Tom's Guide Verdict
AromaTech’s AromaDream fragrance diffuser is a lightweight yet compact device with a choice of ambient light settings that are relaxing to use at night. An app controls a scent schedule and fragrance intensity that available for iPhone and Android users.
Pros
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Lightweight and compact
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Wide choice of fragrances
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LED ambient light
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App is easy to use
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Easy to maintain and refill
Cons
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Fragrance is intense in a small room
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Can be noisy when dispersing
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Refills are expensive
Why you can trust Tom's Guide
Scent area: up to 600 sq. ft.
Diffuser bottle size: 2 or 4 fl. oz.
Weight: 1.2 lbs.
Size: 4.4 in x 4.4 in x 6.5 in
App: Android/iPhone
Warranty: 1 year
Move over scented candles, reed diffusers and fresh flowers to make your home smell amazing and welcome in AromaTech’s AromaDream. This fragrance diffuser is designed with nebulizing technology, turning liquid into a mist. It works by cold-air diffusion, without heat, water or alcohol to break down the scented oils into a fine mist. AromaTech states: “The nanoparticles in this mist are so tiny that they remain suspended in the air for hours.”
We put the fragrance diffuser to the test to see how it performed.
AromaTech AromaDream: Price and availability
The AromaDream diffuser is available for $125 at AromaTech and $125 at Amazon. You can also save on the AromaDream & Bestselling Scents Gift Set for $190 at AromaTech, reduced from $305. The Bestsellers fragrance set includes four individual bottles, including Santal, The Hotel, White Tea & Thyme, and Love Affair, with the 10ml bottle size set currently discounted to $155 at AromaTech, with the 60ml bottles available for $160.
The AromaDream diffuser is a high-ticket item and definitely a luxury purchase. There are cheaper alternatives, including standard scented candles and reed diffusers, although another option is ultrasonic diffusers, such as Nest’s Wild Mint and Eucalyptus Misting Diffuser Set ($98, Nest), which requires water to operate.
AromaDream: Design
Before you even see the AromaDream itself, the packaging will blow you away. The stylish white box has an elegance befitting a high-end item. It’s certainly a product suitable for gifting, with one reviewer stating on AromaTech’s website: “The packaging is awesome! You outdid yourself with a tri-top magnetic flap opening in a white box.”
Once you remove the AromaDream from its cushioned packaging, you’ll see it has a sleek, contemporary design. It has a black base unit and a dome-shaped upper casing, which houses the glass scent bottle. Although some may find it masculine, my son was particularly impressed with the product’s styling.
It contrasts the sculptural styling of AromaTech’s slightly more expensive ceramic Ambience diffuser ($199, Amazon), which is available in four colorways.
The product is also compact and lightweight — the diameter of the circular base measures 4.4 inches, and it stands at 6.5 inches high — making it portable and easy to move around your home. However, you will need to place it near a power socket.
AromaDream: Functionality
There are two options when using the diffuser. You can switch it on permanently and have a constant stream of scent dispersed until you turn it off, or you can download the AromaTech app to set a schedule and control the amount of scent expelled.
The diffuser is set to a default setting for those who can’t access the app. When plugged in, it runs 24/7, with options to change the scent dispersal time to every 3 or 10 seconds, with a 120-second gap between each dispersal. The device can then be turned off manually by pressing the power button on the front until you hear one long beep. Alternatively, it can be deactivated by removing the plug.
Connecting to the app is by far the best scenario, as it gives you greater control. It was originally only available for iPhones but is now available for Android users too. The app allows you to set up to five running schedules. For each setting, you can select the desired days of the week, along with the running time and the scent intensity. There is also the option to select the light display.
When using the app, the scent intensity is based on a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the highest. The app displays the scent dispersal time and the pause interval between each dispersal.
Intensity settings
1: 5 seconds on, 5 minutes off
2: 10 seconds on, 4 minutes
3: 10 seconds on, 2 minutes off
4: 15 seconds on, 90 seconds off
5: 25 seconds on, 90 seconds off
However, the app doesn’t tell you when the scent is running low, which would be a good additional feature. This is one suggestion that other reviewers have raised.
Light show
One of the main features of the AromaDream is its ambient LED lighting. It has four settings: Off, Cool, Warm, and an RGB Color Cycle. The warm setting is ideal for nighttime, when you want to relax, whereas the RGB option takes you through a rainbow of changing colors. The light settings can be easily selected on the app or by pressing the power button for manual operation.
AromaDream: Performance
The scent is very intense, even on the lowest setting, so if you have a small room, the lowest setting will be more than adequate. The highest intensity setting is intended for a larger, open-plan space with high ceilings and will be suitable if you have a spacious open-plan living area. I advise starting on a lower setting and seeing what suits your personal preferences. Again, having the app gives you more functionality and provides a wider choice of scent intensity settings.
I tested four fragrances — Between the Sheets, Fig & Orange Blossom, Lavender and The Garden. All were beautiful, although my particular favorite was Fig & Orange Blossom. But with over 50 aroma oils available, you’re bound to find more than one or two that you adore.
There is one downside, and that’s the noise the device makes when dispersing oil. It’s not overly off-putting, but it could be annoying if you use it to relax before bed during the evening.
AromaDream: Ease of use
The product is easy to take apart and refill with oil. Simply unscrew the domed diffuser cover from its base, then pull up the white diffuser nozzle to reveal the glass oil bottle. The bottle’s top can be unscrewed and filled with your chosen fragrance.
The app is also easy to use (see above) and provides far more options than the standard default functions.
The only problem you’ll have is deciding on which fragrance to use!
AromaDream: Cleaning
I found that the AromaDream’s outer casing could be cleaned easily with a microfiber cloth. Regarding the glass bottle, because I was changing the oils frequently for testing, I cleaned it with water and a few drops of dish soap before rinsing and leaving it to air dry.
However, AromaTech recommends cleaning the diffuser every 1-2 months or when you change your oil. It advises using its diffuser cleaner, available for $28 from AromaTech. It recommends adding ¼ inches of the cleaning solution to the glass bottle and setting the device on its highest intensity setting for 15 minutes. Then, discard the solution before refilling the bottle with your chosen scent.
AromaDream: Verdict
The AromaDream is a powerful diffuser with a wide range of scents available from AromaTech. It’s compact and neat, with a good choice of LED lighting options to create a range of smoothing moods while adding ambient lighting to your room.
It feels like a high-end product you would see in a boutique hotel or shop. The device’s beauty is that you don’t have to worry about lighting or extinguishing scented candles to create a beautiful aroma. The app controls are super easy to use and give you greater control over when to run the diffuser and the intensity of the scent dispersed. However, because the scent is so intense, you won’t need the diffuser running for long to gain the benefit.
Camilla Sharman has worked in publishing and marketing for over 30 years and has covered a wide range of sectors within the business and consumer industries both as a feature, content, and freelance writer.
As a business journalist, Camilla has researched articles for many different sectors from the jewellery industry to finance and tech, charities, and the arts. Whatever she’s covered, she enjoys delving deep and learning the ins and out of different topics, then conveying her research within engaging content that informs the reader. In her spare time, when she’s not in her kitchen experimenting with a new recipe, you’ll find her keeping fit at the gym. In the pool, stretching at a yoga class, or on a spin bike, exercise is her escape time. She also loves the great outdoors and if she’s not pottering about in her garden, she’ll be jumping on her bike for a gentle cycle ride.