In search of the best reed diffuser to effortlessly scent your home, and to compliment your interiors? Here, we've compiled a list of the most impressively elegant buys, and we've made sure to mention a favorite reed diffuser from each scent family. From floral to fruity, spicy to woody, and even fresh and oriental, every reed diffuser that you need to know about is right here.
A reed diffuser is a safe way to permeate fragrance into the air inside your home. This method is preferred by many over candles, mostly because it doesn't require a strike of a match, but also it's controllable: you can add and remove reeds to your fragrance so as to suit your room size. Simply flip these reeds for a scent boost before guests arrive to make a good impression.
A reed diffuser, in our eyes, is an integral part of your home decor. It's the only way to ensure that your home always smells nice, and they are usually always aesthetically pleasing so that you can perch them on a coffee table or atop a shelf. Michelle Feeney, the founder of Floral Street, agrees with us. "Scenting your spaces can make you feel good about life, by creating the right atmosphere to reflect how you want to feel".
Place one of these reed diffusers in an entryway, to greet guests, inside your bathroom to mask odors and air in this room, or even inside your bedroom or living room for constant freshness. Within this list, you'll spot some of the best home fragrance buys, and if you are looking for candles or room sprays to compliment your new reed diffuser, we can also assist.
“A diffuser is the ultimate scented scene-setter, creating a sophisticated atmosphere from the moment you enter a room”
Jo Malone
The best reed diffusers to buy in 2022
Livingetc knows design. We spend hours testing and comparing the latest products, bringing only our edit of the very best to you. Find out more about how we review.
The best oriental reed diffuser
Size: 70ml
Scent: Oriental/Floral
Rituals' Sakura reed diffuser is understated and eccentric, with sweet and creamy notes. It might be small in size but rest assured it makes up for it in fragrance power. It can scent a large room, plus it looks the part in an elegant glass white vessel.
The Rituals Sakura scent is made using a blend of rice milk and cherry blossom – it's creamy at first whiff, but with sweet aftermath. It's undoubtedly a happy scent, but also nice and subtle at the same time so as not to overpower a room. We say to place this diffuser in the middle of a living room, or in an entryway to flood your rooms subtly with scent.
They say that Rituals' reed diffusers are made so that you needn't spin the reeds, and although it's fragranced, we do recommend flipping them before guests are coming over – or whenever want a boost. Once this reed diffuser becomes empty, you can buy a large refill bottle to top it up whenever is needed.
The best fruity reed diffuser
Size: 200ml
Scent: Fruity
The iconic Diptyque Baies candle now comes in reed diffuser form, to effortlessly release this gorgeous fragrance into your home all day long. The Baies diffuser looks as good as it smells since it's poured into a faceted oval glass vessel. It's elegant and its soft-looking rattan reeds allow the fragrance to escape into the air.
The perfect fruity blend, this diffuser is designed for large spaces such as an entryway, bedroom, or living area. It's scented with tangy blackcurrants that are blended with rose to make for a unique combination. Made in France and endlessly refillable, this diffuser works even better with the Baies candle burning in the next room.
The best citrus reed diffuser
Size: 5.9 fl oz
Scent: Citrus
Highly rated by reviewers, this citrus reed diffuser is fit for year-round use, whether it's fall, mid-summer, or deep in the wintertime. It will ensure your home smells fresh all day long, and we say to place it in a bathroom or entryway for uninterrupted fragrance. It arrives inside an elegant glass vessel etched with frosted stripes, and it comes complete with 8 rattan reeds. Use all 8 reeds inside a large room, or for smaller spaces, you might want to start with 4 and add more if needed.
Fragranced with the obvious scent of grapefruit, this reed diffuser is well-balanced with watery green notes, lily of the valley fragrance, and some coriander blossom. They say it's energetic, and reviewers say it's a refreshing, subtle, and long-lasting addition to your home.
The best floral reed diffuser
Size: 1.5 oz.
Scent: Floral
This Paddywax reed diffuser is highly rated online, and it's perfect for spring and summer, for bringing the smell of the outdoors inside. The fragrance sits inside a milky glass vessel with four wooden reeds. It arrives ready to gift in a gold foil tube, too.
A unique combination that's anything but boring, this diffuser has citrus top notes that are balanced with sparkling aldehydes and coconut water. Otherwise, it's fragranced with jasmine, pink peonies, rosewood, white gardenia, and more. We think it's the perfect floral reed diffuser for anyone with a penchant for sweet smells.
The best herbal reed diffuser
Size: 5.1 fl.oz
Scent: Herbal
This herbal reed diffuser from The White Company doesn't just look good, but it emits an impressive fragrance that's uplifting. It's a stylish way to scent your home, that's for sure. It will even last for three months (or more!) in your home, depending on how many reeds you use it along with.
The Geranium Leaf Diffuser obviously has notes of geranium, but also peppermint and Sicilian orange. The ultimate calm combination to add a little something different to the air in your home. It's also nice and subtle so it could be placed anywhere, from a bedroom to a kitchen. This fragrance is poured into a gorgeous white ceramic vessel, which is not only unobtrusive but it would look lovely on display.
This reed diffuser from The White Company arrives packaged inside a classic The White Company box, with five rattan reeds included. You can also buy a matching candle, hand wash, hand creme and more, should you be wowed by the blend of scents.
The best fresh reed diffuser
Size: 200ml
Scent: Fresh
If you are in search of a fresh-smelling reed diffuser, perhaps for use in a kitchen, bathroom, or a room in which is frequently used, then this Skandinavisk option would be our top pick. We own the matching candle and simply just cannot get enough of this scent. It should last for 12 weeks or longer, depending on how large the room it is placed in is.
Fresh smelling so as to rid your home of odors, the scent of this reed diffuser – ØY – is perfectly subtle while still managing to be noticeable. With notes of crabapple and dog rose, water mosses, and green leaves. The word unique springs to mind. What else do we love when it comes to this reed diffuser? You can buy refills once it's finished, so you needn't buy the gorgeous blue glass vessel again.
The glass vessel the scent sits inside is made from partially recyclable materials and it's dishwasher-proof. Its wooden stopper is even FSC-certified and the packaging is eco-friendly and made from natural color dyes. Included with this diffuser comes eight wooden scent sticks that are to be added or removed according to your room size – and how strong you like your home fragrance.
The best vanilla reed diffuser
Size: 100ml
Scent: Vanilla
The uplifting aroma of Floral Street's Vanilla Bloom reed diffuser is one that has the power to turn a room from drab-looking to fab smelling. It can immediately lighten an otherwise tired-looking space, whether that be a bathroom that's in need of some new tiles, a bedroom that needs a fresh lick of paint, or an overused living room. Plus, its bright yellow design ought to add a happy pop of color to a console table or surface.
Scented with vanilla beans, liquid musks, and crisp amber for warmth, and balanced with juicy plums for good measure, this scent is undeniably delicate. It also emanates a distinctive scent your nose will enjoy – and your guests will comment on.
Housed inside a bright yellow vessel, it scents the air with its thick black reeds. Five reeds come included, but add as you wish to suit your room size. This reed diffuser is also cruelty-free and created using sustainably sourced ingredients – plus, it comes in gorgeous recyclable packaging. An important bonus!
The best spicy reed diffuser
Size: 5fl oz,
Scent: Spicy
This Molton Brown bestseller is made in England and it's cruelty-free and vegan, as well as phthalate- and paraben-free. It's a spicy blend that will keep your home feeling cozy in fall, not to mention it sits inside a classy glass bottle that's recyclable after use. A total of 8 rattan reeds come included with the diffuser.
Scented with spicy black pepper and ginger, and balanced with earthy vetvier. It also boasts herby notes from coriander oil and basil. There's no other option if it's around-the-clock scenting you are after, as this powerful diffuser can offer just that — and more. It can fill a room almost instantly and is never overpowering, plus it's impressively long-lasting.
The best woody reed diffuser
Size: 5.1 fl.oz
Scent: Woody
Searching for a warming reed diffuser for fall? This fragrance will conjure up a welcoming atmosphere in your home, to take your interior from feeling happy and warm from summer, to cozy and welcoming for fall and winter. Emanating an immediate scent as soon as the reeds touch the fragrance liquid, this diffuser is irresistibly impressive.
No fireplace? No problem. With woody and warm notes of birch and amber, place this alluring scent inside your coziest room – a bedroom or living room – and it'll have you thinking a roaring fire is right beside you. This fragrance has the ability to flood a room, no matter its size, and we obviously recommend flipping your reeds regularly.
Sitting inside a classic The White Company glass vessel, Fireside comes in a 150ml size – to last approximately 3 months. Rattan reeds come included and it arrives in a gorgeous box making it gift-worthy.
How to get the most out of your reed diffuser?
Once you've picked the best reed diffuser for your home — and your scent preference — here are a few things you'll need to take note of, when it comes to looking after your reed diffuser.
Firstly, you'll want to start with fewer sticks and add them as you require. Don't use all of the reeds in that come with the fragrance at once, or you might end up with a very overpowering fragrance. The number of reeds you will want to use will depend on the size of the room it will sit inside, as well as how airy this room is.
Reed diffusers usually prefer to sit in the middle of a room. Selected reed diffusers can be placed pretty much anywhere, although we always recommend placing a reed diffuser close to the center of a room. This way, the scent will flood its fragrance around the entire room, without missing a corner.
You'll want to flip the reeds in your diffuser once every three or four days, depending on how strong its fragrance is. Otherwise, as a rule, you can just flip them every time they begin to stop smelling.
Last but not least, selected reed diffusers will prefer warmer rooms. So, if yours isn't doing its job and you can't smell it, then try moving it around your home until you find somewhere it works. Don't give up.
What to consider when buying a reed diffuser?
There are just a few things to consider when buying a reed diffuser for your home — beyond the scent and the look of the glass vessel. These are:
What size is your diffuser?
It goes without saying that the larger the reed diffuser, the longer it should last in your home. Also, the bigger the room, the bigger you want the diffuser. This is because you will need to use more reeds to scent a larger room, therefore the fragrance will soak up through the reeds faster.
What are the reeds made from?
We've found that thin reeds and wooden reeds aren't the best options, as they prevent the diffuser from emitting as much fragrance. Opt for thicker reeds or ones that are made of rattan. This is also a sign of a high-quality reed diffuser.
How many reeds come included?
A reed diffuser that only comes with five reeds may not be the best for larger homes or rooms. With this in mind, it would be beneficial to opt for a diffuser with five or more reeds included, and you can always take some out should the fragrance be too strong.
Can you buy refills?
This is important if you've set your eye on a diffuser that is a high price, as it means you need only buy the diffuser vessel once and after it's finished, you can simply buy a (more affordable) refill. This also makes for less waste on the environment.
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