Which doTERRA diffuser is best?
doTERRA sells a number of aromatic diffusers in New Zealand, including the Koala, Petal 2.0 and Lumo. Periodically, other diffusers are available as limited availability promotions. Diffusers that are currently available are listed here. All diffusers we sell are covered by a 12 month manufacturer’s warranty.
The doTERRA aromatic diffusers are designed to disperse an oil or blend throughout a closed space as a fine mist, without heating or denaturing the oil. The higher end diffusers tend to be more powerful and disperse a finer mist (smaller particle), which stays in the air longer.
If you’re new to doTERRA or only familiar with the Petal diffuser, the table below gives a brief comparison of the features of the regular diffusers.
| Feature | Koala Diffuser | Petal Diffuser 2.0 | Lumo Diffuser |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
|
| Price | $87 | $80 | $119 |
| Coverage (square metres) | 25m2 | 31m2 | 50m2 |
| Timers | 2 hours / 4 hours / 8 hours (intermittent) | 2 hours / 6 hours / 10 hours (intermittent) | 2 hours / 5 hours / 10 hours (intermittent) |
| LED backlight | warm white | warm white | warm white, aqua, green, deep orange, pink, purple, blue |
| Finish | Grey with white trim | Lilac / Lavender coloured base | Maple wood base |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months | 12 months |
Which doTERRA diffuser is best?
Which diffuser you prefer depends on your requirements and, to some extent, your budget. We have listed the regular doTERRA diffusers above in order of increasing power.
All the doTERRA diffusers we’ve used (Petal, Lumo then Koala) have been great, but doTERRA’s Lumo has the greatest coverage, finer mist, strongest output and puts on a good light show, though I only usually use the warm white light during the day and no light at night.
If you’re on a lower budget, I’d recommend doTERRA’s Petal diffuser, as it’s the next most powerful diffuser with a good night light and can still be used in any room in most houses.
I’d suggest the doTERRA Koala diffuser if you’re likely to use it in a smaller room and the quieter operation and music options are of value to you.
What to Look for in a Diffuser
The most likely features you might want to consider when buying a diffuser are:
Coverage
Coverage is quoted by doTERRA in square feet, which we’ve converted to metres, and is presumably the maximum area that doTERRA considers that you will get effective use within for each of its diffusers. You can see from the table that the Lumo has the greatest coverage at 50m2, the Koala has half the coverage and the Petal diffuser is in between.
Coverage is not just a matter of power, the Lumo also seems to put out a finer mist than the Petal and Koala. If you’re familiar with diffusers you’ll probably know that most diffusers put out a visible mist that tends to move horizontally and then down from the diffuser – this is a function of the power of the diffuser and the weight of each particle in the mist.
The vapour plume from my Lumo diffuser, and others I’ve watched, goes straight up before changing its direction of travel and is noticeably stronger than other diffusers I’ve seen. I think the vapour is much more likely to disperse into the room at a height where you can more easily inhale it (and therefore detect the scent or gain any therapeutic benefits).
After the Lumo, the Petal gives the next best coverage and vapour strength. The Petal is still adequate for use in most rooms of the house.
The Koala has the lowest coverage of the doTERRA diffusers in New Zealand and is also the quietest. It also has more subtle lighting, so I think the Koala is best suited where a quiet diffuser is wanted or at night in bedrooms.
Timers
The Lumo and Koala have similar timer options. 2 hours, 5 hours and an intermittent setting which gives 10 hours. The 10 hour intermittent mode dispenses the same total vapour as the 5 hour setting but switches the diffuser on and off every 5 minutes to double the total diffused time. This is the timer setting I most commonly use with my Lumo.
The Petal 2.0 timer is similar to the Koala and Lumo but lasts slightly longer. It can operate for 2 or 6 hours continuously with an intermittent mode of up to 12 hours (5 minutes on, 5 minutes off).
The timer setting for all of these diffusers can be selected by tapping the left button to turn the diffuser on and cycle through each time mode and then back to off.
Lighting
The doTERRA diffusers that we’re discussing all have LED night-lights. The Petal has only a warm white night-light that can be switched on or off. This would be fine for me as I never actually use the colours on the Lumo.
The Lumo and Koala have similar lighting features to each other, although the Lumo appears to have more colours than the Koala. Both these diffusers allow you to select a specific LED colour (by tapping the right button) or to have a light show that fades from one colour to another.
On all the diffusers the light mode can be selected by tapping on the right button. The light can be switched off directly by pressing and holding the right button.
Maintenance
doTERRA recommends wiping each of these diffusers out and leaving them to dry between uses. For a quick clean, it is suggested that you diffuse Lemon oil for a short time before emptying and wiping the diffuser clean and allowing it to dry.
Once per month, doTERRA recommends a deep clean with white vinegar. doTERRA’s procedure for this is here.
Reliability
We have had only one Lumo diffuser returned for a problematic LED, found when it was first unpacked, out of dozens sold. The earlier Petal diffuser had a high return rate of the AU/NZ power supply but we have had no returns of any of the current Petal (2.0) diffusers, which we have been selling since the end of 2019.
We have not sold enough Koala diffusers to comment on their reliability.
Which doTERRA diffuser is best value?
Versus the original petal diffuser, I considered the Lumo to be the best value doTERRA diffuser in New Zealand, because it did the best job of dispersing vapour throughout any room. The light show was not a deciding factor for me, but might have been for some people.
With the release of the Petal 2.0 diffuser at the end of 2019, the petal now also has an intermittent mode that extends its maximum diffuser time to 12 hours. Subjectively it seems more powerful than the original petal though it still has the same dispersion rating of 31m2 (versus 50m2 for the Lumo).
I now consider the Petal Diffuser 2.0 to be the best all round value for a N.Z./Australia doTERRA diffuser (even better as a Diffuser Intro Kit if you don’t already have doTERRA oils to use with it). The Lumo is still a very good buy if it’s within your budget and you want the most powerful diffuser or coloured lighting.
If you’re going to be using your diffuser in a smaller room (such as a bedroom) and the LED lighting is a factor then the Koala might be a suitable choice, though it’s only available during promotions.
Whichever diffuser you buy, you’re likely to use it for years. I think the Petal Diffuser 2.0 is affordable and will be enjoyed for years, and you’ll appreciate the power of the Lumo diffuser well after you’ve forgotten the little extra it cost.
Your feedback
Diffusers are the most popular pages and products on our website and I think people spend some time trying to make the best decision on which to buy. Any questions you have or experience that you’d like to share may well help others make their decision.
Thanks for reading!
Last updated 9 months ago by Richard
