I tried the Pura diffuser, and now every room needs one

I've always been obsessed with things smelling good, from asking my dad if I can wear perfume at wayyy too young an age to hoarding half-used candles like they're souvenirs, so I'm not sure what took me so long to get on the Pura train, but I'm never getting off now!

I'm going to share my honest Pura diffuser review—a bit about my experience using one, my favorite fragrances, and how I set the timer. But before I do: They're running a sitewide Memorial Day Sale from 5/18–5/26. Diffusers* and fragrances are 20% off!

A very legit candle replacement

I am super sensitive to smell, and whenever I came home after being away, I hated the smell of our house and worried that everyone who came in would notice too. I've even worried it smells like a hamster cage, lol. But not anymore! Ever since we put Pura fragrance diffusers all over, people comment on how good our house smells.

I've always been one of those people who have scented candles burning in multiple rooms at a time, especially when we have company. But, I read an article about how burning scented candles was actually really bad for you, and I shuddered to think about the terrible air quality in our house—all because of my unwavering love of fragrance.

That was when I decided to try a Pura smart diffuser. Reviewed recommends the diffusers to anyone with children, pets, or who just wants a clean-smelling house, and the smart features were super intriguing! Plus, Pura promises their premium scents are safe for people and pets (and they’re eco-friendly).

My favorite Pura diffuser scents

This is a very important part of your Pura "journey," because there are thousands of Pura diffuser scents to choose from, and it can be super overwhelming at first. I tried many scents until I started figuring out my MVPs, which I now have on auto-buy!

And PS, while you're figuring out your scent preferences (there may be some trial and error), Pura has a great fragrance return policy! A really good way to choose is to look for companies you already like and trust—a lot of my favorite candles I tried in Pura form.

Here are the best Pura scents I've discovered thus far. Be warned, I love the clean, coastal, citrus scents the most. I'm not into scents like vanilla, but I might branch out and update this list later!

• Salt by Unify Co.: marine, cashmere, woody. My #1. I'm obsessed. Very niche reference, but it smells like the Northern California part of Soarin' at Disneyland, in the best way. Clean, coastal, slightly cozy—it's perfect.

• White Bergamot by Studio McGee: citrus, floral, light musk. The floral note adds a soft, cozy layer on top of the musky base I usually go for. I thought it might lean too feminine, but it doesn't!

• Earl Grey Bitters by Apotheke: bergamot, black tea, amber. Clean but a little moody, like citrus with depth instead of straight freshness.

• Palo Santo by Brooklyn Candle Studio: palo santo wood, cedar, sandalwood. I've always loved the scent of palo santo, so I ordered this immediately. It doesn't smell exactly like burning palo santo to me, but it's a beautiful, relaxing scent, like a fancy spa waiting room.

• Dew by Unify Co.: peony, green, eucalyptus. A perfect springtime scent. Crisp, refreshing, and light.

• Volcano by Capri Blue: tropical citrus, sugared fruit. Sweet and punchy. Not what I usually go for, but it's really good and totally different from the rest. Best in a small powder room where you want a fun hit of scent.

How it’s changed the vibe of our house

This is the best part. You can fully set the mood of your house depending on the season or even the room.

Around Christmastime, we had a faux tree in the living room and a real one in the family room, so I got some Christmasy Pura scents, and I swear the living room smelled better than the real tree. That pine smell wafting through the house was one of my favorite parts of our first Christmas in Connecticut!

Post-holidays, I went all in on cozy, woodsy scents, and now that the seasons have changed, I've switched to brighter, citrusy ones. It really does change how the house feels.

My sister-in-law literally asked me if it was worth getting one "for her smelly house" (her words, not mine, lol) and I was like… 1000%. I'm simply a happier person when things smell good. Who wouldn't be?!

How I set schedules for my Pura home diffuser

I actually get this question a lot, so I figured I'd answer it right in my Pura diffuser review. It really depends on your routine, but since we work from home and are here basically all day, ours run more than someone who's out 9–5. (And you can even use away mode so it won't run when you're not home!)

First—if you didn't know —you control everything in an app: schedules, intensity, when scents are running low—all of it!

I basically set mine based on where we actually are during the day:

• Upstairs in our bedroom, I run it way less since we're not there much. I'll do a wind-down window (7:30pm–10pm) and then a little bit in the morning (5:30am–6:30am).
• Downstairs, I focus on the times we're actually using the space. I'm not spending time in the living room mid-day, so I just do a morning block (6am–10am) and then again in the evening (5pm–8pm).
• And then for rooms that need constant help (our tiny bathroom, unfortunately), I pretty much run it all day with breaks—like 40 minutes on, short intervals off.

Depending on your sensitivity and preferences, you just gotta play around and see what works best for you!

*Sale excludes the new Pura V5 diffuser.