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Head here to find all of our expert cozy coverage and enter to win a bundle of our favorite picks for a comfy, snug fall. (Giveaway terms and conditions.) Pillar Candlesticks
After new testing, we'll soon be adding 6 new candle picks: Kishmish’s Kashmiri Chai, Bath&Body Works’ Rose Water & Ivy, Diptyque’s Roses, D.S.&Durga’s Pasta Water, Flamingo Estate’s Roma Tomato, and Smell House’s Juice Hoax.
Burning a scented candle is an effortless way to create a cozy, luxurious, or tranquil mood in any room. We spent 27 hours researching and testing 32 candles under $50, and we found several warm and woodsy, fresh and floral, and sweet and citrusy candles for all of your olfactory endeavors. Whether you want your home to smell like a Provençal perfumery or you just need to mask some persistent pet odors, we’ve got you covered.
The Hinoki Fantôme Candle pairs a main course of cypress smoke with sides of warm amber, sweet vanilla, florals, and fresh moss.
Who this is for: Someone who likes warm, woodsy scents but doesn’t want to feel like they’re at a literal campfire.
Why it’s great: The Boy Smells Hinoki Fantôme Candle has a complex, hard-to-pin-down scent (hinoki is a Japanese cypress tree, and fantôme is the French word for ghost). At the forefront, there’s an earthy woodsmoke tinged with warm amber, sweet vanilla, and just a bit of mossy freshness and florals. It’s fragrant but not ostentatious, providing an elegant, aromatic backdrop for any occasion—whether it’s a dinner party or a day spent daydreaming. The wick is well centered, allowing for an even burn, and the wax is neatly poured. In our melt test, this candle shed 12 grams of wax, which we calculate should give it a total burn time of 20 hours. We like the contrast of the white wax and wick with the black glass vessel, and the signature black-and-pink label is sophisticated and striking.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: We noticed that several of the Boy Smells candles’ labels were not applied perfectly straight on the vessel, and the glossy exterior of the glass tends to show fingerprints. These are small quibbles, but they affect the overall aesthetic. Also, these candles tend to burn with lots of soot, but the black vessel helps to hide it, and you can improve the burn by trimming the wick regularly. Lastly, this candle doesn’t come with a lid. We’d prefer that it had one since a lid will help seal in the scent and maintain its potency, as well as prevent dust from accumulating on the surface of the wax.
We also loved: The scent of Boy Smells’s Polyamberous Candle is beautiful and eclectic—with notes of geranium, tobacco flower, tonka bean, spices, and incense. We prefer our pick’s classic looks and woodsy scent, but this one is a close second.
Scent notes: Japanese cypress (hinoki), moss, smoked amber, cardamom, jasmine Size: 8½ ounces Wax type: coconut and beeswax blend Average cost per ounce: $3.80 Calculated burn time: 20 hours Shipping: free for orders above $48 Return policy: 30 days
The P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss candle isn’t the most strongly scented of those we tested, but it has a rich, complex aroma, with notes of pine resin, moss, eucalyptus, and vanilla.
Who this is for: Someone who wants to feel like they’re on a long—yet entirely unstrenuous—walk through a lush alpine forest.
Why it’s great: The P.F. Candle Co. Amber & Moss Standard Soy Candle has an even-keeled smell of pine resin and earthy moss, peppered with notes of minty eucalyptus and rich vanilla. The wick is well centered, and the wax is evenly poured. P.F. Candle Co.’s signature vessel (an amber-colored jar with a gold lid and brown paper label) is unfussy, allowing it to blend in seamlessly with most decor. The lid is also practical for containing any lingering smoke after you snuff out the candle. Compared with most candles we tested, this one is a bargain in terms of cost per ounce ($2.80) and longevity (it lost just 9 grams of wax over an hour in our melt test, giving this candle a calculated burn time of 23 hours). Deputy editor Jason Chen (who has admitted to splurging upwards of $100 on a single candle) said this is one of his favorite scents, and senior staff writer Lesley Stockton (who told us she tends to “hate most scented candles”) is also a fan.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although we appreciate the utilitarian aesthetic of this vessel on the whole, its faux-typewritten label feels a bit flimsy. If that bothers you, though, it’s easy enough to remove it with a razor blade or turn it so the label faces a wall—the amber-colored jar looks great on its own. This is also not the most strongly scented candle we tested, which might be a letdown for people who prefer a powerful scent. But it offers a more-nuanced and complex fragrance than most candles in this price range.
We also loved: The P.F. Candle Co. Golden Coast Standard Candle has a pine-forward scent and undercurrents of wild sage, warm honey, and sea salt. We think the Amber & Moss is more complex and enjoyable overall, but this one is a great alternative.
Scent notes: sage, moss, lavender Size: 7.2 ounces Wax type: soy Average cost per ounce: $2.80 Calculated burn time: 23 hours Shipping: free on orders over $35 Return policy: 60 days
Paddywax’s Tobacco Flower Form Candle comes in an eye-catching ceramic vessel and produces a subtle yet intoxicating cedar-and-patchouli fragrance.
Who this is for: Someone who wants to fill their home with a subtle, smoky-sweet scent—and who has an eye for tasteful earthenware.
Why it’s great: The Paddywax Tobacco Flower Form Candle has notes of orange, cinnamon, patchouli, clove, and sandalwood—and though it doesn’t contain nicotine, its smoky-sweet fragrance is certainly habit-forming. It makes us want to throw on a bluegrass record and sew a patchwork quilt. The scent is warm, spicy, earthy (but not musty), and faintly floral, like a sprig of jasmine. This candle costs around $2.70 per ounce, and we think the vessel alone—which is sturdy, stylish, and unbranded, with a matching ceramic lid—makes it well worth the price. You can easily reuse it as a trinket container, or (if you’re crafty) this vessel is a prime candidate for refilling with a new candle. In our testing, the Paddywax candle lost 13 grams of wax over an hour, so it should last about 26 hours, based on our calculations. And this candle has two wicks, which help it burn more evenly since it’s rather large. Senior photo editor Sarah Kobos, who grew up near the Paddywax factory in Nashville, said she loves all of this company’s candles, and she stocks up whenever she’s in the area.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This isn’t the most potent fragrance, compared with those of many of our picks, but it still provides a homey aromatic backdrop. It also has a somewhat sloppy pour, with rogue ripples of wax around the perimeter. But we don’t think that’s a huge deal—if you let the wax melt all the way to the edges on the first burn, that should smooth them out.
We also loved: The Paddywax Spanish Moss Form Candle has the same great vessel as the Tobacco Flower candle—albeit with a different geometric design and a green glaze instead of white. And this one is even more potent. To us, it smells like melon, honeysuckle, bee pollen, rainwater, thickets of marsh grass, and creeping vines.
Scent notes: orange, cinnamon, tobacco flower, sandalwood, cedar Size: 12 ounces Wax type: soy blend Average cost per ounce: $2.70 Calculated burn time: 26 hours Shipping: free shipping on orders over $70 Return policy: 30 days
The Apotheke Charcoal Candle has a sophisticated scent, an upscale aesthetic, and one of the best burn times of any of our picks.
Who this is for: Someone who wants to re-create the feeling of being at a hip restaurant or boutique hotel—but doesn’t want to spend more than $40.
Why it’s great: The Apotheke Charcoal Candle smells like charred sandalwood and cedar after a heavy rain. It’s very fragrant but also mild enough that it’s not heavy or overpowering. Like our pick from Peacesake, this candle comes in a matte-black vessel that’s adept at hiding soot streaks, fingerprints, and other smudges. It’s made from black wax, giving it a monochromatic look that feels both contemporary and classic. Other than the Voluspa candle, this candle has the best burn time (39 hours, per our calculations) of any of our picks, shedding just 8 grams of wax over an hour in our testing. The soy-blend wax is neatly poured, and the wick appears well centered in the vessel.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: As much as we like this candle’s look, we wish it had a lid or dust cover. And though you could technically reuse the vessel to hold pencils or makeup brushes, it doesn’t seem to be designed with that use in mind.
We also loved: The Apotheke Earl Grey Bitters Candle is just as well constructed and elegant-looking as the Charcoal, though the frosted glass shows more soot and smudges than the black vessel. The herbaceous bitters and citrusy bergamot aromas both come through, and there’s a luxurious creaminess to the scent. It’d be especially good for someone who prefers a milder fragrance.
Scent notes: smoky amber, cedar, sandalwood, oud (agarwood) Size: 11 ounces Wax type: soy blend Average cost per ounce: $3.50 Calculated burn time: 39 hours Shipping: free shipping on orders over $45 Return policy: 15 days
The Palo Santo candle has the shortest burn time of our picks. But what it lacks in longevity it makes up for in its elegant aesthetic and exquisite scent.
Who this is for: Someone who loves the heady scent of palo santo but prefers burning candles to burning bits of wood.
Why it’s great: The Brooklyn Candle Studio Palo Santo Minimalist Candle has a potent fragrance that smells just like a fat shard of palo santo, an aromatic wood that originates from Latin America. There’s a sweet, minty, juicy freshness to it at the front end and a sharp, smoky ashiness at the back. It’s the kind of scent that instantly transports you. Like our P.F. Candle pick, this one comes in a reusable glass jar with a brass lid. The jar itself is inornate yet elegant, and the label has a sophisticated, apothecary-like look. The soy wax is tidily poured, the wick is well centered, and it burns evenly and cleanly.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This candle, sadly, has the shortest burn time of any of our picks—about 13 hours. It lost 17 grams of wax in an hour during our testing, which is about the weight of a tablespoon of kosher salt. Only the one from Yankee Candle burned through its wax faster in that timespan. Also, even though we like the look and feel of the label, its glossy-white finish will inevitably attract some fingerprints and smudges. But since this candle has such a great fragrance and costs under $30, we’ll happily overlook those drawbacks.
We also loved: We wish the streets of Brooklyn actually smelled like Brooklyn Candle Studio’s eponymous Brooklyn Escapist Candle. It’s fun to burn this candle and imagine you’re in the shady, verdant backyard of a multimillion-dollar brownstone. The scent contains lots of leather and florals, and though it’s quite fragrant, it doesn’t punch you in the nose. We slightly prefer the scent of our pick from BCS, but this one is not far behind.
Scent notes: cypress leaf, eucalyptus, palo santo, oakmoss, vetiver Size: 7½ ounces Wax type: soy Average cost per ounce: $3.70 Calculated burn time: 13 hours Shipping: free shipping on orders over $50 Return policy: 14 days
This Voluspa candle is super-fragrant and gives off a resiny, warm, inviting scent. It has the longest burn time of any of our picks and costs less per ounce than most candles we tested.
May be out of stock
Who this is for: Someone who burns candles frequently and likes big, bold fragrances.
Why it’s great: The Voluspa Baltic Amber Large Jar Candle has a viscous, enveloping fragrance; it’s warm, spicy, woodsy, resiny, and musky, with a bit of freshness at the end. At 18 ounces, it’s one of the largest candles we tested, and it comes in a hefty glass jar with a metal lid that suctions on to form a tight seal. The vessel is intricately patterned and ornate, and it could easily be cleaned out and reused. The coconut-based wax is neatly poured, and the wick is well centered. In our melt test, this candle lost just 9 grams of wax in an hour, giving it the longest calculated burn time (57 hours) of any we tested. At just $1.70 per ounce, it’s also one of the least expensive candles we tested—and we think it has better depth of fragrance than most candles in this price range. Voluspa’s candles are a bargain, but “they don’t smell basic,” said photo editor Michael Murtaugh. “People who like those huge Yankee Candles should upgrade to these.” And if you decide you really love it, there’s also a ridiculously huge, 123-ounce version.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: The biggest drawback of this candle is that it has a single wick, which can make it burn unevenly because it’s so large. Also, since the scent is so warm and syrupy, it can start to feel stuffy after a while—especially in a small, enclosed space.
We also loved: It was hard for us to choose between the Baltic Amber and the Voluspa French Cade Lavender Large Jar Candle, since both scents deeply impressed us (especially given their low cost per ounce—second only to that of the Project 62 candles). This candle doesn’t smell like any kind of lavender we’ve ever encountered, but it’s still elegant, and the scent permeates nicely throughout a room. We’d describe it as something akin to a powdery soap, clean linen, and new leather.
Scent notes: amber resin, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla orchid Size: 18 ounces Wax type: coconut blend Average cost per ounce: $1.70 Calculated burn time: 57 hours Shipping: free shipping on orders over $50 Return policy: 30 days
The most expensive of our picks, this candle provides a powerful fragrance, comes in a simple yet high-quality vessel, and offers a great burn time.
Who this is for: Someone with a little cash to burn (pun absolutely intended) and who swoons at the scent of fresh flowers, and someone who could use an extra rocks glass for their bar cart.
Why it’s great: The Keap Lavender + Petals Candle smells exactly like you’re walking through a field of lavender with your nose buried in a bouquet of peonies (we’d imagine). Despite the small size of this candle, its fragrance managed to easily fill a room. This candle did well in our wax-melt tests, too: It shed just 9 grams in an hour, giving it a calculated burn time of 23 hours. The vessel has a pleasantly squat shape, and it has some heft to it, whereas most glass containers feel flimsy and cheap. Editor Josh Lyon has had a Keap subscription on and off for several years, and he said he likes to clean out the used vessels and repurpose them as whiskey tumblers (after removing the labels—which come off easily because they use no adhesives). As an added bonus, of all the candles we tested, this one comes wrapped in some of the most heavy-duty packaging—which is entirely plastic-free!—so it’s more likely to arrive intact.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: Keap makes the most expensive candles we tested, costing nearly $7 per ounce (or about $5 per ounce, if you do a monthly subscription). But we think that between the lengthy burn time and powerful fragrance, this candle is worth the added cost. Also, the Keap candle doesn’t come with a lid, but it does have a paper dust cover that you can use between burns.
We also loved: We plan to burn the Keap Wood Cabin Candle all winter long (if it lasts until then). It creates a vivid aromatic landscape, with woodsmoke as the focal point and enframed by notes of lush evergreen boughs, freshly cut firewood, and moss-covered bark. You can almost feel the scratchiness of a Pendleton wool blanket draped over your shoulders. Even if smoky scents tend to make your throat itch and your eyes water—like the Serenity by Jan bonfire-scented candle featured in the notorious “Dinner Party” episode of The Office—you might not mind this candle.
Scent notes: lavender, neroli, gardenia, vetiver, cloves Size: 7.4 ounces Wax type: coconut Average cost per ounce: $6.70 (or less with a monthly subscription) Calculated burn time: 23 hours Shipping: free on orders over $60 Return policy: 15 days
With a sturdy and colorful vessel, this candle packs a powerful punch in both looks and fragrance.
Who this is for: Anyone with a fun, contemporary sense of style—and a nose for roses. (The airtight lid makes it especially great for travel or gift-giving.)
Why it’s great: The Otherland Daybed Candle is the opposite of understated. Its scent is knock-your-socks-off floral—like a rosebush in full bloom. And like the potent fragrance, the vessel is not a wallflower. It’s made of white ceramic and adorned with an exuberant yet sophisticated magenta paper label, and it seems hefty, sturdy, and stylish enough to reuse afterward. The lid suctions onto the top to help seal in the candle’s fragrance, and when removed it doubles as a drink coaster. The wax seems carefully poured, and the wick is well centered. This candle lost 12 grams of wax over an hour in our testing, giving it a calculated burn time of 19 hours. If you want to try a few different scents, you can get it as part of a “pick your own” set of three candles for $90.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This candle is on the expensive side (out of our picks, only Boy Smells and Keap candles cost more per ounce). But we think the high-quality materials and construction justify the price.
We also loved: The Otherland Canopy Candle is just as fragrant as the Daybed, and it comes in the same great vessel. The scent is lush, verdant, juicy, grassy, cool, and contemplative—everything a forest canopy should be. We had more fun with our pick’s in-your-face florals, but just barely.
Scent notes: rosebud, peony, pear Size: 8 ounces Wax type: coconut and soy blend Average cost per ounce: $4.50 Calculated burn time: 19 hours Shipping: free (no minimum) Return policy: 30 days
This candle has a soft, natural-smelling scent, though the lavender and eucalyptus both come through clearly. And the painted ceramic vessel can be reused as a planter or pencil cup.
Who this is for: Someone who prefers a faint, fairly neutral scent (perhaps due to allergies or migraines, or just personal taste) and prefers a reusable container.
Why it’s great: The Project 62 Lavender + Eucalyptus Ceramic Wellness Candle from Target smells a lot like real lavender and eucalyptus, though the mintyness of the eucalyptus is more of an afternote. This candle is slightly soapy and powdery, so it would be good in a bathroom, and its subtle scent is easier on the nose than those of most of our picks. This candle did great in our melt test, losing just 7 grams of wax in an hour, and based on our calculations we estimate it has a 37-hour burn time. We really like that the container is unbranded (the label is a paper circlet that can be easily removed), so it can be repurposed. It’s also the only order we placed with Target that arrived totally intact, which tells us that the ceramic is sturdier than most (the other Target-exclusive candles we tested, from Threshold and Hearth and Hand, were damaged in transit). To top it all off, this is the least expensive candle we tested, costing just $1.10 per ounce.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This candle has no lid, so dust can easily accumulate on the surface, and the fragrance may fade faster in storage. Also, the bottom of the container has a rough texture that seems like it could scratch furniture. Lastly, this candle doesn’t seem to have the best quality control—the wick on ours was off-center, and the wax pour seemed a little sloppy around the edges. But, considering the price, these minor drawbacks are easy to overlook.
We also loved: Like the Lavender + Eucalyptus candle, Target’s Project 62 Aloe + Bergamot Ceramic Wellness Candle is great for people who prefer a subtle scent. We also love its unbranded, cement container, which begs to be repurposed as a succulent planter. However, the scent has a little too much vanilla for our taste, so we prefer our pick.
Scent notes: lavender, eucalyptus Size: 9 ounces Wax type: palm and paraffin blend Average cost per ounce: $1.10 Calculated burn time: 37 hours Shipping: free on orders over $35 Return policy: one year
This soy-based candle is a sophisticated interpretation of Froot Loops (yes, you read that correctly), and it’s available with either a wooden or cotton wick.
Who this is for: Someone whose sense of smell is as refined as their sense of humor.
Why it’s great: Mala the Brand’s Cereal Candle smells exactly like what your favorite sugary cereal (think: Froot Loops, Fruity Pebbles, or Trix) would smell like if your favorite sugary cereal were concocted by a master perfumer. “It smells just like Froot Loops, which sounds weird but it is so, so nice and comforting and nostalgic,” said video producer Nikki Duong. The scent is fruity, flowery, and creamy, and the vessel (a tiny paint can) is equally playful and kitschy. Even after your nose has tuned out the fragrance, you get to enjoy the soft, cozy sizzling sound of the wooden wick (or, if you prefer, there’s a cotton-wick version). This candle performed admirably in our melt test, shedding just 7 ounces of wax in an hour, giving it an impressive, 32-hour calculated burn time. The wax is a soy blend, and it was carefully poured in the candle we tested. The wick is well centered, and if you go for the wooden wick, you don’t have to worry about trimming it. As an added bonus, the company plants a tree for every purchase. And you can choose your preferred packaging (a reusable cloth bag or a cardboard box) when you check out. Also, the metal vessel can be recycled, repurposed, or returned to the company for reuse.
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This candle costs $4.40 per ounce (from our testing pool, only the Otherland, Boy Smells, and Keap candles cost more). And it has the shortest return policy of our picks, giving you just four days to send it back if it’s been damaged in transit.
We also loved: Mala the Brand’s Clean Cotton Candle literally smells like laundry—it evokes detergent suds, dryer sheets, and (as the name suggests) cotton sheets fresh from the wash. It’s not as nostalgic or whimsical as the Cereal scent, and it’s a bit more astringent. But if freshly laundered bedding is what sparks joy for you, this is the candle you should get.
Scent: lemon, lime, lavender, vanilla, sandalwood Size: 8 ounces Wax type: soy blend Average cost per ounce: $4.40 Calculated burn time: 32 hours Shipping: free on orders over $100 Return policy: four days
This candle emits a dreamy blend of florals, citrus, and sandalwood. And it comes in a unique matte-black, recycled-glass vessel, topped with a cork lid.
Who this is for: Someone who likes citrusy florals (as anyone who watched the final round of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee knows, neroli oil is derived from bitter-orange blossoms). This candle could easily fall into the “woodsy” or “floral” category as well, but we think the bright, sumptuous notes of neroli set it apart.
Why it’s great: We absolutely love the Peacesake Neroli & Musk Sanctuary Candle. It smells like the ruins of a grand estate overgrown with jasmine (maybe after a light rain), and we can’t get enough of it. The fragrance is potent and sophisticated, with orange blossom, petitgrain, neroli, and jasmine highlights that intermingle beautifully with its musk and cedar undercurrents. The wax is soy-based and tidily poured, and the wick is well centered. After burning for an hour in our melt test, it was 12 grams lighter, which gives it a calculated burn time of 20 hours. The vessel is made of matte-black, thick recycled glass that feels sturdy and robust, and it’s stylish enough to be reused as an odds-and-ends container. Like that of the Boy Smells vessel, this vessel’s black color helps to hide soot streaking, and its matte finish is better at hiding fingerprints. It also has a tasteful yet functional cork stopper, and the label is one of the most attractive we’ve seen (though it’s easy to peel off if you want to remove it).
Flaws but not dealbreakers: This candle costs about $4.20 per ounce, which isn’t cheap, but we think the complex scent and reusable vessel make it well worth the price. Also, the lid on ours started to crumble around the edges after a couple weeks of use, which is disappointing but also pretty typical for cork (and we like that it’s a biodegradable material).
We also loved: The Peacesake Currant & Amber Sanctuary Candle has a dark, opulent fragrance. It’s juicy like a blackberry and warm like fresh caramel.
Scent notes: orange blossom, bergamot, amber, jasmine, sandalwood, musk Size: 8½ ounces Wax type: soy Average cost per ounce: $4.20 Calculated burn time: 20 hours Shipping: varies (usually $10 to $15) Return policy: seven days
We spent 18 hours researching scented candles—their history, how they’re made, how they function, how to care for them properly, health and safety concerns, and what distinguishes the good from the great. We scoured the websites of major retailers to identify the most widely available brands, as well as some lesser-known candlemakers. We surveyed our staff and collected 19 responses on their favorite candle brands and scents, how fragrant they like their candles to be, how much they typically spend on a candle, and how much they’d spend on a great candle. We interviewed several fragrance professionals, including Virginia Bonofiglio, associate chairperson of cosmetics and fragrance marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, and Saskia Wilson-Brown, director of the nonprofit Institute for Art and Olfaction in Los Angeles.
We sought out a wide variety of scents to account for different tastes—and our experts told us that people tend to be more intrepid with candle fragrances than with perfumes or lotions because candle scents don’t stay on your body all day. We gravitated toward candles that had lids (to stave off dust and help preserve the fragrances) and those with attractive vessels. We also gave preference to companies that allow you to return an unused candle if it breaks en route or if you can’t stand the smell of the unlit candle. (Side note: If you don’t want to commit to a scent right away, most candlemakers sell tea-light samplers.) Finally, although it’s incredibly thorny to determine whether a candle is sustainable—even waxes that are renewable, biodegradable, and certified sustainable are often derived from monoculture crops grown on deforested land—we gave preference to candles that are environmentally conscious in some way, such as having a recyclable vessel or plastic-free packaging.
Based on our findings, we rounded up 32 candles under $50—two scents from each company, weighing 6 to 18 ounces apiece. Generally speaking, we think a scented candle should be made from high-quality materials and skillfully constructed, with a careful attention to detail. It should provide a clean, even burn and a fragrance that fills a room without overwhelming it. Many of the candles we love check all of these boxes and cost less than $50 (our price cutoff for testing).
Once we had our contenders in hand, we noted any imperfections in the wax, wick, or vessel—such as a sloppy pour, an off-center wick, or a chipped container—and how carefully each candle was packaged. Our test panel, which included our home editor and two staff writers who regularly burn candles at home, smelled each unlit candle (taking breaks between each one) and described the scent as well as its potency. After lighting each candle, we logged any additional notes in the aroma, the flame height, how much smoke it produced, and how well the fragrance permeated.
The lifespan of a candle varies greatly depending on its size, how many wicks it has, and how often you burn it. It also depends how long you burn it each time. (Most noses block an unfamiliar scent within a few minutes, so you really don’t need to burn a scented candle for more than 10 minutes at a time. However, on the first burn, you should burn the candle to the edges, or about an hour per inch in diameter, to prevent tunneling.) Complicating things even further, most candles contain a blend of several waxes (such as paraffin, soy, or coconut) that have different burn times, and they’re not always listed on the label. So after our initial tests, we conducted a wax-melt test with the front-runners. We weighed each candle on a digital kitchen scale, and then we weighed them again after leaving them burning for one hour. In the span of an hour, the candles we burned lost between 4 grams (Threshold’s Wooden Wick Candle) and 19 grams (Yankee Candle’s Signature Large Tumbler Candle). To calculate how many total hours of burn time you should expect from each candle, we divided the wax weight listed by the company (we could measure only the total weight—vessel and all) by the weight lost in one hour.
We know that not everyone can safely enjoy scented candles due to allergies, asthma, migraines, pets, kids, or other situational concerns. If you’re looking for alternatives, you may want to consider using an essential oil diffuser or flameless candle (we have recommendations for both) to create a similar ambience with hypoallergenic fragrances and/or without an open flame. If you’re concerned about smoke and soot damaging your stuff, these options are also less messy.
Throughout our testing, we used 11 different candle-burning accessories to see how much they improved the experience. We found there was less smoke and splattering when we put out the candles with candle snuffers than when we simply blew them out (we especially like this snuffer from Crate & Barrel). And wick dippers extinguish the flame with almost no smoke (we like the ones that come with the Ronxs 3-in-1 Candle Accessories Pack Set and the Homeety 3-in-1 Candle Accessory Set). While a snuffer simply cuts off the flame’s air supply to put it out, a dipper (which is basically a flat piece of metal with a crook on one end) dunks the wick into the pool of melted wax to douse it and fish it back out. Neither tool is strictly necessary, but both allow you to conclude your aromatherapy session without getting a noseful of smoke.
This snuffer is more sturdily built and easier to use than others we tested. It has a glossy, pale-gold finish and a refined, modern look. It also has a matching wick trimmer, which you can buy separately, though we think they’re overkill for most people.
This set includes a wick trimmer, wick dipper, and snuffer. All three tools are sturdier and more practical than those in other sets we tested, and they’re available in either a matte-black or antique copper finish.
This set’s wick trimmer, wick dipper, and snuffer have a polished, light-gold finish. The Homeety set performed just as well as the Ronxs set. And they’re almost identical, except the Homeety snuffer has a textured handle and is more traditional looking (and it comes with a soft, suede-like storage pouch).
Wick trimmers, on the other hand, seem less worthwhile. The ones we tested all excelled at their main job—trimming wicks. But wax accumulates on the blades after each use, so they require frequent cleaning. To remove the excess residue, we prefer to pinch the top of the charred wick, once it has cooled down, and then wash our hands. Or you could use a square or two of tissue, to keep the soot off your fingers. This method is easier, less messy, and doesn’t cost anything.
Candle toppers are supposed to help candles burn more evenly, prevent tunneling, and reduce flickering from air drafts, but we didn’t notice a significant improvement when we used the Honeycomb Candle Topper from River Drive Designs. We do, however, recommend getting a lid or cloche if your favorite candle doesn’t have one, since it helps seal in and preserve the scent.
For those who like the smell of fruity soda, freshly cut grass, aloe, and the ocean. The 8-ounce Capri Blue Cactus Flower Petite Jar’s fragrance is strong, and a little artificial, but not offensively so. We like the look of the cobalt-blue glass vessel. And though we wish the brushed-metal lid attached firmly to the base (rather than simply sitting atop it), the vessel seems ideal for repurposing as a container to hold cotton rounds or other household bric-a-brac. This candle costs $2.75 an ounce, and we calculated it has a burn time of 25 hours.
A citrusy candle with beachy vibes to burn in warm weather. The Capri Blue Volcano Petite Jar candle smells like grapefruit, blacktop on a hot day, and something creamy that’s hard to pinpoint. One of our staffers and her dad splurged on Anthropologie’s “colossal,” 130-ounce version of this candle for her mom’s birthday, since it’s collectively been their family’s favorite scent for years. We also like the look of the black- and white-jarred versions of this candle, because they appropriately call to mind igneous rock and volcanic ash, respectively.
Great candles for bathrooms and kitchens. The candles we tested from Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day (Honeysuckle and Lemon Verbena) smell distinctly synthetic and soapy, but somehow it works. Senior staff writer Michael Sullivan loves them, but “for the bathroom only.” (We could see them being nice in a kitchen or on a screened-in porch, too.) They come in utilitarian glass jars with metal lids to tightly seal in their fragrances. Their wax is a soy blend, and they cost just $1.40 per ounce. Based on our wax-melt tests, they should provide about 34 hours of burn time. And the company accepts returns for up to 60 days (which is longer than returns for most candles we tested).
Well-balanced and sophisticated fragrances with a wooden wick. The 9-ounce, soy-based Threshold Leather + Embers Wooden Wick Candle and the Threshold Coconut + Honey Wooden Wick Candle both have well-balanced and sophisticated fragrances—despite costing just $1.30 per ounce. Plus, their calculated burn time is a whopping 57 hours apiece, and they’re backed by Target’s liberal one-year return policy. We like these candles a lot, and they’re an especially good option if you’re partial to the smoldering crackle of a wooden wick. However, many of our picks are more attractive, have more complex and pervasive scents, and cost about the same or just a little more per ounce. Also, although we like the tight seal and look of their wooden lids, the glass vessels don’t seem especially durable (one of ours arrived broken).
For our next update, we are planning to test pricier candles, above the current $50 cutoff, as well as a few more budget options. To keep things more manageable in this initial round, we opted not to test several staff favorites just yet. These include, but are not limited to, candles from: Diptyque, D.S. & Durga, Le Feu de L’eau, Apothia, and Birthdate, and less-expensive options from Bath & Body Works, Chesapeake Bay, Opalhouse, Patriot, and WoodWick. We will also keep testing different scents from our favorite candle brands and will add notes to this guide as we try them.
We’ll also be taking a closer look at the sustainability of different materials and processes used in candle manufacturing. For example, sourcing for various waxes and oils used in candles—like palm oil, soybean oil, paraffin, and others—is often problematic. We hope to dig into these issues more thoroughly and surface them so that readers can make informed decisions.
On the whole, our least favorite candles were the ones we tested from Yankee Candle (namely, the Pink Sands Signature Small Tumbler Candle and the MidSummer’s Night Signature Large Tumbler Candle). Generally speaking, we like powerful fragrances, but these candles were more pungent than pleasant—their scents have more of an artificial, cloying quality than scents of other candles we tested. In our wax-melt tests, the candles from Yankee Candle also performed worse than the others, shedding 19 ounces of wax in an hour. This makes us think they have shorter lifespans (however, along with the Project 62 candles, these were the least expensive candles we tested, costing about $1 per ounce). Additionally, we had numerous problems with Yankee Candle’s website and customer support. We ordered a Yankee Candle Matrix Chrome Illuma-Lid Candle Topper (which is supposed to help distribute the candle’s fragrance and make it burn more evenly), but it never arrived. After spending hours on hold with customer service, we gave up and ordered the item again—and that one never arrived either. For this reason, if you do have a favorite Yankee Candle scent that brings you joy (several of our staffers are die-hard fans!), we recommend that you buy them in person.
The candles we tested from Hearth & Hand with Magnolia (the line of housewares sold at Target by HGTV’s Chip and Joanna Gaines) were also a disappointment. We tried the Golden Hour Two-Tone Ceramic Seasonal Candle and the Coastal Sage Two-Tone Ceramic Seasonal Candle, both of which have subtle, beachy aromas. The Golden Hour candle has notes of coconut and lemon, which pair well together, but we found the scent to be a bit saccharine. With its marriage of herbaceous sage and zesty bergamot, the Coastal Sage candle transported us to the seaside, though this one is unnecessarily (and heavily) laden with notes of vanilla. Those are small quibbles. But the main issue with these candles is that they’re slightly pricier than the other Target-exclusive candles we tested (these cost almost $2 per ounce, whereas the Project 62 and Threshold candles are both closer to $1 per ounce), and they don’t seem to offer any major benefits over the other two. As a side note: Both of the Hearth & Hand candles we ordered arrived completely shattered, and one of the Threshold candles was broken. This is a pattern we’ve noticed with Target orders over the past year, so we recommend buying breakable items in-store or scheduling curbside pickups.
Virginia Bonofiglio, assistant professor and associate chairperson of cosmetics and fragrance marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology, phone interview, April 21, 2021
Saskia Wilson-Brown, director and founder of the Institute for Art and Olfaction, phone interview, April 22, 2021
Are Candles Toxic to Indoor Air Quality?, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), April 28, 2020
Where Does a Candle Go When It Burns?, The New York Times, April 26, 2021
What Can Covid-19 Teach Us About the Mysteries of Smell?, The New York Times Magazine, January 28, 2021
How to Make Sense of Scents, The New Yorker, January 25, 2021
Sarah Witman has researched, tested, and reviewed all manner of products—from massage chairs and mousetraps to pencils and power banks—since joining Wirecutter in 2017. Before that, she worked as a science writer and fact checker for numerous publications, and she studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin. In her spare time, she eats as much cheese as her body will tolerate.
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Crumble Wax Melts Wirecutter is the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing so you can make quick and confident buying decisions. Whether it’s finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we’ll help you get it right (the first time).