The Best Spray Deodorants Leave a Trail of Secret Admirers

Though they may evoke memories of crunchy hair gel and sweaty pre-teen hands, the best spray deodorants has never been more deserving of a spot on your bathroom shelf—and in your gym bag—than right now. Just like hair styling products, the number of spray deodorants out there has exploded over recent years. Not only that, but there’s a robust category of natural products (that actually work!) and countless combinations of coverage, scents, and specialty ingredients to suit any situation.

Basically, if your biggest apprehension about spray deodorant is smelling like you’ve got a term paper due, it’s worth revisiting the category, as those days are long gone. And, if you never parted ways with spray deodorant to begin with, here are a couple of our favorites that you might have overlooked—thoroughly tested and stamped with the GQ seal of approval.

The Best Spray Deodorants for Men, at a Glance:

• The Best Spray Deodorant for Men Overall: Degree Whole Body Deo, $9
• The Best Post-Workout Spray Deodorant for Men: OffCourt Performance Body Spray, $14
• The Best Vegan Spray Deodorant for Men: Herban Cowboy Forest Spray Deodorant, $15
• The Best Extra-Strength Spray Deodorant for Men: Oars + Alps Aluminum-Free Deodorant Spray, $14
• The Best Throwback Spray Deodorant for Men: Mando Invisible Spray Deodorant, $20
• The Best Moisturizing Spray Deodorant for Men: Dove Men+Care Deodorant Spray, $13
• The Best Antiperspirant Spray Deodorant for Men: Right Guard Xtreme Defense Dry Spray, $14
• The Best Lightweight Spray Deodorant for Men: Aesop Déodorant, $35
• The Best-Smelling Spray Deodorant for Men: Old Spice Total Body Deodorant, $13
• The Best Natural Spray Deodorant for Men: Native Whole Body Deodorant Spray, $14

The Best Spray Deodorant for Men Overall: Degree Whole Body Deo

If you’re just looking for a nice, normal deodorant spray for everyday use, add Degree’s Whole Body Deo to your cart and move on with your life. From armpits to… everywhere else, this no-frills workhorse deodorant spray can tackle it all. With long-lasting odor control (up to 72 hours, should you need it) and a familiar, inoffensive scent that wouldn’t seem out of place at the office, bar, or anywhere in-between, it’s a solid go-to choice that also happens to be the most budget-friendly deodorant spray on this list. Of the two scents that we tested, I lean towards Ocean Rush, which has the more neutral—and therefore more versatile—fragrance, but check out Active Fresh if you prefer a woodsier energy.

The Best Post-Workout Spray Deodorant for Men: OffCourt Performance Body Spray

I’ve long been guilty of treating the can of deodorant rolling around in my gym bag as an afterthought. It never occurred to me to approach my gym toiletries with the same level of curation as the products perched on my bathroom shelf. Having recently decided to correct this, I decided to use testing for this story as an opportunity to replace my generic aerosol with something that felt like a step up. As a fan of brands that do one thing well, I was drawn to OffCourt’s elevated take on post-workout self care—and relieved to discover it isn’t just marketing. After a couple of weeks of testing, including gym sessions, pick-up soccer games, and my weekly run club (including after-run-club beers), it was OffCourt’s Performance Body Spray that I found myself reaching for. While other deodorants offer similar staying power, OffCourt’s premium fragrances put it on another level. Coconut Water and Sandalwood (my personal favorite) is luxuriously fresh, and I appreciate how the notes of black pepper and Meyer lemon wake up the senses after hitting the showers.

The Best Vegan Spray Deodorant for Men: Herban Cowboy Forest Spray Deodorant

While we’re technically giving Herban Cowboy the distinction of best vegan deodorant, I’d be comfortable calling it a tie for the best spray deodorant overall. First of all, based on performance alone, you’d never guess that this is a natural formula—a huge compliment, and for a vegan product, no less. As for the scent, I gravitated towards Forest, which genuinely smells like the woods. Although that should come as no surprise, given Herban Cowboy’s use of plant extracts and essential oils from sources including aloe, sage, rosemary, and parsley. The result is a fresh, woodsy, and decidedly intriguing fragrance that could pull double-duty as cologne in a pinch. (Herban Cowboy actually sells the Forest fragrance as a standalone product.)

The Best Extra-Strength Spray Deodorant for Men: Oars + Alps Aluminum-Free Deodorant Spray

Inspired by high-intensity endurance sports like rowing and skiing, Oars and Alps products are formulated to work as hard as you do. And this deodorant is no exception. From your pits to your feet and everything (and we mean everything) in-between, you can count on this extra-strength spray for full and unrelenting coverage. (Also, we appreciate how the non-aerosol sprayer works upside down, too—making it easier to get to hard-to-reach areas.) While not officially a natural product, it contains only eight ingredients, including standouts like saccharomyces ferment filtrate and cladonia stellaris extract, which support the skin’s natural microbiome and protect the skin from free radicals, respectively. Meanwhile, the invigorating crush of cedarwood, lime, and fresh greens will have you feeling ready to take on the world.

The Best Throwback Spray Deodorant for Men: Mando Invisible Spray Deodorant

Let’s flip the script and suppose you actually do want to go back in time and smell like your fresh-faced self. Most guys are introduced to spray deodorants right around junior high; and, if you happened to be a somewhat sweaty child, it didn’t come a moment too soon. For many of us, deodorant was a game-changer, and gave us the confidence to engage with all kinds of experiences we might have otherwise avoided. So, if there’s some good nostalgia to be tapped into, let’s go for it—albeit with a slight upgrade. Mando’s Whole Body Deodorant has the same warm, citrusy allure that we remember, except now it’s punctuated with notes of pepper, eucalyptus, and mint. Also, in case you don’t remember, those OG deodorants weren’t exactly the cleanest—for you or for the environment—but this vegan, ozone-friendly formula leaves no residue whatsoever.

The Best Moisturizing Spray Deodorant for Men: Dove Men+Care 0% Aluminum Deodorant Spray

Dove Men+Care has a pretty expansive collection of spray deodorants—many formulated with standout functional ingredients like vitamin E, to help reduce skin irritation. If I had to pick one, it would be this Eucalyptus and Birch spray. While most spray deodorant products focus on things like how long they’ll last, whether or not they contain aluminum, and how good they smell (all important factors, and in this case: 48 hours, no, and delightful), very few endeavor to support the health of the very skin they’re being applied to. This natural, non-irritating deodorant is infused with a plant-based moisturizer that you can really feel. If you have sensitive skin or have dealt with underarm irritation in the past, reach for this one and you won’t turn back.

The Best Antiperspirant Spray Deodorant for Men: Right Guard Xtreme Defense Dry Spray

Whether you’re pulling long shifts or backpacking through Europe, if you’re burning the candle at both ends, you’ll want a deodorant that can go the distance with you. Right Guard’s Xtreme Defense Dry Spray boasts 72 hours of odor control. While I didn’t stay up for two and a half days in order to test this claim, I did use the deodorant ahead of two international travel days—checked baggage, connecting flights, and all. The aptly named Fresh Blast hits you with a classic clean scent that stays nice and even throughout the day. And while I usually prefer straight-up deodorants to antiperspirant combos, it was nice to walk away from a day of planes, trains, and cabs not looking or smelling like I’d just left SoulCycle.

The Best Lightweight Spray Deodorant for Men: Aesop Déodorant

If you find typical spray deodorants to be too overpowering, or if you prefer something more subtle that you can reapply throughout the day, I’m recommending Déodorant by Aesop. Applied with a fine spritz rather than a continuous spray, using this deodorant is like having just one bite of a scandalously rich desert—the perfect amount, even though you’d love more. The gentle mist unfolds a light, herbaceous blend of essential oils that reduces and masks odor. (Just give it about a minute to dry before you put a shirt on.) While the odor protection lasts all day, I noticed the nuances of the deodorant’s fragrance starting to fade by the afternoon. That said, the handy 1.7 oz bottle has been easy enough to toss into a jacket pocket or backpack.

The Best-Smelling Spray Deodorant for Men: Old Spice Total Body Deodorant

If you’re concerned about odor control, but equally interested in the scent that will be replacing said odor, it would be remiss of us to neglect mentioning Old Spice’s Fiji Total Body Deodorant, which emerged from testing as the best-smelling product of the lot. Among the fragrance notes, Old Spice lists coconut, cucumber, palm trees, and avocado. I’m not exactly sure what palm trees smell like (or avocado, for that matter), but the island imagery feels appropriate given this vacation-ready scent. And because this deodorant is formulated to neutralize odor-causing bacteria at the source, rather than simply masking smells, you don’t have to worry about it competing with your natural, uh, essence.

The Best Natural Spray Deodorant for Men: Native Whole Body Deodorant Spray

There was a time, not long ago, when natural grooming products—but especially deodorants—were considered guilty until proven innocent. Simply, for the most part, they didn’t really work. Of course, those days are behind us, and much of it is thanks to Native. From shampoo to sunscreen, the brand has taken aim at almost all the major grooming product categories, developing back-to-basics natural alternatives. Take this deodorant spray, for example. It is made using just six ingredients—none of which includes aluminum, parabens, dyes, or hydrocarbons. And yet it breezed through testing, providing day-long protection with no problem. The fragrance that I gravitated towards in testing—a blend of cucumber, spearmint, and apple—is light, airy, and a refreshing departure from the usual drugstore deodorant scents.

What to Look for in a Spray Deodorant

Spray deodorant isn’t the most complicated product out there, but there are still a couple of factors to consider when looking for the best one to suit your needs. Ultimately, the most surefire way to find your perfect match will be to try a few and observe how each interacts with your unique body chemistry, but here are a couple of considerations to help you narrow your search.