Chanel No. 5 vs Le Labo Santal 33
102 facts in comparison
Based on 623 Reddit opinions. No. 5Chanel No. 5 leads by 11 points.
623 opinions
No. 5 leads by 11pts
VS
Reddit's Pick
62%
C
Based on
535 Redditors
Winner
Chanel No. 5
~$169.99
226 opinions
tldr; Chanel No. 5 is an iconic, recognized fragrance, though some find its scent unpleasant or associate it with specific, sometimes somber, memories.
Check pricesVS
51%
D
Based on
857 Redditors
Le Labo Santal 33
~$92
397 opinions
tldr; The NYC uniform - instantly recognizable sandalwood and cucumber. Smells like a boutique hotel. Overexposed in cities but still well-crafted.
Check prices💨SCE
⏱️LON
⭐PRO
⭐VER
⭐UNI
60
Points
37
Points
Score by Category
Scent Profile
37%26%
Longevity
88%72%
Projection & Sillage
—74%
Versatility
50%22%
Uniqueness
100%15%
Why is Labo Santal 33 better than Chanel No. 5?
- ⭐ Swept NYC & held the town under rapture
- Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'
Based on 1,392 Reddit opinions
Clear Winner
Reddit prefers the No. 5Chanel No. 5
Winning by 11 points (62% vs 51%)
Better scent profile
Better value
Better longevity
High confidence (1,392 mentions)
💬Reddit Sentiment
Based on 1,392 Reddit mentionsOverall Rating
No. 5
6.2/10
535 mentions
Santal 33
5.1/10
857 mentions
SCENT PROFILE
No. 53.7/10
Santal 332.6/10
VALUE
No. 52.5/10
Santal 331.0/10
LONGEVITY
No. 58.8/10
Santal 337.2/10
UNIQUENESS
No. 510.0/10
Santal 331.5/10
VERSATILITY
No. 55.0/10
Santal 332.2/10
PROJECTION
No. 5N/A
Santal 337.4/10
⚔️
Head to Head
| Topic | No. 5 | Santal 33 |
|---|---|---|
Scent Profile | 37% | 26% |
Value | 25% | 10% |
Longevity | 88% | 72% |
Uniqueness | 100% | 15% |
Versatility | 50% | 22% |
Projection | N/A | 74% |
Category Wins
No. 5: 5|Santal 33: 1
Head to Head
No. 5: 5|Santal 33: 1
Scent ProfileNo. 5
No. 537%
Santal 3326%
ValueNo. 5
No. 525%
Santal 3310%
LongevityNo. 5
No. 588%
Santal 3372%
UniquenessNo. 5
No. 5100%
Santal 3315%
VersatilityNo. 5
No. 550%
Santal 3322%
ProjectionSantal 33
No. 5N/A
Santal 3374%
No. 5
62%
51%
Santal 33
No. 562%
Santal 3351%
No. 5 wins by 11 points
Key Specs
| Spec | Chanel No. 5 | Le Labo Santal 33 |
|---|---|---|
| Fragrance Type | Floral Aldehyde | — |
| Top Notes | Aldehydes, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Bergamot, Peach | — |
| Middle Notes | Iris, Jasmine, Rose, Lily-of-the-Valley | — |
| Base Notes | Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Vanilla, Patchouli, Vetiver | — |
| Perfumer | Ernest Beaux (original), Jacques Polge (EDP) | Frank Voelkl |
Key Highlights
Chanel No. 5Winner
⚠ Can cause instant sickness for some users.
⭐ Recognized as an iconic perfume w/ a distinct
⚠ May evoke strong, sometimes somber, personal
⭐ Described as having a vanilla scent.
Le Labo Santal 33
⭐ Swept NYC & held the town under rapture
⚠ Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'
⭐ Described as a scent that 'literally makes me
⚙ Uses Australian farmed sandalwood
Some users report issues (24% negative)
Topic Battles
No. 5: 4|Tied: 0|Santal 33: 1
💨Scent Profile
No. 5 winsNo. 5
37%
Santal 33
26%
⏱️Longevity
No. 5 winsNo. 5
88%
Santal 33
72%
⭐Projection & Sillage
Santal 33 winsNo. 5
—
Santal 33
74%
⭐Versatility
No. 5 winsNo. 5
50%
Santal 33
22%
⭐Uniqueness
No. 5 winsNo. 5
100%
Santal 33
15%
Based on Reddit sentiment across 5 categories
📈Where They Rank
💬What Redditors Actually Say
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Chanel No. 5
What Redditors Say
Best praise vs top criticism for Le Labo Santal 33
Best Praise
+31 pts“I’m in the exact opposite camp. What does it smell Like to you? Santal33 is a scent that literally makes me happy.”
r/fragrance
ViewTop Criticism
+140 pts“This is the article from which this observation stems: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/16/t-magazine/perfume-santal-33-ds-durga-aesop.html It was written a DECADE ago. Santal 33 doesn’t smell like NYC. Certainly not today and it probably never did. The whole premise is a throwaway cultural article from 2015. Because people can’t just fucking like what they enjoy and have to constantly shitbag on everything, it’s brought up again and again, even though it’s from an era when people were unironically saying “on fleek”. If you like it, buy it and wear it. Nobody will give thing you smell like NYC.”
r/fragrance
View3 more quotes available below
Sentiment Over Time
Chanel No. 5
Le Labo Santal 33
📈Historical Price Data
Chanel No. 5
Le Labo Santal 33
Chanel No. 5
All-time low: $97.88(2020-10)
Le Labo Santal 33
All-time low: $67(2025-07)
Which is Better?
Chanel No. 5 Wins
62%
5
vs
51%
33
Chanel No. 5 leads by 11 points based on 1,392 Reddit opinions.
Why No. 5Winner
- Better Value for Money (25% vs 10%)
Why Santal 33
- ⭐ Swept NYC & held the town under rapture
- ⚠ Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'
- More discussed (857 vs 535)
❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown
Sentiment Breakdown
25%Positive
Positive
25%Neutral
58%Negative
17%Based on 535 Reddit opinions
Sentiment Breakdown
23%Positive
Positive
23%Neutral
53%Negative
24%Based on 857 Reddit opinions
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Chanel No. 5 or Le Labo Santal 33?
Based on 1,392 Reddit comments, Chanel No. 5 is the preferred choice with 62% positive sentiment vs Le Labo Santal 33's 51%. Chanel No. 5 leads by 11 percentage points.
Should I buy Chanel No. 5 or Le Labo Santal 33?
If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Chanel No. 5 has stronger approval ratings (62% vs 51%). However, Le Labo Santal 33 may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
What do Redditors love about Chanel No. 5?
Reddit users highlight: Can cause instant sickness for some users.. Recognized as an iconic perfume w/ a distinct. May evoke strong, sometimes somber, personal. With 535 mentions and 62% approval, it's a well-regarded choice in the community.
What do Redditors say about Le Labo Santal 33?
Reddit users highlight: Swept NYC & held the town under rapture. Many users perceive a distinct 'pickle smell'. Described as a scent that 'literally makes me. With 857 mentions and 51% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 1,392 Reddit comments: 535 about Chanel No. 5 and 857 about Le Labo Santal 33. Data was sourced from Perfumes & colognes community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.
623 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 6/27/2026