Fragrance comparison

Nautica vs Sumatra Rain

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 25 Oct 2026 976 ratings analysed

Nautica

3.43946 votes

Rank #6,640 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

14%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Sumatra Rain

Muelhens · 1993

4.4030 votes

Rank #52,409 Sweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sumatra Rain takes 3 of 5 categories.

Nautica
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Sumatra Rain
Choose it for a sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Nautica2/5

Sumatra Rain3/5

Ratings & consensus: Sumatra Rain
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Sumatra Rain
Sillage & projection: Sumatra Rain
Value for money: Nautica
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Nautica

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

NauticaNautica

Sumatra RainMuelhens

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.43/ 5 · 946 votes

Have 58%Had 42%Want 0%

4.40/ 5 · 30 votes

Have 26%Had 42%Want 32%

Category winnerSumatra RainRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

13%Love

55%Like

12%Ok

17%Dislike

2%Hate

908 votes

40%Love

30%Like

0%Ok

20%Dislike

10%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate68

Category winners

LongevitySumatra Rain

SillageSumatra Rain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value84

¤ Price value65

Category winnerNauticaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

citrus100%

aromatic92%

woody84%

fresh spicy77%

fresh69%

aldehydic61%

sweet38%

Scent match14%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

AldehydesLimeLemonBergamotNeroliCypressTarragonClary Sage

Heart

JasmineCyclamenGeraniumRoseCaraway

Base

SandalwoodMuskCedarOakmossPatchouliAmber

Top15-30 mins

LimeBergamotPetitgrainGalbanumLavender

Heart2-3 hrs

ClovesJasmineClary SageOrange BlossomCyclamenGeranium

Base4-6 hrs

CedarMuskMossAmberSandalwoodTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesLime, Bergamot, Clary Sage and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Sumatra Rain, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter10

Day–

Night–

Spring50

Summer100

Fall0

Winter0

Day100

Night35

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men86

Unisex13

Women1

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 46%Work 33%Date 12%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,640

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews124

Overall rank#52,409

PerfumerNot listed

Launched1993

Reviews0

Category winnerNauticaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Nautica by Nautica is a crisp, aromatic woody chypre launched in 1992. It opens with a bright blast of lemon and lime, balanced by herbaceous clary sage and a backbone of cedar and oakmoss. This is a clean, soapy, and unpretentious scent that feels like a crisp white shirt on a hot spring or summer day.

Reviews →

Muelhens Sumatra Rain brings an immediate rush of crushed lime, green galbanum, and bitter petitgrain. It smells brisk and unapologetically herbal. You will not find modern sugar cubes or warm synthetic ambergris here. Instead, a clean current of French lavender, clary sage, and pungent cloves cuts through the humidit…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Nautica or Sumatra Rain?

Sumatra Rain takes 3 of 5 categories. Nautica is rated 3.43/5 from 946 votes; Sumatra Rain is rated 4.40/5 from 30 votes. Choose Nautica for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Sumatra Rain for a sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Nautica or Sumatra Rain?

Sumatra Rain lasts longest (Sumatra Rain 63/100, Nautica 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Nautica or Sumatra Rain?

Sumatra Rain projects furthest (Sumatra Rain 53/100, Nautica 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Nautica and Sumatra Rain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 14% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Lime, Bergamot, Clary Sage and Jasmine.

Is Nautica or Sumatra Rain better for summer or winter?

Sumatra Rain suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Nautica and Sumatra Rain?

Nautica has top notes of Aldehydes, Lime, Lemon and Bergamot, heart notes of Jasmine, Cyclamen, Geranium and Rose, a base of Sandalwood, Musk, Cedar and Oakmoss. Sumatra Rain has top notes of Lime, Bergamot, Petitgrain and Galbanum, heart notes of Cloves, Jasmine, Clary Sage and Orange Blossom, a base of Cedar, Musk, Moss and Amber.