Essential oils have many benefits – they can relax you, help you feel energized, open your sinuses … and they can simply help make your home smell better for you and your family. But how do you get those wonderful scents to waft through your home? Just sprinkling drops of essential oils on your furniture won’t work. You will need an essential oil diffuser.
But with so many to choose from, how do you choose the perfect one? We are here to help. We went through oil diffuser reviews to find the best for a variety of actions. Regardless of your budget or style, you can find the best essential oil diffuser that will suit your needs.
What to consider when looking for the best essential oil diffuser?
When looking for the best essential oil diffuser for your home, there are a few factors you need to consider: First, what will suit your decor and general tastes? Are you looking for something sweet that is good in a child’s room or a carefree living room? Or do you need something slim or professional? You might want something that lights up and has a colorful display, or something that blends in with the background and doesn’t distract anyone.
Essential oil diffusers play a huge role when it comes to their looks – you have those that look like wood or stone, some with animal characters, others with lights, and even music. They are also different forms; Many are bulbous, with broad bases and narrow tips, while others are more teardrop-shaped or cylindrical. Take into account your space and how much space you have on a countertop or table, and the likelihood of someone knocking it over. (If you’re concerned about curious cats or children, opt for something heavy and a wider base, rather than a tall plastic diffuser that is easier to tip over.)
Then consider how well the product meets your needs, how long it will run, how easy it is to clean, what size room it is intended for, how childproof it is (if that matters) and how quiet it is (or not ). Some are intended for smaller rooms and have lower power, while others fill a larger room with fragrance. Depending on your needs, the right aromatherapy diffuser for others may not be the right one for you.
How to Care for Your Aromatherapy Diffuser
One thing that those new to owning an aromatherapy diffuser may not consider is proper maintenance, which can vary from device to device. Typically, fragrance diffusers are fairly low maintenance. They’re almost always smaller and easier to clean than humidifiers, for example – which are known to harbor bacteria and germs and to cause some kind of pain when regularly maintained and cleaned.
However, aromatherapy diffusers are easy to disassemble and rinse daily. You should do a more thorough clean every few days or every time you change the fragrance. To do this, you usually have to clean the ultrasound chip with a cotton swab with alcohol and clean the bottom and cover with a gentle dishwashing detergent (inside and out). Then you’ll do a more thorough cleaning every month – usually by mixing and running white vinegar and water in the diffuser tank, then wiping dry.
Each unit should have more detailed cleaning and maintenance instructions. Most also have auto shut-off features that turn off the device when the water runs out so you don’t waste electricity or strain the machine.
Best diffuser for essential oils for ambience: Pure enrichment PureGlow Crystal
Lights with Himalayan salt
If you’re looking for relaxation, check out this combination unit: it consists of a Himalayan salt lamp (at the base) and an aroma diffuser for ultrasonic essential oils. Amazon
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This diffuser has a capacity of 160 ml and can operate for up to 16 hours without emitting a ton of mist. The lamp has five brightness levels and you can operate the lamp without operating the air diffuser and vice versa. Consider this a space saver if you like both Himalayan salt lamps and essential oil diffusers.
Best essential oils diffuser that is also a humidifier: BlueHills XL diffuser for essential oils
This fragrance diffuser can be operated for up to 40 hours in light fog, as it has a huge tank: 2.5 liters. That makes it ideal for those looking for moisture and aromatherapy; Most humidifiers cannot be used safely with essential oils. You can change the fog output level and the color of the light. With seven colors to choose from, you can go with any color that suits your particular mood.
Best All Inclusive Aroma Diffuser Set: Anjou Ultrasonic 300ML Aromatherapy Diffuser & Cool Mist Humidifier with Essential Oils
Everything you need
This is the best diffuser if you’re looking for a complete kit: it contains eight essential oils. Amazon
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This package contains eight essential oils: grapefruit, lavender, sweet orange, tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint, bergamot and lemon. The fragrance diffuser is BPA-free, has the choice between two fog output levels and can be operated for up to eight hours with a tank capacity of 300 ml, a little more than a cup. Use the timer or just let it run and cycle through seven different light colors.
Best whimsical design: ODONOBO Cute Dumpling Diffuser for essential oils for children
Cute and useful
Sure, it’s marketed for kids, but who doesn’t want a useful dumpling in their home? Amazon
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This essential oil diffuser has it all: it’s an adorable design that’s kid-friendly, acts as a night light with seven LED colors, and has a 300ml tank that is easy to fill and clean. It is made of plastic and has a 1, 3 or 6 hour timer. You can also set it to run continuously until the water runs out (about 8 hours). Note, however, that it will beep twice when the water runs out, so you may not want to leave it in “continuous” mode while someone in the room is sleeping.
Best Essential Oils Diffuser on a Budget: What is there for Less than $ 30?
You can find essential oil diffusers at low prices – many under $ 30. They are usually made of plastic and have no special design features. However, if you don’t mind that, you may be okay with one of these models. There are two important things to look out for: leaks and short life.
Some of the lower units do not meet high manufacturing standards and tend to leak or fail quickly. Always run essential oil diffusers with a towel or protective surface underneath (such as a silicone mat, tile, or slab) to avoid the risk of damaging wood or other delicate surfaces. Here is the best essential oil diffuser we’ve found for less.
Best Inexpensive Essential Oils Diffuser: Innogear diffuser for essential oils
Basic but effective
Our cheapest selection is still rated very highly and can run for up to eight hours at a time. Amazon
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Innogear offers a few types of essential oil diffusers and this is the entry level model. Even so, it has some surprising features for the low price: you can set it to run continuously or in cycles of 30 seconds and then 30 seconds off. (You get 3 to 4 hours of run time in continuous mode and 6 to 8 hours in intermittent mode.) It lights up and cycles through colors every few seconds. Note, however, that while you can change the brightness, you cannot rotate the lights go out completely while the fog is rolling. Hence, you may want to keep this away from bed during the sleeping hours.
Best FAQ About Essential Oil Diffusers: People Ask, Too
Are Diffusers Bad For Your Lungs?
Essential oil diffusers are generally lung-safe, and some fragrances can even help open your airways if you have a cold or sinus infection. However, they can be triggering in migraines, allergies, asthma or other breathing disorders. Asthma specialists usually advise against the use of essential oils because the effects are unpredictable. For some asthmatics, essential oils can be helpful, for others they can be irritating and cause a seizure.
Are essential oils safe for dogs?
In short, essential oils can be dangerous to dogs – some species are even toxic to them. According to the American Kennel Club, if you have a dog, steer clear of oils made from cinnamon, citrus, pennyroyal, peppermint, pine, sweet birch, tea tree (melaleuca), wintergreen, and ylang ylang. Aside from worrying that dogs might knock the diffuser over and ingest essential oils directly or get something on their bodies, their sense of smell is far more acute than ours (which is why they are such great detectives!) Scents that you find mild can be very irritating to dogs who smell them more strongly. However, some essential oils like lavender are considered safe and comforting for dogs. Ask your veterinarian which one you would like to try.
Do Doctors Recommend Essential Oils?
Whether doctors recommend essential oils depends on their intended use. Some essential oil manufacturers make dubious claims about unproven health benefits or even dangerous uses. Essential oils do not treat serious medical conditions such as cancer or heart disease. They do not cure developmental disorders. But many doctors and psychologists will recognize its effectiveness in creating a calming atmosphere, or in focusing or improving mood. Doctors have recommended essential oils for problems such as insomnia, nausea, restlessness, and anxiety, although the FDA is careful to classify essential oils as dietary supplements rather than medications. This means that manufacturers are not allowed to make medical claims and the products are not regulated by the FDA like medicine.
Related: Pleasant scents can help you quit smoking
The bottom line in finding the best essential oil diffuser for you
Sometimes when you start it’s hard to stop: you could buy an essential oil diffuser for every bedroom and main living space in your home. Not only can these little machines improve your mood or help you wake up or relax, but they can also help neutralize odors from cooking, litter boxes, and a host of other less-than-desirable scents. It’s not difficult to get started. Essential oil diffusers are easy to use and do not require a lot of maintenance. Give it a try and see how the best essential oil diffuser can change the atmosphere of your home for the better.
