18 best essential oil diffusers that will leave your home smelling fresh

This stylish, white ceramic diffuser is an updated version of the original Aromatherapy Associates atomiser. The waterless, heat-free diffuser works by emitting scent from two bottles of essential oil, which are placed into the holder.

It’s wireless and comes with a charging cable, diffuser bottles for its two fragrance pods, and useful accessories, such as 15 spare diffusion head tubes and a diffuser bottle opener.

The essential oil diffuser bottles need to be purchased separately, and you can choose between a variety of scents, including the rose and forest therapy options we tested.

As there’s space for a pair of fragrance bottles, you can either switch between scents or use two at once. There are different timer options too, including 30-minute, one-hour, and three-hour. While you can control these features via buttons on the diffuser, there is also a free app for remotely selecting which pod to use, scent intensity, as well as switching on the diffuser’s calming yellow light. The app’s pre-set function is especially handy, too.

Extremely easy to use, this is a brilliant diffuser, providing pleasing scents that travel throughout a room. We use it for a quick scent refresh ahead of visitors arriving; to create a calming atmosphere on busy days, and as a flame-free alternative to lighting a candle. While this is an investment buy, it’s one for long-term use and has certainly elevated our home fragrance setup.

This affordable reed diffuser is presented in a glass bottle, which has a simple design but mirrors more-expensive brands. We used this diffuser most in the bathroom. The subtle scent is a creamy, sweet, and slightly warm aroma, with notes of amber, vanilla and coconut. While the scent can be well detected up close, we appreciated how gentle the fragrance is when placed in a room, offering a fresh background aroma without being overpowering. The fragrance oil lasts a while, too, as we’ve been using it for several weeks and it’s still half full.

Although this diffuser is currently unavailable online, more stock is due soon and you may also be able to find it in stores.

Neom’s made quite a splash in the world of home fragrance since its launch nearly 20 years ago, producing beautiful three-wick candles and essential oils that focus on de-stressing, calming and mood-boosting. The jewel in the crown of its products is the real luxury pod – an electric oil diffuser that distributes whichever essential oil you choose around your room.

It has a unique design that fits in seamlessly with loads of interior styles, plus, it has a breathing mode light, which you can use for guided breathing. With celeb fans such as Millie Mackintosh, we love the remote-controlled element, which means you can stay in charge of the luxury pod hands-free. It gets top marks from us.

If you’re looking for a reed diffuser with a recognisable scent, Molton Brown’s re-charge black pepper number features a cult classic fragrance. The glass holder is transparent, so, our tester could see how much liquid had been used, and, after a month’s testing, the liquid level was reduced by only a small amount. We think the reed diffuser is a slightly softer version of the black pepper shower gel and other bath and body buys in the same scent, with the black pepper, ginger and vetiver offering a gently intoxicating aroma.

If eco-credentials are high up on your list of priorities, let us introduce you to the Neal’s Yard Remedies esta aroma diffuser. Made from sustainably sourced bamboo cut by hand, it mists essential oil around the room every 30 seconds. Take care with citrussy essential oils (lemon, lime, mandarin, neroli, etc), because if it’s not rinsed and wiped dry each time these are used (which we must admit is a bit of a pain) they can cause damage, which could impact how well the oil diffuser works.

This one isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as some of the others we tested, but it’s relatively affordable and has a soft light perfect for the evening.

Although this product is currently out of stock, you can sign up (via the brand’s website) to be notified by email when it’s available again.

If an electric diffuser that costs a fair chunk of money isn’t for you, perhaps your oils are better distributed in a reed diffuser. Sanctuary Spa’s signature collection reed diffuser is on the more affordable side, but you’d never guess it by the way it looks. Coming in a versatile white vase with a subtle ‘S’ on the front, the dark brown reeds suck up the oil inside and disperse the signature jasmine, grapefruit and vanilla scent.

This is perfect for bathrooms and kitchens in particular, because it’s small and mighty, with a fresh fragrance.

Another reed diffuser, this one is slightly more luxe than Sanctuary Spa’s. It comes in six varying fragrances, ranging from nectarine blossom and grapefruit to vanilla blush and peony. You know they’ll be good because the scents are blended by perfumers.

The vanilla blush and peony scent is soft – noticeable enough to catch your attention as you enter the room but not overwhelming. The floral notes of jasmine and peony paired with the sweetness of vanilla create a creamy, calming fragrance that lasts and lasts.

Promising to last for up to 12 weeks, the glass diffusers are handmade in England and look stylish and elegant atop the mantlepiece. Other big ticks include these diffusers being vegan, against animal testing and free from parabens.

Diptyque is a luxury brand famous for its stunning perfumes – we’re looking at you, philosykos – so, we weren’t surprised in the slightest when this electric diffuser arrived and it was just as stunning. A white outer shell frames the black and gold interior – we don’t think we’ve ever seen an electric diffuser quite as beautiful.

Although, we must say, we found the setup a little confusing, even with the instructions. However, once we managed to get the diffuser working, it pumped the gorgeous scent around our living room, immediately elevating the space and giving it a luxury feel.

It’s expensive but it looks and smells amazing, even if it did take a bit of brain power to get it going.

What’s different about this reed diffuser is the wooden top section, which brings a natural, rustic look to the holder and matches the reeds, too. Scent notes include bergamot, leafy greens, rose, and cedar, adding a fresh linen fragrance to a room. We found the diffuser effectively spreads fragrance throughout an area, and we could smell the crisp notes even when not sitting nearby. Five weeks in, half of the liquid had been used up, so, we’d say it’ll offer around 10 weeks of fragrance.

This diffuser features a purple glass bottle and contrasting black reeds. The holder has writing on one side and is plain on the other, should you prefer a minimalist aesthetic. As well as the glass holder, all packaging is also completely recyclable, as it arrives without any cellophane. Our tester noted the fig scent is a heady combination of earthy, creamy, woody and rich tones, and that’s a pleasing multi-faceted blend to be met with when walking into a space.

Our tester has pets and found the diffuser successfully stopped the smell of damp dog spreading throughout the house after a rainy walk. They particularly liked the apothecary bottle-style shape of the holder, too.

There’s no denying this colourful blue and green glass reed diffuser looks stylish, and our tester loves the look of the tall holder in situ on a shelf. It can also be repurposed after use, as a designer interior accessory to hold flowers, or other household bits and bobs. Our tester found the scent to be refreshing and invigorating, with iris, suede and patchouli included in its blend. You do need to be careful not to knock over the diffuser, because the green lid just rests on top, but we didn’t mind at all, because of how beautiful its design is and the noticeably luxe fragrance.

This diffuser has a brown glass holder with gold detailing and wooden reeds, and its perfume oil has a spa-style aroma. The essential oil scent features geranium, cedar wood and eucalyptus, and our tester noticed it has a pine scent much like a forest, offset against sweet, floral notes. As such, the blend does smell calming, offering the fragrance escapism of a spa treatment room – so, we’ve been keeping it in our bedroom for some unwinding relaxation.

Presented in a dark glass bottle with just a subtle logo, this minimalist reed diffuser is a chic addition to any space. Our tester has a dog, and found the clean scent really helped with counteracting any fusty pet scents. Fragrance notes include violet and lilac, with the scent offering an appealing fresh aroma that isn’t too sweet. The diffuser has been in situ for four months, and we still have some of the fragrance oil left but, when it’s used up, the bottle would make a nice decorative piece, too. A limited-edition buy, we think this reasonably priced, stylish diffuser is well worth snapping up while stock lasts.

This fig reed diffuser has a woody scent with a slight sweetness, and it filled our room with luxurious fragrance. Featuring eight reeds made of natural rattan, the fragrance oil in ours has lasted just over four months, and we’ve flipped the reeds weekly for optimum scent. We liked the square-edged glass bottle with apothecary-style neck, which is recyclable (as is all the packaging). We rotated the diffuser around the house, and found it added aroma to rooms of all sizes, including spacious living areas.

An electric oil diffuser that uses water to operate, this model has an external ceramic cover that is placed over a tank and electrical base with buttons. The diffuser emits a fragrance mist from the spout-style top, with the ‘positivity’ scent we chose offering fresh, uplifting, floral notes of jasmine, gardenia and rose geranium. It’s simple to use – just add a few drops of the scent to the water and off you go. There are diffuser mist and light power buttons, so you can choose between the two or use both at once. The overall effect is a calming home-fragrance experience.

A reed diffuser ideal for unwinding at bedtime, this product’s scent combines a relaxing essential oil blend of lavender and eucalyptus. The wide, circular bottle has five black reed diffusers, which emit enough of the gently calming fragrance so that it can be smelt throughout a room.

There’s a spa-like feel to the aroma, and the fragrance oil should last about 10 weeks before running out. It’s worth noting the fragrance oil is made without preservatives and only uses natural essential oils.

This reed diffuser has luxe Acqua di Parma branding and is presented in signature sunny yellow packaging. The ‘buongiorno’ scent features fresh, crisp notes of grass, linen and moss, with a woody depth.

The fancy-looking diffuser was a welcome addition to our living room, adding elegance to our interiors, and we’ve found the fragrance lingers, too. The fragranced oil reminded us of a decadent cologne, and, while a splurge buy, this diffuser is a real treat for any living space.

When it comes to finding budget home fragrance buys that look and smell more expensive than they are, Aldi’s hotel collection range is the place to browse. This lime, basil and mandarin fragrance is an affordable alternative for the Jo Malone scent with the same name. We noted that the brightening citrus scent detected is also underpinned by sweet, herbal tones. Our tester has been finding this reed diffuser fills the room with a lingering, summery scent, which has impressive staying power for less than £3.50.