reed diffuser or candle?

I make both, so I've got no reason to talk you into either. They do genuinely different jobs and most homes want one of each.

The short version

A candle is an event. You light it, the room changes, you notice it. A diffuser is furniture. It sits there being pleasant and you stop noticing it after a week — which is exactly what you want in a hallway or a bathroom.

How long each lasts

A 170ml candle gives about 35 hours. If you light it a few evenings a week for two or three hours, that's roughly two months.

A 200ml diffuser lasts about four months and works every hour of every one of those days. So on cost per month the diffuser usually wins, even though it's the higher price on the shelf.

Strength

A candle is stronger while it's lit, because heat carries scent. Nothing beats a lit candle in a cold room. But it stops when you blow it out.

A diffuser is quieter and constant. You can turn it up by flipping the reeds — once a week is plenty, and doing it daily just uses it up faster. If you want it subtler, use fewer reeds. Half the reeds is roughly half the throw.

Where each one goes

• Hallway — diffuser. It's the first thing anyone smells and you're never in there to light anything.
• Bathroom — diffuser. Damp air carries it well, and no naked flame near towels.
• Living room — candle. It's where you sit still long enough to appreciate one.
• Bedroom — either, but keep it low. Something woody rather than sharp.
• Kitchen — candle, and something citrus. It cuts through cooking rather than arguing with it.
• Anywhere with pets, children or a lot going on — diffuser, kept high up.

The practical differences

A candle needs you: trim the wick, watch the first burn, don't leave it going. A diffuser needs nothing except flipping the reeds occasionally and not knocking it over. Diffuser oil marks polished wood, so put it on something.

If you're buying a gift and don't know the person's house, a diffuser is the safer choice. It can't be got wrong, and it doesn't ask anything of them.

So — which?

If you want a room to feel different when you walk in, a candle. If you want a house that quietly smells like something, a diffuser. If you want both, the pair works out cheaper than buying them separately, which is why I sell it that way.