Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This was my very first diffuser purchase and my first experience with oils period and I was really excited to find this. The reason I bought it (and yes, I BOUGHT it for full price) was because my husband and I hosted his big staff Christmas party (60 people) in our home and I found some delightful holiday oils at Bed Bath and Beyond that I thought would make for a lovely party atmosphere. The orange spice one is my favorite. Anyway, this arrived just in time for the party, but that meant it didn't leave me much time for experimenting with it in advance. Technically it works, and it looks really nice in our kitchen nook where I keep it, but after using it for about a month now, here are a few things to note: - Probably my biggest complaint is that when you first turn it on, the scent of the oils is VERY strong (almost too strong) for the first 15 minutes and then after 45 minutes I can't smell anything anymore unless I put my nose right in the mist. And no, it isn't nose blindness, I left the house for 20 minutes and came back and couldn't smell it when I walked in the door. And that's on full power. This was very disappointing. I tried adding more than the recommended 3-4 drops at the beginning and that just made the first 15 minutes practically unbearable. My 4 year olds nose started running and everything. So while I love that this has a large capacity and long cycles/run times, what's the point if you get blasted in 15 minutes and then nothing? Basically you're left with a very stylish humidifier which is not what I was hoping for. HOWEVER, I have since talked to the manufacturer and tried other brands of diffusers/spoken with friends and family members who own different brands and this seems to be a common theme. It seems like it's more about the oils you use and less about the diffuser. I'm going to try some different, higher quality oils and will update later. If anyone has other suggestions on how to get around this I'm all ears. We have a pretty large home, but really I just want it to fill the kitchen and attached dining room and living room. I didn't think that was asking too much, but it might be. - Cleaning this thing is a pain. I was hoping I'd be able to remove the water tray and really wash it thoroughly but that's impossible. You can't scrub it all out because you can't touch the sensitive little sonicator. You can't rinse is under running water because you might get water inside the electronic components. HOWEVER, this again, seems to be the case with pretty much all diffusers so I can't knock this one for it just because I'm new to diffuser world. - This puts out a pretty large amount of mist, which if humidity is what you want, that's great, but be aware that the surface you put it on will get a little damp! Maybe is should come with it's own giant coaster... Where we live is very dry though so it's actually kinda nice to have the added humidity. - I don't like the AC power cord plugs in UNDER the unit. I find it difficult to get it to sit just right without causing the unit to tilt. Also, heaven help you if you fill up your diffuser BEFORE plugging it in! I would love to fill mine by the sink instead of walk back and forth across the room with the tiny little cup they provide, but nope, gotta plug it in first or you'r gonna spill all over when you try to plug it in on the bottom. Poor design in my book. I know that sounds like a lot of negatives but after more experimentation and research I think they're just complaints about diffusers in general and not this one specifically. This one does work consistently as it's advertised to and it looks really lovely! The lights create the perfect effect. I have gotten several compliments and "where did you get that's?" from house guests and visitors so I will continue to use it! If anyone has tips for me on how to have a better long term experience with diffusers in general, I would love to hear your tips! Also, it should be noted that this company has really great customer service and want to make sure you get the best possible use out of your device which I appreciate. I did NOT receive this item for free or at a discount.