In recent years, consumers have increasingly opted for reed diffusers as a way to fragrance their homes. This comes as no surprise, as they’re eco-friendly, don’t consume energy and are usually made of natural or recyclable materials. And unlike candles, they can be left unattended without any risk of the house going up in flames.

When it comes to the intensity or potency of the scent released by a reed diffuser, it is worth remembering that the material the reeds are made of is almost as important as the fragrance itself. The sticks are usually made of rattan wood or synthetic polyamide. The latter is better for evaporation and therefore tends to be used with alcohol-free compositions in order to make up for their slower evaporation rate. You should also consider the thickness of the reeds. For optimal performance, we recommend a stick around 3 mm thick. Thicker reeds absorb more oil and thus diffuse more scent into the air, but this also means your diffuser will consume more oil and therefore won’t last as long.

To improve evaporation, it may be necessary to flip the sticks over – especially if they are made of wood – to prevent them from becoming clogged. As a matter of fact, reeds tend to get dusty and congested over time, which means they lose their efficiency. You should also make sure to place your diffuser in a place with constant foot traffic to help the fragrance disperse throughout the room as the air circulates.

In terms of their technical features, the fragrances in reed diffusers are normally alcohol or solvent-based, which helps to release the scent as it evaporates. Alcohol increases volatility, thereby making the scent more noticeable. Reed diffusers can also be alcohol-free, though in this case the evaporation will be slower and the scent less noticeable – but it should also last longer.

We recommend reed diffusers for consumers looking for a natural, constant balance in the potency of their home fragrance. Unlike scented candles, whose fragrance is released only when they’re lit, the scent of a reed diffuser should be stable for as long as there is product left in the vessel. A reed diffuser of 100 ml will normally last around a month. This does depend, though, on the number of reeds used; the more there are, the stronger the fragrance will be, but the less time it will last.

Although you may think it would be difficult to innovate when it comes to reed diffusers, there are now companies working on reed diffusers that can be controlled using a mobile app. These devices usually include a fan in their base to help increase or decrease the amount of fragrance released into the air.