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By Sophie Cockett and Mayola Fernandes
The best electric diffusers can have a positive effect on our mood, creating a spa-like ambience that make your space smell lovely. There's not much better than opening your front door and catching a waft of a beautiful scent, especially after a long and stressful day.
While scented candles are gorgeous, you’re dealing with a wick to trim, smoke consuming the air and an open flame. With electric diffusers – or nebulising diffusers, as they're often otherwise referred to – you can fill your home with calming, restorative or energising scents while eradicating the extra fuss and potential risks.
So, how exactly do they work? These nifty diffusers emit a continuous stream of mist containing drops of essential oil at a high air pressure into your room, filling a space of any size with a beautiful scent and allowing you to reap the potential benefits of aromatherapy.
What's more? They're often fairly affordable to run, can be left unattended thanks to automated time settings, and many of them double up as other appliances like mood lights, speakers or stylish pieces of home decor. Sound good? We think so too. Ahead, everything you could possibly need to know.
Electric diffusers, aromatherapy and their benefits | Is it OK to use a diffuser every day? | Are electric diffusers expensive to run? | The best aromatherapy oils for your diffuser | Electric diffuser full reviews
Essential oil diffusers use ultrasonic pulses to blend drops of essential oil with water before circulating a fragranced, cool mist around your room. Electric diffusers have the power to fill your space with subtly-scented purified air that helps you feel relaxed or perhaps more focused – depending on which essential oil you choose (more on that later). But that's not all. Investing in an essential oil diffuser also allows you to take advantage of the benefits of aromatherapy.
According to Robert Tisserand, an Essential Oil Educator and Aromatherapy Expert from California, "Clinical studies have shown that aromatherapy by inhalation can have real benefits for people with, for example, anxiety, [problems with] mental focus, depressive symptoms, and menstrual pain."
Further research has supported this, showing that essential oils can interact with the brain and nervous system to positively impact your health and mood. That said, Jo Kellet – essential oils expert at Tisserand – added that essential oils should not be applied directly to the skin, even with their numerous benefits. Indeed, Jo explained, “Essential oils need to be diluted before being applied to the skin in either a base oil, lotion, or cream, for example. They are concentrated essences that can, if used neat, cause a severe skin reaction, or over time build up a sensitivity to that essential oil.” Enter: the essential oil aroma diffuser.
When essential oils are concentrated in an essential oil diffuser – and subsequently inhaled – they can easily stimulate the olfactory system in the brain. Thus, running an ultrasonic diffuser can effectively reduce feelings of anxiety and stress – and help you nod off to sleep.
Yes. Essential oil diffusers are safe, and their risk of harm is minimal. In fact, inhalation is arguably the safest means of administering essential oils like eucalyptus or tea tree. To be extra safe, when shopping for your essential oil blend, be sure that it specifically says on the bottle or website that it’s considered safe for internal consumption. This means the essential oil is safe to diffuse indoors and is high-quality.
Jo explains one of the ways she ensures her oils are still safe for use if you've owned them for a long time: “Essential oils may change odour or colour and more importantly may cause skin sensitivity if used beyond their best before date. We, therefore, recommend that you use your essential oils within one year of opening them to minimise this risk.” She continues: “A good way to keep a check on this is to place a sticker on your bottle with the date of opening.” Take note.
Not particularly, and they're not particularly expensive to run. If you're worried, you go for something cordless or powered via USB. You just need a few drops of essential oil and some water, and you're good to go.
We surveyed the GLAMOUR office to find out what editors and wellness experts look for in the best electric diffuser. Then, we tested every model over a period of at least one month in our homes, assessing them on factors like fragrance intensity, ease of use, automatic shut-off, water capacity and design. Our edit features only the electric diffusers we really loved – and we've given each a star rating to make your choice even easier.
One of the best things about investing in an essential oil diffuser is that you can switch up the oils you’re using depending on your needs at that time. Lavender is good to help you relax before bed (we recommend the Tisserand Lavender Essential Oil), while rosemary will help you stay focused when you're working from home. Cedarwood, lemon, bergamot, vanilla, lemongrass, orange and valerian are good for stress and anxiety, while peppermint is good for a mood boost.
For more from GLAMOUR UK's Commerce Writer Mayola Fernandes, follow her on Instagram @mayolafernandess.
Electronic Diffuser, WAS £70 NOW £56, The White Company
Pros: A top pick among GLAMOUR readers and editors alike, The White Company's iteration not only looks super sleek and stylish on your bedside table but delivers the perfect amount of scent in minutes. We loved that there were different time settings to choose from (180 minutes, 120 minutes and 60 minutes) and that the diffuser automatically shut off at the end of the time set. It's made from ceramic which makes it look more expensive than it actually is, and The White Company's fragrance oils selection is – as expected – incredible. Enter code ‘WHITE20’ for 20% off at checkout.
Cons: Some reviews pointed out that the ‘wood' base is actually plastic, which is worth noting.
Dimensions: W93mm x H180mm. Maximum mist time: 180 minutes. Water capacity: 100ml. Cordless? No.
Textured Ceramic Electronic Diffuser, WAS £80 NOW £64, The White Company
Pros: If you're a fan of minimalistic interiors and want something that'll blend seamlessly with your contemporary and modern home, this is it. A gorgeous choice for bedrooms, it boasts a lovely herringbone design and a white base. It's functional, too: it has three timer settings so you can choose how long the diffuser releases scent (two hours, eight or sixteen hours). Plus, the diffuser will automatically shut off at the end of each time set or when the water level is low. It comes with a multinational for travelling buyers, a generous 300ml water capacity (most competitors only have 100ml capacities), and numerous reviews claim it successfully fills the room with your chosen home fragrance quickly.
Cons: It does not include a mood light.
Dimensions: L16cm x H11cm. Maximum mist time: 16 hours. Water capacity: 300ml. Cordless? No.
Velma Floral Pink Essential Oil Electric Aroma Diffuser, £45, Oliver Bonas
Pros: This geometric-design diffuser boasts all the time-setting, light-changing bells and whistles, but this time, it's one for the minimalist girlies with its neutral pink and white colour-way. You can set it to work for 30 minutes, an hour, two hours or three, depending on what suits your needs, and it has colour light settings – including white, blue, green and yellow – to achieve your desired ambience. Definitely a wish list item, and if you're after Christmas gift ideas, that orange packaging is practically a gift box.
Cons: Mains charger detracts from the minimalist style.
Dimensions: Height: 16 cm, Width: 9 cm, Depth: 9 cm. Maximum mist time: 3 hours. Water capacity: Undisclosed. Cordless? No.
Save when you shop for the best essential oil diffusers with these Oliver Bonas discount codes.
Neom Organics London Luxe Wellbeing Pod, £129, LookFantastic
Pros: Larger and more powerful than both the original, best-selling Wellbeing Pod and their portable Pod Mini, the NEOM Wellbeing Pod Luxe is designed to deliver the perfect amount of scent to an open-plan home, large office space or occasion room in minutes. It reaches up to 100 square meters. It's very easy to clean, and the design features a white ceramic diffuser cover set on an upcycled wood grain base. There's a touch display and remote control so that you can control the mist modes and colour-changing light options without standing up. You can also get it with next-day delivery at retailers like John Lewis and LookFantastic.
Cons: Water to pure essential oil ratio requires quite a lot of the latter to fill larger rooms.
Dimensions: H13.75 x W14.25 x D14.25 cm. Maximum mist time: 12 hours. Water capacity: 35ml. Cordless? Yes.
Save when you shop for the best essential oil diffusers with these John Lewis vouchers.
Esta Aroma Diffuser, WAS £60 NOW £51, Neal's Yard Remedies
Pros: Neal's Yard Remedies electric diffuser comes in the form of this smart and compact bamboo design, which we love for its abilities to be used as a night light. It's compatible with any of the brand's fragrance oils, works within seconds and makes a great addition to a WFH desk.
Dimensions: W 91mm x H 157mm. Maximum mist time: Automatically activates the mist every 30 seconds. Water capacity: 100ml. Cordless? Yes.
John Lewis ANYDAY Ultrasonic Diffuser, £50, John Lewis
Pros: From John Lewis' affordable ANYDAY range (available in-store and online at johnlewis.com) comes the best essential oil diffuser for practicality – thanks to the plethora of features which make it so easy to use. You can scent your room at the touch of a button with the John Lewis ultrasonic diffuser – it starts misting immediately and dispenses fragrance immediately, too – and it has an auto shut-off function for peace of mind which activates when the water tank is empty. There is a range of LED light functions depending on your mood, and the mist comes out in a constant stream for 0.5 hours, one hour, two hours or three hours – as opposed to 30-second on/off intervals. Consider your home a spa.
Cons: Synthetic base and colours don't fill the entirety of the ceramic lid.
Dimensions: H15.3 x W9.3 x D9.3 cm. Maximum mist time: 3 hours. Water capacity: 100ml. Cordless? No.
Sage Green Essential Oil Electric Aroma Diffuser, £45, Oliver Bonas
Pros: Oliver Bonas' diffusers are some of best-value options on the market, delivering up to three hours of soothing and calming oil scents. This sage green iteration doubles as a calming mood light, with six colour settings to choose from, including white, blue, green, and yellow to enhance the calming mood.
Cons: Some reviews have noted that it's a bit slow to diffuse in comparison to other essential oil diffusers.
Dimensions: Height: 15.5cm, Width: 9 cm. Maximum mist time: 3 hours. Water capacity: 100ml. Cordless? Yes.
Save when you shop for the best essential oil diffusers with these Oliver Bonas discount codes.
Electric Diffuser Gift Set, £30, M&S
Pros: Not only does this diffuser make a lovely gift (it comes alongside a calm fragrance oil and is compatible with all of your other favourite Marks and Spencer fragrance oils), but it's as functional as it is sleek and stylish. There's an auto-stop feature, a warm illuminating LED light to set a cosy ambience, and it runs for up to six hours.
Cons: It's not quite as powerful as some of the other more expensive diffusers in this edit.
Dimensions: Height: 18 cm, Width: 16 cm, Length: 10.5 cm. Maximum mist time: 3 hours. Water capacity: Undisclosed. Cordless? Yes.
Beurer LA 40 Aroma Diffuser LED Table Lamp, WAS £54.99 NOW £29.98, Amazon
Pros: The LED light on the Beurer essential oil diffuser offers six colour options, including yellow, red and shades of blue and green, which is ideal when you want to focus and even better when you're ready to drift off to sleep. As for your scented oils, you can opt for a continuous aroma mist, or let it run for one, three or seven hours with an automatic switch-off. It can fill a room up to 65 square feet in size.
Cons: LED lighting colours aren't the most ambient addition to your home decor.
Dimensions: 5.1L x 5.1W x 6.6H centimetres. Maximum mist time: 7 hours. Water capacity: 180ml. Cordless? No.
Save when you shop for the best essential oil diffusers with these John Lewis discount codes and Amazon discount codes.
NEOM Wellbeing Pod, £95, NEOM Organics
Pros: The NEOM essential oil diffuser not only looks really sleek, but it delivers the perfect amount of scent quickly – making it better than some of the real luxury reed diffusers on the market. Plus, NEOM's natural essential oil blends are among our favourites. You actually only need to fill it up to the maximum water level line and add five to 10 drops of your chosen NEOM Wellbeing Essential Oil Blend to get going (they're sold separately). With the simple touch of a button, this oil diffuser will instantly release a heatless, fine mist that noticeably improves your mood. It has a low-energy LED light and night light, and the timer can be set to one, two or three hours. Plus, the set includes multi-use adaptors for the following countries: Europe, USA, Taiwan, ME, Japan, HK, Singapore, China and UK.
Dimensions: 9.2L x 9.2W x 14.3H centimetres. Maximum mist time: 7 hours. Water capacity: 100ml. Cordless? No.
MADE BY ZEN Arran Aroma Mist Diffuser, £65, Amazon
Pros: This cordless essential oil diffuser is crafted from hand-cut, sustainably sourced bamboo. It boasts a gorgeously-glowing light (either static or colour-changing) to help you achieve the dreamiest ambience, be it to do your skincare or simply curl up with a good book.
Cons: Lighting isn't bright enough to read with and only runs for five hours (lower than some others on the market). Think of this device more as an ongoing pillow mist to fall asleep to.
Dimensions: 20 x 7 x 15 millimetres. Maximum mist time: 5 hours. Water capacity: 100ml. Cordless? Yes.
Save when you shop for the best essential oil diffusers with these John Lewis discount codes.
NEOM Wellbeing Pod Mini Essential Oil Diffuser, £50, John Lewis
Pros: Using cold fusion technology rather than water, your drops of the essential oil blend are converted into micro fine vapour without using heat or water and released into the atmosphere to stimulate your senses and boost your well-being. It's fully portable with 50 hours of battery life (lasting today, tomorrow and even a bit of the next day after that!) and has a USB charging port for your laptop. Plus, there is no need to clean in between.
Founder and Creative Director Nicola Elliott: “Mini by name, mini by nature. Made for those small spaces where you need a well-being boost – like a small work-from-home setup and home office, modest bathrooms (or little lavatory), the car, or a little bedroom.”
Cons: Not completely silent, but the vibrating noise is constant and fades into the background.
Dimensions: H10.8 x W6.9 x D6.9 cm. Maximum mist time: 50 hours. Water capacity: N/A. Cordless? Yes. It's battery-operated.
Aromatherapy Associates The Atomiser Pure Essential Oil Ceramic Diffuser, WAS £130 NOW £97.50, LookFantastic
Pros: Inspired by spa atomising technology, this ultrasonic diffuser uses powerful air compression to disperse a micro-fine mist direct from the bottles of 100% natural, pure essential oil blends – without any cold water. You get what you pay for: unlike other electronic diffusers in this edit, there is no water tank, which means the integrity of the pure oils is preserved. And the fragrance is more potent as an air freshener for living rooms and large spaces. We also love that it has multiple runtime options, including 'Boost mode', which speeds up the process of making your home smell oh-so-good.
Cons: Some reviews say the slight noise detracts from the relaxation.
Dimensions: Length: 14cm / 5.5in, Height: 6cm / 2.4in, Width: 21cm / 8.3in. Maximum mist time: 3 hours. Water capacity: N/A. Cordless? Yes.
DIPTYQUE Un Air by Diptyque Electric Diffuser, £245, Net-A-Porter
Pros: The most expensive essential oil diffuser in this edit comes from luxury fragrance house Diptyque, famed for their insane scented candles – namely Baies and Roses. Crafted from ceramic for an expensive-looking finish, it's adorned with gold lettering (making it one of the most beautiful additions to your living space) and slowly emits perfume through the air. It's easy to set up, too – you simply need to slot one of the brand's perfume capsules in the back, and you're ready to go.
Cons: It's pretty expensive and does a rather similar job to more affordable diffusers in this edit. It's only compatible with Diptyque diffuser capsules: Baies, Figuier and Feu de Bois Diffuser Capsule.
Dimensions: Length: 36cm / 14.2in, Height: 10cm / 3.9in, Width: 20cm / 7.9in. Maximum mist time: Undisclosed. Water capacity: N/A. Cordless? Yes.
WXY Zephyr Aromatherapy Diffuser Pod, £60, Amazon
Pros: Misting for up to three hours and automatically shutting off if the water runs low, the WXY oil diffuser has a five-star customer rating on Amazon, and the ultrasonic operation means it's quieter than most. You get a USB cable in the set, and the diffuser can also be used as a humidifier.
Cons: Essential oils are sold separately. However, ASOS do sell this lovely Aroma Home gift set with lavender, lemon and orange scents for a more relaxing atmosphere.
Dimensions: Undisclosed. Maximum mist time: Three. Water capacity: Undisclosed. Cordless? No.
Save when you shop for everything from ASOS new-in, to hairdryers and the best essential oil diffusers with these ASOS discount codes.
MADE BY ZEN Gem Electric Diffuser, £68, John Lewis
Pros: This sleek and stylish essential oil diffuser takes inspiration from rose quartz crystals in its dusky-pink gemstone design. It emits a gentle, warm and calming glow and delicately scents your room with your favourite calming fragrance, be it orange blossom or grapefruit. Inspired by nature, it quickly creates a calming mood at home and ideal for those looking to improve their overall wellness as they wind down.
Cons: Can look a tad plastic-y when the light is on.
Dimensions: H 15.2 x D 14.6cm. Maximum mist time: Undisclosed. Water capacity: 120. Cordless? No.
Save when you shop for the best essential oil diffusers with these John Lewis discount codes.
Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser, £60, Soho Home
Pros: Soho Home's much-loved diffuser arrives in a sleek black hue – perfect for anyone who doesn't subscribe to punchy colourways. This high-tech iteration uses ultrasonic technology to refresh the air with your favourite scents, and features an LED light that creates a warm ambience. A lovely choice to use throughout the year.
Dog House Dimensions: Height: 16cm, Width: 16cm. Maximum mist time: Undisclosed. Water capacity: 150ml. Cordless? Yes.