Best aromatherapy oil diffusers UK 2022: what do oil diffusers do, and how do they help with stress?
This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.
Aromatherapy diffusers are an excellent, easy way to add a little tranquillity into your household. More effective than scented candles, less obnoxiously scented than incense sticks, they're an altogether classier proposition.
What are aromatherapy diffusers?
Aromatherapy diffusers use ultrasonic waves to break down essential oils which have been added to water, in order to create a fine mist which is then dispersed throughout the room. Using essential oils in this way not only makes your home smell divine, but it can have a positive impact on your wellbeing.
Why are aromatherapy diffusers good for you?
Studies have shown essential oils are known to act upon both the brain and the nervous system. When concentrated essential oils are breathed in through a diffuser, it's more easy for the olfactory system to be stimulated by them.
The benefits of essential oils are many: clinical studies have connected the use of certain essential oils to helping with mental focus, alleviating stress and depressive symptoms, reducing anxiety, easing menstrual pain, and calming the nerves.
Simply change the oil you use in your diffuser to address whatever issue you are having: lavender is known to help relaxation, peppermint helps focus, lemon, bergamot, cedarwood have benefits in combatting stress and anxiety.
Most of the diffusers we tested worked by water mist diffusion, however there are also fan diffusers available, which instead use a fan over an absorbent pad saturated in essential oils, to release the vapours across the room.
What are the best diffusers available?
We tested a variety of diffusers to see which ones came out on top, testing how they looked, their efficiency at diffusing, and the smell of any oils which accompanied them, resulting in our favourites below. Get ready to relax...
If you’re looking for more inspiration of how to make your bedroom look its best then check out our guide to how to decorate your bedroom.
Or, if your living room needs livening up then take a look at our how to decorate your living room guide.
If you want a diffuser which adds style to your home, the Electronic Diffuser from The White Company is the most aesthetically pleasing one around.
The pearly ceramic dome complements any room’s colour scheme and the wooden trim around the bottom adds an earthy, natural touch.
The diffuser has a nightlight function to add a calming glow to the room. We loved the way that you can choose between three active timer settings (60mins, 120mins or 180mins), so you can pop it on before you go to sleep, worry free.
The level of diffusion is a brilliant balance; only 2-3 drops of essential oil achieves a good level of fragrance without becoming overpowering.
You can purchase the diffuser on its own or buy for £80 with two oils from The White Company collection; we loved the Sleep Oil, a calming combination of lavender, chamomile and clary sage.
While the most expensive of the diffusers we tried, the Neom Wellbeing Pod was the most efficient; it only required a 1-2 drops of the essential oil and a few minutes before a beautifully balanced fragrance had filled the space.
It requires a mains connection, but with its sleek design, it was easy to find a place in our home where it looked lovely.
The Wellbeing Pod is equipped with two light functions; a soft LED light and a nightlight option, which means it can transition from day to night sense stimulation perfectly. It also has multiple time settings; continuous misting and one, two and three hours stints.
We found this diffuser performed the best at creating a consistent diffusion throughout its active time; the scent was strong from start to finish.
If you want a diffuser which adds style to your home, the Oliver Bonas Essential Oil Diffuser is the one of the most aesthetically pleasing one around.
The fluted ceramic diffuser is bijou - compact enough to fit into any small space. Turn it on and for whatever spell of diffusion you fancy and your room will be gorgeously scented within minutes.
We loved the way that you can choose between active timer settings (30 mins, 60mins, 120mins or 180mins), so you can pop it on before you go to sleep, worry free.
The level of diffusion is a brilliant balance; only 2-3 drops of essential oil achieves a good level of fragrance without becoming overpowering.
With different coloured lights you can choose, you can decide on what ambiance you want to lend if you’re using it in a softly lit road. All this at a very reasonable price. Any oils can be used with it - our favourites are from Tisserand, robustly scented essential oils at a fair price.
