We all know about Michael Jordan’s legendary basketball career, and we definitely all know about the shoes that he’s made over the years. But, not as many people are aware of another one of MJ’s successful business ventures: his line of men’s colognes.
Originally introduced at the height of Jordan’s playing career in 1996, the brand is still out there today. As you’d expect, the best Michael Jordan colognes hold up well even after you’ve just been to the gym. There are a number of different scents you can still get your hands on, each of which has its own unique features.
In this article, we’re going to go on a deep dive into the best Michael Jordan colognes, giving you all the info you need if you’re thinking about getting yourself a bottle.
Let’s get started.
Key Takeaways
Michael Jordan cologne has been on my radar for a long, long time. Many people will tell you that the scent was quite common in the hallways of their high schools, and I’d say the same. But I go further and tell you that, in my professional opinion, the scent actually still holds up and is something that anyone can wear.
Our pick for the overall best Michael Jordan cologne is the original cologne that was introduced in 1996, Michael Jordan By Michael Jordan for Men. At this point, it’s not an exaggeration to call it a modern classic, and, looking back, the combination of bright citrus notes with a wood-heavy base layer was actually ahead of its time.
I’ve also included the very well-received follow-up to that original release, the 23 By Michael Jordan For Men, as well as the Michael Jordan Flight Eau De Toilette Spray for Men, which is something like a luxury version.
In This Article
Best Overall: Michael Jordan By Michael Jordan for Men
Why it’s great: Michael Jordan By Michael Jordan for Men is an outstanding eau de cologne that manages to balance a huge number of different fragrances into a compelling overall scent.
The reason that this Michael Jordan cologne has stuck around for so long is that it’s one of those colognes that can seem to always fit into a situation—sometimes the floral and citrus notes will come to the fore; other times its more masculine sandalwood and musk qualities will come to the fore.
Who is this for? This is actually pretty close to a one-size-fits-all cologne that many men can wear as a result of great balance and the way it can take on a number of different characteristics.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: On the flip side of what I’ve written so far, I’d note that not everyone always wants a cologne that has so many different scents. Sometimes, you want something that showcases one distinctive scent.
Top Notes: Cypress, Grapefruit, Lemon, Cognac, Cedar Needles, Geranium and Brazilian Rosewood | Middle Notes: Fir, Juniper Berries, Green Tea, Lavender, Incense, Clary Sage and Cloves | Base Notes: Sandalwood, Musk and Patchouli | Type: Eau de Cologne
Best Budget: Michael Jordan For Men Body Spray
Why it’s great: Next up, we have a body spray that the Michael Jordan for Men brand also introduced. The Michael Jordan For Men Body Spray has a scent similar to many of the fragrances introduced by the brand. After all, it has a brighter top note – green tea in this case – that’s complemented by more musky scents like leather and sandalwood.
Who is this for? This is an ideal choice for people who prefer body sprays to colognes but still want to wear a fragrance that fits in with the Michael Jordan style.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Since this is a body spray rather than a cologne, it’s not going to last as long as some of the other options on this list.
Top Notes: Green Tea | Middle Notes: Leather and Cedar | Base Notes: Sandalwood | Type: Body Spray
Best Luxury: Michael Jordan Flight Eau De Toilette Spray for Men
Why it’s great: Next up, we have the deluxe offering of the Michael Jordan Brand, the Flight Eau de Toilette. It’s the newest fragrance in the line, first introduced in 2011. This Michael Jordan cologne distinguishes itself with its heavily spicy notes, as well as a the more robust concentration of fragrances that enters the picture with an Eau de Toilette rather than Eau de Cologne.
Who is this for? If you want the absolute best that the Michael Jordan brand offers, and don’t mind paying a little extra, then this is the choice for you.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The fact that seaweed is a prominent base note will be a little polarizing, but I personally really like it.
Top Notes: African Orange Flower and Bergamot | Middle Notes: Pepper, Virginia Cedar, and Sage | Base Notes: Amber, Vetiver, and Seaweed | Type: Eau de Toilette
Best on Amazon: Jordan By Michael Jordan For Men
Why it’s great: Jordan By Michael Jordan For Men is another winner from the Michael Jordan Brand. It keeps going with the theme of providing a fruit-forward top note that smells really unique and interesting.
In this case, it’s a mix of mandarin orange, bitter orange, and bergamot, among other notes. And then there’s the strong base of sandalwood, musk, and oakmoss that’s familiar from many of Michael Jordan’s other colognes.
Who is this for? If you like to wear colognes with slightly unusual but great-smelling top notes, I’d recommend Jordan By Michael Jordan For Men.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: There isn’t a ton to criticize with this Michael Jordan cologne because it’s very balanced and middle of the road, which some people would consider to be a criticism.
Top Notes: Mandarin Orange, Bitter Orange, Bergamot, Ivy, and Sage | Middle Notes: Jasmine, Pepper, Nutmeg, and Cardamom | Base Notes: Sandalwood, Musk, and Oakmoss | Type: Eau de Cologne
Best Everyday: 23 By Michael Jordan For Men
Why it’s great: And, 23 By Michael Jordan For Men represents a little bit of a departure for the brand. This cologne doesn’t back away from the fruit-forward top notes in the same way that the other colognes on this list do. It has the scent of grapefruit, black currant, watermelon, and fig leaf linger, with only the slightest hint of musk as a base note.
Who is this for? If you want an easy to wear go-to cologne that you can put on every day, then this is a great choice for you.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: I do wish there was a bit more complexity to the base notes of this Michael Jordan cologne, but it is meant to be a bright and fruit-forward scent.
Top Notes: Grapefruit, Black Currant, Watermelon, and Fig Leaf | Middle Notes: Geranium | Base Notes: Musk | Type: Cologne Spray
Buying Considerations for The Best Michael Jordan Colognes
Smell
As you can see from our writeups of each of the colognes above, every Michael Jordan cologne has some commonalities in terms of style and, let’s call it, vibe. However, each of them also has its own unique notes and scents that might cause you to prefer one or two over the others.
For instance, if you want a boozier and more wood-heavy Michael Jordan cologne, then you might want to go with the original Michael Jordan By Michael Jordan for Men. However, if you’re interested in wearing a lighter and fresher scent, then the 23 By Michael Jordan For Men might be a better choice for you.
Season
You also want to consider what season you’re primarily planning to wear your new cologne in. Spring, summer, fall and winter each call for their own styles and fragrances of cologne. If you ignore that basic fact, then the scent you’re wearing isn’t going to seem natural – it’ll seem out of place.
Type
And, finally, you should think about what type of cologne you want to get. There are significant differences between, say, an eau de toilette and an eau de parfum that you need to take into account.
Some people love the strong fragrance of a strongly concentrated eau de parfum; others like the more subtle scent of an eau de toilette or an eau de parfum. You might also consider getting a body spray cologne, like the Michael Jordan For Men Body Spray.
How We Chose
Here at FashionBeans, we always know that we’re taking on a big responsibility when writing about colognes. That’s because they’re a type of product where the quality really does matter a lot. But, it can be hard to judge a specific cologne if you don’t have a lot of background knowledge about colognes. That’s why we bring our years of experience to each and every product review, ensuring that you’re getting the best of the best.
We also evaluate each product according to the following four factors, which we use for every article on this site:
Company reputation: We always recommend brands that have a long track record of producing quality products. As you can see from this article, we consider Michael Jordan’s fragrance companies to be one of those.
Customer reviews: Another thing we rate highly is what people are saying about a given product in reviews. If people don’t attest to the quality and value of a product, it won’t make its way onto one of our lists.
Price: I don’t like overpaying for mediocre products, and I’m sure you don’t, either. That’s why we always work hard to find colognes whose value matches their price tag.
Transparency: Finally, it’s also important that any brand we recommend is open and transparent about important matters like the origin of their ingredients and the limitations of their return policies.
Why Trust Us?
We take a lot of pride in the experience and knowledge in the world of men’s colognes that we have as an editorial team here at FashionBeans. If you count up all the years of experience we have, it’s easily in the decades. That means we have the chops to provide you with the best possible advice and product recommendations, as you can see on display in our previous articles like the best tobacco and vanilla colognes.
As usual, each of the editors came up with their own personal ranking of the best Michael Jordan colognes. Then, we had a meeting to discuss what the final form of these rankings should be. Although we had some disagreements initially, we’re all quite happy with the list of the best Michael Jordan colognes that we’ve put together.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, we went with the original cologne by the brand Michael Jordan by Michael Jordan for Men, which was our top pick. In our books, it’s the best Michael Jordan cologne because of both its success in introducing the brand and its unique scent that combines top notes of cypress, grapefruit, and cognac with base notes of sandalwood and musk.
If you’re on the fence about this great Michael Jordan cologne, then I’d urge you to take the plunge and finally try it out.
FAQ
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Michael Jordan first started releasing colognes in 1996, just as he was starting his second basketball career. They’ve been popular ever since, even if they haven’t matched the cultural impact of say, the Air Jordans or Air Force Ones. The best Michael Jordan colognes still hold up and feel fresh, even all these years later.
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The Michael Jordan for Men brand has released a number of different colognes, so it’s tough to give a general answer to this question. In general, though, Michael Jordan’s colognes tend to have very bright, forward top notes with scents like grapefruit, lemon, and bitter orange. These are balanced out by masculine base notes like musk and sandalwood.
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Ryan Jamison