Füm Essential Oil Inhaler Review: Science-Backed Aromatherapy Vape?

As I type, I’m inhaling a custom blend of peppermint, lemon, oregano, and rosemary essential oils. An unlikely combination, but one that promotes:

• Focus
• Memory
• Energy
• Learning
• Mental performance

At first, I thought it was another new-age wellness scam. So I dug into the research. As it turns out… One pound of lemon essential oil takes 1,500 lemons to produce [R].

Imagine the potency.

The medicinal phytochemical equivalent of dozens of pounds of plant, in every single drop.

And there are hundreds of different essential oils. Each with unique benefits, properties, and uses. Oil of oregano, for example, has 53+ different uses:

• Anesthetic
• Speeding up injury recovery
• Immune boosting
• Natural antibiotic
• Beauty serum
• Anti-inflammatory

Using essential oils, however, can be a huge pain.

Aromatherapy diffusers have problems with mold growth and waste precious oil. Plus they’re not portable. Swapping oil cartridges multiple times per day becomes a hassle.

Then I discovered an aromatherapy inhaler in a league of its own. I let this wooden “pipe” sit on my shopping list for years. Then I finally got around to testing this brand’s product. Both the original and recently, the new V2.0.

Yet, this non-electrical, heat-free system is actually safe.

It’s certainly not cheap. I wondered if I’d regret the purchase. Years of daily use later, what follows is my in-depth Füm V2.0 aromatherapy inhaler review. By the end, you’ll know if essential oil inhalers are right for you.

In a rush?

The Füm “Vape” ForEssential Oils

The Füm looks simple and innocent. Like any other milled wooden pipe, but with some metal protrusions. Roughly the length of my index finger, and three-quarters the diameter. Drop essential oils onto a piece of cotton, load into Füm, and puff away. Easy.

Calling these devices a “pipe” or “vape” is a misnomer. You do not heat the oils in any way (a benefit discussed later). Convenience and efficiency aside there’s little difference between inhaling essential oils directly from the bottle versus through Füm. You could even use a metal straw instead.

Instead of vaporizing the oils, this uses diffusion technology. Making it much safer.

With these vapes, you’re breathing in oils on a saturated piece of cotton. Fum markets these as their “Cores”.

So what makes using this device better than a typical diffuser or just a normal metal straw?

The benefits and advantages of essential oil inhalers include:

• Fast-acting — other diffusers saturate the surrounding air before delivering therapeutic doses. Direct inhalation enters the bloodstream quickly. No more wondering if essential oils are doing anything.
• Natural form — oils remain structurally intact. No PG, no chemical alteration through heat or vaporization. This preserves the highly volatile medicinal compounds in the oils giving you stronger effects.
• Portable — Füm pipes easily fit in even the smallest of pockets. I shove mine in gym bags, bring it on planes, or cram it in tiny spaces.
• Efficient — traditional diffusers make rooms smell nice, but waste large amounts of expensive oils. A few sessions of a diffuser can completely consume my 10mL bottles, whereas I can get hundreds of sessions out of Füm.
• Safe — olfactory receptors in your mouth and nose quickly absorb the aromatic molecules of each oil. You’ll naturally exhale anything you don’t need.
• Satisfying — whether you’re a smoker, gum-chewer, or not, these inhalers provide a satisfying sensation.

My order arrived, and it wasn’t what I expected.

Unboxing the Fum Journey Pack

My package took five days to show up.

When it did, I knew I made a good choice. They don’t skimp on the packaging. Someone clearly put a lot of thought into the unboxing experience.

Füm offers two different pipe designs, one bundle of the pipe with Cores, and ten different bundles of Cores. Each of the Cores is cotton pre-soaked with special blends of essential oils.

Their online shop also features several other add-ons.

I ripped open the envelope to find…

My Füm Journey pack included:

• Füm Prominent V2.0
• 3 Packs of Essential Oil-Infused “Cores”
• Cleaner tool
• Instruction card

The card explains that the profit from every purchase funds six meals in Kenya (through an organization called M4K).

The wood coloration of Füm looks slightly different from the product images. Unlike other wooden essential oil inhalers, these aren’t stamped out in a factory. Each has a unique character, is 100% sustainably made, and is handcrafted in Canada.

Füm’s Essential Oil-Infused “Cores” Cartridges

Essential oils power the Füm. You can either use your own high-quality oils that you blend yourself. Or, you can choose from the library of pre-made infusions that their team has already expertly chosen and blended for you.

To find your favorite, they offer different bundles of flavors.

I mostly use blank cotton and formulate my own combinations, but I’ve tried some of their Cores too:

• Maple Pepper Core
• White Cranberry Core
• Crisp Mint Core
• Conquer Core
• Shield Core
• Reassurance Core
• Invigorate Core
• Quit smoking naturally (Black Pepper Core)

Each has a complex flavor and smell. Far more pleasant than any of my own creations.

Fum no longer sells some of these. If you like mint, you’ll quickly understand why it’s their best seller (by a lot).

Upon first glance, the slim profile of the pipe stood out to me. I immediately put it to my lips to test the airflow. It adds a lot less resistance than a normal vape. This new V2, however, adds slightly more drag than the original.

The mouthpiece is sturdy and well-designed. It’s comfortable and not too obtrusive. The best part of the new version is the sealing technology.

By twisting the container, you lock in the essential oils and preserve the freshness. This may sound minor, but it’s a HUGE upgrade. You get to enjoy great air flow while also maintaining the flavor for longer.

Use Cases for an Aromatherapy Inhaler

By now you’re probably wondering what’s the point.

How and why do people use an inhaler for essential oils?

Some of the many benefits of essential oil aromatherapy:

• Simulate the feeling of a menthol cigarette with peppermint
• Replace cravings with healthy habits
• Substitute for inhaler using bronchodilators like peppermint
• Augment a meditation routine
• Naturally reduce asthma
• Decongest head and sinuses
• Quell allergy flare-ups
• Boost energy and focus
• Enhance physical stamina far better than placing EO’s under the nostrils
• Strengthens immune system using peppermint and thieves oils
• Freshens breath
• Anti-nausea for windy car or boat rides.
• Anti-stress effects
• Alleviating anxiety
• Improving learning and memory
• Speeding up recovery from illness

Of course, specifics depend on the oil, application, and dose.

How to Use the Fum With Essential Oils

Using the Füm is relatively straightforward if you follow the directions. Nonetheless, the process slightly took me by surprise.

You only need two things:

• Füm essential oil pipe
• Pre-made Cores, or cotton with your own essential oils

For a guide on choosing the best essential oils for any body part or goal, I suggest Jodi Cohen’s book, Essential Oils to Boost the Brain and Heal the Body [Amazon].

She convinced me to purchase a few new oils to test.

At a minimum, you’ll want:

• Organic Peppermint Essential Oil
• Organic Citrus Essential Oil (Any)

Peppermint is the most widely used and recommended oil. It has countless uses too.

Here’s how I use myFüm:

1. Pull out the metal section off the Füm and insert a Core
2. Use a premade Core or create your own by wetting cotton with 1-10 drops of either one or several different essential oils (I use the Plant Therapy brand)
3. Insert the metal into the wood and twist open the inhaler to allow airflow
4. Inhale through your mouth, exhale through your nose
5. Twist the inhaler closed once done

Once saturated with oil, Cores typically last 1-3 days, depending on the amount and type of oil. I suggest using a small amount of oil, and re-wetting every day. The whole process takes a few seconds.

Although they provide a cleaning tool, I haven’t really had to use it. The inhaler cleans up nicely with just a paper towel and some water.

Using Füm to Safely Quit Smoking

My partner has tried to stop smoking countless times.

She gets over the initial withdrawals and seems to have kicked the habit.

Inevitably, a stressful situation would arise, and she’d calm her nervous system with an emergency cigarette.

One day she observed me, a non-smoker, holding what resembled a wooden pipe. But without any smoke or vapor.

She tried my Füm, and to our surprise, liked the experience.

Peppermint isn’t the best essential oil to quit smoking. Instead, I loaded black pepper oil [Amazon] into my Füm.

Using Füm to quit smoking works via two mechanisms:

• Replacing the hand-to-mouth oral habit
• Black pepper reduces cravings, lessens withdrawal symptoms, warms the body, and stimulates the respiratory tract similar to smoking

Eventually, I got sick of searching her stuff for my black pepper-loaded Füm. So we got her her own.

Now, whenever nicotine cravings strike, she reaches for this instead. It’s been her successful and lasting solution to replace smoking with a healthy habit.

Get Your Own Füm Essential Oil Vape Pen & Save

I had low expectations of Füm. I already have a desktop diffuser. It consumed huge amounts of oil and I barely felt anything. I wondered…

Do essential oils even work?

Then I tasted oil of oregano and instantly burned my mouth. Something was happening here. intrigued, I began my research,

A few months later, my fancy desktop diffuser broke.

My collection of essential oils collected dust. Instead of buying a new one, this time I followed my gut.

I bought a Füm inhaler. The pipe is quality craftsmanship. The mouthpiece is well-built and comfortable. The whole thing has a nice weight to it.

Best of all, however, was the experience.

Holding the device in my hand felt strikingly similar to a normal vape. I could certainly see this as a replacement. The different blends have surprisingly potent flavors.

Perhaps most importantly, though, I actually feel the oils.

I’ve created:

• Stimulating blends (with peppermint, clove, cinnamon, black pepper, and lemon) to use pre-workout. My airways are clear, and I get more out of my exercise.
• Black pepper oil causes a pleasant warming sensation, perfect to offset cold winter mornings.
• Relaxing blends perfect for my evening wind-down ritual (lavender, frankincense). Helping me sleep faster and deeper.
• Immune-strengthening blends for travel or if I begin to feel run down

When I have cravings, I can boost my brain and body rather than gorge myself on unhealthy snacks.

If you want to try it out yourself, you can get yours below.

We’ve since purchased two more, and I often gift them to friends. Especially those trying to quit smoking/vaporizing.

Have you tried essential oil inhalation pipes? Let me know your experience in the comments below.