Best essential oil diffuser: 7 top buys for perfectly scented air

The best essential oil diffuser is so much more than just a fancier reed diffuser. Essential oil diffusers are advanced gadgets these days, doubling up as air purifiers, mood lights, and even alarm clocks.

We've chosen the creme de la creme of essential oil diffusers for you to try and marvel at all the different extra features. All of them have been tried and tested by our team at RealHomes to give you only the very best. And – our clever pricing widget lets you see today's best prices because it constantly updates with daily deals. So, keep scrolling for a fabulous buy.

When you've found the perfect oil diffuser, head to our best home air fresheners buyer's guide for more ways to make your house smell lovely. Want other ways to scent your home? We have chosen the very best home fragrances, including candles and reed diffusers, too.

The best essential oil diffusers

The best ultrasonic option, the VicTsing Aroma Diffuser is quiet and heat free, making it one of the best essential oil diffusers for sleep. 

Choice of timed settings
You can set this diffuser for one hour, or the whole night on a conitnuous, waterless auto-off setting, which means you can drift off without worrying.

Versatile design
The natural wood look will fit into most decorating schemes, although there is also a black option.

Discreet LED
The LED lighting in this is in a strip format, so is very discreet and won't interfere with relaxation or sleep.

• Buy the VicTsing Aroma Diffuser

This essential oil diffuser is packed with extra features. It would be our top pick, were it not so expensive.

Fine mist
This ultrasonic diffuser uses micro-vibrations to diffuse oil into a fine mist, ensuring light and even scent dispersal with no heat source whatsoever.

Extra sensory features
A multi-sensory option, it also boasts a colour-changing mood light, and adds peaceful sounds into the bargain for an all-in-one spa experience. All of this can be customised from your smartphone using the buddy app, so you don’t even have to get up from your sofa. 

Great design
This is pretty enough to leave out as a home decor piece; the simple glass and wood design looks elegant even while dormant.

Long working time
Can be left on for up to 20 hours.

• Buy the Ellia Aspire Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser

This Esteban electronic aromatherapy diffuser doubles up as an alarm clock, so it rivals the VicTsing diffuser as our best bedside option. 

A two-in-one product
If you’re short on space, or simply want something that’ll earn its footprint by waking you up as well as sending you off to sleep, this is a good option.

Wake up mode
Want to be woken up with lovely fragrance? You can preset it to come on in the morning.

Glow mode
The top of this device has a lovely LED glow to it, useful as a gentle alternative to traditional alarm clocks

What to watch for
This isn't cheap, so only buy if you will use the extra features.

• Buy the Esteban electronic aromatherapy diffuser

Not many essential oil diffusers can boast the good looks of a vase. Easily the most elegant diffuser on our list, this Ellia model is as functional as it is pretty.

Beautiful ceramic design
This Ellia offering could easily pass as a vase or objet d’art with its simple ceramic pottery and wood design. Perfect for a bedroom or hallway.

Gentle mist
It gives off a fine mist for soothing, non-intrusive alleviation of dry eyes and tickly coughs. 

Essential oils included
It comes complete with a starter kit of sweet orange oil and peppermint oil, the former said to boast cleansing and uplifting properties, while the latter is cooling and refreshing in the face of overheating and congestion, so you can get started straight away and let the aromatherapy do its thing. 

• Buy the Ellia Blossom Diffuser

Don't get on with essential oils? The Asakuki diffuser is for you: use it without any oils for a relaxing air purifying experience.

Works as a purifier and ar humidifier
If you suffer from dry skin or allergies, this is a great product. Its fine mist will noticeably purify the air and get rid of unpleasant odours at home.

Very pretty LED
The whole device glows in a choice of five pretty colours.

Low noise
This makes hardly any noise, with users comparing what noise it does produce to the gentle trickling of a water feature. This makes it suitable for nighttime use.

What to watch for
Some users do report that the instructions the product comes with are not the clearest, so it may take you a little while to figure out how to put it together. 

• Buy the Asakuki 5 In 1 Ultrasonic  Diffuser

One of the first essential oil diffusers ever made, The Anjou is still as good as ever. Use it in the bedroom or your home office for best results.

Ultra quiet

This is one of the quietest models on our list, producing no more than 30dB of noise. This makes the ideal companion to study or sleep.

Two mist modes

Low and high mist modes allow for a strong output, or a whisper-thin mist (which we think is very pretty). 

Very economical

This diffuser will continue to fragrance your room for 12 hours with just 30 to 40 drops of essential oil. 

• Buy the Anjou Essential Oil Diffuser

Some essential oil diffusers take centre stage in a room, but not the Muji diffuser: this one is unobtrusive and characteristically minimalist – the best of Japanese design.

Dry mist

Most essential oils diffusers double up as humidifiers, but the Muji produces more of a cool, dry mist, which is great if you don't want to add too much extra humidity to your room.

Great for small rooms

Designed with small homes in mind, this will sit perfectly on a small bedside table or desk and will complement most decorating styles. 

Doubles up as a lamp

The ambient glow this diffuser produces is so pretty that you will want to use it as a reading light even when you're not using it as a diffuser.

Good to know

This is not the quietest model on our list, but the sound it makes is rather pleasant –like a very small water feature.

• Buy the Muji Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser

What is the best diffuser for essential oils?

We think the best essential oil diffuser you can buy is the VicTsing Aroma Diffuser . It offer the best value and is very easy to operate. The  Ellia Aspire Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser is a very close second, but  it's not within everyone's price range.  

How to buy the best essential oil diffuser

A far cry from plug-in air fresheners which can be bulky, plasticky and unsightly, these standalone diffusers are all designed with aesthetics as well as functionality in mind. Curvy shapes and premium materials are the order of the day, no matter where you’re planning on putting your diffuser, although if you’re thinking of using your diffuser every night, consider one like the Esteban Timer Edition Ultrasonic Electric Diffuser, which doubles up as a clock to really earn its place at the bedside.

Dimensions

We've listed the dimensions of each product, so that if you're after something to hide away behind a book, you can picture its size. 

Time on

We've also noted the amount of hours the machine will work for before turning off; our longest are the first two picks at 10 hours.

Material

Last but not least, we've listed the material of the reed diffuser whether it's plastic, wood or ceramic. Several of our plastic options are BPA free too.

More ways to make your home smell great

• If it's pure fragrance you're after, take a look at our best candles
• And don't forget our ultimate selection of the best home scents for every room