I wanted to try out the best car diffusers so I could get the benefit of essential oils while traveling. But I didn’t just want just any diffuser, I wanted the best diffuser for travel. Because if you’re going to get one, you might as well get the best, right?
Late this past Spring we went on a road trip. A long road trip. Screaming baby who hates carseats aside, it was a great trip. And it was the perfect time to test out a whole bunch of diffusers!
Learn more about my favorite essential oils in this post.
I took careful notes throughout the road trip, and I’m ready to give you the low down!
To be sure: you don’t need a diffuser to get the benefits of essential oils on the road, but diffusing oils is one great way to use them.
And when you’re sitting for hours in a car with smelly boys, the heavenly scent of oils isn’t a bad idea.
One thing I can not (yet) speak of is how well these diffusers will hold up. I haven’t used any one of them long enough that they’ve worn out.
Best Car Diffusers (our picks)
#1 Pick: Airror USB Car Diffuser
Note: As of right now the listing for that diffuser appears to be unavailable on Amazon, but I found another listing that appears to be the same diffuser here (but I haven’t personally ordered this one).
Features
- It’s a car diffuser that fits in your cup holder
- 100 mL water reservoir capacity (that’s big for a car diffuser)
- Runs approximately 4 hours continuous mist or push the button twice to run at 15 second intervals
- It has water leakage protection—tip it over and it won’t spill
- Uses USB to power diffuser
- Auto shut-off when the water is below the low water line helps lengthen the life of the diffuser by not running when empty
- No wicks or filters needed — no parts that need replaced
What we liked…
This was our favorite diffuser. It works just like a home diffuser. You fill the reservoir with water to the fill line, put a couple drops of oils in, and push a button to get it started. It has a nice strong mist.
The USB power source makes this a very versatile diffuser — it can be used anywhere there’s a USB port. You can plug it into your computer in your office. We even took it into a hotel room and used the USB port that was on the lamp. It made for a sturdy, compact travel diffuser (not just for the car).
One of the things we really appreciated is the design that prevents water from leaking when bumped or being tipped over. With a family of boys and not to mention the bumpy roads we sometimes encounter, this is a must-have feature! (And it really does work.) Now, don’t expect to completely flip it upside-down. But if it gets jostled or even tipped over on it’s side water won’t leak.
This diffuser held the most water, so ran the longest of any of the diffusers we tried out. We appreciated that we didn’t have to replace the water frequently in this model.
Also, unlike some car diffusers we tried, the charger doesn’t easily bump or jostle out of the socket.
What we didn’t like…
On road trips we use our cup holders a lot. That said, we usually have at least one extra cup holder in the front of our minivan. If you don’t have an extra cup holder, or don’t want to give one up, may not like this diffuser.
While it fit very well in our van’s cupholder and it even fit (a bit tightly) in our Honda Civic, if your car has unusually small cupholders it might not fit as it was the largest of the car diffusers.
Runner Up: DodoCool Car Diffuser
Features
- This car diffuser fits in your cupholder.
- 70 mL water reservoir
- 3-4 hours of continuous mist
- 7 color-changing LED lights (or you can turn the light off completely)
- Auto shut-off when the water is below the low water line helps lengthen the life of the diffuser by not running when it’s empty
- Uses 12 V car socket to power the diffuser.
- No wicks or filters needed — no parts that need replaced
What we liked…
This car diffuser came in a very close second place. It has many of the same features as our #1 pick.
It also works similarly to a home diffuser and has a nice strong mist. The charger also did not bump or jostle out of the 12 V socket very easily.
It easily fit in our van’s cup holder and also easily fit in our little Honda Civic cupholder too. If you have a smaller vehicle, this might be a better option because of its smaller size.
What we didn’t like…
Like our #1 pick, if you don’t have extra cupholders, this could be a problem with this diffuser.
It uses a 12 V car socket to power the diffuser, so it doesn’t work well if you want to take it into a hotel room with you. It really is, strictly a car charger. But if that’s all you’re looking for, it works great!
Unlike our #1 pick, it only has a continuous setting and it does not have the water leakage design, which is a bit of a bummer.
Other Car Diffusers We Tried
Syntus USB Car Diffuser
Features
- Uses USB to power diffuser
- Continuous and 30 second intermittent misting modes
- Runs approximately 2 hours
- 50 mL water capacity
- Auto shut-off when the water is below the low water line helps lengthen the life of the diffuser by not running when it’s empty
- 7 LED color lights
- No wicks or filters needed — no parts that need replaced
What we liked…
Like our #1 pick, this diffuser uses a USB power source, so it can easily be used in a variety of contexts making it a very versatile diffuser.
Like our #2 pick, this diffuser is small enough to fit in nearly any cupholder.
Like the previous two diffusers mentioned, the charger stayed securely plugged in and didn’t jostle out very easily.
What we didn’t like…
This is not one of the best car diffusers we found.
As with the previous two diffusers, if you don’t have an extra cupholder in your vehicle, this isn’t the diffuser for you.
This diffuser looks more cheaply made and is more flimsy than the first two diffusers. It had a pretty weak mist compared to the other diffusers we’ve tried, and the lid easily popped off.
It doesn’t run as long as the other cupholder diffusers, so you have to refill the water reservoir more frequently.
KBAYO Car Diffuser
Features
- 50 mL water capacity
- Runs for approximately 2 hours
- Uses 12 V car socket to power the diffuser.
What we liked…
This diffuser was just kind of OK when it worked, but there really isn’t a lot positive we can say about it (that’s the nice way of saying we didn’t really like this one).
What we didn’t like…
This diffuser didn’t have a very strong mist and it definitely didn’t do a good job of circulating the oil throughout the vehicle.
With our van, circulating the oil was especially problematic because the 12V socket it fairly close to the floor, so it didn’t feel like we really could even smell it when it was working. Depending on where you 12V socket is, keep in mind: this thing sticks straight out of the socket, making it somewhat awkward.
The opening to add the water is small—it’s difficult as the passenger to refill it easily while driving.
We found this diffuser was easy to accidentally knocking it out of the socket.
This diffuser requires a sponge wick to run that should be frequently replaced. It comes with one replacement, but you’ll need to purchase more.
Nanum Car II Diffuser
Features
- 50 mL water capacity
- Runs for approximately 2 hours
- Uses 12 V car socket to power the diffuser.
What we liked…
This diffuser is much like the KBAYO diffuser—like the second generation. One unique feature that make it slightly better is it’s flexible head so you can twist to the right, left, or slightly higher than the 12V socket.
This diffuser also has 2 USB ports so you can charge other devices while using the diffuser.
What we didn’t like…
While we like that the diffuser has a flexible head, it still got in the way. Plus, in our van, the flexible neck hardly mattered since the 12V socket is right below the cup holders—making the neck somewhat pointless.
This diffuser also has a weak mist — especially if it’s located closer to the floor.
We likes extra 2 USB ports, except in practice we find given their placement they’re often difficult to use. When we did try using them, we ended up knocking the diffuser out of the socket or accidentally jostling it and turning it off.
And like the previous diffuser, we don’t like having to replace those sponge wicks or having to add water to the small opening when we’re on the road — most of the water ends up in our laps! Yuck.
TopYart Car Diffuser
Features
- 50 mL water capacity
- Auto-off feature: powers off automatically after 1 hour.
- Continuous or intermittent misting modes
- Uses 12 V OR USB to power diffuser
What we liked…
It’s nice that this diffuser has the option to use either 12V or USB to power the diffuser. If you use the 12 V there is also an extra USB slot so you can charge something else at the same time as using this diffuser.
Unlike the last 2 diffusers, this diffuser has a clip you can attach to your air vent, which is very helpful in circulating the mist (which is not very strong) throughout the vehicle…
What we didn’t like…
While the clip can be helpful, it doesn’t always work correctly. In one vehicle we tried this, the way the vent was shaped made it difficult to attach the diffuser to it.
Like the previous two car diffusers, this diffuser has a very small opening to add water and we don’t like that you have to continue to buy sponge wicks.
Jinpus Car Charger and Essential Oil Diffuser
Features
- Water-free design
- Dual USB charging ports
- LED Voltage display
What we liked…
The extra USB charging ports is a nice feature if you have more things to charge.
What we didn’t like…
Honestly, this just didn’t seem to work as a car diffuser. While we thought a no-water system seemed novel, it just didn’t seem to do what we wanted. I’m assuming it was supposed to use heat to diffuse the oils. If this is the case, it’s a bad idea since heat can destroy the therapeutic benefits of the oils.
What are the best car diffusers? Do you tried any? Do you have one you love…or hate?
Interested in essential oils? Let’s talk! Click here to learn more about essential oils and how to find good-quality ones for your family.
Great lists and tips that everyone can follow through for their cars.