Polo Red EDT by Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren has become synonymous with American style. The companies’ designs are clean, classic, and often times colorful. Beyond the world of clothing, Ralph Lauren Polo enjoys also enjoys great success in the fragrance realm. For decades now, the firm has put out colognes and perfumes that perform and smell great.

Polo Red has been one that they’ve relied on for the past decade or so, spawning a ton of flanker scents, which have become somewhat popular in their own right. But, how does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Polo Red Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, italian lemon, cranberry, saffron, sage, coffee beans, and amber

Click here to try: POLO RED by Ralph Lauren, 4.2 Fl Oz

My Full Take on Polo Red

Sweet, warm, with spice is how I would describe this fragrance in short. This is not a girly type of sweetness like candy or something, rather, the citrus notes produce an alluring scent rooted in the masculine.

I think that there is a certain energy that comes with smelling Polo Red, sort of a refreshing blast that transitions into a moderate fragrance enveloped in a warm glow. It is a seductive cologne which maintains a classy air, subtle yet one which the ladies are sure to enjoy.

It opens with a mix of citrus and cranberry. This pairing is quite sharp and very sweet from the jump. The citrus contingent is led by Italian lemon with some added grapefruit. It opens up with a super bright disposition and of course that tart cranberry note.

Cranberry is the main attraction here, so, keep that in mind if you’re thinking about giving Polo Red a try…you have to like that note to enjoy.

Underneath those three fruity notes, is amber, which provides that warm cloud wrapping around the sweetness.

A few minutes after the sharp/tart opening, the edge is taken off by the amber and the sweetness then takes on a slight bubble gum aroma. Not too overt or anything, but it is the sort of vibe that I pick up on.

The Italian lemon note, I think, adds a different kind of feeling from many other colognes on the market. Versace Eros, also has Italian lemon as one of its notes and the two are somewhat similar, though Eros has a much heavier projection and woodsy feel to it.

There is a coffee bean note listed here, but I’ve never gotten that smell. Polo Red Extreme has the coffee note ramped up, but in the original, it is absent for me.

Saffron and sage are present, particularly the former, which brings some depth of character and a bit of spice. Finally, there is a bit of random wood note in the base. Not much.

So, most of what you’re getting with Polo Red is: tart cranberry, citrus, warm sweetness, with some light spice and wood. Lots of cranberry and lemon, sitting on a sea of amber. It really does evoke a sense of ‘red’.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Polo Red starts off somewhat intensely for me, before it settles down quite a bit into a subtle and moderate fragrance. Some people report that the longevity is a problem but I find it to be so-so in that regard.

Some days, it feels like it lasts quite adequately while other times it gives out too quickly. I’ve tried out doubling up on how much I apply and this works well to boost the longevity.

I’ve gotten anywhere from 4-7 hours, with this cologne over the years. It is kind of strange, its varied outcomes, but it’s usually in line with the other Ralph Lauren colognes.

You don’t need to go overboard but a little more wouldn’t hurt. I currently have a splash mini bottle and I have to go fairly heavy. So, initially Polo Red is radiating from my skin, and then settles down. This definitely isn’t a heavy scent but it does provide a warm cloud of fragrance.

I like this one for the springtime, mostly, although it wouldn’t feel completely out of place during other months of the year. It’s better in colder temperatures, than high humidity, and heat.

Polo Red is a very nice choice for an everyday casual wear and it can be versatile enough for other occasions. It isn’t going to be a formal fragrance, though. Probably not one, you’d want to wear in a more serious office environment.

It’s sweet fruity aroma, will skew more towards the younger set. If I were want a Polo Red fragrance as an older guy, I’d be picking up Extreme.

Overall Impressions of Polo Red

Is Polo Red a good cologne? Yes. I really like this fragrance and it seems that others do as well. It can be somewhat pricey and as such I think it should have better longevity. However, if one grabs a small 0.5 oz bottle for cheap, it would be worth it to wear now and again.

They did just release Polo Red Intense which amps up the qualities of this fragrance but I have yet to try it (Update here is my comparison: Red vs. Intense). Good stuff, but it might be worth getting the Intense version instead now.

Newer Update: I liked this stuff more years ago. It was one of the earlier one’s I enjoyed, when I first started the site in 2013. As of now, I’m not all that high on it. I still do like aspects of Red.

For instance, the cranberry tartness is still pretty unique, paired with that amber glow. Still, I’d pick Polo Red Extreme over this. Depending on my feeling that day on Intense, the original Polo Red EDT, ranks either second or the more usual third out of this series.

It’s fun and fairly attractive. Not the most versatile wear, in terms of age range and occasion, but you can still get good use out of it.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.