The Drift Air Fresheners Are Handsome, Practical, and Inexpensive
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Problem: Most air fresheners are too strong for my tastes — plus, I always forget to replace them once they've run their course.
Solution: Drift is an air freshener subscription service that combines a minimal design with everchanging scents to keep your vehicle smelling its best.
If you’ve ever taken a road trip with a pet, you’re probably aware of how quickly your car will start to smell funky. I haven’t been flying as much because of the pandemic, so my dog Mika has been coming along with me on long drives. I love her to death, but she stinks!
After being bombarded by Instagram ads from Drift, a direct-to-consumer air freshener company, I decided to order some since I’ve been spending more time in my car and want to mask the musk.
I’ve never been much of an air freshener guy, and the only time I’ve really used them was when they were given to me after getting my car detailed. They’re ugly, they get in the way, and their scents can be overwhelming.
Drift is a new take on the car air freshener. In case you’re unfamiliar, Drift is a subscription box service that’ll send you a new air freshener every month or so (depending on how frequently you want one). With a price that starts at under $10 a month, it’s a relatively inexpensive convenience.
The air fresheners come in two different types. There’s a wood air freshener about the size of a credit card that comes from sustainably sourced tree farms in the United States. Drift also sells a silver-dollar-sized aluminum freshener that clips to your air conditioning vent. With the latter, you can control the scent intensity by twisting it clockwise or counterclockwise.
I tried both models. Although I preferred the look of the wood freshener more, the metal freshener’s scent lasted 2 weeks longer — totaling about a month of use before needing replacing. I also liked that the wood freshener magnetically clips right to my visor and stays out of the way. I use my air conditioner vents to mount my smartphone, so I’d prefer to keep my additional vents free from obstructions.
You can choose between six scent options: teak, mill, grove, amber, cabana, and a limited-edition scent of the month that changes every 30 days. The amber scent has notes of lavender and fresh rain, grove smells of citrus, cabana is coconutty and salty, teak is a masculine fragrance with hints of cedar and amber, and mill is very pine-like and reminded me of Christmas.
The scent of the month I tried was coffee — which made me crave a cup every time I got in my car. The “teak” and “mill” scents were definitely my favorites but may be too intense for some. The scents are strongest for the first couple of days of use, but they mellow out over time.
I appreciate that Drift uses all-natural fragrances and essential oils without using any harsh, toxic chemicals. Overall, they’re nice-looking, good-smelling, and relatively inexpensive air fresheners that show up at your doorstep like magic to keep your car smelling clean.
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