A diffuser is an affordable and simple way to spread a delightful therapeutic smell of essential oils throughout your home or workplace. Smaller models can struggle to spread the scent around the corners of a room and you might not feel the full aromatherapy effects.
I’m here to help you find a diffuser that is right for your big space! I’ve reviewed and rated the best models for large rooms and have compiled this “best of” list, from which you can pick the perfect solution. I independently research, test and recommend the best brands to help online shoppers navigate better products.
I hope you find something suitable among the ideas I’m offering.
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Why You Need a Large Capacity Essential Oil Diffuser
The use of essential oils in large rooms is often a difficult task. If you have an open concept main floor or living room, it can be frustrating when your diffuser lacks the power to spread the smell across the whole space. After all, you hope to enjoy aromatherapy benefits no matter where you sit in your room.
Another talking point when choosing an oil diffuser is its run time. If it doesn’t last sufficiently long, you’ll find yourself having to refill it too often. Think about running a spa or yoga retreat. You don’t want to have to refill your diffuser every 2-3 hours. You need a model with a runtime of at least 6-10 hours.
There are lots of essential oil diffusers for big spaces available on the market. All of the products I discuss here are specifically made for use in large rooms so you can avoid some of these problems discussed.
These units are all over 300 mL in water tank size, and have a run time of around 8-10+ hours on average.
Let’s dig into the list!
Best Diffusers for Large Rooms
1. Best Overall
This classy ultrasonic essential oil diffuser won our tests on multiple levels: design/style, function/features, and overall efficiency/run time.
To start, it offers a 500 mL water tank, which is ideal for large rooms and big spaces such as a yoga studio or open concept main floor. It covers an area of up to 480 square feet, running up to 20 hours at a time. The diffuser has a timer setting, which you can set at 1H / 3H / 6H or continuous ON mode.
Further, this diffuser uses noise reduction technology, guaranteeing low noise with no water dripping sounds. The decibel rating is 25 dB. This diffuser is designed to create a soothing and restful environment for relaxing, learning, working or sleeping.
One of the best features of this ultrasonic diffuser are the independent buttons for mist mode and color mode. Press each button separately to get the desired function. With that, you can run it as a night light only, or as a cool mist humidifier only. Or of course, you can run both the mist and lights function together. The light option cycles through 7 colors, or you can pause/set it to stay on one specific color only by pressing the light button when the cycle is on the color of choice.
When it comes to oil diffusers for large rooms, this one will do the job perfectly! With its modern design and sleek look, this ultrasonic aromatherapy diffuser makes a great and valuable gift for your friends and family. It is available in 4 distinct colors: green, blue, indigo and pink.
2. Runner-Up
This diffuser from BZseed is a great option when shopping for diffusers for large rooms. It is listed as Amazon’s Choice for a reason!
To start, it comes in 4 distinct color options, allowing you to match the decor in your home: black, white, dark wood and light wood. The materials are plastic, with a faux wood finish.
It has a 550 mL capacity BPA-free water tank and can run over 10 hours. Actually, it has a high mist mode and low mist mode. High mist will run for 9-10 hours, low mist for 10-12.
Further, you can customize the light mode between bright and dim mode, constant color or rotation of 7 colors. Set and change the lights to whatever you feel at the moment!
The timer settings include popular 1H / 3H / 6H or continuous ON options. When the time is up or there is no more water, this cool mist humidifier will turn off automatically.
Oil diffusers do create a tiny bit of white noise – but you barely notice it, especially if you sit further away in your room. These kinds of ultrasonic essential oil diffusers generate the vapor without any heat, which best preserves the integrity of the essential oil used.
3. Best Budget Option
This BPA-free aromatherapy essential oil diffuser is just under $20, which is a great deal! It comes in 3 color choices: black (pictured), white, and beech wood brown (yellow).
Its water reservoir is 400 ml in size, allowing a run time of 8-10 hours. You can set the timer on this diffuser for 1H / 3H / 6H or continuous ON mode. When the water runs out, this ultrasonic essential oil diffuser automatically shuts off.
Use the 7 colors light mode to create a smooth ambiance in your home. The soft mood lighting makes it perfect for relaxation or as a night light.
What I like best is that even though it is a budget option, the unit does not make a horrendous amount of noise. Its noise levels are rated at 35 dB. This is less than the average noise level in a public library and should not disturb you and the rest of your family.
4. Best Diffuser with Remote Control
When you’re sitting in one corner of your living room and your aromatherapy diffuser is placed in the other corner, a remote control sure comes in handy!
This quiet, 500 ml ultrasonic diffuser in stylish natural brown is a great option for a large essential oil diffuser. It’s comfortable to operate and rated for large spaces.
It features 4 timer modes (Steady ON / 1H / 2H /3H), 2 mist modes (high/low), 7 soft light options, and a safe auto shut-off function. It is easy to fill with water by simply lifting off the diffuser cover.
When it comes to oil diffusers, this model is guaranteed to be a hit for your large space!
5. Best Smart Diffuser
The Sierra Smart Diffuser takes comfort up a notch by adding control features that are linked directly to an app on your smart phone. The unit is also compatible with Alexa and Google Home.
The app allows you to change colors, the diffuser mist levels, and set schedules. This aromatherapy essential oil diffuser also has a setting for strong or weak mist, which is great to adjust the intensity of scent you wish to disperse throughout your home.
Its 400 ml water tank lasts up to 12 hours. When the water has ran out, the diffuser automatically shuts itself off.
While I love this diffuser for its smart capabilities and ability to schedule on/off, it does lack a timer. This simply means that you have to turn it off manually, schedule it to turn off via smart app, or let it run out of water for it to turn itself off on its own.
6. Best Nebulizing Diffuser for Large Spaces
A nebulizing diffuser works differently than an ultrasonic diffuser. It operates without the addition of water. You use only pure essential oils in the unit. The scent usually comes out quite concentrated, which is a nice feature. That said, for larger spaces, a diffuser needs to be able to disperse the scent into all corners of the space.
I’ve found a waterless diffuser for large spaces that does just that! The LOXIM MiniDiva nebulizing aromatherapy diffuser is designed with bigger areas in mind.
This oil diffuser uses high-frequency atomization technology that works for all essential oil types, including blends mixed in fractionated coconut oil, which cannot be used in traditional ultrasonic diffusers.
Without the need for water, you simply screw in the essential oil bottle directly into the diffuser. It works with both 10 ml and 15 ml bottle sizes.
I also really like that this diffuser is battery-operated, which lets you easily place it anywhere in your space. No need for a cord clogging up your countertop, or needing to be placed near an outlet.
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7. Best Natural Look
I’ve picked the Asakuki brand essential oil diffuser for its impeccable, natural stylish look. It is an amazing multifunction aromatherapy device. Not only does it look pretty, it also offers everything the other diffusers have: timer modes, color modes, ease of use and auto shut-off. Plus, it also has a remote control to operate the unit from across the room.
With a noise level of less than 25 dB and a runtime of up to 12 hours, this diffuser would work great to run overnight as well. In case it runs out of water, it has an auto shut-off function.
What I particularly like about this essential oil diffuser is that you can operate the light and mist modes separately. Each has their own button. This lets you use the diffuser as a simple night light, or completely without lights and just using it as a cool mist humidifier. Hooray for versatility!
Diffuser Buying Tips
As you’re shopping for the best essential oil diffuser to meet your needs, I have a few veteran tips for you. To date, I have personally tested over 30 different aroma diffusers and have learned a thing or two. I hope you find my recommendations useful.
Here are my best tips for you:
Price
It’s a good idea to set yourself a target price point for your diffuser. You can get a great diffuser for $20 – or spend over $200 for a fancy oil diffuser. They will both do the trick, and a cheaper price doesn’t mean it will work poorly. More expensive units are usually more unique, more stylish, or have better product warranty.
Style
As an accessory in your home, the style of your diffuser matters! Some models have that quite classic “vase” look, while others aim to look modern and unique. Many diffusers come in multiple color options, most commonly black, white, and some kind of faux wood look.
Plastics
Most diffusers are made from plastic materials, even when they try to look natural with faux wood patterns. Most diffusers are BPA-free these days, but look in the product specs to make sure!
Warranty
It’s a good idea to check the warranty or returns policy before buying your oil diffuser. It can range from anywhere between 6 months – 5 years.
Plug-in Type
When buying an oil diffuser for large rooms, double-check the plug-in it comes with. Most diffusers use wall plug-ins, which is a cord that goes directly from the diffuser to the wall. Some oil diffusers offer USB plug-in as an option. With that, they usually still have an adapter to get electricity from the wall plug. Battery-operated diffusers are less common and usually state that they are portable.
Cleaning Your Diffuser
Calcium and minerals in tap water leave a residue inside your diffuser that looks like white dust. You can run your diffuser with distilled water instead of regular water if you’re having issues with white powder. But the best prevention is maintenance. Clean your diffuser regularly!
Use gentle soap for cleaning your ultrasonic essential oil diffuser. Alternately, you can add a few drops of white vinegar and 1/2 cup of water, and run the diffuser briefly in a well-ventilated space. Make sure to rinse it out thoroughly after cleaning. Use a Q-tip for getting into tough to reach spots, such as around the ultrasonic disc. I have written more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to clean your essential oil diffuser here.
Most manuals recommend a cleaning after every 3-5 uses. Personally, I find that a bit excessive. I clean mine about once per month, which is 20-30 uses. But remember to take a look at the owner’s manual for the diffuser you bought. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning your diffuser effectively. If there are ever any warranty issues, you’ll want to make sure that you have followed the instructions from the manufacturer.
In Summary
Shopping for an oil diffuser for large spaces is no easy task. An essential diffuser should have basic safety features along with a creative design to fit into your home decor. I hope my list of best essential oil diffusers has helped you see the differences in some of the features and options that these units have. Your final choice will definitely depend on your needs and preferences.
If you have any ideas to share or questions to ask, feel free to add them in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts!
Need inspiration on what to diffuse? Get started with my 130+ diffuser blend recipes for all occasions.
Happy diffusing!
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