Best Car Cup Holder Diffuser: InnoGear Car Diffuser

Let’s be honest: cars can get funky when it comes to smells. Perhaps it was that ill-advised take out order . . . or just the regular mustiness that can set in after a while.

And as writers of parenting books, we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that kids sometimes get sick in their car seats. We’ll spare you the details.

A car diffuser can fill the vehicle with much more pleasant scents—and if you live in a dry climate, add some much needed humidity to the cabin air.

There are two basic kinds of car diffusers—those that fit into a cup holder, and those that are designed for a cigarette lighter (in cases where your cup holders are odd-sized or otherwise occupied).

For the best cup holder car diffuser, we liked InnoGear’s model UD50. It our tests it worked well and was easy to use. Here’s more:

What We Liked

• USB powered.

• Fits nicely into most cup holders.

• Lightweight at just under 5 ounces.

• Mist can be continuous or intermittent.

• Auto shut-off.

• Quiet.

• Night light.

• Long cord, in case your USB port isn’t nearby.

What Needs Work

• Small reservoir = frequent refills. This car diffuser only holds a small amount of water. Yes, that can last about 3 hours on continuous mode. But you’ll need to refill often for constant use.

Best Budget-Friendly Diffuser: MIGHTYDUTY Car Air Humidifier

If your vehicle has funky (or otherwise occupied) cup holders, we think this car diffuser might be a good solution: Mightduty’s Car Air Humidifier. This model plugs directly into your vehicle’s DC outlet (commonly referred to as a cigarette lighter).

It works well and is easy on the wallet. Plus it doesn’t take up a cup holder, nor require a cord to snake around in your vehicle.

What We Liked

• Tank swivels so you can aim the mist.

• Easy to use.

• Works with most water soluble essential oils.

• Includes extra wick.

• Affordable.

• Automatically turns off after 2 hours.

What Needs Work

• Purified water is recommended. Other diffusers we tested can just use tap water.

• Small tank capacity (50 ml). 

• The cap sometimes falls off. We didn’t see this in our testing, but we see reports from other users about this issue. We also see reports that this diffusers stopped working after a period of time.

Best Car Diffuser + USB hub: Gulaki Car Diffuser

We don’t know about you, but USB ports are at a premium in our vehicle. And taking one up to power a car diffuser/humidifier can be a sub-optimal set up.

Good news: we found one model that worked well AND functions as a USB hub with 2 USB ports: Gulaki’s Car Diffuser. This diffuser plugs into your vehicle’s 12 volt DC outlet (commonly referred to as a cigarette lighter). This powers both the diffuser and 2 USB ports—plus it fits nicely in most cup holders. 

What We Liked

• Worked well at filling a vehicle with pleasant scent.

• Long cord (36″) that plugs into DC outlet.

• Quiet.

• Night light.

• 2 USB ports can charge a phone, GPS unit or dash cam.

What Needs Work

• Small tank = frequently refills. This diffuser holds about 60 milliliters of water and lasts for about 3-4 hours. On the plus side, that is bigger than other diffusers we tested (that had tanks as small as 40 ml).

• Exterior coating can peel. We see reports that the protective coating on this diffuser can peel after a period of time. This doesn’t affect the operation of the unit, but is more of an aesthetic issue!

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!