Oud in Perfume: What It Smells Like and the 10 Best Oud Clones

Oud is the dark, resin-rich heartwood of agarwood trees, which produce it when the wood reacts to a fungal infection. Natural oud oil is one of the most expensive materials in perfumery, so many fragrances that say oud use synthetic versions or blends.

It smells smoky and woody, and often medicinal or leathery. People who like it find it rich and deep. People who don't find it medicinal.

The oud originals with the most clones in our data are Tom Ford Oud Wood (17), Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade (17), Initio Oud for Greatness (15), Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood (12) and Parfums de Marly Delina Exclusif (12).

Oud Wood is also a good example of the trade-off in this family: many owners of the original complain it fades quickly, so a clone that fades sooner is starting from a weak baseline.

Oud is polarizing, so sample first when you can. Wearers of oud clones often mention that the opening can be sharp or medicinal and that sprays should be light. A few weeks of rest helps with some, as covered in our maceration guide.

The list above ranks clones by match score. We kept clones with a current Amazon listing and a match score of at least the number noted below, and allowed one clone per designer original so one fragrance can't fill the list. The minimum match score is 78%. A fragrance counts as oud if oud or agarwood appears anywhere in the original's notes.

Scores measure scent similarity, not bottle quality or wear time. Read the notes on each card too.