To add a pleasant scent to your home, finding the best essential oil diffusers might be your safest and easiest choice. Sure, candles could do the trick but what sets diffusers apart is that you don’t have to worry about maintenance. While candles are beautiful, you have the task of wick trimming, black smoke filling the air and the fear of an open flame being left out. With essential oil diffusers, you can enjoy beautiful scents with less hassle and headache.
Essential oil diffusers can elevate the look and smell of your home with the press of a button. Diffuser Machine Aroma
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While essential oil diffusers are simple to use, there are many different variations so it’s important to know what features set them apart. For water-reliant diffusers, keep an eye out for water capacity and the runtime settings; they will determine how frequently you will need to refill the diffuser. Nebulizing diffusers don’t require water and only use essential oils to perfume the air. One feature to always look for is auto turn-off so you don’t have to wonder if it was accidentally left running in forgetful moments.
From decor-worthy ceramic options like the Vitruvi Stone Diffuser to picks you can control directly from your phone like the Aera Smart, you’re bound to find an option that can fit almost any space. Below, see our list of the best essential oil diffusers based on research done by our experts. If you’re in search of other ways to make your space feel more homey, check out our favorite scented candles and cozy throw blankets, too.
Dimensions: 3.4 x 3.4 x 7 inches | Material: Ceramic | Water Capacity: 90 ml | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
Elevate the smell and vibe of just about any room in your home with Vitruvi’s incredibly popular Stone Diffuser that’s available in five gorgeous colors, including a soft terracotta and light pink. You can rest easy through the night with the calming scent of chamomile or lemongrass surrounding you as the diffuser runs for four hours consistently or eight hours intermittently. And when it’s done, the automatic safety shut-off feature kicks in so you don’t have to worry about it taking up too much energy. Plus, it features an optional LED light if you really miss that soft candlelight glow.
What our editors say: Forbes Vetted’s weekend updates editor personally recommends this pick.“I’ve always been a candle girl and loved how they looked in my home. I was hesitant to add a diffuser into my decor but this ceramic version from Virtruvi is not only beautiful but the fragrance permeates my whole apartment.”
Dimensions: 3.25 x 11.25 inches | Material: Recycled aluminum | Water Capacity: N/A | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
Hotel Collection has scents that are inspired by some of the most well known and luxurious hotels across the world. Some popular scents from the brand include fragrances inspired by the 1 Hotel in Miami Beach and oils favoring scents found in Westin Hotels. This stand-alone diffuser uses cold-air diffusion to turn fragrance oils into a dry mist which lingers in the air and offers even coverage without using heat or water. The tower diffuser has a streamlined shape and comes in classic black and silver.
What the reviews say: One reviewer raves, “I’ve been eyeing this diffuser for a few months and I’m so glad I finally gave in to the purchase! I love the sleek and classic design that blends in with the decor and spreads the scent through my whole apartment! Everyone compliments the smell as soon as they walk in. Love it!”
Dimensions: 3.5 x 3.5 x 3.3 inches | Material: Plastic | Water Capacity: 60 ml | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
This mini but mighty diffuser is just under $20 and can be taken almost anywhere. To get it up and running, plug the diffuser into any USB port including laptops—ideal for work spaces and desks. Standing under 4 inches, it’s small in size but has a 60 ml water capacity which can run for five hours intermittently. The colorful LED lighting comes in seven different options and can be dimmed from low to bright for mood lighting.
What the reviewers say: “I love this diffuser for my office,” a reviewer raves. “The lights are super pretty and you can keep it on one solid color if you don't want it constantly changing, or can keep lights off completely and just have the diffuser running without them.”
Dimensions: 3.9 x 5.5 inches | Material: Plastic | Water Capacity: 100 ml | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
This under-$25 find has independent mist and light features so you don’t have to worry about a pesky light keeping you up while you take in the essential oil mist overnight. When you do want to brighten your space, it has eight mood light color options ranging from a soft pink to a deep purple. It’s important to note that while the intermittent mist setting runs for six to eight hours and pauses every 30 seconds, the continuous mist setting runs for three to four hours and keeps misting until the machine runs out of water.
What the reviews say: “I'm actually really impressed by this little defuser,” says a 5-star reviewer. “My son has now claimed it as his and he uses as his night light. He loves how the lights change colors and can easily stop it at any color he wants. It's so pretty and gives a really nice glow to a dark room.”
Dimensions: 6.5 x 2.5 x 4.8 inches | Material: N/A | Water Capacity: N/A | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
With watches, ovens and bidets getting smarter, the humble diffuser was bound to get an upgrade and join the ever-growing list of smart products. Through its app, this Aera smart diffuser gives you full control of its functions with the ability to create schedules for it with two-, four- and eight-hour session options. There are settings for any size room—small, medium and large—that’ll turn even the largest room in your home into a peaceful oasis with one of Aera’s unique, hypoallergenic and long-lasting scent offerings. You can also connect it to Alexa for a hands-free control option. For those who need a scent boost in smaller spaces like bathrooms or offices, Aera’s latest mini diffuser plugs right into the wall and can be used with the app as well.
What the reviews say: “Unbelievably easy way to have high-quality scents throughout your home without soot and dangerous flames from candles,” says a reviewer. “Control exactly how much scent you want with the free and convenient app for your smartphone! Your ability to dial up for more scent or dial down when you might be out for the day is completely in your control.”
Dimensions: 6.46 x 6.46 x 4.65 inches | Material: BPA-free plastic | Water Capacity: 500 ml | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
If fragrance alone doesn’t elevate your mood, this diffuser features a sound machine to further send you into a state of total relaxation. You can choose from nine soothing noises: white noise, two piano sounds and size relaxing nature sounds—rain, fire, wind, ocean, forest and brook. While you’re transported to a natural place of serenity through sound and smell, remember that this machine also has an independent LED light option for a visual option to further elevate your mood.
What the reviews say: “I've had diffusers in the past and liked to have them on while falling asleep. This one is an upgrade on all of the others I've seen. It’s the sound effects that I like the most. It’s really relaxing and on low volume, it helps me fall straight to sleep.” raves a well-rested reviewer.
Dimensions: 4.96 x 4.92 x 7.6 inches | Material: Wood, ceramic | Water Capacity: N/A | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
Add this diffuser to your nightstand and let the smell of your favorite lavender essential oil help you decompress after a stressful day. Leave it on for seven hours of continuous misting or try the 14-hour intermittent setting for a longer lasting fragrance experience. The LED lights with seven options transforms this diffuser into a bedside lamp for when you want to enjoy a book and soothing scent before bed.
What the reviews say: “I love the look of this diffuser. It works perfectly for the bedroom,” says a 5-star reviewer. “This diffuser is super quiet. I personally love the white light but the changing colors is pretty gnarly and I use that often as well,” writes another please customer.
Dimensions: 10 x 4 x 4 inches | Material: Wood, glass | Water Capacity: N/A | Auto Turn-Off: Yes
Nebulizing diffusers, like the ArOmis Aromatherapy diffuser, work without water or heat to give you the purest scent derived from your essential oils. Made from wood and handblown glass, this diffuser works best with thinner, water-like oils such as lavender and peppermint. Since there is no water involved, the scent emanating from it is intense so you’ll definitely notice a shift in the air as you inhale wherever you use this.
What the reviews say: Reviewers love the pleasant fragrance that fills their homes without adding humidity: “I purchased two of these diffusers and I absolutely love them. The scent they produce is stronger than the ultrasonic diffusers I used for years and they don’t add additional humidity to my home, which is important because I live in Florida.”
We have written dozens of home and decor stories over the years. To find the best essential oil diffusers, we researched options from top-rated reputable brands, then examined their key features and customer reviews.
To make the list, each diffuser had to be able to use essential oils or an essential and fragrance oil blend. We also selected picks that came in a variety of styles, including water-reliant diffusers like the Vitruvi Stone Diffuser and nebulizing options like the ArOmis Aromatherapy Diffuser, which only use essential oils to scent the room. Each pick also had to feature an auto turn-off function so readers wouldn’t have to worry about leaving their diffuser on for too long or running out of water and oil. Finally, each option had to have an average of at least 4 stars for customer ratings with hundreds, if not thousands of reviews.
We frequently update this story to ensure accuracy and was last edited in November 2022.
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Aroma Essentiic Oil Diffuser I’m the editor of Forbes Vetted, a section of Forbes dedicated to taking the guesswork out of online shopping. I lead a team of writers, editors, and deal hunters in bringing you the best products the internet has to offer. With a background in travel, food, fashion and lifestyle media, I’ve covered everything from how to choose the right glass for your cocktail to the future of sustainable fashion. I’ve been testing and recommending products for over a decade, and am thrilled to share my best advice with you here.