Using one of the best essential oil diffusers will flood your home with aromatic and relaxing scents—and can even be helpful in boosting your mood and aiding sleep by creating a calm environment in which to relax and unwind.
Essential oil diffusers are a popular purchase among homeware and wellness fans alike, and it's easy to see why—they're a must-have in order to ensure our homes have an inviting, calming scent. Essential oil diffusers also allow us to disperse mood-boosting and stress-reducing essential oils—a holistic way of improving your mental and physical wellbeing.
Diffusers are both a safe and cost-efficient way to experiment with the best essential oils, from invigorating peppermint to relaxing lavender. Though the initial cost of buying one might be pricer than an oil burner, an essential oil diffuser can be used time and time again, with only the fragrance oils needing to be replaced. With no flame, they are also safe to use around children and pets. They look the part too—adding a little something to your home decor.
Among our top contenders for the best essential oil diffusers are the InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser, a machine that has been reviewed by over 80,000 Amazon shoppers, with light capabilities and an inexpensive price tag. Second up, our luxury pick, is the Diptyque Un Air de Diptyque Electric Diffuser, which works with capsules (no water!) to scent your home with note-perfect fragrances created by the master Parisian perfumers. We also loved the chic-looking, 3-in-1 Ellia Adore Diffuser which works to mist, illuminate, and make sounds in your home.
How we tested the best essential oil diffusers
Why you can trust Woman & Home Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
When choosing our round-up of the best essential oil diffusers and testing them out, we made sure to assess a number of different factors, to enable you to judge which product would work best for you and your home. These included:
- Price: We've ranked these essential oil diffusers on price and effectiveness, deducing whether they're good value-for-money.
- Capabilities and function: Selected essential oil diffusers can only do the job of misting, while others also double as a night light. Some also even emit calming sounds to encourage sleep and relaxation. We tested how well each of these functions worked.
- Style: Another thing that was important to us when handpicking these essential oil diffusers was to ensure they will look the part in your home. We've found something for modern homes, Scandi-style homes and more. Ultimately, each essential oil diffuser below is both good-looking and highly functional.
What to consider when choosing the right essential oil diffuser for you
Choosing the right essential oil diffuser for you isn't hard, but there are a few things to consider before making the purchase:
- Where you want it to go: Think about where you would like your new essential oil diffuser to live. For example, consider whether there is a plug socket nearby, and if there isn't, you might want to look at a wireless option. Or, if you will be using your new essential oil diffuser in a bedroom, then it might be a good idea to pick one that doubles as a light, or that has sleep sounds programmed in. Equally, if you want it for your home office, you may want a diffuser with quiet operation. Consider these points carefully.
- Budget: Something else to consider when buying an essential oil diffuser is your budget. Lots of the basic ones fall at a happily affordable price tag, and put simply, they do the job they are meant to. However, higher-spec models (which offer more features) are often from more well-known brands, and can be more expensive.
- Design/style: Last but not least, it would be a smart idea to consider the look of your new essential oil diffuser, especially if it is going to be out on permanent display in your home. Buy one that will fit in with your interior scheme—whether that be modern, minimalist or Scandi-style. Otherwise, your new buy may end up sticking out like a sore thumb...
If you're more into candles, you could take a look at our guide to the best scented candles on the market.
The best essential oil diffusers as chosen by our experts
The InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser is our top pick for the best essential oil diffusers, as it's absolutely packed with features. It's not just brilliant at making your home smell nice, but it also doubles as a light. This light is color-changing so that you can match it to your home and the vibe you want to create—and its brightness can also be dimmed.
There are two misting modes on this machine—a continuous option for three to four hours, and an intermittent option, that lasts for six to eight hours, pausing every 30 seconds. And you can rest assured that this device will shut off as soon as the water tank is empty for safety purposes. It's also simple to use with two buttons on its front, one for misting and the other for turning on the light. It's also nice and compact and would fit on a small surface. It even comes in various finishes, including wood-effect options if you're not a fan of the plastic—which admittedly isn't the most elegant of all the diffusers we've featured. Overall, this diffuser does it all, and for an incredibly reasonable price, which is why it's our best overall option.
The Diptyque diffuser comes in at a jaw-dropping $305/£240. Why? Because it's made of gold-tone metal and porcelain, and it can scent large spaces up to 30m². Plus, it uses its own Diptyque oils, which are famously pricey. The capsules you use with it are specially designed—and fragranced to be note-perfect—by the master Parisian perfumers at Diptyque.
Capsules come in nine iconic scents, including their classic Baies (a bestseller). Each capsule insert boasts a unique scent, and if you are already a Diptyque fan, then you'll love the chance to diffuse your favorite into your home. Each one will last for approximately three months (or 40 hours, depending on how often you use it), which is great lasting power. This machine can work on battery power for up to four hours, powering up three times within an hour. It spends 10 minutes scenting your room, and 10 minutes switched off. Alternatively, tap the top of the diffuser and it will activate—the device will also illuminate when this happens.
Looks-wise and scent-wise, the Diptyque Un Air would certainly make a striking addition to a modern home. If you can justify the price tag, that is.
Choose the Ellia Adore if you are searching for an essential oil diffuser that can do it all. Boasting a glass frosted cover as well as a wooden base, this trendy essential oil diffuser is no doubt feature-packed—it can mist, light up and make sounds, making it great value-for-money (though it is on the pricier end of the scale). When it doubles as a light you can change its color from five choices including green, red, purple, light blue, and dark blue. There's also a library of relaxing spa-like sounds to choose from, all of which are gentle, soothing, and relaxing—and similar to that you might hear at a yoga class.
You can control the Ellia Adore with a remote and set it on a timer too, which means it's ideal for hands-free use or those who simply have busy schedules and don't want to think about their diffuser throughout the day. It can last for up to 12 hours of intermittent use, which is impressive in itself. Though do note that it only comes in a black casing option—albeit, a very stylish design.
With a hefty 500ml water tank, to make for heavier diffusing to scent a larger space, the ASAKUKI Premium Essential Oil Diffuser is our top pick for larger homes. It's great for living room or bedroom use, with seven light modes, three timers and two mist levels, while it can scent the air for up to 18 hours—impressive and one of the longest run times in our guide. It even has a dim mode for when you are using the light, so as not to disturb you while setting the ambiance or nodding off to sleep.
There's an auto shut-off mode on the ASAKUKI, for if you forget to switch the machine off before the tank empties of water, or if you fall asleep while it's operating, which comes in very handy. It also comes in three stylish wood-effect colorways, which would suit any home. With an ultra-high grade, eco-friendly polypropylene plastic housing, this is a bargain buy. And a whopping 22,000 reviewers agree with us, rating it highly themselves.
The NEOM Organics Wellbeing Pod Essential Oil Diffuser is small in size yet powerful when in operation—it's brilliant at scenting average to small-sized rooms, and for leaving a lasting smell in your home as well as humidifying the air. This essential oil diffuser works with fragrance oils that are best used for particular purposes.
From 'Boost your Energy' to 'Scent to Sleep', choose wisely depending on what you need at that moment (we're big fans of their Scent to Make you Happy oil) Another bonus is that this machine looks fancy and so would look great in your home, or as a gift for a loved one. It's also simple to use—working at the touch of one button. It has three timer settings, from one hour to three hours. It even features a low-energy LED light, to double up as a night light. Use it with any Neom fragrance oil (there are lots to choose from). Speaking of the fragrance oils, these are all 100% natural, although it's worth noting that they don't come with the diffuser, which is a shame considering the price tag.
This Amazon Basics essential oil diffuser is budget-friendly and flooded with features—it even works as a night light. You can choose between four patterns on its plastic cover, including flowers, circles, and snowflakes, meaning it might be a nice option for kids' rooms too. However, some might not be fans of the plastic cover, which looks a bit less premium than other diffusers.
With a 120ml capacity and a continuous, 5.5-hour to 10-hour mode, as well as an intermittent 11-hour to 20-hour option, it's pretty impressive considering the small price tag. Switch it on with the button on the left and use the one on the right to turn the light on—there are seven color options to choose from. This essential oil diffuser works without making a sound so that you can use it while your baby sleeps or turn it on while you are in a meeting, and it automatically turns off once the water tank is empty. A super handy, affordable machine that would function easily in your daily life.
If you're wondering how to sleep better, a diffuser can be incredibly helpful. The Bluetooth-enabled HoMedics essential oil diffuser can act as a night light, a digital alarm clock, and will even play sleep sounds—which is why we think it's the best essential oil diffuser to use when you are sleeping (or trying to sleep). It's impressively compact considering all it can do, and it would fit perfectly on a bedside table.
There are buttons on board for everything you need (clearly marked), including a snooze and a dim button. There are six relaxation sounds to browse, including white noise, campfire, zen, ocean, fan, and rain. A total of six LED light settings are built inside the device, too. You can also connect it with Bluetooth to your phone to play your own music. Put this machine on a timer and choose a run-time of 30 minutes, 50 minutes, or 90 minutes. You can even set an alarm to wake you up by sound and light, which is a lot more gentle than a regular alarm clock. An all-in-one machine that for the price tag, is rather magnificent, especially for bedtime.
Who'd have thought of a diffuser for your car? Well, place the Organic Aromas Mobile-Mini 2.0 diffuser in a cup holder inside your car, and it will scent your vehicle for up to 18 hours. This diffuser is compact (so easy to fit in the small space) and housed in an elegant anodized aluminum body to look the part when inside your car. Not only that, but it's wireless, too, and it only takes 5.5 hours to charge, which means no awkward faffing around with wires inside the smaller interior of your vehicle.
When switched on, this device will operate for two minutes and then switch off for one minute. The best part? It doesn't require any water to work, which is handy for a place with lots of movement—it only needs a fragrance oil. However, it does need a weekly clean, so it's arguably a little more high maintenance in that sense compared to some of the other diffusers.
While it's great for a car, alternatively you could also use this essential oil diffuser if you don't want to take up a plug socket in your home, perhaps on a dresser or in a home office.
This compact yet convenient essential oil diffuser from Urban Outfitters—the Serene House Ranger Essential Oil Diffuser—is ideal for desk use, whether in the office or when working from home. It can be powered by your laptop thanks to its USB connection, and it boasts a small footprint so as not to take up too much valuable space on your workstation.
Be aware it's not the best for scenting larger spaces though. This small essential oil diffuser is very quiet when in use, so you can concentrate freely. It's also handbag-friendly so you can cart it to and from home and work, should you want to. It comes in your choice of pink or white, and it can run for either three hours continuously, or six hours intermittently, while it has a handy auto shut-off function for when you are inevitably busy, typing, or talking away. Last but not least, not only is it teeny yet impressive feature-packed, but it's made of plastic so it can be wiped clean with ease.
Opt for the Neom Organics London Wellbeing Pod Mini Diffuser if you are after something compact, for either a smaller home or a smaller space. It's ideal for use in small areas such as a home office, bathroom, or even a car. It also has a lovely, premium feel to it that a lot of the other diffusers don't, so it will look stylish in any area of your home.
The Neom mini diffuser is waterless, so all you need is your fragrance oil. This doesn't come included in the price, although you can visit the Neom website to choose a fragrance that's best-suited for wherever you will be placing this essential oil diffuser. It comes in two colorways—pink and black—and it's super simple to keep clean in between uses thanks to its wipe-clean exterior. Each charge via USB gives it 50-minutes of battery life, and there are three intensity settings to choose from. When in operation, this mini essential oil diffuser works intermittently, to slowly and subtly scent the air inside wherever it is placed, which is great if you don't like overpowering scents, or too much scenting. There's no wonder this coveted essential oil diffuser can be hard to find in stock...
The Anjou Essential Oil Diffuser is a good option if you are searching for a device to use in your bedroom, either throughout the day or at night. It may be large, but it's definitely powerful, and it will help you sleep like a baby or relax properly during the day. It has a 300ml water tank and two mist outlets, while one fill of the tank should last for eight hours of use.
Let's not forget: it's completely quiet when in operation, with no water sounds to encourage you to use the bathroom every five minutes—a huge bonus. It also operates as a night light and you can choose from seven colors to irradiate your bedroom. As for when it's misting, there are three timer modes with a maximum setting of 6 hours. In the box also comes a cleaning brush to keep your essential oil diffuser looking and playing the part, which is a super handy addition a lot of the other diffusers don't have.
Buy a smart essential oil diffuser if you want the luxury of switching this device on and off with your voice, via your Alexa or Google Home speaker. It's also app-compatible so that you can schedule it to turn on whether you are inside or outside your home, which is super handy should you want to diffuse your favorite scents remotely, ready for your arrival.
There is a built-in light that can be any color you wish, and you can dim this light when sleeping or watching a movie. There are 3 timer modes, from one hour to three hours and six hours, though it will switch off automatically when the water tank becomes empty. This square essential oil diffuser is different in design from any other on our list. It looks modern and Scandi-esque, so it would look great on display. However, there's no doubt that a square diffuser rather than a round one might not appeal to all tastes and interior styles, and it can be a bit awkward to place.
We spotted this stylish essential oil diffuser at Urban Outfitters. If you want a diffuser that will utterly complement your home decor, this is the pick for you. It would look great in a bedroom or living area, and with stylish neutral home accessories. It's perfectly suited to minimalist homes, with its trendy ceramic casing and textured finish, and it's available in a range of colors including terracotta, white or black. With three hidden buttons on board, this essential oil diffuser can be set on a timer for up to eight hours of use. It has a BPA-free reservoir too that's easy to clean.
When in use, this essential oil diffuser requires 20-25 drops to do its job. This is quite a large amount, so be sure to bear this in mind if your favorite fragrance oil is an expensive one. Set it on either the consistent mode or the intermittent setting, depending on where it is placed and how much fragrance you would like it to expel. It's said to be best placed inside rooms that are 500 square feet in size. After it has finished its job and the water tank is empty, it will automatically switch off.
The sought-after Electronic Diffuser from The White Company is one of the most popular models out there, and for good reason. Encased in a white ceramic dome and with a wooden base, it truly will look the part in your home, and is incredibly stylish, guaranteeing it'll match with just about any decor.
We suggest placing this essential oil diffuser in a hallway or displaying it in a living room for maximum effect. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with any fragrance oils included, so you will need to buy your favorite The White Company fragrance in oil form, or use this diffuser with another brand's oil. It also functions brilliantly—it has a 100ml capacity, as well as three timer modes. You can use this diffuser for anything from 60 minutes to 180 minutes at a time. After it has finished its cycle, this diffuser will turn off automatically. It also doubles as a light to not only scent your home but create ambiance, too. Fuss-free in features and looks, it seems.
With a stylish emerald green ribbed finish, rose gold accents, and a faux marble top, this essential oil diffuser is anything but boring. In fact, we think it's the ideal buy to fit in with a luxury modern home. It can also double as a light and it has seven color modes to set the scene in your hallway, bedroom, or living space.
It even works at a quiet 25dB so as not to disturb you while making your home smell gorgeous. Its BPA-free water tank has a capacity of 500ml, and it can operate for up to 20 hours at a time. Alternatively, you can set a timer for one hour, three hours, or six hours for ease of use, or turn it on to mist and leave it—it will automatically shut off when the water tank is empty. Better yet, this stylish essential oil diffuser would make an awesome gift for a proud home decor fan.
What is the nicest smelling essential oil?
The best smelling essential oils will vary depending on your preferences and what you hope to achieve by scenting your home—some, such as lavender, can work to relax you and help you unwind. Whereas others, such as lemongrass, promise to boost your mood. The crown for the best smelling oils will certainly be dictated by preference—one man's treasure is another man's trash, as they say!
However, we tend to opt for fresh scented essential oils for use in our diffuser—these fragrances will make your home smell clean and lovely in amongst cooking smells, cleaning products, and the general scent of day-to-day life. If you want specific recommendations, some of the best fresh essential oil options include eucalyptus-scented as well as peppermint fragrances.
The best places to find gorgeous essential oils are endless, but some great recommendations include NEOM, The White Company, Amazon, Aromatherapy Associates, Doterra, or Neal's Yard Remedies.
Is it safe to use essential oils in my home?
It's safest to use 100% natural essential oils in your home, whether you live with children and/or pets or not. These fragrance oils won't clog the air in your home and rest assured, they contain no fillers or artificial ingredients.
Due to being 100% natural, they can be strong in smell, so just be sure to dilute them in water as per the instructions of your machine, and drop them in moderation. A little goes a long way.
To use essential oils safely, make sure you always:
While it is generally safe to use essential oils in your home, they should always be kept out of reach of pets or children/babies. Essential oils should also never, ever be ingested.
Where should I put an essential oil diffuser?
If you're wondering where to place your new essential oil diffuser, we say, anywhere you like—from the living room to the bedroom, with many favoring diffusers in the bathroom. Using one in your hallway is a smart idea, to allow the scent to flood each and every room in your home.
Or, popping a sound-emitting essential oil into your bedroom as part of your bedtime routine can make for a relaxing snooze. You could also place a rechargeable essential oil diffuser in your bathroom to banish odors—and placing one in your home office can also help to create a calming atmosphere when you need it the most. Basically, the best essential oil diffusers will work just about anywhere.
