Febreze is well known for its fresh scents and odor-eliminating properties. The brand’s first product was a fabric freshener, back in 1996, before expanding into its own home fragrance line.
The smart technology inside Febreze’s plug-in system makes it stand out from its competitors when it comes to scented products. Inside the Febreze Fade Defy plug is a microchip that regulates the temperature meaning the device releases just the right amount of fragrance.
The biggest thing that makes the Febreze plug-in system stand out from the crowd for me is the way the scents blend well together. Each plug-in refill comes with two, very similar complimenting scents. The dual wick means that the device is able to switch between these scents every 45 minutes, ensuring that you don’t become nose blind to the fragrance.
Scents abound. At the time of writing, there are 30 Febreze plug-in scents available. My goal is to introduce you to the different scents and show you how they can benefit you.
My Top 5 Febreze Scents
With such a broad selection of Febreze scents to choose from, I won’t lie, it wasn’t easy to pick out my five favorites. I’ve tried to keep this selection as varied as possible so you get a sense of the diversity within the range.
Baked Vanilla
Baked Vanilla is a limited edition Febreze scent but I’d love to see it become a permanent fixture in their range. It’s an amazing autumn or winter fragrance and filled my home with a warm, sweet scent that lasted for ages.
I’ve seen some reviews that say it’s an irritating scent so if you’re sensitive to rich smells then this might not be the right choice for your home. If you, like me, love a powerful fragrance then I’d highly recommend it for a living room or hallway. Guests will be sure to compliment how wonderful your house smells.
My one gripe with Baked Vanilla was that, while it was strong, I didn’t find that it worked as well at eliminating odors as some of the fresher scents. It did a good job, just not as good as something like Paradise.
Linen And Sky
I couldn’t talk about plug-in scents without including the obligatory linen fragrance. Febreze does this old favorite really well and I think it’s one of the cleanest and freshest in the range. It works amazingly well in your laundry room or in an entrance to the home as it feels really welcoming yet not overpowering.
That said, Linen and Sky has quite a strong scent so if you like something lighter but want to stay with the fresh theme then I’d recommend Febreze Light Ocean.
Linen and Sky blasted away odors and left my home smelling beautiful. Plus, the plug-in refill lasted a considerable amount of time. I found that leaving it on low created a constant, fresh fragrance in the room.
Mediterranean Lavender
Mediterranean Lavender is, in my opinion, the best Febreze scent for a bedroom. I just love the way it relaxes me. Like most Febreze scents, there are some people who feel it has quite a synthetic smell to it. I agree with it, but I still think it smells really good.
This particular scent is much stronger than the Febreze Light Lavender so it’s great if there are potent odors to cover up. If you find strong smells overwhelming then the Light Lavender might be better for you.
I found Mediterranean Lavender to be one of the long-lasting Febreze scents I tested. I also noticed that you can make it last even longer by having the device on the lowest setting. And since it’s such a strong fragrance, you’ll still get a really good blast of lavender on low.
Unstopables Paradise
I’ll be totally honest, the Unstopables Paradise scent from Febreze is easily one of my favorites. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that, in my opinion, it is the best!
This is a tropical fruit scented plug-in that’s incredibly strong. If you live in a home with pets or where strong odors are a problem, this will knock them out of the water. Perhaps this could be too strong for people with a sensitive nose.
Unstopables Paradise also has excellent longevity and I think it’s perfect as a summer plug-in for a bathroom or guest room. It feels very fresh and bright and is a great alternative as a summer fragrance if you find that the Febreze Ocean scent wasn’t strong enough.
Lilac
There are a few different floral Febreze plug-in scents but Lilac is clearly one of the most popular. I really enjoy this as a spring or summer fragrance as it’s really bright and cheerful. However, if you like a slightly sweeter floral scent, then there is a honeysuckle option which is also lovely in spring.
This plug-in did seem very synthetic to me. I prefer a more natural floral scent that makes me feel as though I’m actually walking through a field of flowers. That said, this certainly wasn’t enough to put me off and Lilac still remains one of my fave florals from this brand.
Lilac isn’t an overpowering scent but it does remain noticeable. I felt that this was among the longer lasting Febreze fragrances and it did a really good job of getting rid of unwelcome smells. When I walked into the room the fragrance was the most obvious scent over anything else.
I think that Lilac works really well in a living room or hallway. It’s very inviting without being over the top and makes the house feel fresh and welcoming.
How Long Do Febreze Plug-Ins Last
A single plug-in is expected to last around 50 days. Febreze also claims that, because of the technology behind the scent release, the fragrance intensity remains the same whether it’s the first day or the device has been used for 50 days.
I have noticed that the longevity of the plug-in is really determined by the scent. Some of the stronger fragrances like Warm Vanilla may remain apparent for much longer than a lighter scent like Sea Spray.
So, how often do you need to replace Febreze plug-ins? The simple answer is as soon as you stop noticing the scent. Despite Febreze’s claims of lasting 50 days, the effect will depend on how often you use the device and how high you set it.
It’s also worth considering that you’ll need to replace the plug-in itself every so often. However, this typically only needs to be done once every two years.
How Safe Are Febreze Plug-Ins For Pets
One of the reasons that a lot of people look at using a plug-in is to eliminate those stinky pet odors. Then again, since our pets are part of the family, we need to make sure that anything we use in the home is safe for them. The question then arises: are Febreze plug-ins toxic?
When I consulted the official Febreze website, I found tons of information about how the brand aims to make its products as pet-friendly as possible. Of course, this applies when the products are used correctly and assumes that you aren’t going to spray your pet or allow them to get into close contact with the products.
But after reading this advice, I felt that it was geared more towards users of the Febreze fabric fresheners. So what about Febreze plug-ins?
Well, it’s good news. Febreze plug-ins are safe to be used around cats and dogs as long as they are used as directed. It is however important to note that these products may not be suitable for use around birds.
With all of that in mind, you may find that your dog or cat is particularly sensitive to certain smells. For example, it’s known that dogs are sensitive to certain smells including things like cinnamon and citrus. For this reason, it’s probably best to avoid Febreze plug-ins that use these scents.
Do Febreze Plug-Ins Use A Lot Of Electricity
As energy prices continue to rise, many people are interested in knowing how much power a Febreze plug-in uses.
The good news is that these plug-in air fresheners run at around 4 watts. This means they have a very low energy consumption. If you were to run the device continually for one year, it would use around 35 units of electricity.
I found that I was able to reduce the amount of energy the device used by running it on a lower setting. It also turned out that I didn’t need to have it on constantly. You can quite easily run it periodically and the scent will linger for some time before you need to turn it back on.
What Is The Best Alternative To Febreze Plug-Ins
Febreze is certainly one of the most well loved plug-in systems, particularly because of its ability to neutralize odors. On the other hand, it’s not the only option on the market. If you can’t find a Febreze scent to suit your home then it might be worth considering some of the alternatives.
Febreze vs Air Wick Plug-In
When it comes to plug-ins, Air Wick easily sells more products than Febreze. This could lead you to believe that the former is better but what’s the truth?
Air Wick has an amazing range of scents, many of which aren’t all that different from the Febreze offerings. For example, Air Wick has White Vanilla Bean where Febreze has Baked Vanilla. The closest fragrance to Febreze Unstopables Paradise would be Air Wick’s Tropical Island Breeze. So, in terms of choice, the two are very much on par with each other.
But what really makes the difference is that Febreze is designed to be an odor eliminator whereas Air Wick is just an air freshener. If you live in a home that’s plagued by cooking smells, pet stink, cigarette smoke or other nasty odors then Febreze will do a better job at making the air cleaner and fresher.
On the other hand, it really pays to think about whether you want a more natural scent. Air Wick uses only natural essential oils in its plug-ins while Febreze does not. This often leads people to complain that the Febreze scents smell much more synthetic. They’re still beautiful but if you want to get as close to nature as possible, this is something to consider.
Febreze vs Glade Plug-In
Glade is one of the big players in the world of plug-ins and, just like Air Wick, Glade uses essential oils. However, I did know that these plug-ins were infused with essential oils as opposed to being 100% essential oils. This means that the scent is a balance between natural and synthetic. Compared to Febreze, this could be seen as a plus.
However, again, I must urge you to consider that Glade plug-ins are not designed to eliminate odors. In homes where odors are a serious issue, they are not the best choice.
Plus, Glade’s plugins didn’t last nearly as long as Febreze’s and weren’t as strong. Whether this is a positive or negative thing really depends on what you’re looking for. I prefer a stronger, more noticeable fragrance so I find Febreze to be the better option. However, I know of plenty of homeowners that like something more subtle, in which case, Febreze could be far too overpowering.