Best Essential Oil Diffusers for 2024 [CNET]

Our picks of the best essential oil diffusers will keep your home smelling great for hours.

You could choose from literally hundreds of types of aromatherapy diffusers that range in price from $10 to more than $100. Before you buy, consider these factors in selecting the best essential oil diffuser.

Reservoir capacity: Diffuser water capacity can run anywhere from 100 milliliters (3.4 fluid ounces) to more than 1 liter (33.8 ounces) of water, but the average water reservoir holds around 300ml. You may want a larger water reservoir capacity if you don’t want to be bothered to refill the water very often, or if you need your diffuser to run for a long time in a large space.

Run time and timers: Do you want to be able to set your aromatherapy oil diffuser for 1, 3 or 5 hours? Do you want a continuous-run option for aroma and fragrant mist? How long do you need it to run? These are all important questions to consider when purchasing a diffuser.

Automatic shutoff: Even if you’re typically not a forgetful person, choosing a diffuser with auto shutoff is a smart move. If you forget to power down your diffuser when there’s little water left, it can overheat and fail.

Area coverage: For small rooms, such as a bedroom, bathroom, kid’s bedroom or a small yoga studio, you don’t need to worry too much about the square footage your diffuser covers. If you’re looking to use it in an open space or large room, look for diffusers with a high square footage range.

Lighting: Many diffusers offer ambient LED lights or double as night lights. This is a personal preference, so if you don’t want a light, make sure the aromatherapy diffuser you want to buy doesn’t have one or has one you can easily turn off.

Mist settings: Do you want a continuous cool mist that runs for hours for diffusing essential oil drops or an intermittent mist?

Intensity: For a stronger scent, look for nebulizing diffusers. A nebulizing diffuser is a device that vaporizes the oil drops without using heat, before pumping out the smell in a fine mist into the air. These are often more expensive than standard diffusers but can be worth it if you find standard models to not be as effective.

Humidity: Many essential oil diffusers double as a cool mist humidifier. This can be a great two-in-one option if you live in a dry climate.