Ruby Crafts (ShangHai)

Image Title: Scented Candles
Alt-Text: Scented Candle vs. reed diffuser
Image Description: Scented candles on a table covered with a white cloth

Walking into a room with a lovely fragrance is truly a treat for the olfactory system. Who doesn’t like a whiff of a beautiful aroma to be the first thing to welcome you as you enter your home, workplace, restaurant, or hotel?
There are many options available to freshen up a room. These include aerosol air fresheners, automated fragrance diffusers, scented candles, and reed diffusers. All are fantastic methods that make any space smell fabulous.

How Are Scented Candles And Reed Diffusers Different From Each Other?

Scented candles and reed diffusers are the most popular, inexpensive, and easiest methods that can be used to freshen a room up. While they have certain similarities, such as they both use essential oil fragrances and are inexpensive and simple to use, they also have their own set of differences.

In The Way That They Work?

Reed diffusers work by placing a few reed sticks that measure 3-4 mm in diameter into a container that is filled with fragrant oil. The reed sticks that have a unique absorbent quality become saturated with the fragrant oil and transport it up to the end of the reed stick that is exposed to the air. The sticks disperse tiny droplets of the scented oil into the air making the room smell wonderful.

Scented candles, on the other hand, need to be lit. They work as a flame that burns a candle that is infused with fragrant essential oil and releases its fantastic aroma as it burns. While a scented candle needs to be burned to release its scent, a reed diffuser does not require an open flame.

In Their Duration Of Fragrance

Reed diffusers can continue to release fragrance throughout the day and do not need to be supervised. A standard 100 ml bottle lasts for a month, and reed sticks can go through an entire 6 months before they need to be replaced as long as they are being flipped every week regularly.

Scented candles, on the other hand, will only release fragrance when they are burned and must not be left unattended as they can be a fire hazard. This is the reason many hotels and restaurants do not prefer to keep scented candles and choose safer alternatives.

In The Intensity Of Their Fragrance

Scented candles have a more intense scent, and the intensity can not usually be controlled. However, the aroma of reed sticks can be controlled as adding more sticks will release a more intense fragrance, and reducing the number of sticks can reduce the fragrance in the air. The more reed sticks there are, the heavier the scent will be in the air, and the faster the oil will run out.

In Their Aesthetics And Mood

There is something special about the way a candle burns and the warm glow it produces. It automatically sets a mood and uplifts the aesthetics of a space, along with the benefit of releasing a wonderful fragrance.

Reed diffusers look elegant placed in any space around your home and add to the beauty of any room they are placed in, but since they do not need to be lit, they don’t create the mood that the glow of a candle does.

In Their Placement Options

Due to their open flame, scented candles have limited placement options. It is not recommended to leave lit candles unsupervised or too close to fabric such as curtains and linens that can catch fire. Sleeping with a lit scented candle is dangerous; therefore, you cannot enjoy the benefits of a scented candle without worrying about the fire hazard. If pets or children are in the house, scented candles should be placed in a high location so that they are out of reach.

Since reed diffusers do not have an open flame, they do not need supervision while they are working. They do not need supervision unless there are small children and pets in the house as they might chew on the reed sticks, which is unsafe. Reed diffusers should be placed at a high location that is safe and out of reach from children and pets.

Reed diffusers cannot be switched on before entering your home as they don’t need to be lit or plugged in. you can walk into your home and be welcomed by a delicious aroma.

Which Of The Two Is Healthier?

Scented candles tend to release soot and smoke as they burn. On the other hand, Reed diffusers do not need to be lit and therefore do not have the problem of releasing soot or smoke. They can be left in the room overnight without worrying about inhaling any toxins overnight. There are many

Reed diffusers are generally more eco-friendly than scented candles as they do not release any soot or smoke. But soy and coconut wax options used in scented candles are healthier options as they have a cleaner burn and less release of smoke and soot as compared to paraffin wax. Both use recyclable glass containers and reed sticks made from rattan wood that is biodegradable; therefore, there is minimal pollution.

The Final Word

Scented candles and reed diffusers are both simple and fantastic options to create an aromatic and aesthetic environment in your home. Both make for excellent options as gifts as well and have a long shelf life. Essential oils used in both scented candles and reed diffusers have unique soothing and calming benefits and are used very commonly in aromatherapy for their benefits. They both add to the aesthetics of a room and can refreshen any room. To get rid of smells in the kitchen, stuffiness in poorly ventilated room or unpleasant odors in the bathroom can all be helped with the use of scented candles and reed diffusers.