Recently in the market for a new aroma diffuser for our living room, I did what everybody else does: I jumped online in search for a damn good bargain!
I love using essential oils around the home for just about everything: cleaning, wellbeing, for helping with aches and pains and of course, to make the home smell incredible!
In my online hunt for a decent diffuser, of course I was immediately bombarded with all the lovely online “discount” stores that spam the living hell out of your email inbox. The diffusers available on said sites looked… okay…. But were actually available slightly cheaper on Ebay, soooo…..
Anyway.
Moving my search to Ebay, there were SO. MANY. OPTIONS. Super fancy looking diffusers, diffusers for use in the car (I think I would just get a little too relaxed with a diffuser going off in my car!), fancy-pants timber and glass models – so many to choose from.
After spending an embarrassing amount of time sifting through about 100 different options, I finally saw the light and decided to just checkout Kmart – As always, Kmart delivered. A lovely little aroma diffuser was available for just $20.00! Now THAT’S a bloody bargain!
Excited to have found yet another “reasonable” excuse to visit Kmart, I rushed to the store, grabbed my new diffuser (and some candles, a new bedspread and book because why the hell not – When in Kmart and all…) and went home to get my aromatherapies ON.
Now that the history of my Kmart purchase has been covered, it’s time for the actual review part of this post!
I would rate Kmart’s Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser a solid 3 out of 5 and here’s why:
It is a delightful little round shape; simple, white and aesthetically not displeasing. Nothing overly fancy but not offensive to look at either. It looks like your run of the mill aroma diffuser, made of the same sort of smooth white plastic.
It does feature a single white light, with two different strengths so that’s handy to set the mood. I imagine it would also make for an excellent night light for the bedroom!
Controls are very simple, with the usual light and mist buttons available. It does turn off on its own once the water has been used up so that’s a definite plus….
And it works pretty well!
Now for the down side: Although I have no SERIOUS complaints about it, there are a couple of things that I just find a little bit irritating. I guess I can’t complain considering Kmart’s diffuser is probably the cheapest one you will find anywhere but still…
I found that the screw top lid is actually a little awkward to take on and off – I literally have to pick up the whole diffuser, jam a fingernail between the two sections and pull upwards – Something you very obviously wouldn’t want to do if there is water still in there, so that’s a bit of a nuisance.
Secondly, the maximum water fill line is strangely low. Of course, I’m assuming this is due to the diffuser’s shape however, it means that it doesn’t stay on as long as my other diffusers (yes, plural – My goal is to have one in every room of the house eventually!). That being said, it does stay on for at least 2-3 hours so I am pretty pleased either way. Just a minor inconvenience is all!
All in all, if you are looking for a budget friendly aromatherapy diffuser, you will find exactly what you’re after in Kmart’s Ultrasonic Aroma Diffuser. It’s a wonderful option in a pinch, especially as a starter diffuser.
As always, another awesome Kmart win! Click here to checkout this super economical diffuser on Kmart’s online store.
FAQ’s
We’ve had a few questions sent in about our review of Kmart’s awesome aroma diffuser so we thought we’d update this post with some answers!
How much water does the Kmart Diffuser hold?
Kmart’s aroma diffuser holds about 1.5cm of water. There is a sticker on the inside of the dome to mark the maximum water line however, with use this sticker did fall off of my diffuser!
What do I do if my Kmart Diffuser isn’t releasing steam?
The most common reason for your Kmart Diffuser not releasing steam is that there may be too much water in it. Safely remove some of the water in your diffuser to bring it down to about 1-1.5cm (or down to the maximum water line if yours hasn’t peeled off yet!) and try again. If it’s still not releasing steam, the product may be faulty so we do recommend returning it to your nearest store.
Can I use Kmart’s Essential Oils?
As you can see, we are VERY fond of Kmart’s Aroma Diffuser however, I am very picky with my essential oils! I have tried several different brands, including Kmart’s essential oils and although the AROMA is there, the therapeutic benefits are not and I’m all about only recommending products that A) I use myself and B) Am extremely happy with! For this reason, I would only recommend using Certified Organic Oils: This accreditation ensures that all the ingredients are produced using only organic, top quality plants, ensuring the best quality essential oil.
23/9/18 EDIT: After several months of daily use, my Kmart diffuser is still going strong! It is one of 4 diffusers I actually use around the home. I have however, seen some negative feedback on the units – Especially within Kmart related Facebook Groups. It seems some buyers aren’t as impressed with the budget friendly diffuser as I was, with a few people reporting theirs didn’t work as well as they had hoped or stopped working altogether after a short time. This is usually is caused by over filling the diffuser (excess steam circulates within the unit and can lead to it short circuiting – This has happened to me before with a super fancy $80 diffuser I had once bought!) Although I am very pleased with my diffuser, as are the friends and family I’ve recommended them to, I’d like to point out that this unit is, at the end of the day, a budget friendly option. In my opinion, it is a great product for anyone after a starter diffuser and is serving its purpose in my home.
FURTHER READING:
- Our Review of Organic Aromas Nebulizing Diffuser
- 20 Incredible Ways to use Peppermint Oil
- Homemade Cat Deterrent Spray – An All Natural Solution!
I also had trouble getting the lid off so my husband snipped off the ends of two opposite locking lugs, so now there is only two lugs that lock and it is so much easier to get off.
That is such a good idea! That lid was such a nuisance to take off everytime! Thanks for the tip – This diffuser has been “re-homed” and given to a friend since I last updated this review so I’ll have to pass that on to her. It’s definitely a great starter diffuser for the price tag and perfect for bedrooms where you don’t want it on for too long, just has an annoying lid!
Thank you so much for your review. I have a couple of these diffusers and they were working well when I originally purchased them but stopped. I was about to throw them out as they’d stopped producing steam but thought I would do a quick internet search. I was overfilling them! (the stickers are long gone so I was filling them to the ridge in the plastic) I’ve now marked the 1.5cm mark and they are working as well as they originally did. Thanks again!
Hi Jennifer – I’m so happy to have helped! I had the exact same problem, the sticker came off after a few uses so I was left scratching my head trying to figure out why the steam wasn’t coming out! They’re very easy to overfill without that marker – Thank you for comment and feedback 😊
This was really helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to review this product and share your results. I’m off to purchase mine tomorrow!
Thank you for the feedback! I’ve been happy with the Kmart Diffuser – does the job but as I mentioned, there were a few minor inconveniences! I hope you’re happy with yours, would love to hear your thoughts!
I find it lovely but an electrlial fire waiting to happen if not easily accessible. Theres no on or off switch. You can Only turn it off completely at the power point or remove the cord. The way the cord is designed is great so it doesnt sit in the water that chances are 50 % of the time a spill will happen. If there’s no easy access to a power point to turn this off it isnt suitable. To try & get
The cord back in with water & without spilling could be asking for trouble
Hi Rebecca, thanks for your comment! As with most diffusers, you can turn it on and off by long pressing the mist button. With the lid being a bit awkward, I usually just let the diffuser run its cycle (it runs for a couple of hours) so the water is all gone before taking the lid off to give it a clean. Once I got the hang of the lid, I’ve had no problems at all!
I’ve tried under filling and overfilling and removing water all together, cleaning and drying and then filling again and it still does not work. It beeps at me and then turns off. Has anyone else had this experience? I’ve only been able to successfully use it once.
Hi Alison, thank you for your comment. Mine has never done that before but I have definitely seen the issue come up with a few people! It might be best to take it back to the store for a refund as it sounds like there’s an issue with the unit itself!
Heap of crap does it to me as well, just beeps at me and turns itself off like it hates me
Hi Someone! Looks like you may have got a dud unit! Mine still works just fine – Definitely return it to the store for a refund!
Hi, I have bought a Kmart diffuser, very pleased with it. Yes my water level sticker came off, but if I only thought to mark where it was derrr!
Will have to measure to see appropriate level in mls that’s something Kmart doesn’t tell you with the instructions. Diffusers on line always say if it’s 250mls 300mls or 500mls in all a good little diffuser.
I agree, Kerri, I definitely should have thought to mark the water line derrr!!!! Lol! Although I haven’t measured the mls, I find that if I stick to about 1-1.5 CM of water it works fine! 😊
Thank you – I just bought one and couldn’t work out why it wasn’t working. Apparently I need to get my eyes checked, because I’d overfilled it. It works fine after taking some water out!
It doesn’t take a hell of a lot of water so it’s easy to overfill! Thanks for your comment Teri, hope you’re enjoying your diffuser! 😊
do not buy have gone thought 2 lid has lock and not been able to get it off very disappointing
Hi K – Looks like people are having very mixed experiences. Mine is still going strong, as are all the units my friends and family own too. I have seen a couple of negative reviews in Kmart facebook groups similar to yours but again, my unit is still working beautifully!
This product works fine but had one major flaw as you mention. Opening by rotating the top and bottom halfs is a major frustation which will cause many to return the product. Simply it is not fit for purpose and never have reached being on sale until properly tested for functionality. Having relied on your review I am disappointed with the purchase. 0/10
Hi Chris, as you can see I was pretty happy with the product and was able to open the lid (perhaps not by rotating as the product designers intention but still, I can open it and it’s fine). At the end of the day Chris, it’s a $20 diffuser from Kmart, it does fit the purpose I am using it for hence my review as such. If you are dissapointed with the product, I suggest you speak Kmart themselves – I’ve been happy with my purchase!