The best aluminum-free deodorants of 2026, according to Consumer Reports

Aluminum-free deodorants vary widely in how well they hold up through an active day. Consumer Reports tested nine to find the top picks

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Deodorants don't get much design attention, but they vary wildly in how well they actually work. Aluminum-free formulas have exploded in popularity, giving shoppers dozens of options at every price point. Without aluminum salts to block sweat glands, these products rely on ingredients such as mandelic acid, zinc oxide, and prebiotics to neutralize odor instead of suppressing it.

Consumer Reports had three testers wear nine aluminum-free options over multiple days, putting each through at least one session of moderate or vigorous activity, to find which ones hold up.

AKT The Deodorant Balm

The AKT The Deodorant Balm costs $28.81 and is among the pricier picks in this lineup, but Consumer Reports testers unanimously found the performance worth the cost. The formula contains vitamin E, shea butter, sodium bicarbonate, zinc oxide, and arrowroot, at a price per ounce of $16.48. CR noted the application method requires squeezing a pea-sized amount from a tube onto your fingers, making a hand rinse afterward advisable. Despite that inconvenience, all three testers said it delivered the most reliable odor control of any product tested, with one reporting fresh results well into the night following a weightlifting session and another staying odor-free through a full day outdoors in high-70s heat.

Salt & Stone Aluminum Free Deodorant

Priced at $20.00, the Salt & Stone Aluminum Free Deodorant works out to $7.69 per ounce, and Consumer Reports testers praised it nearly as........

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