Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After a LOT of research, I landed on this guy. I Like: 1. the colors change automatically or I can stop it on one color (or its dim counterpart) 2. it runs a long time 3. it takes tap water 4. the scent really does last the whole time 5. it has a timer 6. no warnings about citrus scents, go nuts! 7. the one-year warranty 8. it REALLY does purify the air (even when there's barely any essential oil in it) 9. it puts out a LOT of stream but it doesn't get anything wet 10. it doesn't use much in the way of essential oils, a little goes a LONG way What I don't like: 1. sometimes the lid sticks and it's hard to get off 2. even on dim, it's still pretty damn bright 3. the controls are on the BACK of the unit if the spout is in front, likely to keep the essential oils away from the markings so they don't rub off but still annoying 4. the measuring cup that comes with it isn't even half what it holds 5. to turn the diffuser on, you press a button for a second- but to turn the light on, you have to hold a different button down for a few seconds, or vice-versa, I don't know, it's a pain to keep it straight so half the time I think it's not working bc I held the button too long or not long enough 6. the large capacity is both a blessing and a curse; you're stuck with the same scent unless you empty it (I use a jar) and refill to add new scent 7. You can't dim the light AND keep it changing colors, if you want to dim it, you must pick just one color 8. the scent doesn't really fill the room unless you use the recommended amount (which is only 4-5 drops when filled to max capacity and technically, I suppose is a good thing) but then it's so strong you can't sit next to it, 9. the timer only has one hour, three hours, and six hours, or you can just leave it on till it runs out Don't get me wrong, I love it and use it EVERY day, I just wanted to give you the pros and cons. Others like this may seem the same but they either don't change colors (that's probably one of my favorite features, it's absolutely MESMERIZING!) or they ship from China and only have a 30-day return window. I researched essential oil diffusers for DAYS before I chose one, even so far as making out a chart comparing brands and models with the features I wanted. Some only had 4 colors, some didn't have timers, some didn't have dimmers, some weren't air purifiers/ionic, some used heat (which degrades the oil and destroys the benefits of inhaling them), and some still had a glow even when the light was off (this one has a very tiny, subtle "power" light, if that keeps you up, god help ya! but it was important to me that it be practically invisible when I'm trying to sleep). ALL required more oil per ounce of water than this one and there were many complaints that the scent ran out before the water did, which is just sad when several only ran up to 4-6 hours. I honestly can't attest to the run time for one tank on this guy bc, as I mentioned, I don't WANT the same scent all day, every day so I usually only fill it halfway or less. I imagine that if one were to fill it to full capacity, and run it 2-3 hours a day, that in several days the oils would dissipate on their own while the unit was not even in use. But I CAN say, with absolute certainty, if you fill it to full capacity and only use the directed amount of essential oils (depending, of course, on the integrity of the oils you buy, and the scent strength of each), you WILL smell it until it runs dry if you run it straight through or within 24 hours. (I get the cheapo Eden's Garden but I don't take them internally and they smell wonderful.) I also use this just for its light when I'm out on my balcony late at night for a nice ambiance light (set on yellow so I don't attract bugs, not that I know that helps but it seems to). Oh, and one more reason I chose this one, I read the comments/questions on another diffuser practically identical to this one and the owner was SO rude I refused to order from him. Someone asked a question and instead of answering it, he told them to refer to the manual! How can you do that BEFORE you order it? That info wasn't posted, there was practically nothing posted about it at all. By the way, it was one that shipped from China that so many other complaints said he was difficult and gave them the run-around before requiring a $34 return shipping charge! I read in the Amazon rules that they require either an American return address or free return shipping so I don't know if they changed it or if he just refuses to comply but I wasn't taking any chances! I know I'm long-winded but I hope this helps. I pored over hundreds, maybe even thousands of reviews on different diffusers, because I like to get many opinions on each aspect of an item before I make a decision. Unfortunately, most reviewers only touch on a topic or two and you don't see another opinion about it for several pages, if ever. This way, you have one opinion on many aspects of the product in one review. UPDATE: I bought another of these and use them every day now. I've had this one for 10 months now and he runs perfectly, they both do. I think the lid was sticking because even though I cleaned the diffuser every couple of uses, I wasn't cleaning the lid (I just spray it with water and wipe clean with a paper towel). Since I've started doing that (and had it for a while now) it's really loosened up and never gives me any trouble any more. I've also solved the problem of having the markings on the back- I made a mark with a marker on the front to line up the lid and bottom without having to see the back. I've also finally figured out which button to push and for how long to get it to do what I want, it just took some time to get used to. Highly recommend, will definitely be buying more of these!