Diffusers are a simple way to keep your home smelling good, whether to mask the many undesirable smells that can pop up or just to give your space a bit of a lift. While scented candles definitely have their place, diffusers can be left unattended so you can be greeted by a lovely aroma as soon you walk through the door (although do keep them out of reach of small children and pets).
Reed diffusers are the most common type and most straightforward to use. It’s simply a case of inserting a pack of reeds – typically rattan – into a container of fragrance oil, whether that’s a synthetic scent or a blend of essential oils in a carrier oil. The reeds slowly absorb the oil and waft the fragrance around the room. They take longer to do their work, so allow 24 to 36 hours to achieve a full fragrance level. They will continue to perfume a room for about two to four months before the oil runs low, though, so can be more worthwhile than their price tag suggests.
For a more potent and fast-acting hit, look to electric diffusers, although it’s best to avoid using these in the same room as cats and dogs, who may ingest the particles when they lick their fur. With an ultrasonic diffuser, you fill up the internal reservoir with tap water (generally speaking, the larger the reservoir, the more fragrance oomph or “throw”) and add a few drops of fragrance oil. When you turn it on, ultrasonic waves break the oil down into microscopic particles that blend with the water. This is then released from the diffuser as a visible stream of cool mist that will scent a room in minutes – more speedily than a scented candle.
Nebuliser diffusers are similar but work without water, relying on a stream of pressurised air to blast the aroma into the room. They often provide a stronger fragrance hit and won’t create any condensation, but they do make an intermittent buzzing noise that’s at odds with the idea of creating a pleasant, calming environment.
All the electric options can be a bit of a faff to set up and require regular cleaning, but they provide a powerful, targeted hit of fragrance. There are many other methods of diffusing, too, such as pouring drops of essential oil on to unglazed pottery or pieces of stone.
We tested each diffuser and oil, allowing each reed diffuser a couple of days to properly fill a room and each electric diffuser a few sessions. We tested 50 products, compiling the longlist from personal recommendations of people’s go-to products. We were looking for lovely fragrances – nothing that smelled too artificial – and good throw to ensure a fragrance had enough heft to make a difference. This means some were discounted despite a lovely smelling product because they failed to fragrance even the tiniest room. Others didn’t make the cut because the scent was reminiscent of walking in the slipstream of someone’s vape.
Here’s our edit of the best reed, electric and crystal diffusers out there.
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The best reed and crystal diffusers
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Rose and honey
Forest Breath reed diffuser, 250ml
This Japanese brand has generously sized bottles and some lovely fragrances: unusual without being challenging, and powerful enough to scent a large room. This one features rose and honey notes, tempered by sandalwood, clary sage and geranium, so it smells fresh, not oppressive.
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Woody fig
Figuier reed diffuser, 200ml
£152 at Diptyque
£75 for 200ml refill at Selfridges
We wanted to test this expensive reed diffuser because Parisian fragrance brand Diptyque is considered the gold standard of home fragrance. This diffuser lives up to that reputation with a natural-smelling green, woody, fig-leaf aroma, as well as the most powerful throw of all the diffusers tested. It quickly filled a large room and wafted into adjoining rooms, too. The fluted glass bottle echoes the oval shape of the brand’s label, but it’s a little unsteady and got knocked over during the trial.
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Layered scent
Himalayan cedarleaf reed diffuser, 200ml
£39 at Lisa Angel
£39 at Aery Living
In a charming little matt clay pot, this diffuser has quite a complex, perfume-like aroma that features notes of cedarleaf, amber, patchouli and jasmine, in a sustainable plant-based oil, perfect for creating a warm and calming atmosphere.
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Zesty
Orange blossom reed diffuser, 150ml
Like a classic eau de cologne, this smells fresh and bracing rather than sweet and cloying, with notes of flowery neroli and zesty lemon and mandarin. A lovely one for the bedroom.
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Fresh and breezy
Fresh linen reed diffuser, 100ml
This diffuser captures the clean aroma of laundry day and bed linen that has been line-dried in the sun. The airy fragrance is a bit lacking in throw, though, so it’s best appreciated in a smaller room. Beautifully Unique’s range is vegan and cruelty free and can be customised with a choice of gold and silver caps and black or white reeds.
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Freshly cut herbs
Bay and rosemary reed diffuser, 150ml
£33.99 at St Eval
£30.59 at Amazon
While many diffusers inherently smell like a “fragrance”, this potent aroma is reminiscent of actual herbs being chopped. For that reason, it works well in a kitchen where anything more perfume-like might clash with cooking smells.
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Salt and wood
Sea salt & vetiver reed diffuser, 200ml
This fragrance evokes a walk in the sand dunes with notes of tangy ozone, grassy vetiver and smoky wood, all at a refreshingly modest price.
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Faraway beach
Seychelles reed diffuser, 200ml
£30 at John Lewis
£30 at the White Company
A distinctly luxurious fragrance that feels like you’ve wandered on to the set of the White Lotus, with beachy notes and wafts of vanilla, coconut and exotic flowers.
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Intense and sophisticated
Pomegranate Noir reed diffuser, 165ml
£74 at John Lewis
£74 at Jo Malone
A heady aroma of fruity pomegranate and smoky wood that may not be for everyone, but a satisfyingly powerful throw for those who love it. One for a larger room.
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Summer walk
Hedgerow reed diffuser, 98ml
These small-batch diffusers are made using sustainably sourced, skin-safe ingredients and recycled materials. This one has a gorgeous summery floral scent that includes neroli, rose geranium and basil essential oils.
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Fruit dupe
Hotel Collection pomegranate reed diffuser, 100ml
Another pleasing pomegranate scent, which has good throw without being overwhelming. It’s part of a great range of affordable fragrances at Aldi.
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Zesty and fresh
Neroli and bitter orange reed diffuser, 100ml
£18.95 at the Botanical Candle Co
A bright, clean orange blossom fragrance with sharp green notes that’s made with 100% plant-based ingredients. This may explain the modest throw; it’s best enjoyed in a smaller room.
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Rocking diffuser
The Culbuto oscillating diffuser
The extravagant price will put this out of reach of many, but I’ve included it here because it’s an innovation. The Diptyque fragrance is embedded in a ceramic reed that attaches to a beechwood orb. When you give it a nudge, this oscillates hypnotically, wafting out Diptyque’s celebrated Baies scent, which is evocative of tangy berries, or sticking your nose into a rose and inhaling deeply.
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Warm and spicy
Patchouli and amber reed diffuser, 90ml
With hints of plum and apple, ginger and cinnamon, this one is as comforting as a fruit crumble. It has a limited throw but fills a small room well.
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Quartz-diffused aromas
Stone diffuser
Blissful Harmony fragrance oil, 10ml
I was sceptical about this diffuser method, dotting fragrance oil on to a bowl of rough-cut chunks of quartz. I doubled the suggested amount of fragrance drops, using about 10. It wasn’t enough to fill a room with fragrance but, positioned on the landing, it gave a welcome waft of gardenia and green tea whenever I passed. It needs topping up every couple of days, though.
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Cherry blossom
The Ritual of Sakura fragrance sticks, 250ml
£34.90 at Rituals
£34.90 at Look Fantastic
With notes of pear and fruity cherry blossom, this is the sweetest scent that made the cut, although it might be a little sickly for some. The tall bottle and long reeds look striking but did take a tumble during the trial, so place out of reach.
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The best electric diffusers
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Lamp and diffuser in one
Confetti glass ultrasonic diffuser
Seaside Walk scented oil, 15ml
A great ultrasonic diffuser for the money, it also doubles as a pretty lamp with its white glass cover. It’s easy to set up and simple to use with the Habitat range of fragrance oils. I like Seaside Walk, with tangy coastal notes, alongside narcissi and coconut.
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App-operated
Perfume Genie ultrasonic diffuser
Rituals of Sakura cartridge, 30ml
Taking home fragrance to the next level, this chic little ultrasonic diffuser combines a lavish gold metal finish with a simple, sculptural design. But its real USP is that it’s operated via a smartphone app, allowing you to activate it remotely, as well as with voice command controls. I confess it took me a while to set the whole thing up, but I can see the benefits of setting a programme to reflect when you typically use a room, across weekdays and weekends, or remotely activating a scent while on the way home with friends. This one is for someone who loves gadgets and takes home fragrance seriously.
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Big-tank diffuser
Large electric aroma ultrasonic diffuser
Relax essential oil gift set, 4 x 5ml
Japanese brand Muji is way ahead of the curve with home fragrance. It offers several types and sizes of diffuser, including this ultrasonic one, its largest. It was easy to use and can quickly fill a large room with fragrance. There is a pared-back aesthetic, it also functions as a lamp and can be used with the brand’s range of high-quality and affordable essential oils. That includes blends for sleep and study, as well as single-note oils that you can have fun mixing for yourself; I created my own energising blend of four parts mandarin, four parts bergamot and one part lavender.
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Waterless diffuser
Rechargeable electronic nebuliser
The White Company’s comprehensive range of diffusers includes this effective rechargeable waterless nebuliser that can be used to quickly fill a room with any of the brand’s fragrance oil blends, including the summery Amalfi Lemon. I’m not the world’s greatest at following instructions so found many of the electronic versions – including this one – fiddly to set up. It was simple to use, though, as the control panel is straightforward.
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Travel diffuser
Wellbeing Pod mini waterless nebuliser diffuser
Real Luxury essential oil blend, 10ml
£23 at Neom
£23 at Marks & Spencer
Neom makes some great electronic and reed diffusers, but I’ve singled out this dinky rechargeable travel nebuliser. It comes in various pretty pastel colours and black, and it is great for helping regular travellers set the mood wherever they are. I used it with Neom’s Real Luxury oil blend, which balances rich jasmine with touches of lavender and sandalwood.
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A different style
Ceramic blue ombre electric aroma diffuser
When it comes to electric diffusers, the prevailing look seems to be pale and pared-back but, if you’re looking for something more maximalist, Oliver Bonas does some fun colourful ones. We didn’t love the accompanying fragrances we tried but any essential oil or fragrance oil can be used in its electric diffusers – just no perfumes or reed diffuser oils, as they may damage the diffuser.
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Just the oil
Essential oil blends, 10ml
If you’ve already got your diffusion method sorted but want to stock up on essential oils – or want something to go with the Oliver Bonas diffuser above – Earl of East is hard to beat for interesting, unusual blends. These include Shinrin-Yoku, a peppery, woody scent with a bracing forest walk vibe, and Onsen, an invigorating blend of eucalyptus, peppermint and mandarin that’s great for clarity and focus when working from home.
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Getting the most out of your diffuser
To get a reed diffuser working quickly, dip in the reeds, swirl them around and then carefully flip them over so that they’re coated at both ends. Flip again every week or so, or whenever you want to boost the scent levels in your room.
Keep reed diffusers away from direct sunlight and sources of heat, to stop the oil running out too quickly. Place them somewhere around chest height – such as on a shelf or mantelpiece – to get the fragrance moving around the room, and always place them far from the reach of children and pets.
To increase the level of fragrance from your reed diffuser, you can add more reeds, but that will obviously make the oil run out sooner. Replacement reeds are widely available, such as these from Dunelm (10 for £1). Likewise, if a fragrance is too potent for a small room, you can reduce the number of reeds.
As the oil runs low, the level of fragrance (or throw) will diminish, so keep them topped up if possible. If the oil lasts for ages, think about changing the reeds every six months or so. Don’t reuse reeds in different fragrance oils as this will ruin the aroma.
You can pause a diffuser if needed by removing the reeds, placing in a plastic bag or container and putting the stopper back in the bottle.
If you like a particular fragrance, but not its container, you can always replace it with something prettier: most glass and glazed pottery vessels will do the job, as long as they have a narrow neck. I like to use colourful vintage glass chemist bottles and antique stoneware ink bottles, which are easy to pick up in junk shops or on websites such as Etsy. Stoneware ink bottles are particularly great if you need something sturdy; two of the more precarious oil bottles I tested were knocked over. If you’d prefer to use a bottle of your own, you can save money by buying refills from the start.
Perhaps predictably, some of the more budget options can be on the weaker side for fragrance but, if you like the smell, you could always dot a couple around a room, or use them in a smaller room like a downstairs loo.
If you’ve become nose-blind to diffusers in the past, try using a few different fragrances around the home. And don’t forget about overlooked spaces, such as bathrooms, where a fragrance can add a spa vibe, and hallways, where it can welcome you home.
• This article was amended on 10 April 2025 to change a reference to the Airy fragrance oil, which had been described as an essential oil.
