12 Best Colognes for Teen Boys, According to Teen Boys

One thing is certain — teenage boys are dead serious about fragrance . Whether it’s the surge of new hormones making them suddenly want to be attractive to others or the artful masking of unfortunate new body odor, if you query a teen about cologne , they will have THOUGHTS.

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So we did! We polled a local crew — all boys between the ages of 12 and 17 — to better understand what they liked and didn’t, and why they ultimately spritzed what they did. Here are 12 scents guaranteed to amp up any teen’s rizz. Whether you’re looking for a fragrance gift for your teen dude this year, or helping him find a new fragrance for the school year, this is a pretty good place to start.

Best Colognes for Teen Boys at a Glance

Most Popular Among Our Teen Testers: Nautica, Voyage , $19
Best Nostalgic (and Classic): Ralph Lauren, Polo Black , $105
Best Budget: Axe, Phoenix , $12 for 2-pack
Best Classic Teen Scent: Hollister, Wave , $21
Best Splurge: Tom Ford, Eau d’Ombr é Leather , $160
Best Clean Fragrance: Calvin Klein, CK One , $83
Best Bold Scent: Versace, Eros , $59
Best Daily: Adidas, Dynamic Pulse , $15
Best Preppy: Lacoste, L12.L12 Blanc , $99
Most Polarizing: Abercrombie, Fierce , $88
Best for Warm Weather: Dolce & Gabbana, Light Blue Pour Homme , $31
Best for Fall: Paco Rabanne, 1 Million Lucky , $71
Longest-Lasting: Tommy Hilfiger, Tommy , $17

Our mission at SheKnows is to empower and inspire women, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Ralph Lauren is a SheKnows sponsor, however, all products in this article were independently selected by our editors. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

BEST NOSTALGIC

Ralph Lauren, Polo Black

What it Smells Like: A blend of sandalwood and mandarin
Why We Love It: Woodsy and fresh at the same time, this is a sophisticated update to the Polo Green bottle that your high school boyfriend wore back in the ’90s. “I got this in a tester set and as soon as I smelled it, I knew this was the one .” – Lucca, 15.
Sizes: 2.5oz, 4.2oz

Aside from this scent reminding us of our youth (sigh), you generally can’t go wrong with Ralph Lauren fragrances—they’re a classic for a reason, and one of the best luxury brands to start with when your teen is looking for something more adult, but isn’t too musky or over-the-top.

BEST BUDGET

Axe, Phoenix (2-Pack)

What it Smells Like: A fresh blend of lavender, geranium and citrus.
Why We Love It: Yes, this is technically a “body spray” but if the OG commercials are any indicator, that doesn’t matter much when it comes to attracting the ladies. It’s affordable, accessible and a great starter scent .
Sizes: 5.1oz

We’d recommend Axe for everyday wear—like if your teen needs a quick and easy spritz after gym class. That way, you can really stock up and not worry about wasting it.

BEST CLEAN FRAGRANCE

Calvin Klein, CK One

What it Smells Like: A clean and crisp mix of pineapple, green tea and musk.
Why We Love It: Truly anyone can wear this. We don’t blame you if you sneak into their room for a spritz now and then. This unisex classic is light and refreshing making it perfect for both school and weekend plans. “This is a unique scent – I like not smelling like everyone else” – Lucca, 15.
Sizes: 50ml, 100ml, 200ml, travel size

While CK One is unique, it’s also effortless. Truly anyone would like this fragrance—and yet, it also does stand out from the crowd because it’s so clean and crisp. Not too fruity, not too musky, just perfect.

Tom Ford, Ombré Leather

What it Smells Like: Woods, Black Leather, Violet and Jasmine Flower
Why We Love It: Tom Ford does it again: Creating a unique, bold fragrance that’s simultaneously of-its-time and timeless, that is. Our parenting editor Rita Templeton’s 19-year-old son Colin tested this new fragrance, and is a big fan. “It’s a sweeter take on the original Ombre Leather — I think it has notes of vanilla. It’s warm and spicy and is a really good scent for fall and winter.”  – Colin, 19
Sizes: 10ML, 50ML, 100ML

This is a really great fall-winter scent. It’s smokey, pretty masculine, and has a lot of dimension. If Wolverine (the mutant from the X-Men comics, yes) were to wear a cologne, this would be it.

MOST POPULAR WITH OUR TESTERS

Nautica, Voyage

What it Smells Like: Notes of apple, lotus and cedarwood.
Why We Love It: Make like you spend summers on the shore, without actually buying the beach house. Think fresh and preppy . The price is right and so is the scent. “Everyone likes this one because it smells good and is inexpensive. It smells like ‘blue’ if thats a thing.” – Lucca, 15
Sizes: 3.4oz

What Lucca said. It smells like a luxurious day on a yacht: Nautica Voyage isn’t pricey, and it smells really elegant.

MOST POLARIZING

Abercrombie & Fitch, Fierce

What it Smells Like: A combo of woods, flowers and moss
Why We Love It: This scent disappeared from stores in 2005 and then re-emerged five years later to serious fanfare. A great summer scent with a heaping nostalgia factor (for you).
Sizes: 3.4oz, 10oz

Granted, people have opinions about this scent—the same one that wafted in all A&F stores across the U.S. in the early 2000s and either made us need a Tylenol, or made us need 10 polo shirts and tiny shorts in our carts ASAP. Some teen boys really like how in-your-face this fragrance is, so we’re keeping it on the list.

BEST FOR WARM WEATHER

Dolce & Gabbana, Light Blue Pour Homme

What it Smells Like: A mix of Sicilian citrus, juniper and musk.
Why We Love It: Deliberately evoking sun-drenched Sicilian summers — there is something sophisticated here, perfect for your teen trying out his new swagger. “It’s light and fresh,” says 15-year-old Coby. “Very good for summer.” But, he notes, its scent doesn’t last as long as some of the others he’s tried.
Sizes: 10ml, 75ml

This is another spritz-and-go cologne that everyone loves, and has been around forever. But Coby is right—it’s a good scent for warmer months (spring or summer).

BEST BOLD

Versace, Eros

What it Smells Like: An intense blend of mint, green apple and lemon zest.
Why We Love It: Like all things Versace, this is over the top in the best way. This is not a shy scent — perfect for special occasions when your teen is looking to make an impression. “Lots of my friends wear and love this one.” – Gabe, 15
Sizes: 50ml, 100ml, 200ml

We do think it takes a certain person to embrace Versace scents: They’re intense, to say the least. But if your teen wants to stand out from the crowd, it’s one we highly recommend, thanks to its fruity and zesty notes.

BEST FOR COLD WEATHER

Paco Rabanne, 1 Million Lucky

What it Smells Like: Spicy with notes of leather and tangerine
Why We Love It: Warm woods ? Is that a thing? That’s what it makes us think of. “My friend bought it first and I just think it smells good” – Jackson, 17
Sizes: 1.7oz, 3.4oz, 6.8oz

Need a good fragrance for fall and winter? This cozy scent has just the right amount of spicy kick to it, with elevated notes of leather and a fresh hint of citrus.

CLASSIC TEEN

Hollister, Wave

What it Smells Like: A mix of bamboo leaf, yuzu, and driftwood.
Why We Love It: Hollister Wave will remind you of its namesake on a laid-back beach day. Its light, airy scent is ideal for teens as its affordable price tag.
Sizes: 3.4oz

This scent is very “surfer” cool—something that reminds Sr. Commerce Director, Gina Vaynshteyn, of her teenhood spent on the beach in Encinitas, California. “I feel like all the boys wore Hollister in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. It’s where we shopped, and all the surfers or skaters where I grew up wore this beachy scent (or something very similar).” It’s a good tween or early teen scent, if your guy isn’t ready to make the leap to “grown-up” cologne yet.

LONGEST-LASTING

Tommy Hilfiger, Tommy

What it Smells Like: Lavender, amber with notes of apple and citrus
Why We Love It: A great everyday cologne , with a fresh, fruity vibe.
Sizes: 1.7oz, 3.4 oz

“Tommy” is a nice blend of feminine and masculine—a tiny bit floral, but lots of fruit and freshness that overtakes it. It’s pretty timeless, so your teen can wear it whenever throughout the year, and it stays put, too.

BEST DAILY

Adidas Dynamic, Pulse

What it Smells Like: A blend of citrus, mint and wood.
Why We Love It: Affordable and sporty , this has a place in his soccer bag for a quick after practice (after shower) spritz.
Sizes: 3.4oz

We consider this an elevated Axe: It’s affordable, so he can spray it on after gym class or soccer practice with reckless abandon. We’d say it’s nice enough to wear to special occasions too, though.

BEST PREPPY

Lacoste, L.12.12 Blanc

Price: $99
What it Smells Like: A crisp mix of grapefruit, rosemary and suede.
Why We Love It: This perfectly preppy scent comes in a refined, posh white bottle with the eponymous alligator. Since it’s a highly concentrated cologne it means the scent should last 6-8 hours.
Sizes: 50ml, 100ml

Want something that feels preppy, classic, but isn’t boring? You can’t go with with Lacoste, especially L.12.12 Blanc.

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