Best reed diffusers – 9 top luxury fragrances for your home

The Livingetc guide on the best reed diffusers to scent your home in 2022 — and beyond

Best reed diffusers graphic with Rituals diffuser, Diptyque reed diffuser, Nest New York reed diffuser and Skandinavisk reed diffuser
(Image credit: Future)

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

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The best oriental reed diffuser

The best fruity reed diffuser

The best citrus reed diffuser

The best floral reed diffuser

The best herbal reed diffuser

The best fresh reed diffuser

The best vanilla reed diffuser

The best spicy reed diffuser

The best woody reed diffuser


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?

Floral Street vanilla candle and vanilla reed diffuser in yellow on side with flowers

(Image credit: Floral Street)

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.

Annie Collyer
Deputy Ecommerce Editor

Annie is Livingetc's Deputy Ecommerce Editor, and with a penchant for shopping and four years of ecommerce experience in her cart, she's more than equipped to advise when it comes to exactly the home decor you need to buy for your home. With a particular love of home fragrance, she always ensures her interiors emanate a luxurious scent to match her bijou residence. Annie and her team work to provide you with the best in-class content, whether you are searching for fluffy towels for your bathroom, clever drawer organizers for your kitchen or even a new dinnerware set for when guests come to dine. Whatever the season — or the latest trend — Annie and her team work to cover events for Livingetc, whether that be holidays or sale events, spanning Mother's Day to Black Friday.

Annie's knowledge has been sprawled across several homes websites, including Real Homes, Ideal Home, Homes & Gardens and Gardeningetc. She has also injected her ecommerce skills into the titles of Woman & Home and Country & Townhouse.

Annie lives in South East London in a sizeable two-bed apartment with her husband-to-be and her Pug called Doug. Annie's space, though surprisingly substantial, lacks storage space meaning that she's always on the lookout for things to buy to maximize space at home. She's currently redecorating this space whilst on a budget, and loves discovering a dupe or DIYing something to look triple its price tag. Next on her list of things to do at home are DIY crittal-style doors leading from her living room to her hallway.

You can follow Annie's home Instagram account at @athome.withannie.