Have you ever heard of nose-blindness?
When you buy a brand new car you get a certain feature for free: new car smell. Every car smells differently. Some smell like leather, some like wood, some like burnished metal. But they all smell wonderful. Eventually that smell goes away.
Nose-blindness refers to how we can get used to odors when we’re exposed to them often. Everybody’s car has a distinct smell, just like everybody’s house. As we get used to these smells, they begin to smell like nothing. Your car might stink and you might not even know.
If you are blind to the smells in your car, your passengers will not be. It’s always a great idea to keep some air freshener hanging from your mirror. Even if you don’t see the point, your passengers will appreciate it.
Today I will look at one of the most popular and iconic brands of air freshener, Little Trees, to help you determine if it’s right for you.
Things to Consider in A Car Air Freshener
Car air fresheners are available from a huge range of brands and in an endless array of scents. It can be overwhelming choosing which one you’d like to buy. Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re selecting a car air freshener:
Type
Air fresheners are available in many forms.
You can stick gel fresheners on any hard surface in your car.
Vent sticks and oil wicks (small plastic bottles with fragrances inside) attach to your air conditioning vents with a clip.
Aerosols come in a can, and you spray them all over.
Plug-ins, need electricity to function.
The most popular type is the hanging air freshener. It’s a piece of cardboard that you dangle on your rearview mirror. These air fresheners last longer than many of their competitors, 5-8 weeks on average. They’re also very cost-effective.
Scent
When you’re selecting a type of air freshener it’s essential to look at what scents they offer. What you’re looking for will come down to your personal taste. Some people want cars to smell exactly like cars: metal and leather and gasoline.
Other people want them to smell like flowers or fruit.
Some people want to chase that elusive “new car smell.”
Some people change their scents with the season. In the spring they want their car to smell like freshly-cut grass, in the fall they want it to smell like a pumpkin.
A couple of things are certain: you need to pick a scent that you won’t get sick of and you need to compromise. If your car has multiple drivers, try to pick a scent that’s agreeable to everyone. Otherwise you might find your car more unpleasant to drive than if you had no air freshener at all.
Logistics
Certain types of air freshener are better for certain types of car. For example, is your car very large? How much air space are you trying to fill with this scent?
If you have a huge car a plug-in freshener might be a good fit for you.
Gel fresheners can leave sticky residue in your car. Vent sticks will limit your ability to move your air conditioning vents.
Most people choose hanging air fresheners because they’re simple, affordable, and have no negative side effects.
Considering Little Trees Car Air Freshener
If you close your eyes and think about what a car air freshener looks like, what do you see? I see a dangling piece of cardboard shaped like a little free, and I’m guessing many of you do as well.
Little Trees air fresheners are very popular, and for good reason. They’re very affordable, they come in a huge range of scents and the smell lasts for a very long time.
While they’re designed with cars in mind, you can use these air fresheners anywhere. People frequently dangle them in their houses as well. Wherever you put them, they’ll fill the space with a pleasing scent for many weeks to come.
The Specifics
Price
One of the most attractive things about Little Trees’ product is the price. They’re extremely affordable, and you can save even more if you buy in bulk. They’re available in 6-packs, 10-packs and 24-packs.
Considering that hanging air fresheners can last five to eight weeks, a 24 pack can supply you with four years-worth of product.
Scents
Little Trees’ air fresheners come in a vast array of scents. They have earthy scents like leather and bourbon, floral scents like “daisy fields” and lavender, fruity scents like watermelon and “wild cherry”.
They even offer more conceptual options like “bold embrace,” “fresh shave,” and the elusive “new car.”
Their most popular scent is probably “black ice.” This is an intriguing (and very enjoyable) combination of lemon, sandalwood, citrus oil and, as Little Trees themselves put it, an “air of mystery.” You can check out every single scent they offer right here.
Longevity
So, when you choose a Little Trees air freshener to buy how long will your chosen smell last?
Little Trees themselves don’t identify a range, so I went to the reviews.
The response from users is very mixed, and I will go into more detail about that below.
The huge majority of users seem to have no complaints. Most report that they last for two or three months and that they smell great the whole time.
However, be warned. There may be some inconsistency from tree to tree.
Features and Benefits
Here are a few of the most notable features of Little Trees car air fresheners, and how they might benefit you.
- Very cost-effective, with money-saving multi-pack options available
- Available in a huge range of scents, allowing you to customize
- They’ll work equally well in your car or in your home
- Most users report that they last a long time and the fragrance stays strong
- You can put them anywhere, as they’re just as effective hanging or lying flat
- Little Trees is a trusted brand, made in America, with high standards for their products
What Are Users Saying?
For the most part, the user reviews for Little Trees’ air fresheners are very positive. People seem to like the scents, and say that they last for a good amount of time. There are always some dissenters.
The biggest issues that some users report is with the life of the product. Some say that the scent or their air freshener lasted for many weeks. Some say one week.
Most users do not report these issues, but a decent amount do.
Some users also report that some of the air fresheners had a more noticeable scent than others. Some who bought multi-packs even say that some of the trees in the pack smelled great, while some had barely any scent at all.
Most users do seem satisfied.
They report that the air fresheners smell great and have plenty of longevity. They report using them in their houses as well as their cars, and seem happy with both applications.
What Are the Alternatives?
When it comes to car air fresheners you have seemingly unlimited options. If you want a more advanced option, you can try something like the FRiEQ Car Air Purifier.
This device plugs into your cigarette lighter. It purifies the air, ridding your car of any bad smells very effectively. It has no actual smell of its own. It’s a good option if you only want your car to smell natural. If you’re looking for a fun or relaxing aroma then you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Vent sticks are a very popular option. You clip them into your air conditioning vents.
One popular option is Febreze 13 Car Air Freshener Clips. The benefit here is also the downsize: the odor is much milder. For some, air fresheners like Little Trees’ black ice option can come off a little strong. If you want something lighter, vent sticks are a great choice.
Many users report that the scent is too light, that they can almost smell like nothing at all.
You can also consider using a spray air freshener. A popular one is Chemical Guys New Car Smell Air Freshener which people seem to like.
The pros here are that you can spray it all over your car. With most air fresheners you have to wait for the smell to fill the air, but with a spray variety you can put a little all over.
Is Little Trees Car Air Freshener Right for You?
In my opinion you can’t go wrong with LITTLE TREES Car Air Freshener. It’s so popular and ubiquitous for a reason: it works. It’s cheap, it’s effective and it’s versatile. You can put them in your car or your house, anywhere you can think of, and they will get the job done.
They are super cheap regardless of how you buy them, but if you go online and buy a multi-pack they’ll be even more affordable. That pack will also last you for a very long time.
The main complaint I hear is that they don’t last long enough, or that some trees have less scent than others. But considering how cheap the cost-per-unit in these multi-packs is, it may be worth taking the risk.
If you’re looking for an affordable, simple and effective option, Little Trees air fresheners are a great purchase for any car owner.