If you can't smell your diffuser, the most likely reason is that you've got used to it. You stop noticing a scent you live with all day in your own home, even though a guest walking in will still pick it up.
If that's not it, the next things to check are placement, intensity, airflow and how strong the scent is. Here's how to work through each one.
You've got used to the scent
Start here. Your home's scent becomes part of the background for you, so you notice it less over time.
- Step out and come back: leave the house for half an hour, then walk back in. Notice what you smell in the first few seconds.
- Ask a visitor: someone who hasn't been in the room all day is the best test.
- Change scents: try something new when you finish a bottle. Our scent-matching guide suggests what to try next.
- Run it on a schedule: on a smart diffuser, set it for the hours you're in the room instead of all day. Here's how to set up a schedule.
Check where it sits
- Out in the open: put it where people move through the room, not behind furniture or in a cupboard nook.
- Away from open doors and windows: a breeze can carry the scent straight outside.
- More on placement: see where to place an electric diffuser and where to put a reed diffuser.
Match the diffuser and intensity to the room
A diffuser that suits a small room can get lost in a big open-plan space.
- Beacon: covers up to 300sqm, for open-plan living and larger homes. See the Beacon diffuser.
- Pillar: floor-standing, sized for larger rooms.
- Element and Micro: suited to single rooms and smaller spaces.
- Intensity: delicate mists for 6 seconds, then pauses for 120. Try subtle (12 seconds), radiant (18) or intense (24), one level at a time.
Weighing up a bigger diffuser? Read Element vs Beacon: which suits your space.
Airflow, aircon and fans
Ceiling fans, air conditioning and open windows all move air around, and scent moves with it. If the diffuser sits under a vent or right beside a fan, shift it a metre or two. If that doesn't help, go up one intensity level.
Some scents are softer by design
Each iconic scent has a strength rating out of 5 on its product page. Want something you'll notice? Choose a higher number.
- Lighter: Bondi 1/5, Rose Gold 2/5 and Coral 2/5
- Middle: Santal Woods 3/5 and Dream 3/5
- Stronger: Country Linen, Botanical Gardens, Zen Garden and Kiwi Coconut Vanilla, all 4/5
- Strongest: Fig Tree at 5/5
Using a reed diffuser?
Reeds have no motor or intensity setting, so the fixes are different. Flipping the reeds and checking the oil level come first. Then read how to make your reed diffuser smell stronger and how many reeds to put in a diffuser.
If your electric diffuser isn't misting at all, that's a separate problem. See diffuser not misting or no scent coming out.
FAQ
Why can guests smell my diffuser when I can't?
You get used to a scent in your own home. Visitors arrive fresh, so they notice it straight away.
Should I set my diffuser to intense?
Start on delicate and go up one level at a time. Jumping straight to intense can be too much in a small room.
Which kirri scent is the strongest?
Fig Tree, rated 5/5. Country Linen, Botanical Gardens, Zen Garden and Kiwi Coconut Vanilla are close behind at 4/5.
Shop the iconic scents or browse 200ml reed diffusers.