We all know that good things in life come in small packages, and the best travel size colognes are just as impactful as their full sized counterparts. If you don’t want to lug a giant bottle of fragrance on your vacation or business trip, it’s worth having a trusty travel cologne to depend on.
These smaller bottles will get you through airport security and keep you smelling fresh throughout your trip. Stick it in your bag before taking off and carry it with you to refresh as needed. These bottles may be small, but they’ll always have your back.
I’ve rounded up the seven best travel size colognes to help you smell and feel your best on the go. Read more below.
Key Takeaways
On the hunt for the top travel size colognes, I interviewed digital nomads and frequent business travelers to determine the best options. Acqua Di Gio by Giorgio Armani was the most common answer, as this versatile scent works for just about any situation, which is especially important when it comes to travel. As a runner up, Jimmy Choo Man is a sophisticated choice with unique notes and an adaptable scent.
Keep reading to discover the rest of the best travel size colognes.
Why It’s Great: A timeless scent that’s captured the hearts of millions of men worldwide, Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani is the most well-rounded travel size men’s cologne. This iconic fragrance is distinctly fresh, inspired by nature’s best: a cool ocean, a hot summer sun, and the grounding nature of the earth. Perfect for daily wear, Acqua di Gio is ideal to take with you on any trip to keep you smelling your best. With a range of miniature sizes to suit your unique needs, slip it into your bag and never be without cologne again.
How it Smells: This scent shines through in notes of bright bergamot and neroli, aquatic essence, herby rosemary, sweet jasmine, and deep patchouli. Together, they create a symphony of a balanced fragrance.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: As one of the more popular men’s colognes, Acqua di Gio isn’t a particularly unique option, but its versatility makes it ideal for travel.
Top Notes: Bergamot, neroli, tangerine | Middle Notes: Marine essence, jasmine essence, rock rose, persimmon | Base Notes: Cedarwood, patchouli, musk | Travel Sizes: 0.5, 1, 1.7 oz | Type: Eau de Toilette | Season: Year Round
Why It’s Great: This seductive scent comes in half an ounce and one ounce bottles, making it an apt travel companion wherever the roads lead you. It’s woody, masculine, and created to embody the spirit of Jimmy Choo, as this is the designer’s first cologne for men. Wonderful for daily year round wear, this travel cologne will adapt to your given situation and keep you confident from the runway to the boardroom. It’s also great for the budget traveler, with a smaller bottle of the cologne for under $50.
How it Smells: Embodying the best of olfactory, Jimmy Choo Man is a fougere cologne, roping you in with scents of lavender, mandarin, pineapple leaf, and patchouli.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: The half ounce bottle is quite small, and while it’s not crazy expensive, it doesn’t wow in the value department, either.
Top Notes: Lavender, mandarin, honeydew melon | Middle Notes: Pink pepper, geranium, pineapple leaf | Base Notes: Patchouli, suede, amber wood | Travel Sizes: 0.5, 1 oz | Type: Eau de Toilette | Season: Year Round
Why It’s Great: Turn heads and take names wherever you go with this signature Diesel cologne. In a convenient travel size men’s cologne bottle, this cologne can come with you anywhere, and what’s more, it’s refillable, so you can load it and go before any big trip. It’s also the best everyday cologne on this list.
How it Smells: Designed to adapt to the wearer’s skin, this cologne will always work for you rather than against you. It opens with a punch of spicy ginger and herby lavender, before dissolving into a soft cotton heart. Wrapped up in a sweet vanilla bourbon base, this cologne is captivating, flirtatious, and simply irresistible.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: It’s hard to find fault in this Diesel cologne, but if you prefer something fresher as opposed to spiced, try the brand’s Only the Brave as an alternative.
Top Notes: Ginger, bergamot | Middle Notes: Denim cotton accord, Provence lavender | Base Notes: Madagascar vanilla | Travel Sizes: .85, 1, 1.7 oz | Type: Eau de Toilette | Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Why It’s Great: If you’re looking for an intense fragrance in a little package, the best travel size men’s cologne is the Polo Blue Parfum. Compared to the fan favorite Eau de Toilette, this rendition is stronger for longer wear.
How it Smells: Employing the same fresh aquatic cologne notes as the rest of the fragrance line, Polo Blue Parfum opens with crisp mandarin and then kicks things up a notch with a hint of smoke and a touch of oak for a rich, creamy finish. Wherever your travels lead, this companion will always ensure you smell your best, even after a long day of exploring a new city.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: Many men expect this Parfum to have the same scent as the Polo Blue Eau de Toilette. However, due to the varied intensities, the notes are distinctly different which is worth knowing prior to purchasing if you’re a Polo fragrance enthusiast.
Top Notes: Mandarin | Middle Notes: Vetiver | Base Notes: Oakwood from French cognac barrels | Travel Sizes: .34, 1.36, 2.5 oz | Type: Parfum | Season: Fall, Winter
Why It’s Great: Jo Malone makes tons of really interesting scents, and almost all of them come in travel sizes (30ml). Best selling Pomegranate Noir is among my top picks for a reason. It’s a super unique cologne that will keep people wondering what you’re wearing.
How it Smells: The notes are hard to pinpoint but come together with juicy pomegranate, a floral, spicy heart, and a sensual base of guaiac wood. It’s alluring, with every sniff an intriguing surprise. Wear this through the fall and as a winter cologne, and for cooler evenings. It’ll set you apart wherever your adventures take you.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: As a luxury fragrance brand, this cologne is definitely on the pricier side. But I’ve found it to be well worth the splurge, considering thirty milliliters of a scent can last for quite a while.
Top Notes: Pomegranate | Middle Notes: Casablanca lily | Base Notes: Guaiacwood | Size: 1 oz | Type: Cologne | Season: Autumn, Winter, Spring
Why It’s Great: A masculine fragrance inspired by the Mediterranean, this is among the best men’s travel size perfumes if you’re going anywhere near Europe… or beyond. Ideal for year round wear, the citrus brings out the best for summer, while the smoky incense and heady musk warms up any chilly season. Not to mention the chic bottle comes in five travel friendly sizes, especially if you’re rocking a carry on only.
How it Smells: A gorgeous fusion of citrus with spice, this cologne is dripping in notes of grapefruit, black pepper, wood, and incense. It’s grounded with deep musk and sweet tonka beans to envelope the wearer in an air of luxury.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: This scent starts fresh but dissolves into something much smokier and heavier. If you prefer a crisp cologne all the way through, this may disappoint.
Top Notes: Bergamot, grapefruit | Middle Notes: Black pepper, papyrus wood, incense | Base Notes: Tonka beans, saffron, musk | Travel Sizes: .03, .17, .3, 1, 1.7 oz | Type: Eau de Toilette | Season: Year Round
Why It’s Great: Don’t want to stress over a broken glass cologne bottle? Opt for solid colognes instead that come in a lightweight, travel friendly package, and offer unbeatable value. For the price of a single bottle of the best travel cologne, you can purchase this four pack, which includes different fragrances to give you the perfect choice for every moment.
Easy to apply with the swipe of a finger, these little cologne pots fit in your pocket to take with you on your travels.
How it Smells: The pack includes Active Prince as a citrus cologne with herbs, and florals; Lumber Prince, with manly tobacco, leather, and pine; Pacific Prince, which leans into fresh aquatics; and the Urban Prince for the sophisticated city slicker with cedar, grapefruit, and spices. With a scent catered to different circumstances, you’ll always have the right choice on hand, even if you’re thousands of miles away from your complete cologne collection.
Flaws But Not Dealbreakers: As is common with solid colognes, the scent is not as long lasting as a classic Eau de Toilette or Parfum.
Travel Sizes: 4 X 1 oz | Type: Solid | Season: Year Round
Buying Considerations for the Best Travel Size Colognes
Size
The most important consideration when choosing travel size colognes is the size as this will determine where you can bring it.
Remember, to travel with your cologne in a carry on bag, it needs to be 100 milliliters (or 3.4 ounces) or smaller. Luckily, the best travel size men’s cologne comes in various sizes to ensure you can always take it on your excursions.
Some colognes have a small sample size to stick in your dopp kit which will last a few days, while others have 30 or 50-milliliter bottles that you can use across the course of several long trips.
It’s not just about the size of the bottle, it’s also about the amount of cologne. It’s pointless to lug a full sized fragrance on a three day trip, which is why it’s always handy to have a men’s travel size cologne of your favorite scent. When you’re not traveling, you can keep it in your work or gym bag to stay fresh throughout the day.
Scent
Scent is also an important consideration for the best travel colognes because you want something versatile enough for every leg of your trip, without getting boring.
Typically, fresh scents are the way to go when it comes to the best travel cologne because they work in a huge variety of situations, climates, and times of the year (women also love these colognes). Plus, if you’re trekking around a new city all day, you probably want a breath of fresh air from your cologne, rather than being bogged down by a heavy musk cologne.
However, you should also ensure that the scent you choose works for nighttime wear, too. Whatever you decide on should transition seamlessly from day to evening to retain your position as the best smelling man in any room.
Intensity
Lastly, think about the intensity of the best travel colognes. If you pick something too light, like a watery Eau de Toilette, you’ll need to reapply several times throughout the day, meaning you should carry your travel cologne with you in your bag or pocket.
However, if you opt for a long lasting cologne, like an Eau de Parfum or a Parfum, a few spritzes will go a long way and keep you smelling good over an extended period of time.
Why You Should Trust Us
Apart from being a full time traveler for the past five years, I have an avid love for all things fragrance. I have spent countless hours smelling and researching scents from around the world on the quest to find the best colognes.
I’ve also interviewed dozens of men and women to determine their preferences and what scents they hold in the highest regard. Fusing my knowledge of travel with fragrances, I bring you the best travel size colognes to ensure you always smell great, wherever the winds take you. I never take a trip without my Jo Malone travel size cologne, and present you with seven distinct options to have your own signature travel scent.
Final Verdict
While there are plenty of incredible options to choose from, the best travel size men’s cologne is Giorgio Armani Acqua Di Gio due to its versatility, ease of wear, and handy travel bottle. If you’re looking for something a bit more unique, opt for Jimmy Choo Man which has surprising notes to keep people wondering what you’re wearing and how it can smell so good.
FAQ
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You can travel with cologne in a bottle of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less. If you don’t want to lug a full sized fragrance on your trip, choose from one of the travel size colognes that come in bottles between 0.5 and 2 ounces and will take up far less room in your bag than the full sized alternative.
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The best way to pack cologne for travel is by sticking it in a padded dopp kit. But if you’re worried about the bottle breaking, my personal trick is sticking the cologne in a tube sock and wrapping it in a t-shirt to keep it nice and safe while rattling around in my bag.
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