In order to achieve my dream of a houseful of diffusers, I needed to find some quality ones that had an affordable price tag for multiple purchases. This set us off on a journey of research to find a few outstanding essential oil diffusers out of the hundreds you can find with a quick internet search.
Best diffusers for the entire family
Young Living does a great job of getting a high-quality diffuser in everyone’s house by offering a free one in any premium starter kit purchase. It’s how I got my first one and I was hooked!
Then I bought another one when there was a sale, and at that point, I was truly invested. Once winter hit one year with all its ickiness and transferrable cooties, I realized that I really did need a diffuser in just about every room. Particularly helpful in all bedrooms and main living spaces. I guess the hall closet probably doesn’t need one, but hey, if I found a great deal…just kidding.
As we’ve mentioned before, we chose to narrow down the options by utilizing the following criteria:
- Priced under $20
- Ultrasonic diffusers (No heat!)
- Designed for essential oils (No warmers for synthetic perfumes)
- Over 100 customer reviews
- Average of at least 4 out of 5 stars across all customer reviews
Thankfully, this shrunk the choices down quite a bit and we came up with a list of almost 30 diffusers that met all of the above criteria! I love that there are so many options for styles, colors, added features etc. It makes it fun to buy different ones to match different personalities in our home. These are the ones we found and love:
Diffuser for Girls
My daughter wants diffusers that have ALL the colors so she can pick which one suits her mood at any given time.
- Highlights: “Choose your favorite LED color or let your diffuser cycle through all 7 beautiful colors.” Auto shutoff, 30-day money-back guarantee, 1-year manufacturer warranty, and constant or intermittent mist modes.
Diffuser for Boys
My son wanted a smaller diffuser that took up less space on his dresser so “it doesn’t get in the way of [his] dominos or Lego creations!”
- Highlights: It’s a mini diffuser that is about the size of a soda can. It’s portable and plugs in using a USB cord.
Diffuser for the Husband
My husband needed a diffuser with a long-lasting timer so he can set it and go without having to think about it again.
- Highlights: This runs about “3 hours in continuous mode or 6 hours in intermittent,” but we’ve found that it will last closer to 8 hours on intermittent which is perfect for nighttime!
Diffuser for the Wife
Meanwhile, I wanted a diffuser that was whisper quiet as I’m a light sleeper and didn’t need more noise to interrupt my sleep.
- Highlights: Less than 35 dB of noise. Auto shut-off, continual or intermittent mist options, colored lights. Plus, this one has a 45 Day Money Back Guarantee and 18 Month Warranty
Diffusers for the Car
There are basically 3 options for car diffusers: one that fits in a standard cup holder (pictured), the kind that fit into the cigarette lighter of your car, or make your own (add oils to cotton balls and stick in your air vents or make an essential oil car diffuser out of clay). (The one pictured above looks huge, but it’s actually about the size of a soda can and has pretty good reviews!)
Free Comprehensive Diffuser Guide
Now that you have some diffusers in mind, be sure you are using your diffusers effectively to get the most out of them. We gathered up our best tips and tricks for using essential oil diffusers and recorded a video talking about diffusing here.
Essential Oil Diffuser Recipes
- Diffuser Recipes for Energizing
- Diffuser Recipes for Focus
- Diffuser Recipes for Get Up & Go Mornings
- Diffuser Recipes for Lifting Moods
- Diffuser Recipes for Purifying
- Diffuser Recipes for Sleep
- or check out all of our diffuser recipes here.
See MORE Essential Oil Diffusers under $20
See all of our top picks from our research on essential oil diffusers that met all of the criteria we mentioned above.
New to essential oils? Learn more about how we use them and why you should use them as well.
Diane says
Are these diffusers safe when using citrus oils?
Jenn says
I would be comfortable with it, especially because they are so heavily diluted with water. You should definitely wipe out the water container once it cycles through though to keep it clean, but that’s recommended no matter what oils you use. 🙂