Best Essential Oils and Fragrances for Diffusers

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Along with beautiful room décor and comfortable furniture, a pleasant scent can make a room feel truly homey. While many people prefer to light candles, sticking to just one scent can get boring (if you want to stay focused during the day while working from home, nothing beats a Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep to lift your spirits). If you want your home to smell great, but don’t want to bother scrubbing with scented floor cleaners or baking pastries every day, using an essential oil diffuser is the latest and easiest way to achieve the same effect.

The best diffuser fragrances leave your space smelling more subtle than cheap air fresheners, and the scent lasts much longer. While you can use them for aromatherapy, releasing essential oils into the air can really lift the mood for any occasion, with the same effect as a room spray or lighting a candle. (Tip: keep some lavender oil and a good diffuser by your bed to help you wind down at night.)

If you’re looking for fragrances or essential oils to add a drop to your diffuser, we’re here to help. We’ve tested the best diffuser scents ourselves and used reviews from satisfied users to create a list of the best-smelling diffuser oils.

In the article

what Are the best scent diffusers scented?

The best fragrances and essential oils

How we chose the best diffuser scents

What is the best smelling diffuser scent?

Some of the most popular and widely used diffuser scents include floral scents like lavender, chamomile, and jasmine, or herbaceous and woody scents like ylang-ylang, bergamot, geranium, frankincense, and clary sage. We chose our top-rated scents from established brands and based on overwhelmingly positive user reviews.

The best fragrances and essential oils

1. Hotel Collection My Way Essential Oil Fragrance

Want your room to smell like a luxurious hotel lobby? This sophisticated scent was inspired by the fresh, natural atmosphere of the 1 Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and there’s a reason it’s the hotel’s most popular fragrance oil in its collection. My Way uses rich sandalwood, warm Virginia cedar and cool iris to create a scent that’s as light yet sensual as a summer breeze.

Promising customer feedback: “I spent a lot of money on this, but it’s totally worth it. I love pampering my home with a nice scent, and this product always delivers. The scent is long-lasting and strong, so you can use as little or as much as you like.” —Cricket

2. Wild Mint & Eucalyptus Diffuser Oil Drops

Wake up your mind with Nest Diffuser Oil Drops, which combine essences of wild mint and eucalyptus with herbal scents of basil and Thai ginger. Like cool spa towels and crisp spring rain, they’re inspiring enough to make you want to jump out of bed in the morning.

Promising customer feedback: “It’s like a spa day! Wild Mint & Eucalyptus Mist Oil has a fresh, crisp, clean scent that wafts through the air as a background scent. For me, it’s a mood-boosting scent!” —Sandra M.

3. Volupsa Tahitian Coconut Vanilla Diffuser Oil

Like a more grown-up, classier version of the Bath & Body Works “Warm Vanilla Sugar” scent we used to spritz in our youth, Volupsa’s Tahitian Coconut Vanilla Diffuser Oil is warm and inviting. If you love sweet scents or simply want to make your space more cozy, this is the perfect choice.

Promising customer feedback: “This scent is amazing in my electric oil diffuser. I keep a spare on hand. The coconut vanilla scent fills my living room, kitchen and hallway and is such a lovely, warm, comforting scent.”— marciash

4. Cocodor Pure Cotton Diffuser Oil

Like fresh linen blowing in the breeze, Cocod’or Pure Cotton Oil is a blend of (what else?) cotton, citrus and mint scents. Just add a few drops to your diffuser and the mist recreates the “clean and pure” scent you get when you take out a freshly laundered quilt and inhale deeply.

Promising customer feedback: “I love the scent. It’s not too strong, but strong enough to keep my bathroom smelling fresh. It’s also reasonably priced compared to many others on the market. The oil lasts a long time.”—C. TRUONG

5. Capri Blue Volcano Diffuser Oil

Inspired by the signature “Athropologie in-store scent,” you’ll be wafting away with the iconic scent of tropical fruits and sweet citrus. This oil (also available in candle form) has a pungent, invigorating citrus scent at its forefront, bringing you closer to paradise with just a few drops.

hopeful customer’s voice: “I love the Volcano scent. I use it in my plug-in oil diffuser to keep my bathroom and bedroom smelling fresh. I’m hooked. It’s so fresh and pure, it doesn’t give me a headache like synthetic fragrances do.” — Tamela May

6. P&J Trading Rose Scented Oil

P&J Trading’s essential oils are actually popular among crafters making homemade scented candles on TikTok, but their rose oil is also popular for diffusing. It has a simple, strong floral scent, but it’s more concentrated than others, so you should only use a drop or two.

Promising customer feedback: “This scent is amazing! I close my eyes and feel like I’m in a rose garden. It’s a very natural scent and not too strong…I love it!” — Sandra Steinle

7. Maple Holistics Dream Essential Oil Blend

For those sleepless nights when you just can’t stop tossing and turning, try this Dream formula from Maple Holistics. It contains essential oils like lavender, sage, chamomile, and ylang-ylang to help you sleep. It’s made from just a few essential oils and isn’t as concentrated, as it’s designed to calm your mind and prepare you for bed.

Promising customer feedback: “I love this scent! It’s more relaxing and complex than regular oils. Perfect for a diffuser or humidifier.”—zakc

8. Vitruvi Frankincense Pure Premium Essential Oil

Frankincense may not be the go-to scent for an everyday home fragrance, but Vitruvi Frankincense is a robust fragrance perfect for mindfulness meditation sessions and general relaxation. Woody and soothing, this oil is distilled from the sap of the frankincense tree in India, making it the purest scent possible.

Promising customer feedback: “I honestly love these Vitruvi oils. I’ve purchased several products from the original stone oil diffuser to the room spray. I love everything I’ve bought. This essential oil in particular is the best. For me, it’s worth every penny.”—Petra Guerra

The best scents for reed diffusers

9. NEST Fragrances Apricot Tea Reed Diffuser

Nest’s Apricot Tea and Bergamot scent is bright and powerful, but never overpowering. NEST’s reed diffusers are also a style favorite, featuring crisp frosted glass stripes that give a sophisticated and preppy impression.

Promising customer feedback: “I heard very positive reviews about this scent, and after using this reed diffuser for almost 3 months, I can confidently say that the scent lives up to its reputation. I am very sensitive to smells, suffer from severe indoor allergies, and many strong fragrances give me migraines right away. I should not have blind bought this scent, but I did and I love it. The scent is light enough that it doesn’t give me a migraine, but it fills my living room with a clean, sweet, warm scent.”—Laetitia M.

10. Coco D’or Signature Lemon Eucalyptus Reed Diffuser

Coco D’or’s fresh lemon and eucalyptus scent is enhanced with a hint of mint, creating a sophisticated, clean scent. Even those with sensitive noses will find that the scent is actually quite subtle and not overpowering.

Promising customer feedback: “I love this scent. It’s clean, fresh, and leaves a pleasant scent in my bathroom. I love the simple beauty of it.” —chachachavez

11. Urban Naturals Sandalwood & Vanilla Reed Diffuser Oil

The blend of Tahitian vanilla and sandalwood will make you feel like you’re drinking a nice southern bourbon. It’s a warm and inviting change from the typical fruity and floral scents. This diffuser set is a larger size, which takes up a little more space but allows for a larger distribution of the scent.

Promising customer feedback: “I’m sensitive to scents, but I like to have a subtle scent in my home. This is my favorite. The vanilla and sandalwood are the perfect combination. Not too feminine, not too masculine, just perfect. The perfect scent for year-round use.”—Barb M.

12. Paddywax Relish Collection Reed Oil Diffuser

I love the soothing, long-lasting scent of this reed diffuser with patchouli at the forefront. Oakmoss and vanilla bean complement the sweetness of this scent. Rather than sticking to a sleek, modern design style, Paddiwack diffusers come in vintage-style colored jars, which is also fun.

Promising customer feedback: “This scent is indescribable. It fills the room with a wonderful scent that lasts for ages. I bought one in Ko Olina, Hawaii and am almost out of oil. If you love great scents that fill your room or home with a sense of well-being, this Salted Grapefruit Diffuser is a must.”—RESSCU

13. Le Petit Jardin & Co. Quebec Balsam Fir Diffuser Oil

Instead of factory-made plastic flowers, Le Petit Jardin & Co. uses diffusers of natural dried flowers handpicked by their in-house Austin florist, Grace Anais, to complement their unique modern farmhouse aesthetic. Reminiscent of a crisp morning hike in the woods, this scent blends the scent of balsam forest with a hint of amber.

Promising customer feedback: “This diffuser looks and smells amazing. The dried flowers make it smell even better. It also came with an extra reed diffuser. It even came with a handwritten note! What a nice touch to personalize your order. Thank you!” —Anonymous

14. Sweet Water Deco Salt & Celeadic Diffuser

Not only does this Sweet Water Reed Diffuser look great, it will complement any decor and the breezy sea salt scent is not too strong or oversaturated. It’s suitable for small restrooms but spreads very effectively, with notes of citrus, musk and amber that complement the salty notes of the top fragrances.

Promising customer feedback: “I love this reed diffuser! It’s a great alternative for those who want to give up candles but still want to fill their home with nice scents. I’m very sensitive to smells, so I love being able to change the intensity of the scent released by adding or removing the reeds. Smells like a clean Airbnb by the beach.” —Brittany

15. Votivo Redcurrant Aromatic Reed Diffuser

A perfect blend of fresh, fruity, and loads of flair, this memorably complex red currant scent from Votivo exudes earthy galbanum, tart citrus, blackcurrant, and “fruity musk.”What’s more, the brand says that fiber reeds have twice the scent of traditional rattan reeds, and we love that they don’t need to be turned over.

Promising customer feedback: “Votivo’s Red Currant Diffuser is perfect for long-lasting fragrance without worrying about forgetting to put out candles or turn off the electric stove. You can place it anywhere. Red Currant is one of our most popular scents, evoking a light floral scent with a bright citrus note, making it suitable for any time of the year. These reed diffusers are perfect for placing in smaller areas like bathrooms and bedrooms.”—Amber

How we chose the best diffuser scents

Scent is subjective, but by using essential oils and fragrances in our diffusers and perusing user reviews, you’ll find some scents that stand out. And that’s exactly what we did to compile this list of the best diffuser scents. We personally tested multiple scents in our reed and electric diffusers and read all the reviews of our favorite scents. Then we made sure that all of our finalists were available from trusted online retailers. Reviews have been edited for length and clarity.