The 25 best electric diffusers for making your home smell lovely

Jul 24, 2023

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Prepare for your home to smell incredible

As many of us work from home at least a few days a week, it's understandable that we want to put more effort into making our homes smell lovely. For some, that means getting through candles at a rapid rate because you realise you want one burning ALL. THE. TIME. But for others, who are trying to find other alternatives, that comes in the shape of an electric diffuser.

In the same way a reed diffuser works, electric diffusers aim to infuse the air around you with beneficial essential oil blends, not only releasing a beautiful scent into the air around you, but often having calming benefits, too. Unlike a reed diffuser, which uses, well, reeds to spread the smell, to use an electric diffuser you simply fill the water tank with water, add some essential oils and plug it into the wall. Depending on the diffuser, it will then defuse the oil into the air periodically, or on a constant stream.

Unlike a reed diffuser you're not stuck with the same scent for weeks on end. Instead you can really switch it up with the essentials oils you use. If you want a real burst of energy for the day, we'd recommend a citrus scent like lemon or grapefruit to give you focus. Or if you're using your electric diffuser to help with sleep a lavender or chamomille scent will you help you drift off easily. Often the electric diffuser doesn't come with essentials oils so make sure you buy those too.

Here are our pick of the 25 best electric diffusers.

This stylish electronic diffuser comes with three time settings, so you can choose how long the diffuser releases scent for: two hours, eight hours, or 16 hours. It works with any The White Company fragrance oil, so choose from scents like Seychelles, Pomegranate and Lime & Bay.

Leopard print fans, this one is for you. Seriously, have you seen a more stylish electric diffuser? Available in grey or white, this device promises a soft-glow ambient light, and diffuses scent for three hours before the oil needs topping up.

M&S isn't just for great snacks and Percy Pigs. This electric diffuser gift set features a calming scent and sleek and silent device with a warm illuminating LED light, and the ability to diffuse for up to six hours.

ESPA knows home scents so you can trust that this sleek electric oil diffuser will make your space atmospheric and calming. Plus, you can use it overnight since it the automated switch-off setting kicks in when the water level gets low.

With four different time settings and six different colour light settings (plus in the sage colour of the season), this stylish diffuser is perfect for any home.

Rockett St George know what they're doing when it comes to interior decor, which is why this matt black diffuser basically looks as luxurious as a diffuser can look. Along with the soothing mister it has a warm white light, perfect for creating a dreamy ambience.

One of The White Company's bestsellers. With four time settings, you can choose how long your diffuser will release scent for: 180 minutes, 120 minutes or 60 minutes. It works with any of The White Company's essential oils, and is sleek and subtle in design.

The Made By Zen range at John Lewis has some seriously good diffusers, and we love this gold one that gives off rich summer vibes. Is that a thing? We're making it a thing.

Neom know what they're doing when it comes to creating dreamy scents that fill your home. This electric diffuser is an updated version of the original diffuser which was first released in 2018.

It uses up-cycled material for the Heavea wooden base and a full tank can last for up to seven hours, that's the work day covered then! The light of the diffuser can also be controlled and dimmed depending on your preference.

We love the chic and simple design of this electric diffuser. There are seven light colour change options and four misting options - continuous, intermittent, one hour or two hours. It'll also switch off automatically when it detects there's little water left.

How cute is this ceramic diffuser from Layered Lounge? It looks more like a stylish desk lamp than a diffuser, and comes with an inbuilt timer and a sleep function which turns the lamp off gently over the space of 30 minutes. We fancy a snooze just looking at it.

This sleek black electric diffuser has three time settings and has a warm LED ambient light. Soho House has also created three signature oil scents, Leather & Oud, Fig Verde and Pomelo, designed to be used with the diffuser, which can be purchased separately here for £15.

I am obsessed with the sage colour of this electric diffuser, it has an instant calming effect. It mists for up to two hours and has an auto shut off feature.

For a more inexpensive option, go for Airwick's essential mist aroma kit, which is battery powered. It has three modes (low, moderate, high) to ensure just the right amount of fragrance for any room.

We're obsessed with the idea of controlling your diffuser from your phone. Not only can you control the mist and light settings without leaving the sofa, but this Etersky model is also compatible with Alexa, so if you're feeling particularly fancy you change the settings by just telling your Alexa what to do. The future is here, right?

We're still as obsessed with the Anyday range as we were when it first launched. It's the same great quality and taste that John Lewis is known for but as considerably less John Lewis prices, so this Anyday diffuser gets a bit thumbs up.

There's a reason why this Aromatherapy Associates ceramic diffuser has so many good reviews. The atomiser doesn't actually use a water tank, instead emitting a fine mist direct from the oil bottles themselves. It's easy to switch between scents and without a water tank you don't have to worry about refilling it.

This Argos offering is a great budget-friendly option if you're not sure where to start. It's a nightlight too, so it comes with 7 LED colour light options.

With five different refills available, this electric diffuser is definitely one of the more luxe options, but promises to make your home smell incredible. The diffuser powers up three times over the course of an hour to diffuse the chosen scent subtly into the air.

For something more cheap and cheerful, this essential oil diffuser comes with seven LED light colours, a fragrant oil vaporiser and timer options, so you can choose how often it diffuses.

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