The Better Homes & Gardens Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser is a budget aromatherapy lamp that makes a discreet but stylish addition to any room. Its most basic function is a humidifier, adding a cool mist into the air. If you add a few drops of your preferred essential oil to the water and turn on the changing LED mood light, this little device does a lot to change a room’s ambiance. We put this oil diffuser through our tests to see if the budget find was worth it.
Design and Construction: Compact and discreet
The design of this oil diffuser is straightforward and user-friendly. For the exterior, we chose the Moroccan Scroll pattern. There are several other designs by Better Homes and Gardens, all inspired by the pages of their magazine, such as the Antique Copper Tabriz or the Delicate Filigree. The Moroccan Scroll shell is an antiqued metal finish and feels very sturdy when sliding it off to fill the 100mL tank with water. The tight fit and metal exterior are a great combination to stand up to potential falls. The diffuser has a diameter of just 3.5 inches and stands at 6 inches tall, meaning it easily fits onto a shelf or side table without taking up much space. The included power cable is 70 inches long, a perfect size for running behind a nightstand or bookshelf. We appreciated that we didn’t have to rearrange everything to fit this diffuser seamlessly into a room. There are two buttons on the front of the diffuser, the power button and the light button. The power button just has two settings—on and off. The light button, which can be used independently of the diffuser, has 16 different light settings. You can opt to let it slowly scroll through the entire light sequence or choose to remain on any of the colors in either the “bright” or “soft” settings. The lamp’s design aesthetic dramatically changes depending on the backlit lamp color you choose and is very customizable to match your space. It was interesting to find that the two buttons on the front of the diffuser worked entirely independent of each other, if you turn the power to the diffuser off, the light will stay on. The sensor can detect that the diffuser has run out of water and automatically shuts down. This feature is excellent for ensuring safe diffuser operation, but might not be ideal for those who want the night light to remain on indefinitely. A 100ml tank can run for about 4 hours without being refilled. This compact size is large enough to scent a medium or small room. The downside is that with such a small tank, you will inevitably be filling it up more often. Also, there is no timer or other options, beyond on and off, when controlling the water vapor. We would have loved to see an added timer or an intermittent setting for more customization.
Setup Process: Quick and straightforward
The infuser includes instructions, although the setup was fairly self-explanatory. You remove the shell and the water cap, and fill the tank to the marked “fill line.” When filling, you will have to unplug the diffuser and bring it to the sink or use a measuring cup. Once the tank is full, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and put the cap and shell back on. Plug it in, press the power button, and you’re all set. The pamphlet included with the diffuser noted that you could use between 1 to 10 drops of oil. Oils vary based on their concentration. For clarification, we consulted the guidelines on our oil bottle. The bottle instructions suggested using four drops of essential oil, which was far too much scent for our medium-sized room. We had to open all the windows and let everything air out. When we diffused again, we started with just a single drop. We recommend starting low until you find your preferred number of drops—it is easy enough to add more. Better Homes & Gardens sells a multi-pack of oils for $14 to go with the diffuser, but we opted to purchase a lemongrass scent at a local store. There are a wide range of potential benefits based on your fragrance preferences and the oil properties. This diffuser uses ultrasonic vibrations to break down the water and essential oils into microparticles, resulting in a fine mist. Unlike some other diffusers, there is no heat used in the diffusing process. This diffuser preserves the integrity of the oil.
Operation: Almost seamless
Once we figured out the correct ratio of oil to water, the diffuser worked very well. Toggling the buttons to the preferred lighting scheme was easy. The one drawback that hinders a totally seamless integration into a room was the slight noise the diffuser made. Although it is a small diffuser, it makes an ambient bubbling noise you’d expect from a large humidifier. It isn’t distracting, but it is noticeable. One of its remarkable features is that the light works independently from the vaporizing. You can choose only to use it as a night light when you don’t want to have the diffuser going. Although, you should not leave the light on all the time since the bulbs are not replaceable.
Price: Right in-line with the average
You can find it on sale for about $24, and the Better Home & Gardens diffuser is right on point for other diffusers of its type. So, while it’s not scaring anyone off, there is a lot of competition. The diffuser market actually has a wide range of price points for those looking to add one to their home. This diffuser is unique in that it has a lot of features for a great price. At the low end, around $20, there are a lot of options all similar to the Better Homes & Gardens’ design with slight differences in style, capabilities, and size. On the high end, diffusers can be priced over $100 which seems like a lot comparatively. The higher priced models usually come in different styles and are made of higher-grade materials like glass or ceramic.
Competition: Each one is just a little bit different
Vitruvi Porcelain Essential Oil Diffuser: At a much higher price point than the Better Homes & Gardens diffuser, the Vitruvi only has one light option. But, the Vitruvi gives the user the option to have a 3-hour continuous stream or a 7.5 hour intermittent setting. The intermittent setting is a real bonus here but depending on the user’s preferences, the cheaper price tag might still prevail. URPOWER 300ml Essential Oil Diffuser: The URPOWER has a larger footprint for the same price as the Better Homes & Gardens diffuser. The URPOWER includes a timer, multiple light settings, and a larger water tank, giving the Better Homes & Gardens model stiff competition. Where URPOWER may fall flat is its look, the Better Homes & Gardens diffuser offers stylish encasements that add another element to your room’s decor. The Better Homes & Gardens looks like a classy diffuser at a perfect price point for the features it boasts. The variety in lights makes it a fun addition to the room, while the Moroccan shell gives it a sleek design. It’s a great addition to any small or medium-sized room that could use a discreet aromatherapy light.
