The Top 8 Essential Oil Diffusers to Lull You to Sleep
Ultrasonic, Nebulizers, and More!
Sleep better with lavender in your room or on your pillow (and keep it away from your pets!)
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Budget Pick
Large Diffuser
What is an Essential Oil Diffuser?
An essential oil diffuser fills your room with a light aroma to help you fall asleep. There are a few types, depending on the strength of the scent and number of controls:
- Nebulizing Diffuser – these use a pressurized air current to create a vacuumed that disperses small particles of essential oil into the air. Unlike many diffusers, there’s no heat and no water, so the smell can be more potent. They tend to be made of glass and wood, which makes cleaning and upkeep easier since essential oils can damage plastic over time.
- Ultrasonic diffusers – this type uses ultrasonic vibrations to break the oil and water mixture into a fine mist of particles that disperses into the room. They’re efficient, fairly quiet, and usually a plastic blend, which makes them an effective, less expensive option.
- Evaporative diffusers – these use heat or air currents to spread the essential oil through soaking sticks or candles. They’re affordable and easy to find, though less powerful and long-lasting.
If you’d like to know more about the research around essential oil diffusers, and what they do for sleep, check out our overview!
The Best Essential Oil Diffusers, By Type
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Nebulizing Essential OIl Diffusers
Materials: Glass (hand blown) and wood base
Controls: Timer and intensity (small room to 30’ x 30’ space)
Pros:
This nebulizing diffuser is built to last, with US-based parts replacement available. Its customizable settings make it suitable for bedrooms to studios, and the 10-minute cycle timer means its aroma distribution will stay consistent. It comes in 12 styles and colors, so it’s likely to match your decor.
Cons:
The oil particles can come out around the seam of the cap as well as through the nozzle, so the scent can be a bit less concentrated. It also requires a regular cleaning with alcohol, so the oils do not clog the glass tubes.
Type: Nebulizing Diffuser
Materials: Glass (hand blown) and hardwood base
Controls: LED light, timer control
Pros:
It’s a powerful, relatively quiet diffuser with simple controls and an effective design. The glass tubing doesn’t degrade from contact with the oils, and it’s easy to clean and maintain. It’s also easy to operate – remove the top, add a few drops of oil, and turn on to start diffusing. Their page includes a few recommended recipes for essential oil blends, which is a nice perk if you’re new to mixing oils.
Cons:
Like all nebulizers, the little pump does make some noise. It can also clog, requiring a weekly cleaning with alcohol to keep the tubes clean.
Materials: Glass (hand blown) and ceramic base
Controls: LED lights and timer
Pros:
It can cover a large surface area (up to 800 square feet) and comes with an excellent 1-year parts and service warrantee. It’s quiet, powerful, and includes a sturdy motor. If you’re looking for a functional, hard-working diffuser with great customer service, this is a good unit to consider.
Cons:
It looks more like a “chemistry set” than some of the other diffusers, but if you like the sleek, modern feel and wood alternative, this diffuser is a great option.
Materials: Glass (hand blown) and hardwood base
Controls: LED lights and timer
Pros:
Unlike many diffusers, the Raindrop comes with a 1-year parts and service warrantee, so if you’re concerned about running the motor, this model may be a good choice. It’s a powerful nebulizer that works in a large area by building up a “fog” of oil before puffing it from the top, and while the design may be less flashy, it seems more effective.
Cons:
This diffuser does sometimes have issues with the motor and maintenance, but the company will provide a replacement if you receive a defective unit. As with any hand-blown product, defects in the glass are possible – contact the company if there is an issue with the glass or forming a seal.
Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffusers
There are a lot of excellent ultrasonic essential oil diffusers on the market that look different, but pretty much do the same thing. We’ve provided a range of of the most highly rated and reliable across the most popular styles.
Materials: Plastic
Controls: Light, mist and time
Pros:
This reliable, quiet humidifier and diffuser can operate for 6-10 hours of use and is made from BPA-free plastic. It has a sleek design and comes in five colors, allowing it to easily blend with most interior aesthetics. It has a waterless auto-off function, so the diffuser turns off if the water runs out. Also available in a new model, here.
Cons:
It beeps when the auto-off activates, which can be annoying during sleep.
Materials: Plastic
Controls: Light, mist, sleep mode, and time
Pros:
This is a solid, affordably-priced diffuser with some great little features. It includes an easy “sleep mode” that turns off the light and lowers the mist output, allowing it to run up to 9 hours to help you stay asleep. It’s low noise and includes a wireless auto-off function for safety.
Cons:
The tank is smaller than other options, so it will need to be refilled more often when set to high.
Materials: Plastic or plastic and bamboo
Controls: Light, mist and time
Pros:
This high-capacity diffuser is powerful enough to work as a humidifier and can run for up to 7 hours. It’s ultra-modern design either features a large LED surface or real bamboo cover, depending on your preference. It has an auto-shut off feature when it’s out of water, protecting the device.
Cons:
It heats the water less than some smaller diffusers, which can make the smell less potent.
Materials: Plastic
Controls: Two mister settings and LED lights
Pros:
This small diffuser runs off a very quiet motor and produces a light, unobtrusive mist. There are two color options for light or dark wood tone, providing a classic feel in the design. Like all ultrasonic diffusers, essential oil is added to a water reservoir, which produces an oil and water air blend.
Cons:
Because of the small size, this diffuser is best used in a smaller, contained area.
Materials: Plastic with glass cover
Controls: LED and timer
Pros:
The unique glass overlay on this diffuser makes it a flashy, standout piece, rather than a background design. The 100ml water chamber allows it to operate for up to 4 hours before it needs to be refilled. It can be used with or without the LED nightlights.
Cons:
The stream of mist isn’t very powerful, and it doesn’t disperse far from the diffuser.
Evaporative Diffusers
Materials: Glass and Wood
Pros:
Reed diffusers use sticks that gradually soak up essential oils and water and release them into the air. It’s a steady, constant process that provides a nice, mild smell in the area around the diffuser. The sticks are inexpensive to replace, and the diffuser adds a nice, decorative touch to any room.
Cons:
Reed diffusers offer less power and control, with a much more mild aromatic effect.
Materials: Wax and Oil
Pros:
Essential oil candles add a pleasant ambiance to the room in which they’re used, require no plug or charging, and are portable. They have a burn time of more than 20 hours.
Cons:
These are mild and single-use.