Aera Smart Diffuser System

A Full Review of this Home Fragrance Tool

You might also have the Aera blowing up your instagram feed right now. Its sleek, blue-tooth enabled design captured my attention as an alternative to the candles that I’m burning by the dozen as a result of being home during this crazy quarantine time. While this was a hefty investment, I’m really thrilled with the purchase, with a few caveats and a couple of features you may want to know about before bringing it home.

Key Features

To be honest, the compact, beautiful, minimal design compelled me to look a little further at this diffuser. I had dumped probably equivalent sums into much cheaper versions on Amazon, often without a functioning tech-enablement that makes this one so compelling.

• Smart or Not? : The diffuser comes in both a smart and non-smart version. You’re already dropping $150 if you’re in on this thing at the basic model, just spend the extra $50 for the smart version. To be able to put this on a routine, and tie it in to my Alexa is a key benefit for me.

• The App: Truly, the app is a little glitchy, but it really only has one job and does it well. I set up routines for every day of the week, so that when I stroll into my bedroom at night there’s already been a good 30 minutes of it diffusing through the space. It’s the perfectly welcome comforting bedtime ritual that has all the comfort of a candle or diffuser, but is totally mindless because you set it and don’t even think about it on a daily basis. I have it stop just a bit after my bed time, and again, it’s a total treat to not have to crawl out of bed and blow out a candle or shut something off.

• Furry Friends: Many essential oils aren’t safe for pets. I love knowing that absolutely any capsule I pick up here has been fully vetted to be safe to diffuse around animals.

A Couple of Caveats

• Picking Your Scents: This is where it’s a bit hit or miss, but finding the right smell is totally worth the hunt. I started this purchase with only 2 of the “aromatherapy” blends. They were both awful. Smelled amazing as testers, but had absolutely no throw and actually made me question if my machine was even working. I would crank it up for hours, and even in a tiny NYC bedroom, you couldn’t smell a thing. Thankfully, their customer service was great and walked me through a generous exchange to pick out some smells with better diffusing and dispersion power. These were the ones I can personally recommend:

  • Linen: Super fresh, and not too laundry-feeling, which can be a little overwhelming and fake smelling. Great throw, and reasonable for day or night.

  • Citrus: I put this on during my workday. It’s got that perk that you’d want a citrus to have, but doesn’t feel too sweet, grounded by a wood note.

  • Poetry: This blend is great at night. A little smokey and woodsy, it’s soft but with a strong staying power.

• Price: So yes, this isn’t cheap. But the routines help me ration the use of these little vials over a reasonable period of time. I also appreciate that this is a much healthier way to get scent into your space, as opposed to the soy and wax exhaust that can come off of most candles.

• Space: Living in a tiny NYC apartment, I get a very reasonable scent carrying through my space. If you have a sizable room—thinking something with high ceilings or a very largely-laid out living room, I don’t think you’ll get quite the heft out of this you’re looking for. But, for most bedrooms or smaller footprint living spaces, you should get consistent and strong scent throw.

Final Verdict

I’m really happy with this purchase, though the upfront cost is a little tough to swallow and it took me some work to find the right scents for me. Given that they’re reasonable with a return policy, I wouldn’t bother wasting your money on a sample set, of their fragrances and just make a reasonable effort to pick oil combinations you would otherwise.

The app/bluetooth and wireless connection can get iffy. There are really easy ways to reset it, and again, customer service came through for me with any issues. For all the time we’re spending making our living spaces a little cozier, and staying at home more, this is a great investment if you can swing it in adding some hight tech hygge to your space!