A quick look at the best deodorants for men
- Best deodorant/antiperspirant: Dove Men+ Care Antiperspirant
- Best natural fragrance: Tom’s of Maine Wide Stick Deodorant
- Best for sensitive skin: Schmidt’s Sensitive Skin Deodorant, Tea Tree
- Best for easy application: Degree UltraClear Black+White Dry Spray Antiperspirant Deodorant
- Best extra strength formula: Gillette Clinical Soft Solid Antiperspirant Deodorant
- Best deodorant paste: Pretty Frank Baking Soda Deodorant
- Best for long-lasting odor protection: Native Deodorant
- Best for vegan lifestyles: Each & Every Deodorant
- Best for scent options: Humble Brands All Natural Deodorant
- Best for whole body use: Lume Natural Solid Deodorant Stick
- Best for going on clear: Oars + Alps Natural Deodorant
- Best for soothing skin: Harry’s Men’s Odor Control Deodorant
- Most sustainable pick: Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant
There’s a big difference between good and bad deodorant. But how can you tell just by looking and not actually buying and trying?
We’ve put together a list of the top deodorants marketed to men to help you decide on a good, long-lasting deodorant.
Here are some of the criteria we used to select these deodorants:
- ingredients
- roll-on stick, gel, spray, or paste
- deodorant, antiperspirant, or both
- how long it lasts with use
- how long until it needs to be replaced
- how affordable it is
How we chose
To make our recommendations, we looked for products made with effective ingredients. We also considered application method, longevity, and price point. Plus, we looked carefully at customer reviews to see what real customers had to say.
Pricing guide
First, a quick note about price: We’ll indicate where each choice fits in the possible price range with the following key:
- $ = $1–$3
- $$ = $4–$9
- $$$ = $9–$12
- $$$$ = $12 or higher
Now, on to our top recommendations of the best deodorants for men and for anyone with sweat glands.
Healthline’s picks of the best deodorants for men
Best deodorant/antiperspirant
Dove Men+Care Antiperspirant
- Price: $$$ for a 4-pack
- Pro: inexpensive
- Con: contains aluminum
- Key ingredients: aluminum zirconium tetrachlorohydrex, vitamin E
Key features: affordable; widely available at many department stores and drugstores; mild scent available in many fragrances; long-trusted brand with other products, like body washes that use same scents
Considerations: contains aluminum; company’s large-scale manufacturing practices may have environmental impacts
Best natural fragrance
Tom’s of Maine Wide Stick Deodorant
- Price: $$$$ for a 3-pack
- Pro: free of artificial fragrance and preservatives
- Con: natural ingredients may cause stinging
- Key ingredients: organic aloe, natural fragrance
Key features: relatively affordable for a natural deodorant; widely available at many stores; free of aluminum and artificial fragrances and dyes; wide variety of scents; company is certified B Corporation and donates 10 percent of profits to charities; company offers numerous other hygiene products with similar scents
Considerations: reported by some customers to not last very long and to lose effectiveness over time; some customers report burning or stinging from allergic reactions
Best for sensitive skin
Schmidt’s Sensitive Skin Deodorant, Tea Tree
- Price: $$$$
- Pro: safe, sustainable ingredients
- Con: coarse texture
- Key ingredients: shea butter, magnesium, tea tree and lavender essential oils
Key features: contains ingredients meant to be effective for people with sensitive skin or contact allergies; contains many safe and sustainably sourced ingredients, such as essential oils instead of artificial fragrances; doesn’t contain many common deodorant ingredients like parabens and phthalates
Considerations: smaller and more expensive than many similar deodorants; texture of deodorant is somewhat coarse and can irritate some people; some ingredients may irritate allergies
Best for easy application
Degree UltraClear Black+White Dry Spray Antiperspirant Deodorant
- Price: $$$$ for a 3-pack
- Pro: easy application
- Con: contains aluminum
- Key ingredients: aluminum chlorohydrate
Key features: sprays as a mist for easy and convenient application; easy to find at many stores; reduces the appearance of white spots or marks from roll-on deodorant; MotionSense design uses fragrance-filled microcapsule meant to release fragrance during physical activity
Considerations: contains aluminum and other possibly toxic ingredients, including chlorofluorocarbons, which can contribute to air pollution; can’s packaging materials aren’t sustainable and are hard to recycle
Best extra strength formula
Gillette Clinical Soft Solid Antiperspirant Deodorant
- Price: $$$
- Pro: clinical strength
- Con: contains aluminum
- Key ingredients: aluminum zirconium trichlorohydrex
Key features: antiperspirant designed for people who sweat a lot or who have trouble finding deodorants that work; easy to find at many well-known stores; designed to have a strong but pleasant scent that masks odor; uses similar scents to other Gillette products, like shaving cream and body wash
Considerations: contains aluminum; company not known to use environmentally friendly manufacturing practices
Best deodorant paste
Pretty Frank Baking Soda Deodorant
- Price: $$$$
- Pro: no toxic ingredients
- Con: high price point
- Key ingredients: coconut oil, arrowroot, vitamin E, zinc
Formerly known as Primal Pit Paste (PPP), these natural deodorants can now be found as Pretty Frank. Baking soda is one of two formulas the company uses, both of which are available as paste in glass jars or as deodorant sticks.
Key features: comes in a glass jar of paste that you can apply directly into your pits with your fingers; contains natural ingredients including shea butter and coconut oil; contains no aluminum or toxic ingredients like phthalates
Considerations: somewhat expensive for small size; some customers report the paste doesn’t work well or last long; manufacturer sometimes changes formula, which can affect effectiveness and consistency
Best for long-lasting odor protection
Native Deodorant
- Price: $$$$
- Pro: lasts a long time
- Con: may stain clothing
- Key ingredients: baking soda, probiotics, coconut oil, shea butter
Key features: doesn’t contain any common toxic deodorant ingredients like aluminum or phthalates; doesn’t use artificial ingredients; doesn’t test on animals; increasingly easy to find at popular department stores; reported to last a long time by many users; comes in a variety of scents designed to be natural or outdoorsy; they offer the same scents for men and women
Considerations: expensive; some customers have reported stains on clothes with use; some online customers have reported receiving less effective counterfeit versions
Best for vegan lifestyles
Each & Every Deodorant
- Price: $$$$
- Pro: certified by environmental groups
- Con: high price point
- Key ingredients: coconut oil, dead sea salt, essential oils
Key features: uses completely natural ingredients; free of aluminum and parabens; contains ingredients compatible with a vegan lifestyle; doesn’t test on animals; certified by notable environmental groups, including the Environmental Working Group
Considerations: very expensive; scent has been reported to be too strong for some users; not easy to find at many department or drugstores
Best for scent options
Humble Brands All Natural Deodorant
- Price: $$$
- Pro: big range of natural fragrance
- Con: may clog pores
- Key ingredients: corn starch, baking soda, beeswax, coconut oil
Key features: minimal, all-natural ingredients; not tested on animals; recycled containers; range of fragrance; small-batch crafted; made without aluminum, talc, parabens, SLS, synthetic fragrance or color
Considerations: high price point; some reports of itchy underarms and clogged pores; may be challenging to find in some retail locations
Best for whole body use
Lume Natural Solid Deodorant Stick
- Price: $$$$
- Pro: safe for whole body use
- Con:may not work if it’s over applied
- Key ingredients: natural fragrance, maranta root powder
Key features: company claims it has clinically-proven 72-hour odor protection; safe for use on the whole body; free of aluminum, baking soda, and parabens; doctor-developed formula; wide range of natural fragrance; hypoallergenic
Considerations: high price point; may not be work well if too much is applied
Best for going on clear
Oars + Alps Natural Deodorant
- Price: $$$$
- Pro:doesn’t cause pit stains
- Con:may not last long enough for all users
- Key ingredients: aloe vera, alpine caribou moss, and cornstarch
Key features: free of aluminum, alcohol, gluten, parabens, phthalates, talc, and baking soda; vegan and cruelty-free; dermatologist-tested; light citrus scent; compact size to minimize packaging waste and reduce carbon emissions
Considerations: high price point; some people report odor issues
Best for soothing skin
Harry’s Men’s Odor Control Deodorant
- Price: $$$ for a 3-pack
- Pro:soothing ingredients to calm skin
- Con:fragrances may not appeal to all consumers
- Key ingredients: ginger root, bisabolol
Key features: solid stick designed to go on clear without feeling sticky; complex fragrances; aluminum, paraben, BHT, D5 and phthalate free; designed for 24-hour odor control; suitable for sensitive skin; made with ingredients to calm skin
Considerations: some customers didn’t like the fragrances; some report issues with odor control
Most sustainable pick
Salt & Stone Natural Deodorant for Sensitive Skin
- Price: $$$$
- Pro:eco-conscious packaging and manufacturing
- Con:some customers report odor issues
- Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, shea butter, probiotics
Key features: packaging made from ocean plastic and post-consumer recycled materials; manufactured using solar and hydroelectric energy; free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates, alcohol, aluminum, synthetic fragrance and dyes, and genetically-modified ingredients; smooth texture goes on clear for long-lasting odor protection; high end fragrance choices
Considerations: high price point; some customers report odor issues
A comparison of the best deodorants for men
How to choose
Here are some tips to know what you’re looking for when you shop for a deodorant or antiperspirant.
Is it a deodorant or antiperspirant?
There’s a difference between deodorants and antiperspirants.
Deodorants contain ingredients like alcohol to make your skin more acidic so odorous bacteria are less likely to build up and create an odor. They’re not meant to stop you from sweating.
Antiperspirants, on the other hand, contain ingredients that block your sweat glands from producing moisture.
Many antiperspirants are made with aluminum-based substances that plug your pores and reduce how much you sweat.
However,
Does it contain ingredients you’re concerned about?
Phthalates are common ingredients in deodorants and household products. They’ve been linked to the disruption of sex hormones like androgen, and long-term exposure has
Some research suggests that parabens commonly found in consumer products may disrupt the body’s endocrine function. Such changes in endocrine function can have health impacts on people. More research is needed.
Are you allergic to any of the ingredients?
A single stick of deodorant can contain 10 or more ingredients. The ingredient listed as “fragrance” can be a combination of 100 or more ingredients.
Read up on your favorite deodorant brands to see which ingredients they use and what other users have experienced who may have similar allergies as yours.
Does the deodorant type fit with your lifestyle?
Different types of deodorant might have an advantage for different lifestyles.
For example, always in a hurry or don’t like the way paste deodorant sticks pull at your armpit hairs? You may want to choose a spray-on deodorant or a gel stick.
Is the deodorant sustainably sourced and manufactured?
Pro tip: Look for a B Corporation logo. This essentially means the company has to meet a certain minimum requirement for sustainability and fair employment practices.
Can you afford to buy this deodorant often?
You may find a deodorant that works wonders for you, but its price is too much to fit into your budget every few weeks or months.
In this case, try finding a more affordable equivalent that contains similar ingredients to what works best with your body chemistry.
How to use
Everyone’s body is different, but here are some tips for how to use your deodorant for maximum effectiveness:
- Wash your armpits with water and gentle soap before you apply deodorant.
- Swipe the deodorant two to four times under your arms.
- Apply the deodorant and wait a few minutes before you put clothes on to avoid streaks.
- Store your deodorant with the cap on somewhere cool and dry to help keep its shape and effectiveness.
Frequently asked questions
What deodorant really works for men?
There’s no single best deodorant for men, and it can take some trial and error to find a product that works well for you. Considerations like how much you sweat, your activity level, and fragrance and texture preferences will help you zero in on a deodorant that works.
What deodorants should men avoid?
Men should steer clear of deodorants made with any ingredients to which they might be allergic. It’s also a good idea to avoid those that are made with phthalates and parabens — ingredients that may be associated with disrupting endocrine and hormone function.
Can women use men’s deodorant?
Definitely. While the packaging and fragrance options may be geared to men, the ingredients will be generally the same.
The takeaway
Deodorant is a daily necessity for many of us, but it can be oddly difficult to find one that works consistently and effectively. The huge selection in stores doesn’t help, either.
But once you figure out what ingredients work for you and how you can buy sustainably within your budget, it can be much easier to confidently pick a stick off the shelf and know it’ll keep your pits pleasant.