Nautica Voyage vs Azzaro Chrome

For this edition of the head to head fragrance comparisons, we are going to be taking a closer look at two inexpensive and popular options for men: Azzaro Chrome vs. Nautica Voyage. Which of these two best sellers, is the better buy? Which smells better? Has the top performance? I have tested and reviewed both and will break it down below.

Tale of the Tape

Nautica Voyage

Notes include: apple, musk, cedar, lotus, amber, mimosa, and oak moss

Click here to try: Nautica Voyage Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 oz

Read my original review: Nautica Voyage Review

Azzaro Chrome

Click here to try: Men’s Chrome by Azzaro Eau de Toilette Spray – 3.4 oz.

Notes include: neroli, lemon, bergamot, rosemary, pineapple, musk, woods, and jasmine

Read my review: Chrome Review

Opening

Azzaro Chrome opens up with lemon and pineapple, this citrus blend, is fresh and pretty sharp. With that, is jasmine and neroli, and the second one is quite prominent up top. Chrome is a bright with an aquatic sort of aroma, despite there not being any oceanic notes.

Combined,  it is all pretty familiar and yet unique. It does get compared to CK One, but it does have a distinct aroma. Yes, vaguely metallic, at times.

Voyage starts off with crisp apple with mimosa and plenty of musk. It’s got a ‘green’ aroma with aquatic undertones and the muskiness. Voyage is clean with a watery scent.

Which is better? I’m going with Chrome, as the citrus/floral/aquatic composition, is much better at the start than is Voyage. The Nautica can be too much of a mess at first, and can take time, to settle.

Edge: Chrome

Projection

Chrome starts off pretty strong for me, it can be really bold, right out of the bottle. Later on, it is much more of a moderate scent. Voyage, is basically moderate, right out of the bottle. It’s pretty consistent, but lighter than Chrome is.

Edge: Chrome

Longevity

Nautica Voyage delivers 5-7 hours of wear, on my skin. It’s been the same result, over the years, time and time again. Not getting more than that. Azzaro Chrome will go for 7-8 hours, which outclasses its competitor, on most occasions.

Neither of these have ever been super performers for me. However, they’ve always been above average and can provide great value.

Edge: Chrome

Versatility

Both fragrances have good versatility. Neither is a nighttime scent, however. Chrome would probably fair better for office wear versus Voyage. Other than that, there’s not too much separation here. Both can be worn year round and serve as an inexpensive daily wear.

Edge: Chrome (slightly)

Overall Scent

Is it a clean sweep for Chrome? Yes.

While I like Nautica Voyage, it’s not a really ‘great’ cologne, just a great cheap cologne. It has a nice overall aroma, but to me, never smells as good as Chrome does. It doesn’t have the same performance level, either. But for less than $20? Having a bottle, isn’t a bad idea.

Chrome, on the other hand, features a great citrus/floral formula with underlying aquatic notes and a ‘metallic’ edge. It’s such a simple wear, but one which, gets plenty of complements and has the performance to last a workday.

Its dry down, becomes woodier, with hints of musk, and the citrus notes still sitting on top. The price at retail is usually pretty high, but every so often Chrome seems to get marked down dramatically at secondary sellers.

That $35-50 range is pretty standard, but I’ve seen bottles go for under $30 too. Basically, the price difference isn’t as large as it may seem. The Azzaro actually hovers much closer to the Nautica range than it first appears.

Chrome is wonderful in its niche and has been doing it for decades now. It wins this match up with ease.

Winner: Chrome

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.