Quality of Reed Diffusers - Tips for what to look when buying

In addition to looking good, we like our homes to smell good too. A nice smell can make the right first impression. But how to choose the highest quality and long lasting reed diffuser out of so many that are available on the market right now? If you care about the scent and even more about your health, please read the following reed diffuser quality guide. This guide will help you to choose less hazardous, more premium, strongest and best smelling reed diffuser.

Diffuser base

There are three main types of diffuser bases. The first-generation base mainly contains alcohol and perfumes. Second-generation bases have ‘heavier’ alcohol and perfumes, which evaporates slower. Third-generation don’t contain alcohol. The first two types usually contain VOC’s, phthalates and parabens that can potentially damage your lungs. The third generation doesn’t contain these chemicals and evaporates in a controlled and healthy way. High quality reed diffusers usually have a third-generation diffuser base, so they are considered more healthy. We use Vegan Augeo® Crystal base, which is called one of the best eco-friendly bases available.

Reeds type

There are three main types of reeds on the market: rattan, bamboo and fibre. Bamboo and rattan reeds are all-natural and look exotic, at the same time fibre reeds can sometimes have a slightly better scent throw. Although fibre reeds will have a stronger scent throw, they are less eco-friendly than natural rattan or bamboo reeds. Natural rattan reeds have these tiny open channels (or tunnels) that helps the oils to travel up to the top, while bamboo reeds have barriers that hinder the journey of the fragrance. Therefore in our opinion natural rattan reeds are best reed diffusers sticks.

Reeds length

The length of reed diffuser sticks should be at least double the size of the container. Long reeds give more consistent and longer scent throw because all the precious oils will need to ‘travel’ longer to reach the top. Short reeds will release the scents faster, you will get strong aroma at the beginning, but it won’t last long.

Bottle neck

As a general rule, the narrower the bottle opening in which the reeds sit, the longer your reed diffuser will last. This is because wider bottle openings allow the oil to evaporate directly into the room, rather than via the reeds, shortening the lifespan of your diffuser. Reeds should leave as little room in the bottleneck as possible.

Correct labels

Your reed diffuser should not only have those pretty front labels, but they should also have safety labels. Safety labels warns you about potential risks while using this product. These labels should have hazard and precautionary statements, pictograms and a list of sensitizers or any other ingredients that contribute to product classification. If reed diffuser doesn’t have this label it means that manufacturer do not only comply with REACH and CLP regulatations, but also haven’t assesed their products for any potential risks that could occur while using the reed diffuser.

Price

It is quite difficult to determine a reed diffuser quality by its price. There’s still vital thinking that cheap reed diffusers often are made from poor quality ingredients and more expensive products contain better ones. But it’s not always the case. To determine if the reed diffuser is well made you should check the overall appearance: packaging, labels, scent and the list of ingredients (if the manufacturer share this information on the label, or on their website). Also, please note that natural products usually cost more, because of few simple factors: it takes time to grow and they are more beneficial to health.

No scent

We know that olfactory perception is very subjective thing, but we believe that great and consistent scent is essential to a quality reed diffuser. If after flipping the reeds you cannot smell the reed diffuser it might mean that low quality fragrances were used.

Staying safe with our Reed Diffusers

Even though reed diffusers might look harmless, but they can cause risks when misused. Please read our Reed Diffuser Safety instructions before using your reed diffuser.