Are you ready to just cut out the crap and find the best men’s cologne of all time? Well, you are in luck because here at We Heart Boho, we’ve created a special list that narrows the top cologne for men into one easy to see list.
On our list, you’ll see all of our ratings for each fragrance WE have ever reviewed. The overall number shows a mixture of our rating and everyone that has submitted their opinion too!
Don’t like where your favorite fragrance ended up on our list?! Well then, click on the link and head to that page, and tell us how you feel! Your ratings are considered when we created this list, so make your voice count!
Lastly, the table above only shows 10 fragrances at a time. You can expand the list by clicking on the bottom of the table.
The COOLEST part of the list is that you can SORT by which category you want to see. A detailed explanation on what each category can be found below.
Below the table descriptions, you’ll find the meat and potatoes of a men’s cologne purchasing guide. We go through each category on what fragrance leads the way, and we explain why it does.
Disclaimer – We are using the term “cologne” loosely. Most of the fragrances on this list are not cologne, they are considered eau de toilettes. Most people don’t know the difference which is why we bunched them all together. For a detailed explanation of what this means, check out our Cologne Guide.
What Do The Different Categories Mean?
Overall Rating – This rating takes into account all the factors a men’s cologne should have. Popularity, critics, longevity, sex appeal.
With everything considered, this is how we feel the fragrance measures up. We take into account legitimately everything…
Critic Score – This rating explains how some of the top reviewers, perfume wearers, and fellow cologne gurus feel about the fragrance.
If you do not trust our opinion on what makes a fragrance awesome, feel free to see what others have said.
Longevity – This is the length of time a fragrance will last throughout the day.
We feel at We Heart Boho that a fragrance should only be considered “one of the best” if it lasts a significant amount of time.
Keep in mind, we judge the fragrances based on how long they SHOULD last. For example, an eau de toilette should last around 4-6 hours. If the fragrance exceeds that expectation, it is considered to have pretty incredible longevity.
If a fragrance fails to reach 4 hours, the fragrance is most likely terrible.
Sex Appeal – Let’s face it, the reason most guys want to smell good, is to impress the ladies.
The higher the number you see here, the sexier the fragrance is. Since most Cologne Gurus are dudes, when we gauge sex appeal, we always look at the women’s perspective of this.
The #1 Best Cologne For Men of All Time…
Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani – 1996
Overall rating – 8.7
Why is Acqua Di Gio rated the #1 Best Men’s Cologne?
- Without any question, Aqua Di Gio (read our full review here) is the most worn fragrance today. According to Google, it is searched for more than any fragrance by more than 30,000 times per month. If a fragrance is popular, there is probably a reason for it.
- Acqua Di Gio is versatile and inoffensive. Anyone can wear this fragrance, day or night, summer or winter, and be perfectly acceptable.
- One of the best gifts you can give to someone because it is universally liked
- It’s not priced out of control
- Very sexy… women can recognize the scent and associate it with sexiness
- The longevity of this fragrance is also what makes it just a step above every other citrus scent out there. Most eau de toilettes have horrendous longevity but not Acqua Di Gio.
Conclusion
Everyone that wears, appreciates fragrance, or is completely overwhelmed with trying to choose a cologne, needs to try Aqua Di Gio at some point in their lives.
Even if it’s a little bottle that you wear for a month and discard, at least you can say you jumped on the bandwagon. You don’t want to be that guy who joins in a conversation and says, “I’ve never heard of it”.
#2. Allure Homme Sport by Chanel (2004)
Overall Rating – 8.6
Why is Allure Homme Sport the 2nd best men’s cologne right now?
- HUGE compliment getter
- Easy to wear. It fits almost any situation
- A wonderful signature scent
- Lasts a long time
- You can see the full review here
Allure Homme Sport is a fragrance to watch out for. I feel like in the next few years, Allure Homme sport will continue to gain popularity and won’t be as good of a well-kept secret as it is now. Of all the fragrances on the best men’s cologne list, this by far has received the most positive reactions for me.
#3. Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch (2002)
Overall Rating – 8.5
Why is Fierce the 3rd best men’s cologne right now?
- One of the best fragrances for young men
- Very long lasting for a lighter scented fragrance (full review here)
- Safe to wear at school, work, and church
- A perfect signature scent
- Very well liked
- A casual fragrance
In an interesting development, Fierce by Abercrombie & Fitch hit’s #3 for the best men’s fragrance. If you take away the bottle and the name behind it, you have a fragrance that works perfectly for almost any situation whether it’s day or night, school or play, and summer versus winter. The only problem is the price is a little expensive.
#3 – Tied Armani Code by Giorgio Armani (2004)
Overall rating – 8.3
Why is Armani Code the #3 best men’s cologne?
- FIFI Award winner in 2008
- One of the most popular fragrances alive today
- It lasts all day so you don’t have to worry about putting more on every chance you get
- Very sexy… women love it… You can find our full review here
- A great signature scent… People will remember you if you wear it
- A versatile fragrance you can get away with wearing day, night, and every season
If you’re looking around your dresser and notice you still don’t have a signature fragrance that you can put your name on, you may want to give this one a chance. It has enough of a unique smell to it that will give you some personality.
#3 – Tied The One by Dolce & Gabanna (2008) EDT
Overall Rating – 8.3
Why is The One currently ranked #3?
- My personal signature scent… That’s right, this is the fragrance that I wear!
- The scent has a perfect mixture of sweetness and manliness… This makes it one of the sexiest fragrances out there!
- Makes a wonderful gift because not very many people wear it… you can find our full review here
- Perfect for any situation… Day/Night/Any Season
- Highly recommended by many other top reviewers… YouTube, Fragrantica, Basenotes, and many others
If these rankings were just up to me, I would put The One where it belongs at #1… However, because I take everyone’s suggestions, I can’t do it…
The Best Cologne According To Critics & Reviewers
Who are these reviewers and critics?!
Critics – These guys are professional reviewers. They have blogs, YouTube videos, and Twitter followers, and are all-around true fragrance masters.
I feel like I know a lot about fragrance, but these dudes are out of control. They take a little more of an “artistic” approach to fragrance so what they consider, “incredible”, the general population might say “it stinks”.
Reviewers – These people can be anyone. Just average guys around the world that have worn the fragrance once or fifty times and they describe how they feel about it.
If you ask two random dudes on the street how they like cologne, they could be complete opposites.
However, if you ask 1,000 dudes how they like a fragrance, the law of averages says if 800 of them say they love it, chances are that you will too.
#1 Highest Rated Fragrance According To Critics & Reviewers
Very Sexy For Him by Victoria Secret (2001)
Why is Very Sexy For Him by Victoria Secret rated #1 by critics and the masses?
- A huge compliment getter from women in a “sexy” way
- Ideally, it’s for young guys and you can find it on the best colognes for young guys post
- Not extremely popular so you don’t have to worry about everyone next to you wearing it
- Huge brand name behind it. I mean, what’s the first thing you think of when someone says, “Victoria Secret”
- Did I mention that women find it sexy? Holy Moses, I’m reading through these reviews on Fragrantica, and one after another tell legends of it’s sexiness.
The Conclusion
Very Sexy For Him by Victoria Secret is a fragrance that received only a 6 in the overall rating category for a few reasons.
1. It doesn’t last very long
2. It’s not safe to wear if you’re heading over to grandma’s house so it may not be a very good thing to wear as a signature scent.
3. It should only be worn by young guys. Do you want your dad or grandpa to wear this fragrance?
It’s quite clear why critics and reviewers love this fragrance. The reason behind it is how women respond to it. If you’re looking for a fragrance to wear on a hot date and you’re under 25, you’ve found it.
#2 Highest Rated Fragrance According To Critics & Reviewers
Dior Homme by Christian Dior
Dior Homme is another fragrance that was a surprising finish at the top of the Critics and Reviewers list. If you don’t already know the story, I accidentally purchased Dior Homme while trying to buy Dior’s Intense after watching a YouTube video about it.
This mistake purchase is surprisingly popular in the world of fragrance buffs and you most likely would have never seen it on any list if it wasn’t for my mistake.
Why is Dior Homme by Christian Dior rated #2 by critics as the best men’s cologne?
- Reviewers say that it is a fragrance for gentlemen. If you are a ruff and tough guy, this may not be the fragrance for you
- It’s manufactured in France which means every bottle has just a little extra romance built into it
- Despite scoring only a 5.6 on the overall score, the people that love it are in the category of fragrance artists. These guys describe it as elegant, sophisticated, and rich
- For anyone looking for a floral scent, this is a good recommendation on where to begin
Conclusion
Dior Intense is a fantastic fragrance for anyone looking to figure out what a floral fragrance is. In my opinion, reviewers and critics love this fragrance because it has a more artistic smell to it that perfume connoisseurs really enjoy.
Give this fragrance a chance if you’re looking at the list of the best colognes for men and you find each suggestion boring.
#3 Highest Rated Fragrance According To Critics & Reviewers
Terre d’Hermes by Hermes (2006)
Why is Terre d”hermes rated #3 by critics as the best cologne for men?
This one is a little easier to understand. Terre d’Hermes is a fragrance that has a reputation of being sophisticated and loved by fragrance amateurs and masters. Of the top 3 on critics and reviewers list, this would be my pick.
- Light, clean, and sophisticated
- Non-Offensive and safe to wear in almost any situation. You can wear it to grandma’s house without any worries.
- Obviously well liked by causal wearers and fellow fragrance enthusiasts
- Check out our full review here
Conclusion
Of all the critic and mass reviewers score, Terre d’Hermes is the most accepted. It’s light, clean, and smells like something that someone important would wear. Y
The Longest Lasting Cologne According To Mass Audiences
When trying to figure out which fragrance lasts the longest, we don’t mess around.
We combined THOUSANDS (seriously not kidding) of ratings together to find the longest lasting fragrances around and here are the top ones that we have reviewed so far:
#1 1 Million by Paco Rabanne
The greatest gift that 1 million gives us, is that when you come home from a long hard day of work, you can still smell this fragrance on your body.
Waking up the “morning after”, is even more impressive as I’ve noticed I can still smell it all over my clothes and body as well.
If you wish to see a full list of the longest lasting colognes, we have a page devoted to just that.
#2 Longest Lasting Fragrance According To People Who Wear Them
#2 Chrome by Azzaro (1996)
Chrome Azzaro is a surprise on this list because it is a lighter, cleaner, and refreshing scent. When men usually put on this fragrance, their expectations are usually a few hours, not an entire day.
My roommate absolutely loves this scent. He comes into my room and steals it almost every morning. When I come back from work after about 9 hours, I can still smell it lingering around my room.
Maybe my room just smells, but this fragrance does have some great longevity, especially for something so light.
#3 Longest Lasting Fragrance that CologneMasters has Reviewed
#3 Drakkar Noir by Guy Laroche
As one of the most classic fragrances this world has ever seen, Drakkar Noir still knocks out home runs. Whether like the fragrance or not, at least you don’t have to worry about it wearing off.
Conclusion for our Best Men’s Cologne of All Time Guide
Thanks so much for checking out our post on our picks for the best men’s cologne of all time!
Keep in mind, we only put fragrances on this list that we have PERSONALLY tried and tested ourselves. This makes our choices 100% legit and not influenced by advertisers or 3rd party companies.
We review a new fragrance at least once per week so don’t be afraid to stop back and see where new fragrances end up.
If you have questions or comments, don’t be afraid to leave a comment below!
Leave a Reply