Room sprays and diffusers may seem incredibly similar at first glance. They both produce scented mists, but is it really that simple?
What’s the difference? And which one is better?
Let’s look at what differentiates these two products so you can decide which one will suit your needs and lifestyle best!
Contents
What are Room Sprays?
To start, room spray doesn’t need to contain essential oils. It’s basically perfume for your house, and you can buy it in almost every scent under the sun from bubblegum to bergamot.
Typically, a room spray just comes in a spray bottle and is ready to use the minute you open it. No prep, no cleaning anything before or after using it, and you can even throw it in your purse and bring it to your hotel or home office to spruce up the scent!
Who Would Enjoy Room Sprays?
People often tend to compare room sprays to candles, except they are far more convenient and safe. If you’re looking for a flame-free and quick way to spruce up a room, a room spray is a way to go.
Unlike candles, you can control exactly how much scent you spray into a space. There seem to be a million candle scents out there, but the room spray industry is catching up, so you probably won’t even have to give up your favorite scent by making the switch!
What is a Diffuser?
A classic electronic diffuser creates a fine mist of water and essential oils through ultrasonic waves. It’s a relatively simple and often affordable machine that effectively spreads essential oil particles around a space.
The base of a diffuser is filled with water and a few drops of essential oils, so you can control how strong the scent is and easily change it out whenever you’d like.
Who Would Enjoy a Diffuser?
People interested in exploring the benefits of essential oils for their families would enjoy diffusers. They are great to switch on at night, or set up in the corner of a workspace to maintain a calm and positive atmosphere.
Diffusers also come in plenty of different styles, colors, and with a variety of timer and speed settings — so everyone is bound to find one that fits their needs perfectly!
Ingredients
The ingredients of both products are what set them apart the most. This is the biggest thing to consider when deciding whether to go for a room spray or a diffuser.
Room Sprays
Room sprays can either be supernatural or super artificial.
Some room sprays are just water, essential oils, and maybe some witch hazel or alcohol. These sprays are about as natural as they get, and you can either buy them or make them at home using a spray bottle!
Other room sprays use fragrances and perfumes to achieve strong or specific scents that you wouldn’t be able to recreate using essential oils. It should come as no surprise that a candy apple room spray probably has a few artificial ingredients in it — but if that’s what sounds good to you, go for it!
Diffuser
All diffusers need is water and essential oils. Because you have to add the oils to the diffuser yourself, you know exactly what’s being spurted into the air when you switch it on.
Using a diffuser is a great opportunity to focus on the quality of the essential oils you’re using. A few drops last several hours, so hypothetically, a small bottle of oil should last a relatively long time.
You can also add ground herbs to a diffuser if you want an extra scent that you can’t find as an essential oil. Just make sure not to use anything chunky that will get stuck in the diffuser!
Affordability
On a budget? Here’s what to know about the affordability of each scented product!
Room Sprays
Room spray is naturally going to be more affordable than a diffuser. After all, it’s literally liquid in a plastic spray bottle and a diffuser is an electronic.
However, even room sprays can get incredibly pricey. Our advice is to look at the ingredients and bottle size when comparing the prices of sprays.
More natural brands tend to be a little more expensive, but they might work better for your lifestyle and cater to any health concerns. We’ve also noticed that the terms ‘room spray’ and ‘air freshener’ tend to be used interchangeably, but from what we can say, the sprays tend to have a higher chance of containing essential oils.
Diffuser
Diffusers can be crazy cheap or crazy expensive. The material, brand, and size of a diffuser all determine how affordable it is.
There are plenty of super affordable diffusers on the market that work great. After all, it is essentially just a mist machine.
Some customers have found that spending a few extra dollars is worth it in the long run while others claim that their cheaper diffusers work just as good — if not better — than more expensive ones they’ve previously owned.
User Experience
Which one is easier to use?
Room Sprays
There’s no denying room sprays are incredibly easy and convenient to use. Pop the cap off, give your space a couple of spritz, and you’re done!
Like body perfume, it’s very easy to control how strong you want your room to smell. The scent also fades away in a reasonable amount of time, so you can enjoy a spray in the morning without it lingering into the afternoon.
Diffuser
The only thing that might be difficult about using a diffuser is getting used to the buttons. Typically, a diffuser will have a couple of buttons that control the mist, color, and timer.
Once you get used to a new diffuser, it should be relatively easy — but don’t be surprised if it takes a day or two to learn how to use it properly.
There’s also the matter of cleaning your diffuser, which is very important. We will get into that more in the ‘Safety’ section later on.
Top Products
Here are some of our favorite products!
Room Sprays
Craft & Kin Eucalyptus Room Spray
This organic non-toxic room spray is a gentle scent addition to any space. We love that it’s made with essential oils and that it comes in a plastic-free aluminum bottle. Customers love this spray and also enjoy using it on their pillows to soothe them to sleep!
Renew Citrus Room Spray with Citrine & Quartz Crystals
This natural room spray also works great for your sheets, yoga mat, and as a natural deodorizer. It doesn’t have any artificial fragrances in it and contains 100% pure essential oils for a refreshing citrus scent.
Diffuser
InnoGear Essential Oil Diffuser
People are going crazy for this diffuser. It has 85 thousand reviews on Amazon and is incredibly affordable. If you’re looking for your first diffuser, this one is it!
While the InnoGear diffuser looks super simple, it does everything that other diffusers do. It has two mist settings and can run for up to eight hours.
What more could you ask for?
This diffuser is modern, beautifully designed, and has great reviews. Its domed glass cover and optional lighting options make it a centerpiece in any room it’s in.
The LEMON + Co diffuser is also relatively affordable, and while we like the glass-covered one the most, it does come in other shapes and colors, too.
Safety
Room Sprays
Always check the ingredients in a room spray before using it, especially if you have pets or young children around. We don’t want any allergic reactions happening!
Cats and babies are particularly sensitive to certain essential oils, so talk to your vet or pediatrician before spraying them around your spaces.
Diffuser
Cleaning your diffuser is super important for keeping your air clean. Mold and bacteria can build up in the pathways because of the damp.
The idea of mold growing in a diffuser might sound scary, but don’t worry, it’s super preventable.
We recommend rinsing your diffuser out after every use and giving it a deep clean once or twice a month. This could look like wiping it with a vinegar soak cotton ball or even just washing the removing pieces with dish soap.
If you want to learn more about how to keep your diffuser clean, check out our article How Often Should I Clean My Essential Oil Diffuser?
In Conclusion
If you want to add scent to your room but don’t feel like playing with a machine and bottles of essential oils, a room spray is a way to go. On the other hand, if you’re interested in learning more about how different essential oils can improve your well-being, we recommend an essential oil diffuser!
One isn’t necessarily better or worse than the other, although we would stay away from super artificial room sprays just to be safe.
Which one do you prefer and why? We would love to know!
Happy Oiling!
I currently work as a medical receptionist, but my ultimate goal is to work as an occupational therapy assistant. Helping others achieve a better quality of life is something I’m after. That’s one of the main reasons I started this blog. Learn more about me.