The 10 Best Diffusers We’ve Tried in 2026 (and 2 to Avoid)

I first learned about Pura from a friend whose house always felt like a luxury boutique in every situation. A cooking job, a water leak… no matter what was going on in her house at that time, I could only smell the fruit. I have two cats and a teenager who plays a lot of games- I knew I needed this. Now, after having several Puras for more than two years, I have an opinion.

While my Pura journey started with the now discontinued Pura 3, I have also tried the Pura 4 and the large Pura Plus chamber, both of which have two Pura oil chambers, as well as the Pura Mini. The Pura 4 and Mini both connect to the outlet and can be controlled via the included app (or Alexa or Google Home). This is easy to set the schedule and time, change the scents (or use the new automatic changer), and change the color of the night light, but there have been several times when I wanted to stop or start or change the schedule but I couldn’t do it because I forgot the password or the device could not connect to Wi-Fi. At this point, it was annoying. Mercifully, the stand-alone, cylindrical Pura Plus has on/off control buttons on the front. The Pura 4 and the smaller Mini are ideal for closed spaces, such as the long entrance of the first room or the last small one (note that all Puras work with 2.4-Ghz Wi-Fi). If you have a high ceiling or any open plan, you will get the best results from Pura Plus. Just note that, unlike the Pura 4 and the silent Mini, the Plus produces a loud noise—32 decibels, almost as loud as a low-end fan.

Perhaps Puras’ best feature, however, is its library of fragrances from companies like Anthropologie, Nest, Capri Blue, and more. (In addition to the season’s top releases—autumn offerings include Studio McGee Violet Fig, Brooklyn Candle Studio Tulum, and Otherland Chandelier, among many, many others.) Quality and length can vary widely, and they’re not cheap—$11 to $34, for 0.33 ounces—but most of them smell better than any other diffuser cartridge I’ve tried, and they all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Because of the smaller size and price of the cartridges, Pura might not be a good choice if you want to smell all day, every day, because you’ll spend less money. However, if you love unique fragrances and need them occasionally and/or on demand, Pura is the way to go. –Kat Merck