InnoGear specializes in essential oil diffusers and LED lights. While their products run the gamut from no-frills to feature-rich, we wanted to see how the InnoGear Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser—a small, budget-friendly offering—held up in our home. Read on for our verdict.
Design: Compact—but at a cost
The most noticeable feature of the InnoGear Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser is that it is very compact. With a 3.9 x 5.5 x 3.9-inch profile, the unit requires little space. The power cord is about 6-feet long, which will give you a ton of flexibility when using it in even the smallest cubicle or bedroom. Design-wise, this diffuser tapers upwards and it looks like a cross between a flameless electric candle and a small humidifier. On the front of the diffuser, there are two buttons: one that controls the color settings and one that manages the mist. We found that the biggest problem with the design is the cap. Screwing the cap on and off is a little difficult, and we weren’t able to do so without spilling water. Because of this, we’d recommend opening the cap away from anything that could be damaged by water. The other problem with this diffuser is the size of the water tank. Remember how we mentioned how compact the device is? That comes at the expense of a larger water tank. With a maximum capacity of 100 ml of water, it can run continuously for three to four hours. Many of the other diffusers we tested had a capacity of 300 ml and they offered triple the runtime. All that said, if you’re planning to use the diffuser in a compact space and for just a few hours at a time, this may not be an issue.
Operation: Smooth and customizable
Aside from our difficulty with opening the diffuser, operating the Model InnoGear Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser is really easy. Once the water tank is full, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil scent (we used grapefruit); the instructions recommend two or three drops per full tank of water. To start diffusing, all you have to do is press the mist button to turn it on. By pressing the mist button, you can toggle between the diffuser’s intermittent and continuous modes. The mist button turns green when in intermittent mode and turns red in continuous mode. With a full water tank, the diffuser will run continuously for three to four hours. On intermittent mode, the diffuser runs for about seven hours, misting every 30 seconds. According to the manufacturer, the device is designed to cover a room approximately 100 square feet. After testing at home, we found this was a pretty accurate description as it was able to adequately scent a small bedroom, but it wasn’t noticeable in the hallway. When the diffuser is running, it is completely silent. It’s so quiet, in fact, that we could see it being used as a night light as well. The diffuser releases steam at a slight angle, and we found that this helped scent the room much quicker than diffusers that release the steam in a more upright manner. If you do choose to use it at night, the auto shut-off feature will also come in handy. The diffuser will power off as soon as it runs out of water, so you don’t have to worry about burning it out as you sleep. By pressing the light button at the base of the diffuser, three LED lights will activate. The InnoGear Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser can cycle through seven vibrant colors—though nothing bright enough to be a distraction. If you’re using the diffuser in a more subdued or professional environment, you can turn off the colored light feature by pressing the light button again. Emptying the diffuser isn’t too difficult. Again, taking off the cap can lead to some accidental spillage, but once it’s off, cleaning the InnoGear diffuser is pretty easy. Still can’t decide on what you want? Take a peek at some of the best whole-home humidifiers you can buy.
Price: Major selling point
The InnoGear Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser is indisputably well-priced. At less than $20, the unit is a bargain and the money you save on it can be put toward essential oils. Though it is smaller, that shouldn’t be an issue for most moderate users. Even though it’s an inexpensive model, we also appreciate that the company stands by its quality, offering a 45-day money back guarantee and a one-year warranty. To sweeten the deal, if you register your diffuser, they will extend the warranty for an extra six months. For a product that retails for under $20, that is quite a bargain.
Competition: Performs just as well sans bells and whistles
We compared the InnoGear Aromatherapy Essential Oil Diffuser to several other aromatherapy diffusers on the market and found that though it’s a basic model, the price is just right. The one feature that the InnoGear diffuser lacks is a timer setting. Beyond that, it also has a noticeably smaller water tank than competitors like the URPOWER Essential Oil Diffuser or VicTsing Ultrasonic Oil Diffuser, which can hold three times as much water. Since it’s an inexpensive oil diffuser, however, its lack of features is forgivable—especially when considering it does an equally good job scenting your room. See more reviews of our favorite oil diffusers available for purchase. The InnoGear diffuser is designed to provide scent coverage for smaller spaces, so as long as you keep that in mind, it’ll meet your expectations.
