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You are here because you are looking for an essential oil diffuser that will work in a large space. You need a diffuser that will output a lot of aroma and be able to stay on for extended periods of time. In this article, you will learn what essential oil diffuser is best for large rooms.
What to think about when looking for a diffuser:
- What space are you wanting to use it in? How many square feet is it?
- How long will you want it to be running? Do you want it to have auto-shut off? Will you be running it through the night?
- Do you want it to have light-up features? Can you turn the light off at night?
- Do you want to be able to adjust the mist?
- Can you use all types of essential oils, including thick or citrus oils?
- Does your diffuser need to be cleaned often?
- Is it easy to use?
- How often do you want to have to refill it?
A large space is anything over 600 sq ft.
Best Types of Diffusers
There are 4 primary types of oil diffusers – nebulizers, ultrasonic (vibration based cool mist types), evaporative (fan based), and heat diffusers.
Nebulizers are the best type of essential oil diffuser. They break the essential oils up into tiny nano-particles and then disperse them into the air. They work with all types of essential oils, including thick ones.
Nebulizers are best for large spaces because they release a more concentrated mist than other types of diffusers. A Nebulizer diffuser can cover up to 1000 sq ft.
The second-best type is an ultrasonic diffuser. These are the quietest of the diffuser types and are almost as efficient as nebulizers. Ultrasonic diffusers use high-frequency vibration to disperse microscopic oil droplets into the air. They can also handle all oil types.
Nebulizer and ultrasonic types require less maintenance and are safer to operate than evaporative or heat diffusers.
Pros and Cons
Nebulizer
Pros:
- No water needed.
- Strong concentration of essential oils released in to the air.
- No lights so won’t interrupt your sleep.
- Can cover large spaces up to 1000 sq ft.
Cons:
- Louder than ultrasonic.
- Use oils more quickly than ultrasonic.
- A bit more costly than ultrasonic types.
Ultrasonic
Pros:
- Quieter than nebulizer types.
- Usually more affordable than nebulizing diffusers.
- Doubles as a humidifier.
- Uses small amounts of essential oils.
Cons:
- Need water to operate.
- Can’t use citrus oils.
- Not as effective as nubulizing diffusers.
- Some have lights that can’t be turned off.
- Most cannot cover spaces larger than 400 sq ft.
Features to Look For
Some features to look for in an essential oil diffuser for large spaces are:
- Timer – Set your timer so that your nebulizing diffuser runs for about 15 minutes every hour. This will help conserve your oils.
- Speed or airflow regulator – This provides additional control over how much oil is diffused at a single point of time.
- Indicators to show oil levels – This will alert you to when you need to refill your diffuser.
- Auto shut-off – When you are running an essential oil diffuser in a large space, you may forget to turn it off.
- Long run time – A longer run time means less refilling.
Tank Size
The size of the tank within an essential oil diffuser is very important if you want to fill a big space with aroma. A large tank means that you do not have to refill your diffuser as often and it can run long enough to fill a large area. This only applies to ultrasonic diffusers, nebulizing types do not have a tank to fill.
Noise Level
If you are going to be using your essential oil diffuser at night, or during meditation, you will want it to operate quietly. Look for “whisper quiet technology”. Ultrasonic diffusers tend to run quieter than nebulizer types.
Guarantees and Warranties
A good essential oil diffuser will have a money-back guarantee. Typically the warranty will be good for one year. Look for a company that offers a satisfaction guarantee so that you can return the diffuser if you are unhappy with it.
The Best Essential Oil Diffusers for Large Rooms – Our Top Picks
We have done the research for you and found the best essential oil diffusers to cover large areas. We have included a top pick for both a nebulizer type and a ultrasonic type.
Best Nebulizer Diffuser for Large Rooms
The Aennon Aroma Diffuser
Features
- No Water. No Heat. Just 100% pure oil diffusion aromatherapy.
- No Wires. No Mess. No Spills.
- Built-in rechargeable battery
- Low noise level
- Nebulization ionizes and suspends fine oil molecules into the air.
- Run Time: 20-50 hours/full charge, depending on aroma intensity settings
- Modes: Three intermittent aroma intensity modus: 30/60/90s on 120s off
- Timer: 1hr, 2hr, 4hr, Continuous
- Coverage: 1000+ sq ft
- Battery: 1200mAH Rechargeable Lithium Ion
- 6-month guarantee
Pros
- Bonus 1x e-Course + 2x e-Books for FREE.
- Small and portable.
- Easily covers a large room.
- Economical use of oil.
- Attach a full bottle of essential oil, no need to fill a reservoir.
- Super quiet.
- Aennon offers customer support right on Amazon.
- Hundreds of satisfied customers.
Cons
- On-off switch can be hard for some to use.
- Only fits 10 ml essential oil bottles.
- Must be cleaned with alcohol between uses.
- Unit may leak if white sealing ring is not in proper place.
- Cannot use essential oils that are mixed with a carrier oil.
Best Ultrasonic Diffuser for Large Rooms
We have three choices of ultrasonic diffusers for large rooms.
Apalus 500 ML Glass Ultrasonic Essential Oil Diffuser
Features
- Glass design.
- 3 light options – 7 colors changing , 1 favorite color, or off.
- At full capacity, this essential oil diffuser delivers 8-18 hours of an aromatic experience with up to 1000 sq. ft. of coverage.
- Gentle, whisper-quiet ultrasonic operation.
- Auto shut-off function.
- Four time settings – 1hr/3hr/6hr/continuous mode.
- 1 year warranty
Pros
- Completely silent.
- Use 6 – 10 drops of essential oil for 18 hours of use.
- Glass cover rather than plastic.
- Perfectly light mist.
- Vivid colored light.
- Dedicated customer support on Amazon.
Cons
- Glass can break if knocked over.
RMO SPRING DIFFUSER
Features
- BPA FREE.
- Mid-size at 4″ x 4″ x 7″
- 1,000 square foot coverage
- 180 ml water capacity
- Provides 4-6 hours of continuous use.
- Color Rotating (blue, green, purple and red) w/ Off option.
- Single button control for mist output/on/off.
- Whisper-quiet operation.
- Automatic turn-off when out of water.
Pros
- Very beautiful to display.
- Power button is NOT backlit.
- No complicated parts or filters.
- Add essential oils directly in the tank.
- Quiet operation (and no sounds or beeps).
- Metal ring that is necessary for ultra-sonic diffusion is lead free.
- 1 year warranty.
Cons
- Tank on the smaller side.
- Cannot choose one color from rotating lighting colors.
Serene Tranquility Essential Oil Diffuser and Cool Mist Humidifier
Features
- Made from an Anti-Corrosive Polypropylene (PP) Material.
- Large 3 Liter Tank.
- Provides 15 – 40 hours of continuous use.
- Variable 75 – 200 ml/h Mist Output.
- Single button control for mist output/on/off.
- Whisper-quiet operation.
- Automatic shut-off.
Pros
- Dedicated customer support on Amazon.
- No complicated parts or filters.
- Add essential oils directly in the tank.
- Quiet operation.
- Very large tank.
Cons
- No lights.
Conclusion
Make your home inviting! Scent is the first thing any guest will notice when they walk through your door. Aromas also improve your shopping experience, your office or work environment. You will love using a great essential oil diffuser, and we have helped pick the best ones, that are versatile, long lasting and not limited to a small area. Spread the scent!
As for oils, there is only one company I completely support and recommend for providing amazing quality oils, and that is Rocky Mountain Oils. I use them at home for everything. RMO is very clear about what they sell: 100% pure, therapeutic essential oils. They don’t use fillers, synthetics or fragrance enhancers of any kind (they explain that “therapeutic grade,” “100% Pure,” “100% therapeutic,” and any combination of those phrases are marketing terms used to describe essential oils like theirs that are free from contaminants, synthetics and adulterants and can be used for therapeutic purposes.) Essential oils are versatile and should be in everyone’s home. I use mine all over my house, to clean, in my skin care, in my first aid kit, for particular ailments, and to improve my overall health.
Please leave any questions in the comments below, we always answer!
This post was originally published on July 28, 2016.
Carol says
I have been looking for a very good diffuser for quite some time, but never knew about the four primary types. This article has cleared up my understanding of diffusers.
My favorite essential oil is lavender because it has the best scent, and I will be purchasing the Ultrasonic because it is quieter. Is there a problem using this diffuser within a smaller space?
Best Organic Lifestyle says
Hi Carol, you can use these diffusers in small spaces as well. Enjoy!
Crystal Doc says
Well color me impressed. I had no idea something existed that could cover 1000 sq ft.
That would work perfectly for my living and dining room.
I thought the THE AENNON AROMA DIFFUSER seems like it would be the best pick for me until I saw the APALUS 500 ML GLASS ULTRASONIC ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSER. I know it might break if it falls but it is super cute and gets the job done so what could be better? I’m going to read the customer reviews and see whats up.
Thanks for the suggestions
Best Organic Lifestyle says
Hi Crystal, the AENNON AROMA DIFFUSER is a nebulizer type of diffuser. The APALUS DIFFUSER is an ultrasonic type of diffuser. Nebulizer types do not need water to operate, They give off a stronger scent than ultrasonic diffusers, but are often louder to operate. An ultrasonic diffuser needs water to run, doesn’t give off as strong of a scent, but uses less essential oils and runs more quietly than a nebulizer.
Neither is better than the other, they are both excellent diffusers, The AENNON Diffuser is better if you want something portable. The APALUS diffuser is better if you want a diffuser that runs really quietly, or a diffuser with lights. I hope that answers your question, let me know if you have any others!
Arta says
Thank you for the detailed article on the best essential oil diffusers for large rooms. You convinced me that nebulizer is the best choice. I had a look at Amazon for your suggestion on the best nebulizer and saw that it is on sale now – it is discounted by 67% so need to hurry to get it at this fantastic price. I also saw that this product is favored by customers and assessed with 4 stars out of 5. I think it is a good evaluation as more than 400 customers have reviewed the product. So it has to be a great deal. Thanks a lot for posting this!
Best Organic Lifestyle says
Thanks Arta 🙂
ht says
Thanks for recommending the best oil diffuser. I have just moved into our dream home and one of the things we are looking for is the right oil diffuser. I love your recommendation of the right types of oil for the various functions but you did not state what is for relaxation. Just want to ask if you have any recommended for relaxation?
Maria says
Wonderful questions!
One of the best know oils for relaxation is Lavender. It is also one of the safest and versatile oils.
Thanks for the comment.
Bradly says
Very nice laid out site lots of useful information. My fience and i were looking at getting a diffuser and you have given us enough information to be confident in your product. I think having a side section for oils that pop out to the eye instead of having links for your oils.
Best Organic Lifestyle says
Thanks Bradly,
we love feedback from our readers!
Lindsay says
I urge you to really look into the safety of essential oils. They are toxic. Plant scents are often created by the plant as a defense system or deterrent… so when we concentrate them and heat them to extreme temperatures we really need to question the use by humans. These are volitile compounds and can dissolve cells of our body. You may believe they are safe because the plant is safe, but be cautious and use critical thinking here. Breathing in essential oils can damage respiratory systems, and using on skin can damage cells in the area. There is a huge industry on essential oils, so counter information is easily supressed. And because our mindstate can be altered by essential oils we ignore our body senses that might give us clues to toxicity. I used and thought essential oils were so great for so many years, and I was very picky and researched well into different types and brands. It may be a hard change because you may feel so identified with these essential oils, and confronting yourself is sometimes unfathomable, but please look into the counter arguments.
Andrea says
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on essential oils. You’ve made points that definitely need consideration and research. Again, thank you so much for taking the time.