Yankee Candle Reed Diffusers: How to Get the Best Deal (and Avoid Getting Ripped Off)

Many people love the wide variety of wonderful scents that candles can add to their home, but wish to avoid the presence of open flames because they have small children, pets, or are simply afraid of fire. Plug-in fragrance units became popular for this reason, until it was widely reported in the media that these units sometimes caused house fires as well. For these reasons, reed diffusers have become the new "must-have" item in home fragrancing.

Basically, a reed diffuser is just a bottle of scented oil into which you place a bundle of wooden-sticks (the "reeds"). After a few hours, the reeds will begin to soak up the fragrance oil and diffuse it into the surrounding environment. The amount of oil in the bottle determines how long the fragrance will last, although most reed diffusers on the market will last at least 30 days, and some up to several months. Never being a company to miss out on a hot home fragrance trend, Yankee Candle recently released their own line of reed diffusers.

The first Yankee Candle reed diffuser I took home was one in the "Sun & Sand" scent which I purchased at one of the company's mall locations for $19.99. After taking it home, unpacking it, and waiting a few hours for the reeds to get wet with oil, I was very impressed with the strength of the fragrance. I placed the reed diffuser in my bathroom because the package said it was ideal for small spaces, but to my surprise I could smell it in my bathroom, the master bedroom, and even out into the hallway. The packaging stated the diffuser would last "several weeks," however I was delighted when I could still smell the fragrance an amazing four months later. I was sold on the reed diffuser idea and soon headed back to the Yankee Candle store to pick up another one.

When I finally made my way back to Yankee Candle, it was nice to see that they had greatly expanded their line of reed diffusers, having added many different shapes and sizes to give consumers more decorating options. The Aromatherapy Spa reed diffusers caught my eye, featuring a smaller bottle with dark-colored reeds and decorative glass beads in the oil. This reed diffuser cost five dollars more at $24.99, but since my last reed diffuser from Yankee Candle had lasted so long, I decided to absorb the extra cost and purchase one.

When I got the Aromatherapy Spa reed diffuser home, it definitely gave off the same amount of fragrance as my previous one, and the diffuser itself looked much more contemporary and just plain better on my bathroom counter. However, I was extremely disappointed when just 4 weeks later I noticed that there was no more oil in the bottle. How could my last reed diffuser last for over 4 months and this one last for barely one month?

A closer inspection of the product packaging on the YankeeCandle.com website revealed the answer. The first reed diffuser I got, which was rather plain looking I'll admit, had 7.8oz of fragrance oil. The Aromatherapy Spa reed diffuser, which was admittedly more decorative, had only 4oz of fragrance oil...barely half as much oil for five dollars more! I was outraged...normally I keep my eye out for obvious consumer deception such as this, but Yankee Candle got me, and probably thousands of other consumers who failed to read the packaging on their reed diffusers.

When I returned to the Yankee Candle store, I took the time to closely inspect all of the different reed diffuser packages. They have numerous different styles of reed diffusers, in all different shapes in sizes, for prices from $19.99 to $24.99. These reed diffusers have 3.8 oz of oil at the low end, and 7.8oz of oil at the high end...this works out to $2.56 per ounce for the best deal, up to $6.25 per ounce for the worst deal. That is a HUGE difference...is that pretty reed diffuser really worth three times as much as the plain looking one?

The example of Yankee Candle Reed Diffusers goes to show how companies routinely sell the same product to different consumers for different prices, and also how easy it is to fall prey to deceptive corporate packaging. When purchasing your next Yankee Candle reed diffuser, be sure to check the number of fluid ounces of fragrance oil included-the more, the better. You'll get a better deal if you stick to the most basic looking reed diffuser. After all, your Yankee Candle Reed Diffuser is an air freshener, not a work of art.