I ditched smokey incense sticks and candles for non-toxic dry-fragrance reeds – now my house always smells like a luxurious hotel for just $18

Ever since walking into a tattoo shop as a teenager and smelling incense sticks lightly wafting a mystical, cozy and comforting aroma around, I have used them at home.

But recently, I’ve been increasingly editing dozens of well-researched pieces on swapping toxic household goods to non-toxic ones, from home cleaning products to fragrancing and beyond. As a result, I’m afraid my incense sticks have ended up on the proverbial chopping block.

That’s why I was so pleasantly surprised and relieved to find a brilliant non-toxic swap after testing ScentAir’s non toxic dry-fragrance sticks. They smell like a luxury hotel and the smell is constant, long-lasting and now, my new preferred way to make my home smell nice.

How do dry fragrance reeds work?

Traditional reed diffusers draw on a reservoir of fragranced oils. The reeds need flipping every few days and the oil will need topping up regularly.

In contrast, these ScentAir dry fragrance sticks have fragrance inside the fabric sticks themselves, and sit in a cute little decorative vase. They do not need flipping, or any loose oils to smell good, instead using innovative dry evaporative technology. This is not a design I have seen much of before, so I was keen to test in my home and was impressed on all fronts. They're also incredibly long lasting and low maintenance.

ScentAir's Michelle Anna Alfano explains, 'Unlike traditional reed diffusers that require a vessel of loose oil, the fragrance oil for ScentAir Infused Reeds is literally infused within the reeds themselves, so there’s never any worry about leaks or spills – perfect for high traffic areas where a quick bump might result in spill.'

Additionally, as ScentAir has been designed to effectively scent large commercial spaces as well as private homes, the fragrances have to be of a high standard. Vitally, All ScentAir fragrance oils are phthalate free, respiratory allergen free, cruelty free, internationally certified safe and EcoVadis certified sustainable.

That's music to my ears as I have asthma and find some home fragrancing hard to tolerate, including smokey candles.

I tried ScentAir fragrance sticks

I have tried some of the best candles, incense sticks, oil reed diffusers, room sprays, and even switched to electric diffusers so I can enjoy pure essential oils with no additives. I also worked in a perfume shop for years and had lots of training to help customers find the perfect scent profile, and a fragrance that lasted within their budget. I think it's fair to say I have quite the refined nose now.

I am also sensitive to good (and bad) fragrance notes, and have a firm grasp of how long perfumes and smells should last, as well as what can make a smell uncomfortable, overbearing, clawing, or sickly. I am also pretty good at immediately identifying a cheap vs luxurious, quality fragrance at 100 paces, as well as being able to pick out what notes are in a fragrance.

That's why I was thrilled to find that The ScentAir sticks smell identical to my favorite local luxury hotel's fragrance, which wraps around you in the best way possible with deliciously fresh, but subtle and non-headachy spring-fresh smells in the foyer and beyond.

In fact, I had just recently asked the reception team at the hotel what fragrance they used. Now, I am 99% convinced ScentAir Golden Bamboo is it. The starter kit I have been testing in my home not only looks modern, slick, and smells great, but it doesn’t have a pesky essential oil reservoir that will, without doubt, get knocked in my home by either my child, or my cats. There's an oily stain on my entryway jute rug as a result of a past blooper with a traditional reed diffuser I tried out previously.

I've been using the ScentAir fragrance sticks in my home for two weeks now, one in my living room and the other in my small entryway, and truly love the smell. They are still wafting regularly, and can be smelled the moment you walk into the room. In fact, the one in my living room is so delightfully efficient at fragrancing that room and the adjoining entryway, that I moved the second one up to my office.

My verdict

There are dozens of times a day I get a delicious waft of the Golden Bamboo reeds and I truly love it. It's a 10/10 for me based on how well these are lasting, the zero maintenance required as you don't need to flip the sticks or top up any oils, the consistency in fragrance emitting, and how luxurious they smell. Plus, they don't give you a headache.

I will say with these dry fragrance sticks, I started with three sticks to be economical with my supply, but I had to up it to five to achieve the level of fragrance I wanted. Now, after a fortnight of use, the pungency is yet to fade. By now, I would have been three turns in to maintain a similar level of fragrance, even with the best oil reed diffuser.

I think the Golden Bamboo ones are perfect for any room in the house, but particularly small spaces, such as bathrooms and entryways, as the smell is delicate but long-lasting.

In contrast, the ScentAir Black Orchid reeds, which I've also tried, carry a stronger scent profile and are better suited to kitchens and larger spaces, such as hallways, living rooms, sunrooms, and busy spaces with exterior doors such as mud rooms.

If you're looking for things people with nice smelling kitchens always do, add these to your wishlist!

Non-toxic home fragrance options

If you love your candles and don't want to let them go, don't fret. There are non-toxic candles and wax types you can use more safely than anything paraffin-based. Here are a few suggestions for non-toxic home fragrancing.

I use a little nifty trick to naturally make my bathroom smell like a luxury spa using just a cotton ball and my favorite pure essential oil, but there are other ways to make your home smell nice when sensitive to fragrance, too.