I'm a Grooming Editor—These are the 7 Deodorants I Trust With My Pits (2025)

IT DOESN'T MATTER who you are or what you do, wearing deodorant is an everyday requirement for living in a modern society. If you're spending any amount of time around other people, it's a common courtesy to manage your body odor. Sweating is, of course, completely normal, but that doesn’t mean you have to be stinky, too. Great-smelling colognes, bar soaps, or body washes are certainly a huge part of the equation, but a quality deodorant is an equally necessary component.

A good deodorant is your most important tool in the fight against B.O. Body odor is caused by two things: Naturally occurring bacteria on the surface of your skin (especially in places like your underarms) and sweat, which the bacteria feed on. Deodorants help reduce the amount of stank-causing bacteria on your skin while also controlling odor by covering it up with a much more pleasant scent.

The most important thing to note is that deodorants won’t actually stop sweat; that’s an antiperspirant’s job thanks to the addition of aluminum, which physically blocks sweat glands. You’ll notice this list doesn’t include any antiperspirants for that reason. However, sweating is natural and just because you sweat doesn’t mean you’ll automatically stink.

Many people avoid the aluminum in antiperspirants in favor of deodorants that still get the job done without reducing sweat. Deodorants can also be ideal for people with sensitive skin thanks to the addition of gentle, often natural ingredients—and a natural deodorant can be a great option for these instances. Choosing between a deodorant and antiperspirant is a personal choice (and, for the record, you can switch back and forth), so find one that fits your lifestyle and give it a shot. Might we suggest starting with the list below.

Scent

When deciding on a deodorant, look for one with a scent that fits your interests. While a stronger scent might not necessarily indicate longer-lasting protection, it usually means a longer-lasting fragrance. With that in mind, consider what colognes you typically use when deciding on a deodorant to avoid clashing scents. And if you'd prefer your cologne do the heavy lifting in the smell department—or have sensitive skin—stick to lightly scented or fragrance-free options.

Key Ingredients

In terms of ingredients, the first thing to note is that deodorants only control odor, not sweat. For sweat reduction, head for an antiperspirant instead. To control odor, look for deodorants with antibacterial ingredients like magnesium or aloe vera, as well as odor-absorbing factors like tapioca starch and arrowroot powder. Additionally, if you're prone to skin irritation, opt for fragrance-free or baking soda-free (known to fight odor-causing bacteria), as baking soda has been shown to cause irritation in some people. Also, keep an eye out for moisturizing agents like shea butter or vitamin E.

Consistency Type

Finally, you’ll want to consider the delivery mechanism. Most deodorants come in solid stick form, but they're not for everyone. Some feel the chalkier ones carry more risk of leaving stains on clothes, while others find the gel sticks to leave lingering residue. Sprays, strict gels, and lotions are other options available if you’re not into the stick thing. Mostly, when it comes to deodorants and your own unique brand of odor, you may want to consider trying a variety of formulas to see what works best with your body chemistry.

As a Men's Health's grooming editor, I've tested more than 30 deodorants in the past year. I tried each one for at least one week, and evaluated its scent, price point, and effectiveness. I also considered how each deodorant, and its scent, held up over time and during more rigorous activities like exercise or high-stress situations, as well as its impact on my skin and even clothing. I then consulted with my colleagues, including contributing editor Garret Munce and Deputy Commerce Editor Christian Gollayan, who collectively have more than a decade of experience swiping and trying deodorants, on which brands they use and recommend. Based on this extensive research and testing, below are the 10 best deodorants for men.

Oars + Alps is a powerful natural ingredients-backed deodorant that absorbs odor, while botanical agents nourish the skin. It’s vegan and cruelty-free with no alcohol, aluminum, parabens, sulfates, gluten, or phthalates. The proprietary alpine caribous moss ingredient sourced from the Arctic Circle in Northern Finland is antioxidant-rich and boosts elasticity while guarding against environmental hazards like pollution and inflammation.

Testing Notes: One of our biggest gripes with natural deodorants—apart from when they just don’t work—is residue. Whether chalky or oily, nothing is worse than when you put on a fresh shirt only for it to be ruined by deodorant schmutz. We are happy to report that in our testing process, we found that these deodorants went on clear and did not leave any residue at all on our clothes.

We also took into account that some online reviewers mentioned needing multiple applications—we found that this largely has to do with the scent you’re using and how it reacts to your own body chemistry. Some of the longer-lasting scents, we found, were enough to last all day. It may just take some trial and error until you find the right scent for you.

When you switch from aluminum-based products, expect a short purging period. That’s just your body clearing out aluminum. (It’ll only feel like you’re sweating more.) This minty deodorant contains natural moisturizers like shea butter to keep your underarms smooth. Plus, it's formulated to be used on your entire body—pits, crotch, legs, it's all fair game to be protected with this stuff.

Testing Notes: The draw of Native, apart from the fact that the deodorant just plain works, is the wide variety of scents. There are a lot to choose from so we advise trying a few to find out which mixes with your own body chemistry best to provide the longest odor protection. While we don’t usually love a solid bar, we were pleasantly surprised that this one didn’t leave any residue. Just make sure to give your pits a bit of drying time before putting on clothes to minimize the risk.

It’s not just the long-lasting scent that makes this deodorant stand out. Unlike chalkier solid deodorant bars, this one is completely clear which means it leaves no residue at all on your pits (perfect for tank top season). The scent is strong enough to last all day even for heavy sweaters and, while it won’t reduce actual sweating, it absolutely prevents it from smelling.

Testing Notes: No one would call this deodorant subtle, that’s for sure. The scent is strong and has your classic drugstore deodorant vibe (ultra fresh and clean). The strength of the scent isn’t a bad thing—in fact, if you feel like your smell can be strong at times, this kind of deodorant is perfect for masking it for hours. Since there’s no fuss to the formula, it’s all about the scent with this guy, though we did also appreciate that it goes on completely clear without any chalky or greasy residue.

This easy-to-apply deodorant gel is completely clear, and a little more watery than your typical stick, which makes it way easy to apply and get full coverage with less product needed. It comes in a few different scents, including fragrance-free, but even the scented versions are subtle and not overwhelming. The best thing about it, however, is the skincare-like ingredients: niacinamide to help reduce dark spots and exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids to keep your pits smooth (it’s especially ideal if you shave or trim your armpit hair).

Testing Notes: We’ve said it already, but we’ll say it again: give this one ample dry time before putting on clothes. Because of the liquidy-serum formula, it takes quite a while to dry compared to your typical stick and definitely compared to a spray. The formula is soothing and pleasant to use, once you get the hang of the extended drying time needed.

If you’re someone who finds themselves constantly with irritated pits and redness, a deodorant balm could be exactly the type of product you’ve been waiting for, and there is no better option than AKT’s. This creamy deodorant has the consistency of a thick moisturizer but absorbs into the skin much faster. Designed to be used anywhere on the body, it offers smooth and lasting protection with minimal risk of skin irritation.

The formula is boosted by AKT’s “Deo Barrier Complex”, a blend of natural ingredients that neutralize smells while absorbing moisture. This is in addition to calendula oil (to calm skin and reduce inflammation), apricot kernel oil (to hydrate skin), and vitamin E (to support the skin’s natural protective barrier).

Testing Notes: We can confirm that this stuff is one of the cleanest deodorants to apply, and certainly the easiest for using on places other than the pits like feet, back, chest, or groin. It did an incredible job of masking odors, didn’t inspire any reactions from our testers with sensitive skin, and we loved that it was all packaged in a 100 percent plastic-free and recyclable container (even the cap!). That being said, we wished this contained was a bit sturdier as we found it prone to some cracking and the cap a bit of a nuisance to navigate.

The newest product on this list (just realized earlier this year!), Phlur's Father Figure Deodorant packs the commanding and elevated type of scent usually reserved for colognes. Unsurprisingly, that's because it's based on the widely popular Father Figure Eau de Parfum.

Just like the parfum, this deodorant offers an elegantly fresh yet subtly woodsy scent that's ideal for cruising along the street on a beautiful sunny day—or looking out the office window wishing you were. Not to mention, it's boosted by a slew of effective, natural ingredients like salicylic acid to cancel out odor for well over a day along with arrowroot powder and tamanu oil to soothe and hydrate skin.

Testing Notes: We can confirm that this scent is killer—not unlike its eau de parfum inspo, but we were also blown away by how long it lasted. We'd apply in the morning and the scent would linger just as strong throughout the day and into the night without the need to reapply. If there was one deodorant we'd suggest for those who regularly skimp on cologne, this would be it.

Tend to fall victim to deodorants staining clothes or lingering on your skin too long leaving you with ironically wet pits? This Baxter of California no-nonsense deodorant is your solution (also you may be overapplying). Backed by a minimalist list of ingredients and a clear gel formula, this stick absorbs immediately into the skin with no residue or unwanted chalkiness.

Testing Notes: Whenever we want a deodorant that simply eliminates odor without any risk of being overly scented or staining our clothes, we continually reach for Baxter of California. This stuff is about as low maintenance as a snake plant—and just as dry. We swipe a couple of times under each pit and it's absorbed before there's even time for us to put our shirt on for it to try to stain.

The biggest difference between deodorants and antiperspirants (which actually block sweat) is that they contain aluminum. To date, aluminum is the only FDA-approved ingredient to effectively block sweat and it does this by physically plugging up the sweat glands in your armpits. However, in recent years aluminum has come under fire as some people claim it is linked to certain diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Because of this, there’s been a rise in the popularity of aluminum-free deodorants like the ones you see on this list.

Does that mean they’re healthier for you? "We don’t have any studies that support the claim that there are health risks to using aluminum [in antiperspirants]," says dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD. "We eat more aluminum than we actually get in our antiperspirants. The aluminum we get in our antiperspirants doesn’t affect us in any negative way." Whether or not you use deodorant or antiperspirant is a personal choice.