Scent and memory are intertwined with our emotions, so having a great scent in your living spaces can help promote focus, positive moods, happiness, and feelings of satisfaction.  For instance, it’s commonly known that lavender has a calming effect, and citrus can elevate one’s mood. Lighting a candle isn’t always practical, and wax melters require electricity or a tea light to diffuse scent throughout the room.  

An elegant and effortless way to scent a room is by using a reed diffuser.  This simple system consists of a bottle, reeds, fragrance oil or essential oils, and a carrier oil. The reeds are usually made from porous rattan, a natural plant material, but they can also be made of fiber or wood.  Through capillary action, the porous reeds wick up the fragranced oil and constantly disperse scent throughout the room.  Reed diffusers often last 3 to 4 months or longer, whereas a luxury scented candle in the same price range provides 40-60 hours of room-scenting pleasure.  

A reed diffuser is easy to use.  It doesn’t rely on an open flame or electricity, but it does need a few things to scent your space well.  The following guidance will help you understand how to use a diffuser and offers tips to help it last.  

• Insert reeds into the bottle of fragranced oil  

The reeds will turn a darker shade after they have soaked up the oil.  After a few minutes, carefully flip the reeds, using care to avoid spilling fragranced oil onto porous surfaces.  Spread the reeds out like a dandelion seed head to allow good airflow around each reed for the best scent dispersion.  Avoid touching the diffuser oil and wash your hands after handling oil-soaked reeds. 

• The reeds should be flipped every so often to help distribute the scent

Flipping the reeds helps to refresh the scent.  Quality rattan reeds can perform well for about 6 months.  Over time, dust can settle on the reeds and clog the pores, making them less efficient at evaporating the oil.  If you noticed diminished scenting but there is still a lot of oil in the bottle, try replacing the reeds. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, then it's time to replace the reed diffuser.

• More scent is released into the air when more reeds are added to the bottle 

If you want a light scent, use fewer reeds; conversely, if you want a strong scent, use more reeds.  If you want a burst of scent, carefully flip the reeds. A large space like a living room or an open plan concept space will need more reeds than a small space, like a bathroom or entryway.  If your reed diffuser came with sola wood flowers or other decorative porous elements, use fewer reeds because the wood flowers or decorations will also soak up the fragrance oil and disperse scent. Try to avoid contact with the diffuser oil by wearing dish gloves or using a tissue to move the reeds and wash your hands afterward.

• The reed be placed in an area with adequate air circulation

Reed diffusers should be exposed to airflow but not in direct flow paths, like next to a window or AC vent.  If the scent is too light, try moving the reed diffuser to another part of the room with better airflow.

• Follow the maker’s care and guidance for safety and use recommendations

Keep reed diffusers away from open flames, as well as children and pets.  Fragrance oils shouldn’t be ingested or exposed to open flame.  They can cause irritation if directly exposed to areas of your face and hands.  If spilled, they can damage porous surfaces like wood. 

Explore our Reed Diffusers

Sunset View and Rose makes handsome reed diffusers in many fragrance options.  We use glass bottles with at least 30 percent recycled content, and our nontoxic fragrances are free from phthalates and cancer-causing chemicals.  We decorate our natural and sustainably sourced rattan reeds with handmade sola wood flowers.  Our reed diffusers make wonderful hospitality and self-care gifts alike.

Our Top Picks:

Indian River Sunshine - Opt for bright citrusy notes reminiscent of the Sunshine State. Perfect for brightening up your kitchen, or creating a welcoming entryway. 

Film Noir - Dark and moody, even brooding, Film Noir is an alluring scent for the bedroom or living room. 

Clingman’s Dome - this uplifting evergreen scent smells like the mountains.  Use it in the office to create focused energy while at the computer or taking calls, or even writing that book you keep putting off.