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Cozy Up With These 6 Essential Oil Diffusers On Amazon (& They're All Under $30)

by Elizabeth Enochs

To reap the benefits of essential oils without breaking the bank, you need one of the best affordable essential oil diffusers under $30. Diffusing essential oils are great for improving sleep patterns and freshening the air in your home — diffusers can even add style to your space. From plastic to ceramic to bamboo, there’s an essential oil diffuser to fit every aesthetic and space.

Based on your space's size, you'll want a smaller capacity diffuser for smaller spaces and a higher capacity diffuser for larger spaces; my picks range from 100 to 500 milliliters. Capacity does play into how long your diffuser can run, but so does whether you select continuous or intermittent mist and whether or not your diffuser lets you choose between strong and light mist. While most of my picks run up to eight hours (one can even run up to 10 hours), programmability regarding timers and misting types can help make the most of the capacity. For convenience, all the diffusers below shut off automatically when water is running low.

All of my picks below are explicitly labeled BPA free or “food safe” and use ultrasonic technology, which blends essential oils with water to create a cool mist that’s released into the air and doubles as a humidifier.

While not the most important feature, aesthetics might also factor into your decision. Below, I’ve included a few that either look like wood or are made of wood as well as one made of ceramic and another with vintage vibes. Regardless of aesthetic, all of the diffusers below double as ambient lighting or night lights with LED bulbs that boast as many as seven colors.

Check out the best affordable essential oil diffusers below.

1A Budget-Friendly Essential Oil Diffuser

This budget-friendly pick is the most compact pick on this list and has a stellar 4.4-star rating after a whopping 37,000 reviews. It has two mist modes: continuous and intermittent. Continuous mode diffuses essential oils continuously for up to three hours, and intermittent mode diffuses essential oils intermittently for up to six hours before automatically shutting off. A red light indicates continuous mode and a green light indicates intermittent mode; it also promises to be quiet enough to use while sleeping.

This diffuser offers seven LED mood lights, including red, purple, and green. You can choose one color or select the automatic color changing mode to switch between colors. Plus, it measures 3.1 by 3.1 by 5.5 inches, which means it's great for smaller spaces or if you don't want your diffuser to be a major player in your decor.

2A High-Capacity Essential Oil Diffuser

The biggest benefit to picking this diffuser is its high capacity, but the 4.4-star rating after more than 4,500 reviews helps too. This plastic diffuser holds up to 500 milliliters of water and can be used in both larger and smaller rooms thanks to the added choice of strong and weak mist. It’s made to look like wood, and you can choose between light yellow wood or dark mahogany wood depending on your preference. This pick also gives you the option to display one of seven LED light colors or alternate between all seven, which includes blue, yellow, and purple — you can also choose between bright and dim for each color.

This diffuser runs "whisper quiet" and allows you to choose between four time settings: one hour, three hours, six hours, and steady-on mode, which simply diffuses the oils until the water runs out before shutting off automatically. This option measures 7.0 by 3.9 inches so it's on the larger end of the diffusers in this roundup.

3A Real Bamboo Essential Oil Diffuser

Available in dark and light, this essential oil diffuser comes backed by a 4.3-star rating after more than 2,600 reviews. It's made with real bamboo that's lined with a plastic water receptacle. The bamboo exterior provides a more natural texture to your home's decor than the ones that only look like wood.

It also offers seven color changing LED lights, including green, white, and blue, with the option to choose one fixed color as well. It has a 100-milliliter capacity and the fact that it measures just 5.51 by 3.54 inches make it best for smaller spaces. Reviewers note that it's “whisper quiet” and you can choose between intermittent and continuous mist with this pick before it automatically shuts off when the water runs out.

4A Hand-Crafted Ceramic Essential Oil Diffuser

This beautiful essential oil diffuser is made of hand-crafted ceramic for rich texture to add to your space. The water receptacle is still plastic and this diffuser can run for up to 10 hours on intermittent mode or six hours on continuous mode before automatically shutting off when the water is low; both modes are reportedly very quiet. It also offers seven LED color lights, including blue, green, and red tones, but you can also select one fixed color.

Despite its more petite 120-milliliter water tank, which makes it better for smaller spaces, Amazon customers say it works well in both bedrooms and living rooms. It also features a one- and two-hour timer. This pick measures 3.8 by 7.9 inches, so it's taller than many of the other diffusers in this roundup.

5An Essential Oil Diffuser You Can Use For 8 Hours Straight

This essential oil diffuser combines the aesthetic of my first and second picks while offering the medium-range capacity of 300 milliliters. Measuring 6.5 by 6.5 by 5.7 inches, it's great for smaller and medium-sized spaces and about middle of the pack in terms of its footprint. It boasts seven LED light colors — including aqua, yellow, and green — which come in strong or soft options; you also can select your favorite color so it doesn't cycle through all seven colors.

This quiet pick continuously diffuses for up to eight hours and automatically shuts off when the water runs out; or you can set a timer for one hour, three hours, or six hours. It also features the ability to select a strong or light mist setting.

6A Metal Essential Oil Diffuser With Vintage Vibes

This essential oil diffuser has a bit of a vintage feel, but don't just rely on it just for style — Amazon reviewers have given it a 4.8-star rating after over 300 reviews. This pick is quiet and measures 8.4 by 4.4 by 4.4 inches with a 100-milliliter water tank capacity, which makes it better for smaller spaces. You have your choice of continuous or intermittent mist modes. It features a metal outer and a plastic inner and offers seven LED color lights with blue, pink, and green tones; you can either choose to cycle through all seven colors or display one color continuously.

This diffuser is ideal for smaller rooms and boasts a working time of six to eight hours, but you can program it to mist continuously or intermittently. You can also program a timer for half an hour, one hour, two hours, three hours, and more, but it shuts off automatically when the water starts running low.

7Also Nice To Have: An Organic Essential Oil Kit

At about $5 a bottle, this essential oil kit is a great buy and features six organic essential oils: peppermint, orange, eucalyptus, lemon, tea tree, and lavender, making it a great affordable starter set. Since all Plant Therapy oils are rigorously tested via GC/MS standards by a third-party, and the company makes the test results of each batch available for download on the Plant Therapy website, you can rest assured you’re getting high-quality oils at a great price.

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