If you're also obsessed with making sure your space smells nice, whether that be a bedroom or a studio flat, then I am your go-to gal. I've tested a bunch of the best-rated reed diffusers to bring you my top favourites. At this time of year, I tend to go for warmer, woody, vanilla, or musky scents. Come February and the start of March, I will switch to fresh fragrances to welcome the new season.
In my eyes, home fragrance is arguably one of the most important things to consider when redecorating or making a space feel like home. And a reed diffuser is favoured by most over a candle because they do their job with hardly any effort required. Plus, some reed diffusers can be refilled so that you only need to buy the vessel once making them better for the environment. Depending on its vessel, a reed diffuser also makes the perfect addition to a table — side or coffee. That's a triple win.
A reed diffuser is the ultimate pick-me-up as well as a great Galentine's Day gift idea for your bestie.
Introducing the 10 best reed diffusers to buy for your home in 2023
Why you can trust Real Homes Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The best year-round scent
Size: 70 ml/250 ml
Scent: Oriental
Refillable? Yes
+ Year-round fragrance
+ Luxury pick
+ For hallways
+ Unique fragrance
- Vessel not recyclable
We're obsessed with this Rituals reed diffuser and its strong oriental notes of rice milk and cherry blossom. There's no need to flip reeds regularly as honestly, the aroma will travel so delicately from one side of your room to the other, whilst even the smallest size lasted us way longer than the recommended five weeks. The fragrance sits inside a luxurious white ribbed vessel.
The best woody diffuser
Size: 150 ml
Scent: Woody
Refillable? No
+ Great for autumn
+ Fills a room
+ For living rooms
- Not for smaller spaces
We're obsessed with this autumnal fragrance from The White Company. So much so that it makes a reappearance in our living room every year. Its scent imitates a roaring fireplace, and it can fill a room, no matter how large. This will forever be our favourite reed diffuser for autumn. You can also recycle its glass vessel after use.
The best luxury diffuser
Size: 175 ml
Scent: Woody
Refill available? No
+ Bottle stopper
+ Luxury vessel
+ Recyclable vessel
+ Eco packaging
- Heavy fragrance
This woody and smoky fragrance offers a pleasantly mysterious scent and fills the air with notes of labdanum, patchouli, cedarwood, charred birchwood, and a hint of black truffle. We can vouch for the fact that it masks unpleasant odours and has a spicy, almost cologne-like aroma. It's also cruelty-free and alcohol-free.
The best warm diffuser
Size: 150 ml
Scent: Warm
Refillable? No
+ Bottle stopper
+ For home office
+ Eco packaging
+ Recyclable vessel
- No refill
This exciting and luxurious fragrance brings a serious scent to your home, and it's ideal for fall and winter use. It has a bottle stopper for when you want to switch to something different and it sits in a subtle green glass vessel that's recyclable. In fact, the brand's ethos is sustainability. It's warm and is perfect for serious spaces such as an office.
The best floral diffuser
Size: 100 ml
Scent: Sweet
Refill available? No
+ Cruelty-free and vegan
+ Great for a hallway
+ For spring & summer
- No refill
- Vessel not recyclable
If you love a sweet fragrance then this long-lasting diffuser boasts a gorgeous floral yet slightly sweet aroma, fuelled by rhubarb, sour juniper berry, and fresh muddled rosemary. It's housed in an elegant black glass vessel with black silk reeds, which require infrequent flipping.
The best fresh reed diffuser
Size: 175 ml
Scent: Floral/fresh
Refill available? No
+ Bottle stopper
+ For summer and spring
+ Recyclable packaging
+ Luxury vessel
- No refill
Impressively scented to be floral and fresh, this blend of rosewater, geranium, and salted amber is perfect for enjoying in a hallway or a bedroom. We have this fragrance as a candle and we're obsessed, whilst its striped frosted glass bottle screams luxury. It's also cruelty-free and alcohol-free.
The best diffuser for bedrooms
Size: 100 ml
Scent: Floral
Refill available? Yes
+ 100% natural fragrance
+ Good for de-stressing
+ Refill available
- A little expensive
Use this calming reed diffuser to unwind after a busy day. Created with 24 essential oils including lavender, jasmine, and Brazillian rosewood, it can help relieve tension headaches and stress. Rotate the reeds for up to 12 weeks of relaxing aromas. A good one for the bedroom or home office.
The best for kitchens/bathrooms
Size: 200 ml
Scent: Fresh
Refill available? Yes
+ Organic & vegan
+ Great gift
+ 100% natural
+ Recyclable packaging
- Vessel isn't the most luxurious
Fragranced with 100% natural essential oils, this diffuser is nice and fresh thanks to grapefruit and petitgrain. It's never overpowering in both scent and looks, with a plain vessel that you wouldn't necessarily be fussed about having on display or not.
The best vanilla diffuser
Size: 100 ml
Scent: Vanilla
Refill available? No
+ Recyclable vessel
+ Year-round fragrance
+ Fun vessel
+ High-quality reeds
- No refills
This vanilla fragrance is neither too warm nor too overpowering, and it's a deliciously deep blend of vanilla with plum, rose, and amber. It's housed in a fun bright yellow vessel with black reeds that will need frequent flipping.
The best citrus diffuser
Size: 100 ml
Scent: Citrus
Refill available? Yes
+ 100% natural
+ Year-round fragrance
+ Therapeutic
- Subtle in large spaces
- Vessel not recyclable
This citrus-based fragrance offers a welcoming and uplifting boost that's scented with neroli, mimosa, and lemon essential oils. The perfect balance of refreshing and not too powerful, it works best in smaller spaces and it's perfect for kitchens and bathrooms.
Real Homes review process
That's right: I've (Annie) tested the majority of these reed diffusers at home. And I have been testing home fragrances for years now in my spacious two-bedroom flat that, as you can imagine, smells like a total dream. While using the reed diffusers above, I always move them from room to room, and I like to use them until they are half empty before making my mind up. My favourite ever reed diffuser for year-round use has to be Rituals' The Ritual of Sakura.
Otherwise, a couple of reed diffusers in this guide have been recommended by other members of the Real Homes team.
What is the best smelling reed diffuser?
There's no one-size-fits-all when choosing a reed diffuser, simply because everyone has different scent preferences. There's also the added factor of the time of the year as some fragrances are deemed more suitable for colder seasons and other scents are more fitting for spring and summer.
For autumn: The White Company's Fireside Diffuser (opens in new tab)
For Christmas: The White Company Fir Tree Diffuser (opens in new tab)
For year-round use: Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Reed Diffuser (opens in new tab)
You can, if you're feeling crafty, get stuck into making your own reed diffuser thanks to our step-by-step guide. This also makes a lovely homemade gift idea.
What are the benefits of reed diffusers?
A reed diffuser is a great alternative to a candle, and it's much safer with no flame or heat involved. They offer peace of mind when used around pets and children, though you'll still want to put them out of reach. Reed diffusers are also, the majority of the time, longer lasting than candles. A reed diffuser emits an aroma 24/7 and some can last for months of use. Let's not forget that some reed diffusers, unlike candles or room sprays, are refillable. This means you need only invest in the vessel once then you can buy a fragrance refill for a cheaper price. You can find 100% natural reed diffusers, scented with only essential oils if that's important to you. Also, let's not forget that reed diffusers in general offer a more subtle and gentle release of fragrance. So, if you're not a fan of heavy fragrances then opting for a reed diffuser might be your best bet.
6 things to consider when choosing a reed diffuser
1. Is your reed diffuser refillable?
With candles, once they’re gone, they’re gone. Not so with reed diffusers, which can be topped up with new fragrance oil when it's run out. Just make sure that when you buy a diffuser refill you discard your old reeds, as they’ll be saturated with all the scent they’ve soaked up from the first round of oil and won’t soak up any more.
2. Consider scents you normally like
So now you know why to buy a diffuser, which one should you buy? If you don’t know what you like, choosing a fragrance can be the hardest part of shopping for a scent diffuser, but looking for individual scent families is a good place to start. Florals are fairly self-explanatory, and while some of them might get a bad rap for being overdone or cloying, our floral picks are all combined with fruity and fresh notes to keep things modern. For a more unexpected home fragrance, consider something from the woody or spicy families, or on the other end of the spectrum, a fresher, 'greener' scent.
3. Size and lifespan
We've listed the size of each reed diffuser above. The larger the diffuser, the longer it will last. And don't forget that the more reeds in the fragrance, the quicker it will empty. Plus, the more often you flip the reeds the quicker the fragrance will need to be refilled or replaced, too. It's worth bearing this in mind when looking at the price of a reed diffuser – when will you next need to pay to refill or replace it?
4. Look at its vessel
Make a point to buy a reed diffuser that will fit in with your home decor, because it will have to be placed in the centre of a room. Also, be sure to consider if this vessel is recyclable after use and if not then you might want to ensure refills are available so that you needn't throw away the vessel after use.
5. Does it come in other forms?
If you like your home to smell the same, from one room to the other, then be sure to check whether the reed diffuser you have picked comes in other forms. Think candles, wax melts, room sprays.
Are reed diffusers safe for pets?
Love a reed diffuser, but heard about the potentially toxic effects on your pet? It's not just scaremongering: dogs and cats have a much stronger sense of smell than us and can be overwhelmed by strong scents. Moreover, if they are exposed to strong perfume over long periods of time, it can make them ill by damaging their livers. Here are some solutions:
1. Limit the use of your reed diffuser to parts of the house your pet doesn't spend much time in, for example, your home office or bathroom.
2. If you do want to keep using a reed diffuser in the main room, keep the space well-ventilated and allow your pet access to the outdoors. Consider putting the diffuser away for the night.
3. Some natural fragrances are safe for pets, notably the oils of rose, jasmine, and lavender (we mean only to inhale, of course, never to ingest). Look out for natural and organic reed diffusers that use these calm florals, and avoid anything citrus or pine fragranced. For more information and safety advice read whether diffusers are bad for dogs.
As far as fire safety is concerned otherwise, reed diffusers are a better bet than candles that mustn’t be left burning unattended.
Otherwise, if you're into DIY, then see our guide on how to make a reed diffuser using essential oils, to create your very own concoction.
How to preserve a reed diffuser for later
If you've bought a reed diffuser to be used at a certain time of the year, there's a way that you can preserve the fragrance for next year if you haven't used it all up.
We often do this with our reed diffusers to save them for next use, and so that we can switch up the scent of our home every few months. All you need is some cling film (preferably recyclable cling film to be kinder to the environment) and a sealable sandwich bag.
It's worth us noting that this only works with reed diffusers that have collars. Here's what to do to preserve your reed diffusers:
1. Remove your reeds and dispose of them.
2. Cut off a generous amount of plastic wrap to cover the hole of the reed diffuser that the reeds usually sit inside.
3. Screw off the reed diffuser's collar and cover the hole with saran wrap.
4. Screw back on the collar and make sure that the cling film is tightly attached.
5. Store somewhere dark, cool, and out of the way.
You'll need to buy new reeds when you next want to use the diffuser, but this is a great way to prevent waste and make sure you use it entirely.
