«Ella» from Stadler Form review: fragrance directly from a bottle
6.11.2024
Translation: Elicia Payne
Pictures: Martin Jungfer
Pretty and practical – that’s my conclusion after testing the «Ella» spray system from Stadler Form. The integrated rechargeable battery and easy handling during refills are impressive.
Scent sticks would also do the trick, as would a bowl of scented leaves. There are a lot of options to add fragrance to your home. But there’s little to experiment with Potpourri, and placing wooden sticks in room fragrance bottles is no great challenge either. That’s why I wanted to check out «Ella».
As expected from Stadler Form, and what I hoped for: «Ella» is an elegant piece of design. Fabian Bernhard and Thomas Burkard are the two behind this. Their design studio in Stetten in the canton of Schaffhausen has already designed several fans and humidifiers for Stadler Form, winning a number of awards.
With a vase-like shape, «Ella» blends in well in the living room and also looks good in the bathroom. At just 16 centimetres high and eight centimetres in diameter, it’s a good size and doesn’t take up much space. The plastic feels smooth and has a clean finish.
«Ella» has two parts – the larger lower part with displays, buttons and battery, plus a removable upper piece, the spray head. I screw the fragrance bottle in there.
Instructions explain how to change the bottle
First, I try to get «Ella» up and running without studying the instructions. It doesn’t work. So I read and find out that I don’t have to unscrew the upper part, as I’d assumed, but pull it out. If I do this, I’ll see a small bottle for the scented oil. It’s screwed into the upper part – and empty.
Fortunately, Stadler Form supplied me with three full bottles in addition to the test device. When you buy the diffusor, it doesn’t come with a fragrance, which you have to buy separately. However, you can also buy any other essential oil of your choice and fill it into the empty bottle provided. Stadler Form isn’t ripping you off by only allowing you to use its own overpriced refills.
Essential oils
Quantity discount
CHF8.95 per piece for 3 units CHF990.–/1l
Stadler Form Essential oil Relax
I use one of my bottles instead of the empty one provided. I opted for the Relax fragrance – a blend of wood, cedar and citrus fruits. To do this, I carefully lift off the plastic lid with my fingernails. Now I can screw the upper part of «Ella» together with the tube. It sounds more complicated than it actually is – it’s really quick to change the bottle.
By the way, if you don’t want to mix oils when switching from one fragrance to another, cleaning the bottle is very easy. Simply pour some pure alcohol into the empty bottle and run the diffusor for a few minutes at the highest setting (see below). This rinses out the residues of the scented oil used before.
Perfect for bathrooms without daylight
Using «Ella» is as simple as I’d hoped for. On the front it has two buttons. The larger one is for switching on the diffusor and the small one is for the light sensor. If the light sensor’s switched on, the nebuliser operates when light hits the sensor. If the sensor’s deactivated, «Ella» stays on. This is practical if you want to use the appliance in an indoor bathroom without daylight. For example, let’s say someone uses the bathroom and switches on the light. «Ella» will automatically spray. From then on, scented mist is emitted at the set rhythm, eliminating any other fragrances.
However, you shouldn’t put the diffusor in the shower or bath. It has no corresponding IP certification, but the normal humidity after a hot shower won’t affect it.
A three-stage LED indicates how much fragrance mist is being produced. It’s located above the on/off button.
- Level 1: every 5 minutes for 5 seconds
- Level 2: every 3 minutes for 5 seconds
- Level 3: every minute for 10 seconds
The higher the level, the faster the oil vaporises from an inserted bottle. Level 1 lasts for around two weeks, while level 3 lasts for just one and a half days.
However, these are only guidelines. Because «Ella» is active during the day. At night or in the dark, when the light sensor is deactivated, it’ll stop. Conversely, this means that in a bathroom with daylight, the device is constantly active during the day and produces a small fragrance mist at least every five minutes at level 1. If you don’t want this, you have to switch it on when you enter the bathroom or toilet and switch it off again when you leave. For such cases, it’d be great if the diffusor had a motion sensor and not just a light sensor.
One battery for the vibration
«Ella» runs on a permanently installed lithium-ion battery as a power source. This emits four watts of power, which causes a membrane to vibrate. The oil is atomised into small droplets and emerges from the diffusor as mist. You can hear the gentle vibration, but it doesn’t disturb you. The vibration, which starts every ten seconds, shouldn’t remind you of a visit to the dentist, unless you have the diffusor right next to you on your desk on the highest setting.
The battery is charged via USB-C and lasted for two weeks when I was testing it, although I only used it for around two hours a day. According to Stadler Form, when it runs non-stop at level 1, the battery lasts ten days. The diffusor comes with a white charging cable, but you need a suitable charger with a USB-A plug and at least four watts. (Fortunately, Galaxus has quite the selection…)
Battery replacement possible from the manufacturer
The built-in HYM 18650 battery with 20,000 mAh is designed for high cycle stability, so it can be emptied and recharged frequently, which should guarantee long-term usage. However, if the diffusor no longer operates as long as you’d like due to a weakened battery, you don’t have to get rid of «Ella». When I asked Stadler Form, they told me that the battery could be replaced in their workshop for a flat rate of 15 francs. A good offer for more sustainability.
In a nutshell
Short bursts of nice scent
With «Ella», I don’t have to drip an oil-water mixture into small bowls. Instead, I simply screw in the small bottle of scented oil and the diffusor is ready. With full battery and full bottle, the appliance can then provide a pleasant fragrance in the guest toilet, bathroom, office or living room for weeks on end. This stylish appliance fits in anywhere. Whenever I switch it on, it occasionally vibrates briefly and turns some oil into a fine mist. Other products for better room fragrance emit their aroma constantly. This quickly leads to a habituation effect with the result that you no longer notice the fragrance at all. «Ella» is different: it gives a short kick and stimulates your sense of smell again and again.
Pro
- Battery replacement possible via manufacturer
- LEDs can be switched off
- Simple to operate
- Works with oils from other manufacturers
Contra
- Light sensor only, no motion sensor
Header image: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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