Scentbox Review: Perfume Subscriptions

Scentbox makes trying on new fragrances about as easy-breezy as it gets. Fill up your queue with scents that you've been dying to try, and each month you'll get to see if the latest one in your mailbox works for you. We also laugh because Scentbox puts its perfume subscription like this: "Commitment issues, yeah same here... Go month to month & cancel anytime, we're not looking to tie you down, unless you're into that." Okay then, Scentbox!

Mix-and-match among men's and women's scents

A perk offered by our favorite perfume subscriptions, including Scentbox, is open access to fragrances - regardless of whether they've been designated as a "men's" or "women's" scent. Not only does that let you switch up who gets the new one to try each month - maybe you've got a friend or a partner who also likes to experiment with cologne or perfume - but it also lets you think outside the box a little. Who says you can't rock something a little woodsy and fresh during your workout, then floral and sugary when it's time for your reservation at your favorite restaurant? Equal access = big win.

Tiered memberships for access to luxe scents

There are over 1,000 fragrances in the Scentbox selection, but they're divided in tiers. Some perfume clubs let you add on a higher-level scent for an upcharge whenever you like, but here you'll have to be signed up for that tier from month-to-month. That does mean that you're always paying for a luxury-level scent even in the months you choose from one of the standard scents. However, Scentbox is really transparent with which fragrances are in each tier (standard, premium, platinum): just click on the "view all" button as you look at the three tiers. For example, the standard level comes with 600 perfumes and colognes like A Girl in Capri by Lanvin and Armani Code. Premium scents include Alien by Thierry Mugler and Besos by Carner Barcelona, while Platinum fragrances on the list are 1827 (both feminine and masculine editions) by Clive Christian, Erolfa by Creed, and Xerjoff's Laylati and Lira, among others. And, with 600+ choices in the standard level alone, you could use Scentbox for a good long while before upgrading to premium or platinum, if you're trying to go in at the lowest possible starting price.

As low as $16.95/month

Whether it's standard, premium, or platinum, you'll get a 30-day supply (0.27 oz or approximately 125 sprays), and every perfume comes with its own new case. The first month will always come at a discount, and shipping is included in the price. For one fragrance per month, Scentbox's pricing shakes out like this:

• $9.72 for your first month, $16.95/month thereafter, for 1 standard fragrance (600+)
• $12.59 for your first month, $21.95/month thereafter for 1 premium fragrance (600+ standard and 250+ premium)
• $17.75 for your first month, $30.95/month thereafter for 1 platinum fragrance (1,000+ fragrances in total, including 150 platinum)

Also, at the top of the page where you choose your plan, you can toggle if you'd like to switch to a 2-fragrance or 3-fragrance monthly delivery. One for you, one for your partner, and one for that coworker who always forgets deodorant...

Up to 5 exchanges per year = huge perk

One of the most important advantages that Scentbox has over the other perfume subscriptions on our list is the ability to make exchanges. Who hasn't smelled a friend's signature scent and bought a bottle, only to find that it's not so pleasant when you wear it? And let's not even get started on the nose blindness after testing out a bunch of new fragrances, and how it leads us to commit to a perfume we wind up hating. With Scentbox, you can exchange your most recent shipment (no waiting until you've had it lying around for six months) for the next scent in your lineup - up to 5 times every 12 months. You don't even have to pay for the return shipping: just go into your dashboard, print out your prepaid USPS label, put it in an envelope (maybe even the Scentbox envelope it came in, if you've still got it handy), and send it off. If Scentbox were a person, we might just kiss them for being so flexible.

Generous rewards program

You'll also benefit from ScentBucks, this subscription's rewards program. You're credited with 10% of your subscription fee every month, and you can use it towards any purchase outside of your plan - like an extra atomizer, a full-size bottle of your new fave, and so on. There's no minimum amount you need to have accumulated in order to redeem it; just apply the balance to your cart when you get to the checkout page.

Consistently happy subscribers

Because our own experience with Scentbox was so superlative, we were shocked to see that the company received an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau, despite having only 15 complaints filed there over the last three years. Compared with some rivals that have hundreds of complaints and still get an "A+", it seems unfair to dock points from Scentbox for failing to respond to just two. Besides, in most other places you look (like Google reviews and Trustpilot), Scentbox consistently comes in with averages between 4.0 and 4.6 stars. There's the here-and-there complaint that a delivery didn't come or that an exchange didn't go off as smoothly as the customer hoped, but by and large you'll find that subscribers' experiences reflect ours: on-time delivery, super-easy queuing of scents, helpful recommendations for new perfumes to try, all with the benefit of making an exchange if a perfume you thought you'd like... isn't the right fit for your unique body chemistry after all.

#1 perfume subscription

We're pretty sure that you're ready to put Scentbox at the top of your list now - we certainly do. It's got unmatched flexibility compared with rival perfume subscriptions, the rewards program and case with every delivery are perks we can get behind, and we only canceled our own subscription when we needed to put our "fun money" elsewhere for a time. Scentbox continues to be our highest-rated pick among perfume subscriptions, and we can't wait to sign up again.

Learn More  ➜

On the Scentbox website