Have you ever noticed that Air Wick and Glade plug in air fresheners come with a dial that allows you to control the level of fragrance? The question that many people have, though, is do they actually work?

The short answer is "yes." The important points to note are that:

• For the Air Wick, the larger teardrop means more fragrance
• For Glade, the low setting provides the least intensity
• The Air Wick air freshener provided a more intense aroma than Glade during testing
• If you like a soft, subtle fragrance, Glade will likely meet your needs

The reason we felt compelled to address this topic is that we realized, through our customers, that no one quite knows what to make of these intensity controls. Should they be set to high or low? How will it impact the length of time that the plug in lasts? How does the intensity of the scent vary from one air freshener to the next, using the dials? And does it do anything at all?

How the Air Wick Plug in Settings and the Glade Plug in Settings Impact Fragrance Intensity

While we do realize that intensity of scent is subjective, we wanted to test Glade and Air Wick plug in settings to see how intense the scent was with the dial turned to high versus low. For our test we put the plug ins, one at a time, in a 12’ x 14’ spare room and left them for three hours before testing the intensity of the scent. We also made sure that there was at least one hour between tests so that the scent had time to completely dissipate before running another test.

Top View of Air Wick tear drop - Dial Larger Tear Drop = More Fragrance

How to Adjust Fragrance Level on Glade or Air Wick Plug In Air Fresheners

The Air Wick adjustable dial has 5 fragrance levels.  By turning gray fragrance adjustment dial on top of warmer clockwise or counterclockwise, the teardrop aligns with holes large to small (see image below) representing more or less fragrance by exposing the wick to more or less heat. Increasing fragrance level occurs when more of the internal heating element is exposed to the wick, increasing heat and the rate of evaporation. The faster the evaporation, the shorter the lifespan of your refill.

TIP: Largest mark (i.e. white marker in teardrop hole) is the most intense fragrance. In this example, it's on the second weakest.

Testing the Intensity of the Glade In Air Freshener

Once beginning, our testers immediately noticed that the intensity of the scent changed based on your proximity to the plug in (for example, if you had just walked through the door versus standing on the other side of the room, near the plug in.) We decided to rank the intensity on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being most intense.

Our testers agreed that the intensity of the first test with the Glade plug in air freshener, with the dial turned to the lowest setting, was a 1 or 2.

When the room was cleared of all scent and the new test was begun with the dial turned to the highest setting, the testers agreed that the scent was at an intensity level of 3 to 5, based, again, on where you were standing in the room.

Testing the Intensity of the Air Wick Plug In Settings

There was no doubt, after our testers judged the intensity of the scent, that the Air Wick plug in air freshener put out a more intense fragrance than the Glade air freshener.

After clearing the air and beginning a new trial, our testers estimated the intensity of the scent, with the dial turned down as low as possible, to be at a 4 or 5, with the intensity changing slightly based upon your proximity to the plug in.

When we started a new test with the dial turned to the highest setting possible, the testers found the intensity of the scent to be at a 7 or 8.

Final Thoughts on How the Air Wick Plug in Settings and the Glade Plug in Settings Impact Fragrance Intensity

One thing we did not test was the length of time that the plug ins lasted based on whether the dial was set to high or low. That said, it can be assumed that with the dial on a higher setting, the plug in isn’t going to last as long as if it was on the lower setting designed to release the fragrance more slowly.

The big takeaways were:

• Turning the Air Wick Plug in Setting to the larger teardrop resulted in more intense fragrance
• For Glade, the lowest setting provided the least intensity
• When the Glade and Air Wick settings were compared side-by-side, the Air Wick had a more intense fragrance when on the lowest setting than Glade on the lowest setting (and the same applied for the highest setting)

Whether you choose a Glade or an Air Wick plug in air freshener, you will notice the scent when you enter the room, regardless of the setting. (The one caveat to this might be if you’re trying to use the lowest setting on the Glade plug in in a very large room.)  

The question is, how subtle or intense do you want the aroma to be in the room? If you prefer a more intense aroma, the Air Wick would likely be the better choice for you. However, if you want a soft, subtle fragrance, the Glade will likely meet your needs well.

The question is, how subtle or intense do you want the aroma to be in the room? If you prefer a more intense aroma, the Air Wick would likely be the better choice for you. However, if you want a soft, subtle fragrance, the Glade will likely meet your needs well.