The best essential oil diffusers
Lavender, eucalyptus or orange drifting through the room without a naked flame: a cool, scented mist and a soft light for the evening.
An ultrasonic diffuser turns water and a few drops of essential oil into a fine, cool mist, so the scent drifts round the room without anything being burned. It's a gentler alternative to a candle in a bedroom or a home office, and every one here doubles as a night light.
The tank decides how long it runs: a 100ml mini suits a desk or a bedside table, while a 300ml or 500ml diffuser mists through a whole evening. Check how it's powered too, as the small ones usually come with a USB cable and no plug.
What matters
- Tank size: 100ml for a desk, 300ml or more for a whole evening.
- A timer or a remote makes bedtime easier.
- Mains or USB: the minis often come without a plug.
- Lights that switch off, if it's going in a bedroom.
#1 of 5
Best overall
ASAKUKI 500ml Essential Oil Diffuser with Remote Control
£10–£20 Price range
A big 500ml tank that keeps misting for hours, and a remote to change the lights, mist or timer from the sofa or bed. It's the one for a living room or a large bedroom.
What owners say: Owners like how neatly it sits in a room, find the mist gentle and calming, and use the soft lights as a night light.
A closer look: The remote works from up to 5 metres away, so there's no getting up to change the mist or the colour. With the lights off it runs as a plain, quiet humidifier (the maker quotes under 23dB), which suits a bedroom at night.
- 500ml tank
- Remote control
- 7 LED colours
- Timer and adjustable mist
- Switches off when empty
Best for: Living rooms and big bedrooms
- Tank
- 500ml
- Runs for (up to)
- 16 hours
- Lights
- 7 colours
- Remote
- Yes
- Power
- Mains
#2 of 5
Best value
Trace 300ml Essential Oil Diffuser with Remote Control
£10–£20 Price range
Remote control, 2- and 4-hour timers and a 300ml tank that lasts up to eight hours on its low setting, with a UK plug in the box.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use, love how the scent carries through the house, and find the changing colours calming.
A closer look: Set the 4-hour timer at bedtime and it switches itself off once you've dropped off; if the water runs out first, the auto shut-off steps in. On low mist a full tank stretches to about eight hours.
- 300ml tank
- Remote control
- 2- and 4-hour timers
- 7 LED colours
- UK plug included
Best for: Bedrooms on a budget
- Tank
- 300ml
- Runs for (up to)
- 8 hours (low mist)
- Lights
- 7 colours
- Remote
- Yes
- Power
- Mains, plug included
#3 of 5
Best for the bedside
ZmarKraft Essential Oil Diffuser with Fabric Cover and Night Lamp (200ml)
£30–£50 Price range
Its fabric shade makes it look like a little table lamp rather than a gadget, and the candle-light mode gives a warm glow without a flame.
What owners say: Owners say it fills the room with scent, gives a soft, relaxing glow that suits a bedroom, and runs very quietly.
Heads up: Oil and splashes can mark the fabric shade over time, so wipe up any drips straight away.
A closer look: ZmarKraft's own cleaning tip: wipe the misting plate with a cotton bud and a little alcohol to lift oil build-up, and if limescale forms, soak it in warm water with white vinegar or citric acid. A small cleaning brush comes in the box.
- 200ml tank
- Fabric shade
- 3 light modes, incl. candle light
- Runs about 6 hours
- Switches off when empty
Best for: A bedside lamp with scent
- Tank
- 200ml
- Runs for (up to)
- 6 hours
- Lights
- 3 modes, incl. candle light
- Remote
- No
- Power
- Mains, plug included
#4 of 5
Best budget
SALKING 100ml Mini Essential Oil Diffuser
Under £10 Price range
Small enough for a desk or bedside table and run from a single button, with a warm white light alongside the colours for a softer glow at night.
What owners say: Owners like the pretty lights and say it leaves a room smelling lovely.
Heads up: It runs from a USB cable with no plug in the box, so use a phone charger or a laptop port.
A closer look: It's light enough to carry from room to room, and happy on an office desk running from a laptop. To keep the mist strong, SALKING's manual suggests an occasional clean with water and white vinegar, and a cotton bud on the ultrasonic plate.
- 100ml tank
- One-button control
- Warm white and colour lights
- USB powered
- Switches off when empty
Best for: Desks and bedside tables
- Tank
- 100ml
- Runs for (up to)
- 5 hours
- Lights
- 8, incl. warm white
- Remote
- No
- Power
- USB, no plug
#5 of 5
SALUBRITO 100ml Essential Oil Diffuser
£10–£20 Price range
A slim, minimalist white diffuser, just 9cm across, that runs for up to 10 hours from its 100ml tank and suits a small shelf or a bedside table.
What owners say: Owners find it well made, easy to use and good value, and like the steady stream of scented mist.
A closer look: It comes with a USB cable but no plug, so pair it with a USB phone charger. The maker's suggestion for getting the most from it: citrus to wake up to, peppermint while working, lavender in the evening.
- 100ml tank
- 7 LED colours
- One-button control
- Switches off when the water runs low
- 9 × 15cm
Best for: Small shelves and offices
- Tank
- 100ml
- Runs for (up to)
- 10 hours
- Lights
- 7 colours
- Remote
- No
- Power
- USB, no plug
How they compare
| Feature | #1ASAKUKI 500ml | #2Trace 300ml | #3ZmarKraft fabric | #4SALKING mini | #5SALUBRITO mini |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best value | Best for the bedside | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.0 |
| Price | £10–£20 Price range | £10–£20 Price range | £30–£50 Price range | Under £10 Price range | £10–£20 Price range |
| Tank | 500ml | 300ml | 200ml | 100ml | 100ml |
| Runs for (up to) | 16 hours | 8 hours (low mist) | 6 hours | 5 hours | 10 hours |
| Lights | 7 colours | 7 colours | 3 modes, incl. candle light | 8, incl. warm white | 7 colours |
| Remote | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Power | Mains | Mains, plug included | Mains, plug included | USB, no plug | USB, no plug |
| Best for | Living rooms and big bedrooms | Bedrooms on a budget | A bedside lamp with scent | Desks and bedside tables | Small shelves and offices |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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