Our noses are conundrums. If they’re not running, they are stuffed up. And if they’re not stuffed up, they’re dry. It’s difficult, it seems, to keep our noses happy. Fortunately, we’ve researched the best nasal spray options in order to help you overcome any obstacle that keeps your breathing anatomy from working well.
The membranes that line your nasal passages can easily become swollen and congested in response to viruses, allergies, bacteria or irritants like cigarette smoke. When that happens, your nose and sinuses produce more mucus in an attempt to protect you.
But if your nasal passages are too dry, then sinus pain, nose bleeds, sinusitis, and other troublesome conditions can develop. Using an over-the-counter nasal spray can help keep our noses in tip top shape, but it’s important to choose products wisely. That’s why we developed the Complete Guide to Best Nasal Sprays.
What You Should Know
There are basically 3 types of nasal sprays – ones that stop noses from running, ones that un-stuff them, and ones that clean and soothe them. Regardless of which issue you need to address, be sure not to use any product longer or more often than the manufacturer recommends since overuse can cause these medications to lose their effectiveness and may even worsen symptoms.
You should always choose the nasal spray with the least possible medication that will still be effective, especially if you are pregnant or nursing. Be cautious, as well, about using these products for children. Most over the counter nasal sprays are formulated for adults. If you need a product for a child, find one specifically designed for them.
You’ll also want to be careful when selecting a nasal spray if you are on medications for high blood pressure, a heart condition or diabetes as they might not mix well with some nasal spray ingredients.
Top 10 Nasal Sprays Comparison
| Picture | Name | Best For | Type | Price | Rating (1-5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Arm & Hammer Simply Saline | Soothing | Mist | $$$$ | 4.6 |
 | 2. Mucinex Sinus-Max | Decongestant | Spray | $$ | 4.6 |
 | 3. NeilMed Nasogel Drip | Dryness | Gel Spray | $$$$ | 4.6 |
 | 4. Flonase Allergy Relief | Allergies | Spray | $$ | 4.6 |
 | 5. Xlear, Xylitol Sinus Care | Allergies/Decon | Spray | $ | 4.4 |
 | 6. Ocean Saline | Soothing | Spray | $ | 4.4 |
 | 7. Nasacort Allergy 24 Hour | Allergy | Spray | $$$ | 4.4 |
 | 8. Seagate Products Homeopathic Olive Leaf | Soothing | Spray | $$ | 4.3 |
 | 9. Afrin NoDrip | Allergies | Mist | $ | 4.3 |
 | 10. Afrin Original | Allergies | Spray | $$$ | 4.2 |
Information to Choosing a Nasal Spray
When deciding which nasal spray is best for you, start with your symptoms and choose a product that is best suited to the relief you need. But also consider that, while all the products in our guide to best nasal sprays are described as sprays, the medicine coming out of the bottle can take somewhat different forms. Some are traditional sprays, others are mists and still others are gel sprays.
- Sprays. This is likely the product most familiar to us. It comes in a small bottle that you squeeze to spray medicine into each nostril. For some products to be effective, you sniff while squeezing the bottle and dispensing the medicine. With other products, you simply squeeze and dispense. Traditional sprays work quickly in most instances and are the form used for most decongestant sprays.
- Mists. Nasal mists are packaged so that the medicine is atomized into a fine spray as it leaves the bottle rather than a larger stream of medicine and they are used primarily for moisturizing and soothing dry, irritated nostrils and nasal passages. They are usually made with sodium chloride which is why many of them are called saline solutions or saline mists.
- Gel Sprays. Think of gel sprays as a slightly thicker form of a traditional spray. While they can still be dispensed from a bottle by squeezing, they come out of the bottle in a stream so they can also be applied with a cotton swab if you prefer that delivery method. Simply spray the product into a small cup or directly onto the cotton swab for application.
Since one of each of these nasal spray forms appears in the top 3 of our guide, we provide you with more details about all of them below.
Top 3 Best Nasal Spray Reviews
1. Arm & Hammer
Arm & Hammer is a name we usually associate with baking soda! But their health and wellness products are just as highly rated as the products they make for the kitchen.
Their Saline Nasal Mist is ranked number 1 among consumers for many reasons, not the least of which is that the atomized mist is so gentle on sore or irritated sinus passages. The saline formula promotes healing and does not cause the odd taste in your mouth that some products can cause (remember our noses are connected to our mouths and taste buds, so we usually end up tasting anything we put in our nose).
Best of all, this product seems to work as well on stuffy noses as it does on ones that are simply dry and irritated. User after user commented that they experienced better breathing when they used it for stuffiness during a cold or allergy season. After one spray they were able to blow their nose and clear their nasal passages easily.
Because the mist comes in a pressurized can, you can get every last drop and, unlike squeeze bottles, there is no risk of gunk from your nose settling back into the bottle. Great for dry noses, stuffy noses, sore noses after surgery – everyone loves the Arm & Hammer Saline Nasal Mist.
2. Mucinex
The nasal spray occupying the second spot in our top 10 list is a more traditional nasal spray and is formulated as a decongestant to help with noses that are stuffy. It promotes drainage and will help clear the mucus that prevents breathing. It also relieves painful sinus pressure that comes with colds and allergies.
It goes to work within a few minutes and the 12-hour formula means you get long-lasting relief. Consumers did note that it has a fairly strong menthol smell and taste but agreed that it doesn’t long enough to cause discomfort.
Because it is a medicinal spray, it is a product that should not be overused since it can have a rebound effect that stops its effectiveness, but if used as directed, it will very quickly open sinuses and aid in better breathing.
3. NeilMed
NeilMed’s Nasogel product is a gel spray meaning it is a bit thicker than traditional sprays and mists, but this product got high marks for immediately soothing dry, irritated nasal passages.
Made with aloe vera, it is designed primarily to lubricate tissue and give a soothing effect rather than to act as a decongestant. The bottle is squeeze style so you can dispense it directly into each nostril, but most users preferred to dispense it onto a cotton swab and then gently apply it to their nose.
It is very important to note that – while you may sniff or inhale when using the traditional spray or mist products in our number 1 and number 2 spots – you SHOULD NOT sniff or inhale when dispensing this gel spray. It is made to coat the nasal passages, not be sniffed into the sinus areas which can cause gagging or sneezing.
This gel spray works very well in dry climates that cause frequent nose bleeds. Many consumers living in mountainous regions said that when they used it daily, their dry-air nose bleeds all but ceased.