If you want to present your best self at work, you’ll need to be wearing the best office cologne for men. And if you don’t want to go through a trial and error process of finding the right cologne to fit your style, you’ve come to the right place.
Keeping it classic and approachable is the name of the game when you’re choosing a cologne to wear to work, which is why we’ve selected five masculine but balanced colognes to feature in this guide. You’ll learn all about our top picks for each category, including their aromatic compositions and relative intensities — so let’s get started.
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5 Best Office Cologne For Men In 2022
There’s no shortage of classically formulated colognes for men, but only a handful of them are something that you’d really want to wear to work every day. The following five colognes are our absolute favorites, with great examples in every price range.
Hugo Boss Bottled (Our Top Pick)
Under its campaign to make you the “Man of Today”, Hugo Boss Bottled brings you a reinvigorated take on their 1998 classic. It’s fresh and sharp, masculine without being overwhelming — in short, an excellent cologne to wear to the office. We particularly love its blending of classic style with more popular modern aromatics.
Juicy apples and plums are the keynote in Boss Bottled’s introduction, with accents of bergamot and lemon as well as oakmoss and geranium for complexity. Warm and woody mahogany is the primary heart note, with cinnamon and carnation playing supporting roles. The base notes, however, are where Boss Bottled really shines: A beautiful balance of vanilla and cedar, sandalwood and vetiver, all capped off with a bitter green olive tree finish.
Offering excellent longevity and a moderate, approachable intensity and dispersion, Hugo Boss Bottled is a near-perfect cologne for wearing to the office. We’d be happy to wear it any time of day or night, at any time of year, and can solidly recommend that you add it to your cologne collection.
Notes:
- Top notes of apple, plum, bergamot, lemon, oakmoss, and geranium
- Middle notes of cinnamon, mahogany, and carnation
- Base notes of vanilla, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, and olive tree
Best For:
- Year-round wear
- All day wear
- Wearing to the office
L’Homme Prada
Launched alongside its sister fragrance, La Femme, in 2016, L’Homme is Prada’s take on a woody chypre style cologne. As with Prada’s fashion design, it is simultaneously familiar and different, with many notes typical of an office cologne as well as interesting subtones that bring it greater complexity.
Bitter orange oil and crushed black peppercorns make up the main portion of L’Homme’s top notes, with spicy and savory cardamom and carrot seeds as backup. This segues smoothly into a subtly smoky heart of Brazilian mate, balanced by iris, violet, and geranium in abundance. Further into the base, you’ll find cedar and sandalwood juxtaposed with amber and patchouli for a pungent but balanced foundation.
Offering an extensive longevity but only a moderate intensity and dispersion, L’Homme by Prada is an excellent upgrade pick for your office cologne. It shows best during the spring, summer, and fall, where its more neutral composition can display each of its facet over a long period of time.
Notes:
- Top notes of neroli, black pepper, cardamom, and carrot seeds
- Middle notes of iris, violet, geranium, and mate
- Base notes of amber, cedar, patchouli, and sandalwood
Best For:
- Men who want a more neutral scent
- Spring, summer, and fall wear
Bleu De Chanel
Released in 2010, Bleu de Chanel is a woody aromatic style cologne that can be paired with an aftershave lotion that greatly enhances the aromatics. If you take pleasure in your morning shaving routine, this versatile cologne and aftershave combination definitely deserves a place next to your shaving equipment.
A refreshing burst of grapefruit and mint announces Bleu De Chanel’s top notes, with a hint of lemon and fruity pink peppercorns for good measure. Freshly squeezed ginger juice combines with grated nutmeg and intoxicating jasmine in the heart notes to great effect, while the entire fragrance is supported by a dense and exotic base of burning incense, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, labdanum, and white musk.
Long lasting with a moderate to strong intensity, Bleu De Chanel most certainly deserves to be part of your morning routine. Its fresh and spicy composition is a great choice for anyone who struggles to be fully awake in the morning, and its long-lasting development will be a welcome addition to the final hours of your work day.
Notes:
- Top notes of grapefruit, lemon, mint, and pink peppercorns
- Middle notes of ginger, nutmeg, jasmine, and Iso E Super
- Base notes of incense, vetiver, cedar, sandalwood, patchouli, labdanum, and white musk
Best For:
- Everyday wear
- Making part of your morning routine
CoSTUME NATIONAL Homme
The best niche office cologne featured in these reviews, CoSTUME NATIONAL Homme is a woody aromatic cologne that debuted in 2009. It’s an intensely classic formulation, a timeless fragrance that could have been made 100 years ago or 100 years in the future. While it’s certainly expensive, it’s also the most true-to-tradition cologne featured here.
Beginning with a subtle and balanced set of cardamom, grapefruit, and bergamot top notes, CoSTUME NATIONAL Homme moves slowly but steadily into its warm and spicy heart notes of clove, cinnamon, and thyme. The exceptionally dense and resinous base of sandalwood, labdanum, and patchouli features throughout the entire composition, giving a welcome intensity from the moment you put it on.
Boasting a longevity that approaches the eternal, this cologne will stay on your skin from the time you apply it in the morning to when you take a shower the next day. Its intense dispersion can be a bit much in the summertime, but we definitely think it is the best winter office cologne.
Notes:
- Top notes of cardamom, grapefruit, and bergamot
- Middle notes of cloves, cinnamon, and thyme
- Base notes of sandalwood, labdanum, and patchouli
Best For:
- Upgrading from colognes with shorter duration
- Long work days and drinks after work
John Varvatos Artisan Pure
Citrus fragrance, 2017. A new rendition of the original Artisan from 2009, this cologne is said by its creator to be inspired by “the lush hills of Xalapa, Mexico and its vast coffee and citrus groves.” A pure citrus fragrance, it is bursting with freshness and bright aromatics — easily making it the best summer office cologne.
Jam packed with citruses in its top notes, Artisan Pure is deftly accented by thyme and marjoram to bring the essence of springtime to your nose. Bitter orange leaf and fresh ginger in its heart notes further accentuate this freshness, while a base of wood resins, musk, and amber helps to give it greater longevity and vigor.
With its moderate duration and friendly intensity, John Varvatos Artisan Pure is an anytime, anywhere cologne. Though it certainly shows best in the summer, we would feel great splashing some on anytime we needed a pick-me-up before the workday.
Notes:
- Top notes of clementine, mandarin orange, bergamot, lemon, thyme, and marjoram
- Middle notes of petitgrain and ginger
- Base notes of wood resins, musk, orris root, and amber
Best For:
- Summertime wear
- Projecting a fresh and energetic vibe
Brian Adee
Brian has been fascinated with fragrances since his 8th birthday, when his Dad gifted him a bottle of Acqua di Gio. Since then, he has become a men's grooming & style aficionado who teaches men how to look sharp. Backed by personal experience, Brian's articles are known for his no-holds-barred style where he holds nothing back. You will get his real opinions on the latest men's grooming products and best practices where he reveals the best (and worst) style advice every man should know.
