by Mary Lou |
Last Updated: November 4, 2018 When you buy something using the links on our posts, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Learn more.
I’ve had my Urpower diffuser for more than a year now and can legit talk from long experience of using it.
Right off the bat, I’ll tell you that it’s excellent, ridiculously cheap for the value I get from it everyday, and supremely easy to use. Your 2 year old or your grandma could operate it with their eyes closed.
It was a relief to discover this little apparatus because let me tell you, I’ve had a number of (expensive) fails in my long quest to find something that would truly freshen the air in my home.
I read one of these top 10 lists and ended up ordering the most recommended item – the UrPower. It was delivered by Amazon incredibly fast.
When I shook the package, it felt very light and I wondered if it even had anything in it, but out it came in its lightweight plastic glory when I finally opened the package. There was the one diffuser, the charger, and a thin instruction booklet that I immediately lost after I set it aside for later reading.
Truth be told, I wasn’t impressed at first. Underwhelmed. I was happy I was SO wrong.
Here’s what’s great about the UrPower aromatherapy diffuser.
#1: It’s very easy to use
I lost the instructions 5 minutes after opening the package – a new record. Fortunately, I had read a lot of reviews prior so I had some idea what to watch out for and how it worked. There are only two buttons. From trial and error, it was easy to figure out how they worked.
The first button was for the lights. You can pick your color of choice by clicking through.
The second button was for the mist setting – continuous or intermittent.
That’s it. It’s that simple to operate. I really don’t know how you can break this thing when all you’ll do is press buttons. (And they’re sturdy too, cross my heart.)
I’ve seen people complain about the water leaking. I have this to say to them: That water line in the water tank exists for a reason. If you can follow the water line in cup noodles, you should be able to follow the water line in your diffuser. Don’t put more water in it than intended.
When the diffuser is turned on, the water starts to churn (I learned this the hard way). So, if you’ve put too much, it will spill and overrun.
#2: It’s very sparing with the oil
Two to three drops goes a long way for me. Because I am sensitive with scents, I only put a minimal amount in – I just want a hint of a scent.
Sometimes, I don’t even add essential oil drops when I refill the diffuser because there is still some leftover scent from previous use. I just amp it up when I have visitors or want the room to smell more like the oranges or mint scents I use.
I am very happy with how it diffuses scents in a fine mist in the room. Sometimes, I even put my face against the mist and inhale. (The mist is refreshingly cool.)
#3: The diffuser feature is excellent
Unlike my previous purchases, the UrPower doesn’t just give off scents, it also produces a fine mist. It doesn’t work through heat, but rather through ultrasonic technology. A ceramic plate breaks down the particles into micro-molecules and diffuses them into the air as negative ions. (Here’s an awesome piece about salt lamps and why negative ions are great for you.)
I didn’t really understand how a diffuser could help with one’s well-being but I’m a convert now. I had gotten the UrPower right about when we first moved in to condo living. We used to live in a regular house with a garden and good ventilation. The dry air inside the condo rooms was a HUGE downer.
I would wake up with a very dry throat and a hacking cough. I felt very sick really. Having the AC on all day wasn’t making me feel too great, either.
When I started using the diffuser, I immediately noticed a change in air quality. The air felt less dry. I distinctly remember a visitor saying:
Your diffuser’s great. I normally get congested in a room with aircon but here I’m fine.
Since then, I’ve bought one more for the bedroom where I keep it right next to my face. I breathe easier and I don’t wake up in the middle of the night feeling like the Sahara desert’s take up residence in my throat.
#4: It has an auto shut off feature
Yes, this little baby has a sensor that automatically turns the device off once the water tank is nearing empty. This is a huge load off my mind. It NEVER fails to shut off so again, it’s a great piece of machinery.
#5: It never gets hot
I’ll slide this in right about here because it’s connected to my fear of accidents. Unlike my old wax warmer and oil burner that would get downright hot, the UrPower doesn’t even get warm. I initially thought that the smoke-like wisps emerging out of the diffuser was mist from boiling water but after finding out how the technology works, I realized I couldn’t be more wrong.
Peace of mind? Check.
#6: Its LED lights are pretty
Before I got this diffuser, I thought LED lights were super cheesy. I’m not a huge fan of color so when I was fiddling with the controls, I thought I’d never use them much. But do you know what? They’re nice! The colors are warm and pleasing to the eye.
My go-to color is a warm yellow but the first color setting is also a favorite. In this setting, the diffuser goes from one color to the other and it’s a fun visual display. Quite hypnotizing, actually, how the colors melt into each other.
It was able to distract and occupy my little niece for almost an hour – an amazing feat. Young children love the LED lights on this thing.
#7: The 2 mist settings are useful
There are two settings for how the mist diffuses:
• Green – repeated cycle of 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off
• Red – doesn’t stop; continuous mist
So, you’re probably wondering why have two settings at all.
If I want the water to last longer, like I know I’m about to sleep like a hibernating bear, then I’d choose the green setting (intermittent). When I wake up, the diffuser is still going.
However, if I am just taking a nap or am only getting a few hours of night time sleep, I choose the 2nd setting since I know I’ll be awake before it shuts off. When I have visitors over though, I tend to use the 2nd setting and just refill diligently.
#8: It’s value for money
Last but not least, the surprising thing about the UrPower is how it’s so cheap. I’ve spent more on a meal I didn’t even enjoy.
And I’ve had this thing for months now and there’s no sign of breaking because of how simple it’s set up. I’m quite amazed with this purchase really.
The Cons of the UrPower Diffuser
I can’t end this review without talking about the downside of this product. With how much I was raving, you probably thought I wouldn’t have anything bad to say about it but here’s some things you should know.
- The mist isn’t as strong and plentiful as I would like. I’ve seen appliances used by celebrities that put out so much mist it’s like a house on fire. Turns out those were humidifiers. I’m looking into getting a UrPower one and I’ll be sure to write a review if ever.
- My clumsy fingers sometimes struggle screwing back the cover to the base after a water refill. Apparently, judging from the online reviews, I’m not the only one. It’s a common complaint. In theory, it’s easy to just twist and put the lid back on but it usually takes me a few tries to get it right. It’s easy but not easy, if you get what I mean.
And that’s it.
My Pro-Tips
- Unplug your diffuser before refilling. While I’m sometimes wrestling with the thing to get the top back on, I would accidentally press the buttons and it would turn on without the cover. Imagine the water churning and going off like it had little fireworks. I get panicked a bit because of the spillage.
- Keep on a flat surface.
- Don’t keep around things that should be kept away from moisture, like your phone, or in my case, my Himalayan salt lamp. I need both turned on and running so I had a dilemma at first. Now I keep the diffuser next to my pillow and the salt lamp at the foot of the bed. The latter hasn’t been weeping, so it’s all good.
- Use a dropper when putting in your essential oil. I used to just tip my little bottle and ended up putting in more than I should. Using a dropper lets you control the number of drops easily.
Summing Up
The UrPower aromatherapy diffuser is a little gem. It’s one of those rare things that you can get cheap but provide a lot of value to your every day life. It’s helped me immensely in dealing with the dry and musty air in my home, in helping me breathe better, in giving me improved mental clarity, and in giving me much deeper sleep.
It does a lot more than that for other people but those are the big highlights for me.
I highly recommend you get one yourself and try it out.
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Last update on 2024-10-06 at 01:37 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API / More info
Author: Mary Lou
In the Before Times, Maru spent vacations traveling and making stops at showrooms to test the latest massage chair models. Nowadays, she’s hunkered down in her small sunlit home dotted with her ever-growing collection of fiddle fig trees, indoor plants, and Himalayan salt lamps. Find her at LinkedIn.