
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But what truly makes ScentBox exceptional is their scent recommendation system. When you sign up, you take a quiz that captures your fragrance preferences, favorite notes, and even occasions you'd like to wear the perfume. Based on your responses, ScentBox curates a customized selection of fragrances that are specifically tailored to your unique taste and style.
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- Evander Nelson | NASM-Certified Personal Trainer | evandernelson.com
Best Cologne Subscription: Debonair Scent
Debonair specializes in a men’s cologne subscription and offers a quick, four-question quiz to get you started.
After that, their scent specialists scan your profile and pick out the samples best for your lifestyle from brands like Gucci, Paco Rabanne, and Diptyque.
You’ll receive three 3ml sample bottles and will have the option to prepay for three, six, or twelve months. If you like what’s inside, you can use the $15 shop offer that comes inside every box on a full-sized bottle of your favorite.
Best for Gender-Neutral and Non-Binary People: SensUniqueParis
Did you think I was going to exclude you? Of course not! This subscription is our absolute favorite subscription for cologne if you’re looking for a scent that will fit a more gender-neutral or unisex preference. You’ll receive smells that focus on each month’s current inspiration.
This company will pick the scents for you even though there is no quiz. Because every month is different, everyone will find something they’ll love.
Because this company is based in France, shipping may take longer than a US-based company. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore scents by Ed Idolo, Etat Libre D’Orange, and Eris Parfums.
Best for Designer Scents: Luxury Scent Box
If you are into niche and authentic designer scents, then Luxury Scent Box is for you. As a member, $15.95 will get a month’s supply delivered to your door.
After filling out your personal scent profile online a .30oz fragrance plus a travel sized scent sample freebie lands in your hot little hands each and every month. The market value of your sample size may be less than your monthly spend, but the free traveller makes it worth it.
Shipping also comes for free, which makes up for the fact that it can be a tad slow. And just be forewarned that while you can cancel at any time, it’s not super easy to do so.
"Affordable High-End Fragrances"
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Luxury ScentBox is the best perfume subscription service because it offers high-end designer fragrances at an affordable price. Subscribers can experience luxury scents without breaking the bank, making them accessible to a wider audience.
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The service allows individuals to discover and enjoy the finest fragrances without committing to full-size bottles, providing a cost-effective way to indulge in luxury perfumes. With its combination of quality scents and affordability, Luxury ScentBox stands out as a top choice for perfume enthusiasts.
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- Jason Cheung / Operations Manager / Credit KO
Best for the Minimalist: Scent Magic
This box is the subscription for you if you’re looking for a no-brainer. There are three easy steps: Subscribe. Choose a scent from over 500 designer fragrances.
You receive an 8ml spritz bottle right to your door. They offer perfumes for women and cologne subscriptions for men. You’ll access brands like Gucci, Versace, and Tom Ford.
Best for The Beginners: Fragrancenet.com
Purpl Lux is a monthly subscription from Fragrancenet.com that delivers one 8ml atomizer to you.
You can pay monthly or for the entire year (which gives you the best overall deal yet). If you have a friend just starting out, this is a great box for a perfume and cologne subscription gift.
We’ve highlighted this company because sometimes, you can only focus on one perfume. And that’s okay!
This box gives you the entire month to decide what you do and don’t like, and you don’t have to worry about the two or three other atomizers sitting on the shelf.
Best for the Environmentalist: Skylar Clean Beauty
This company is a little different than the rest. Instead of cologne, they specialize in neutral scents. Instead of atomizers, they send you a rollerball.
Best of all? Each month, they donate a portion of the proceeds to an organization dedicated to making the world better.
At the time of this article, the organization is Oceana. You know you will spend your hard-earned money on something worthwhile.
What to Look For in a Cologne Subscription
You want a subscription with possibilities and options. Otherwise, what’s the point of trying out new products?
Cologne subscriptions are a great way to try new things before buying big, expensive name-brand bottles.
In addition to a subscription with many options, you should also look for an affordable one. If you wanted to spend hundreds of dollars to try new things, you would buy full-sized bottles, which is a cost-effective way to learn what you love.
Are Cologne Subscriptions Worth It?
We won’t lie to you – it depends on where you are in your fragrance journey. If you know what you love and don’t want to change, a subscription isn’t for you. If you know what you want but are willing to branch out, then sure. Maybe a few months’ trials.
And if you’re new to the cologne game and want to experience the different options from designer brands worldwide without hunting them down and going broke? Absolutely.
You may find you don’t need the subscription forever – unless you think change can be a good thing.
Conclusion
We hope these ten best cologne subscription options give you somewhere to start on your subscription hunt. You can’t go wrong with the fragrance club you choose as long as you keep what you like in mind – and if you’re not sure yet, the companies can walk you through it.
Selena Marc is a fragrance enthusiast, freelance writer, and dog mom living in Houston, Texas. When she's not writing about her favorite new perfumes, you can find her enjoying yoga or a morning hike.