Complete Guide to Perfume Bottle Sizes (How Many Sprays Each?)

If you’re a rookie in the world of fragrances, knowing your way around perfume bottle sizes is an essential skill to have.

If you’re a pro, reminding yourself of the basics once in a while will help you make more informed choices.

And hey, maybe you can pass on this handy guide to some of the rookies yourself!

How Do You Determine How Big a Perfume Bottle Is?

The easiest way to determine the size of a perfume is to simply check the label at the perfume store.

The units are normally in fluid ounces or milliliters, depending on the manufacturer or the country you live in.

If you can’t find the size on the label, try checking the bottom of the bottle, or sometimes the box.

For obvious reasons, this will all be impossible to do for the many online shoppers out there. 

But most of the time, the size is usually indicated right on the product page of the fragrance you’re about to buy.

If the size of a perfume you like is in fluid ounces and you’re not used to buying fragrances, make sure you tread carefully.

This is because not all of the said units are the same.

What is the Difference Between US fl oz and UK fl oz?

The former, as you might have guessed, is the American fluid ounce, while the latter, the most common, is the UK unit (normally presented without “UK”).

It’s almost impossible, for instance, for a perfume to be in quart size.

To get a better understanding of how they measure up:

1 US fl oz = 29.57 ml

1 fl oz = 28.41 ml

You might feel like asking why there are two types of fluid ounce measurements in the first place.

And while I’m not qualified to answer that, you can trust me when I say that my head hurts too when thinking about it!

Perfume Bottle Size Chart

Ounces	Milliliters	Number of Sprays	Approx. No. of Days
0.05 fl oz	1.5 ml	15	4
0.17 fl oz	5 ml	50	12
0.5 fl oz	15 ml	150	38
0.8 fl oz	25 ml	250	63
1 fl oz	30 ml	300	75
1.4 fl oz	40 ml	400	100
1.7 fl oz	50 ml	500	125
2 fl oz	60 ml	600	150
2.4 fl oz	70 ml	750	175
2.7 fl oz	80 ml	800	200
3 fl oz	90 ml	900	225
3.4 fl oz	100 ml	1000	250
4.2 fl oz	125 ml	1250	300
6.8 fl oz	200 ml	2000+	500

How Many Sprays are There Per ml?

From the different sizes above, a simple calculation of 50 by 5 ml, for example, tells us that there are about 10 sprays per ml.

But maybe you don’t use your perfume that often.

And your number one worry, in this case, is that it might go bad. 

The first thing you need to know here is that perfumes expire in three to five years. And chances are, you’ll go through it before the expiry date.

If you just stocked up on the biggest bottle of your signature fragrance, there are still a few simple tips you can follow to aid the scent’s durability.

• Store the perfume in its original packaging.
• Keep the bottle cool, and out of direct sunlight.
• Put the cap on when not in use.
• Whenever possible, keep it in its original bottle.
• Don’t shake the perfume.

What Size Perfume Bottle Should I Get?

Before going into the specifics, make sure that you’re aware of the most common perfume sizes.

Not because a 100 ml bottle suits you best (it might), but because we don’t want you to go home with a liter of perfume on your first buy!

The most common sizes are typically:

• 30 ml (mainstream small size)
• 50 ml (mainstream medium size)
• 100 ml (mainstream large size)

If You’re Feeling Expensive

10 ml to 15 ml perfume bottles will be perfect for you.

A lot of manufacturers don’t make perfumes in these sizes, but some of the expensive ones do (Yves Saint Laurent for example).

If an individual fragrance is special to you but the price is mind-boggling, going for a smaller size is recommended.

For Gifts and Specific Occasions

Small bottle sizes of 25 ml to 40 ml should be enough for the medium to long run, even if the recipient is an avid user.

However, if they don’t wear perfume that much (or only do so for special occasions), a medium-sized bottle might be too big for them.

This size also fits you if a spray from your best perfume smells extremely aromatic.

In some cases, you might, however, want to gift an entire bottle to someone. 

Going for a small size, in this case, will give you some leeway, just in case they don’t like it, not to mention that they’re also perfect for a blind buy, especially when shopping for perfumes online.

For Room to Alternate

Medium-sized perfume bottles of 50 ml to 75 ml will perform exceptionally.

Maybe you’re fond of having different fragrances.

Grabbing different 50 ml bottles instead of a whole bottle of only one scent will ensure smooth transitions between your other scents. 

It will also make sure that they don’t last too long (or get used up too quickly).

For That Unique, Signature Scent

A large bottle of 100 ml to 125 ml is your best friend.

These perfume bottles also present great value for money.

In fact, the difference in price between them and the medium bottles isn’t too dissimilar at all.

If your trademark fragrance is an eau de toilette, then a large size may be better considering it’s normally not that strong.

No Room For Experimentation

In this instance, a 150 ml to 200 ml full-size bottle is the one for you.

You might obviously experiment once in a while, but maybe you do it so rarely that it only makes sense to stock up on a bigger bottle of your daily perfume.

These super-large perfume bottles also work well for when you want to decant some of that liquid gold into smaller bottles.

They are also much better value for money.

Are Sample Perfume Bottles OK?

A sample vial (normally the smallest size) is best suited for testing scents.

When buying samples online, or even in a store (if you’re new to the process), spray on only one fragrance, and leave it on for several hours.

Not only will you see how well the scent develops, but it will also prevent you from being misled by its top notes.

Moreover, you’ll avoid mixing it up with other fragrances if you’re at a perfume counter. 

Sample sizes, in general, are too small for daily use.

What Size Perfume Bottle Can I Take on a Plane?

The middle-sized bottles (50 ml to 75 ml) are the most recommended.

This applies to an eau de cologne as it does to an eau de parfum. 

The limit in most countries is 100 ml, and according to the TSA, a plastic, or carry-on bag is best-suited to prevent spillage.

Alternatively, you can also go for one of the smaller sizes (e.g. 25 ml) if the trip is short. 

The Bottom Line

It’s probably not your biggest wardrobe enigma, but understanding how to structure your fragrance purchases around size will save you a lot of time (and money!) in the long run.