UrbanUpdate

The old bro glory days were defined by piles of undone laundry built up over months, an unmade bed, piles of shoes tossed in every corner. It was all cause for a low-key stink that soon permeated his entire crib. And then came Febreze.

It saved the bro. He sprayed it in his shoes. He sprayed it In his gym bag. A couple of pumps on his bed made a chill moment of intimacy so much better. Febreze was his bathroom's signature scent. But Febreze is not the scent of a grown-ass man. The enlightened, successful man's home shouldn't smell like a bottle of $6 chemicals you buy alongside dental floss and toilet paper.

Welcome to the world of “room sprays” and “home fragrances.” They’re like subdued colognes, but for linens, or couches, or for the overall room in general. You can target an unpleasant smell, or just keep things smelling good for whoever's coming through. You're welcome, bro!

Here are a few of the freshest new room sprays on the market.

If You're New to the Game, Start with:Aesop Aromatique Room Spray, $55

Aesop's inventory has all kinds of hidden gems. (Did you know they sell a Gentle Fur Cleanser for four-legged friends?) They just added room sprays to their lineup, too, launching with three scents:

Cythera: Warm and woody, ambrette and myrrh blend with notes of neroli, geranium and patchouli to stirring, unorthodox effect.Istros: An ambrosial blend of sweet and wild florals, layered with cedar and sandalwood’s warm undertones, and a lingering hint of tobacco.Olous: Uplifting green and citrus botanicals are matched delicately with cedar and the spice of cardamom.

These scents are for the classy bros out there.

If You're Already Well Acquainted with the Good Life, Pick up:Brothers Artisan Oil — The Room Spray, $18

Candles can't freshen your linens between washes. They can’t make the couch smell fresh after you scrub cat piss out of it. (Don’t spray the cat, though. I’m told they hate it, and, you know, it’s abusive.) And they can’t go unsupervised, and the scent just doesn’t linger very long. Room sprays can do all these things!

Brothers Artisan Oil is a fine purveyor of men’s grooming goods, like beard and hair oils, balms, washes, and more. They stepped into the home goods game, too, with their two room spray hybrids: Eucalyptus & Bergamot, or the super concoction of Juniper Berry Rosemary & Sage. Those scents come in the form of essential oils (go figure, given the brand name), and join a small list of no-bull-shit ingredients—witch hazel extract and distilled water—meaning you could technically spray this on your own body with no side effects. Try it, I guess? But seriously, skip the cat, or I’m calling Animal Rescue.

If You're a Cosmic Brain Tastemaker, Don't Settle for Less Than:Le Labo — Home Fragrances, $115

These scents are for the classy bros out there. Le Labo is top-shelf everything. Their fragrances are among the best, most interesting you can buy. That’s why they should be one of your first considerations for a home fragrance—because that’s precisely what they’ve engineered in their 8 such offerings. They aren’t carbon copies of the colognes, either, but some come close: Le Labo’s home scent SANTAL 26, for example, is a brother to SANTAL 33, its most famous cologne. The numbered nomenclature represents how many ingredients exist in each potion, which in this case is different for something you spray into the ether, and something you spray on your person. It’s a different approach from Brothers Artisan Oil, and we’re fans of the variety.

Watch Now:How to Turn Your Summer Wardrobe up to 10

Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQColognes and FragrancesDesignHome