Best Cough & Cold Chest Rubs of 2025

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Cough and cold chest rubs are products that are designed to help relieve symptoms of the common cold, such as coughing and congestion. These rubs are typically made with natural ingredients like eucalyptus and menthol, which provide a cooling and soothing sensation when applied to the chest. They are easy to use and can be applied directly to the skin, allowing for quick and effective relief. Cough and cold chest rubs are a popular choice for those looking for a natural and non-invasive way to alleviate the discomfort that comes with a cold.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Cough & Cold Chest Rubs
Vicks VapoRub Cough Suppressant Ointment
Vicks VapoRub is a topical cough suppressant designed to provide relief when you need it most. By applying a generous layer onto your chest and throat, you can experience effective cough relief, allowing you to breathe easier. The powerful Vicks scent, made up of menthol and camphor, helps target the source of your cough quickly. Additionally, this ointment soothes minor aches and pains in your muscles and joints, making it a versatile remedy. With its fast-acting formula, Vicks VapoRub offers comfort and relief day or night, so you can feel your best.
Solimo Chest Rub
Solimo Chest Rub is a 3.53-ounce jar of cough suppressant and topical analgesic ointment. It is a great alternative to Vicks VapoRub. This chest rub can be gently rubbed onto the chest and throat to provide temporary relief from cough caused by the common cold. Additionally, it can also be applied to muscles and joints to temporarily alleviate minor aches and pains. Solimo Chest Rub is not tested on animals and is made in the U.S.A. with U.S. and foreign components. What's more, if you are not satisfied with the product, you can get a refund within a year of purchase. With its dual functionality and high-quality, Solimo Chest Rub is a reliable choice for cough relief and pain management.
Vicks VapoRub Lavender Scent Cough Suppressant
Vicks VapoRub Lavender Scent Cough Suppressant is a powerful and effective topical chest rub and analgesic ointment that provides relief from cough due to cold, aches, and pains. Clinically proven to reduce cough, VapoRub ointment can be applied to your chest and throat for cough relief. With a calm and soothing lavender scent, it soothes and comforts on contact, while its medicated vapors start working fast for proven cough relief day or night.
Mentholatum Nighttime Vaporizing Rub, 1.76 oz.
Mentholatum Nighttime Vaporizing Rub with soothing Lavender essence is a topical formula consisting of 100% natural active ingredients, including camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol. It provides maximum strength cough relief when applied to the throat and chest, temporarily relieves cough and soothes nasal passages, and relieves chest and muscle aches associated with a cold. Safe for children ages 2 and over, it's perfect for bedtime and helps you sleep better.
Vicks VapoRub, Chest Rub Ointment
Vicks VapoRub is a topical cough suppressant that relieves cough, minor aches, and pains. Its powerful and effective scent contains a proprietary blend of fragrance ingredients that go straight to the source of your cough. Soothing medicated Vicks vapors start working fast for proven cough relief day or night. Trusted Vicks relief from the world's #1 selling OTC cough and cold brand.
Vicks VapoRub Chest Rub Ointment
Vicks VapoRub Chest Rub Ointment is a powerful and effective topical cough suppressant that helps you breathe easier. It contains a blend of menthol and camphor that go straight to the source of your cough, and relieve minor aches and pains in your muscles and joints. The soothing medicated Vicks vapors start working fast for cough relief day or night. It is a clinically proven and trusted solution from the world's #1 selling OTC cough & cold brand.
Matys Vapor Rub for Adults & Kids
The Matys Herbal Chest Rub offers soothing relief for congestion, helping you and your family breathe easier. With its special blend of peppermint, eucalyptus, and tea tree oils, applying it to your chest, neck, back, or feet brings instant comfort. This new 4.5 oz size ensures you have plenty of this effective remedy on hand. Plus, it’s a clean option, as it is petroleum-free, gluten-free, and verified non-GMO. You can trust that the ingredients are natural and easy to recognize, making it a safe choice for both adults and kids.
Mentholatum No Mess Vaporizing Rub
Mentholatum Vapor Rub is a cough suppressant and pain reliever featuring a mess-free roll-on applicator, natural active ingredients like camphor and menthol, maximum strength cough relief, and muscle pain relief. The roll-on applicator ensures clean and odor-free application, making it convenient for you. Its natural ingredients provide relief for coughs and nasal passages, while also soothing minor muscle and joint aches. This product is perfect for quick, effective relief without the greasy feel of traditional ointments.
Vicks VapoRub Advanced Plus Cough Relief
Vicks VapoRub Advanced Plus offers powerful cough relief for those suffering from the common cold. Its long-lasting formula provides soothing vapors that can last up to eight hours, helping you feel comfortable throughout the day or night. You’ll appreciate how quickly it starts working—just apply a thick layer on your chest and throat, and you’ll feel the relief in minutes. The active release of Vicks vapors goes directly to the source of your cough, delivering effective relief you can truly feel.
Vicks BabyRub Chest Rub Ointment
Vicks BabyRub Ointment is a gentle chest rub ointment designed specifically for babies. Formulated with petrolatum and aloe, it leaves your baby's skin feeling soft and moisturized. This ointment provides soothing comfort to calm, soothe, and relax your baby. It is infused with aromatic fragrances of eucalyptus, rosemary, and lavender oils, which not only create a pleasant scent but also help to promote relaxation and ease discomfort. Suitable for babies 3 months and older, Vicks BabyRub Ointment is a trusted product from the makers of Vicks VapoRub. It is the perfect solution to help your little one find relief from cough and cold symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What do you rub on your chest for a cold?
For a cold, you can rub chest rubs that typically consist of a petroleum jelly-based ointment. These rubs often contain menthol as the main active ingredient, along with camphor and eucalyptus oil. They may also have fragrance compounds to complement the menthol scent.
2. Can you put VapoRub on your chest for a cough?
Yes, you can apply VapoRub on your chest for a cough. It acts as a cough suppressant for minor throat and bronchial irritation associated with the common cold. Apply a thick layer on your chest and throat, cover them with a warm, dry cloth, and keep your clothing loose around those areas to allow the vapors to reach your nose and mouth.
3. What does rubbing VapoRub on chest do?
Rubbing VapoRub on the chest can help ease coughing. It may also provide relief for mild muscle or joint pain when applied to the skin. Some studies suggest that Vicks VapoRub can even help with nerve-related foot pain, cracked heels, and toenail fungus.
4. What is the fastest way to break up mucus in your chest?
To break up mucus in your chest, try keeping the air around you moist. You can take a warm shower or bath to help loosen the mucus. Steam inhalation can also provide relief from sinus pressure or pain. Breathing in the steam and vapors from a bowl of hot water, with or without added eucalyptus oil, can help loosen phlegm.
5. What breaks up chest congestion?
To break up chest congestion, you can try inhaling steam by pouring hot water into a bowl and bending over it with a towel over your head. This helps in loosening phlegm. Increasing your fluid intake can also prevent mucus from thickening. Additionally, adding drops of eucalyptus oil to the steam can be beneficial.
6. How do I stop coughing at night?
To stop coughing at night, you can try using a humidifier to make the air moist or breathe steam from a hot shower or teakettle before bed. Raising your head with an extra pillow, using a saline or saltwater nose spray, and swallowing a teaspoon of honey can also help. Sipping warm tea or soup, and sucking on menthol or honey lozenges before bedtime are other remedies to consider.
7. What can I rub on my chest to breathe better?
To breathe better, you can try rubbing eucalyptus essential oil mixed with a carrier oil onto your chest and throat. This can help calm a cough and provide relief.
8. Does rubbing Vicks on your chest help with mucus?
Yes, rubbing Vicks on your chest can help with mucus. Vicks contains eucalyptus oil, which is known to provide relief from chest congestion and help break up mucus.
9. Can I rub Vicks on my chest with COVID?
If you have COVID, it is advised to follow specific guidelines and recommendations from healthcare professionals. However, chest rubs containing camphor, eucalyptus oil, levomenthol, and turpentine oil, such as Vick's Vapor Rub, can be applied to the chest, throat, or back as desired.
During our cough & cold chest rub research, we found 24 cough & cold chest rub products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 253,407 customer reviews through our big data system to write the cough & cold chest rubs list. We found that most customers choose cough & cold chest rubs with an average price of $6.28.
The cough & cold chest rubs are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of cough & cold chest rubs, including Vicks, Mentholatum, Matys. The seller of top 1 product has received honest feedback from 385 consumers with an average rating of 4.7.

Bonnie Salem is a stay-at-home mother with two-year-old twins and has spent almost half of her life surrounded by baby products. As a mother and a professional copywriter, she has an insightful and unique eye for researching products suitable for infants. Bonnie Salem is an expert in health and nutrition who lives with her family in New Jersey. She has over 15 years of working experience in an institute of medicine after graduating from the University of Toronto. She is highly interested in personal health and wellness.
Cough & Cold Chest Rubs Comparison Table
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Brand | Vicks | Amazon Basics | Vicks | Mentholatum | Vicks | Vicks | Matys | Mentholatum | Vicks | Vicks |
Product Benefits | Cough Relief | Cough Relief | - | Cough Relief | Cough,Cough Relief | Relief from Cough, Cold, Aches & Pains, Topical Cough Suppressant | All natural vapor rub relieves congestion, breathe easier | Cough Relief | Cough Relief | Soothing |
Special Feature | Clinically Proven | - | Clinically Proven | Fast-Acting, Long Lasting, No Animal Testing, Non-Drowsy | Clinically Proven | Clinically Proven | No Animal Testing | Fast-Acting, long-lasting | Clinically Proven | - |
Item Weight | 0.02 Pounds | 0.1 Pounds | 0.01 Ounces | 0.11 Pounds | 0.01 Ounces | 5.28 Ounces | - | 1.76 ounces | - | 0.11 Pounds |
Item dimensions L x W x H | 2.3 x 2.3 x 2.25 inches | 2.07 x 2.07 x 3 inches | 2.22 x 2.17 x 2.22 inches | 2.5 x 2.5 x 2.37 inches | 2.8 x 2.8 x 3.2 inches | 2.21 x 2.17 x 6.61 inches | - | 1.75 x 2 x 5 inches | - | - |
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