Finding The Best Gift Sets for Men’s Cologne: Our Tips & Advice

Let’s talk men’s cologne! 

Or more accurately, gift sets with men’s cologne.

One bonus of having a series of parent books that have sold over a million copies is you get lots of reader feedback. And when we asked our parent readers for their thoughts on men’s cologne gift sets, boy did we hear back!

So when we set out to test the best in men’s cologne gift sets, we started with a series of our reader favorites—those gift sets that were most beloved . . . and had good bang for the buck.

Along the way, we picked up several tips and advice on how to select the best bets:

• Understand the difference in fragrance concentrations. When shopping for men’s cologne, you’ll note some bottles are labeled eau de toilette. And others are eau de cologne. What that refers to is the CONCENTRATION of the fragrance. There are actually five levels:

Best Cologne for Men Gift Sets terms explained

Most gift sets for men’s cologne include eau du toilette (EDT) . . . but occasionally you’ll see eau de cologne (EDC). As you can see, the EDT have a scent that lasts a bit longer.

• Spray or splash? Some gift sets feature cologne that can be sprayed on, while others don’t have that (you have to dab or splash it on). If you want to have a sprayer, then read the descriptions carefully before ordering.

• Smart tip: layer the scent to have it last longer. Some gift sets include body wash or shampoo/conditioner. Use these with the cologne as a way to layer the scent—and it will last longer.

Finally, this quick tip using cologne: if you spray it on clothing (like inside a shirt collar), this will last longer than using on bare skin. That’s because cologne can evaporate quicker on skin . . and the scent dissipates more rapidly.

A word on our blind smell tests: yes, we know fragrance is a personal thing. What one person likes, another may reject as too this or that.

Now with that said, there are some classic fragrances that have a wider “thumbs up” ratio among the readers we surveyed. And remember that gift sets often have small bottles . . . so you can try out a new scent without committing to a full-size bottle.

Here are the winners from our tests:

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!