The Best Scented Candles: Buying Guide and Top Picks
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The best scented candles: Yankee Candle, WoodWick and Mrs. Meyer's picks plus wax, wick and burn time tips.
A good scented candle changes how a room feels: a pine candle brings the outdoors in, a lavender candle helps you unwind and a warm amber candle makes a living room feel cozy on a cold night. But candles vary a lot in wax, wicks, fragrance strength and burn time, and a poor candle tunnels, smokes or barely scents the room. This guide to the best scented candles explains what to look for and shares three picks for different homes and budgets.
We start with our top picks, then cover a buying guide, the main types of candles, tips to make candles last longer and answers to common questions. Every candle in the table above is sold new on Amazon US. Never leave a burning candle unattended, keep candles away from children, pets, curtains and drafts and trim wicks before each burn.
Our Top 3 Picks at a Glance
Our picks are the Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar 3 Wick Candle for most homes, the WoodWick Fireside Candle for value and the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lavender Soy Candle for beginners who want a simple, garden inspired candle made with essential oils.
We compared wax type, wick design, fragrance notes, burn time, jar and lid, size and price, along with the overall pattern in owner feedback. We did not burn these candles ourselves; the notes reflect maker specifications.
Best Overall: Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar 3 Wick Candle
The Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar 3 Wick suits anyone who wants a strong, room filling scent from a trusted brand, at around $27. Yankee Candle describes pine balsam and brisk cedarwood with warm amber base notes, a premium plant wax blend, three natural fiber wicks and up to 40 hours of fragrance, made in the USA.
Two strengths stand out: three wicks melt a wide pool quickly for strong scent throw in larger rooms, and a decorative metal lid keeps dust off the wax between burns. The limitation is a shorter total burn time than single wick large jars. Skip it if you want a subtle scent for a small bedroom.
Balsam & Cedar is a classic for fall and winter, but Yankee Candle offers the same 3 wick format in many scents. Choose woodsy and spicy scents for colder months and fresh or fruity scents for spring and summer.
Best Value: WoodWick Fireside Scented Candle
The WoodWick Fireside candle is for people who want ambiance as well as fragrance, at around $17. WoodWick lists amber, vetiver and musk notes, a premium soy blend wax, a wood wick that crackles like a fireplace and up to 60 hours of burn time in a 9.7 ounce hourglass jar.
Its strengths are price and the relaxing crackling sound, which makes it feel like a small fire on a winter evening. The trade off is that wood wicks need careful trimming to stay lit. Skip it if you want a fuss free candle.
WoodWick also lists its Pluswick design for a richer experience. Keep the wood wick trimmed to about an eighth of an inch and relight it if the flame tunnels, which keeps the crackle strong.
Best for Beginners: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Lavender Soy Candle
The Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Soy Candle suits first time candle buyers who want a clean, simple scent, at around $26 for a pack. Mrs. Meyer's lists soy and vegetable wax, essential oils, a lead free wick, about 35 hours of burn time per 7.2 ounce jar, a recyclable glass jar and Leaping Bunny cruelty free certification.
The appeal is a light, garden inspired floral scent that suits kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms without overpowering. The limitation is moderate scent throw in large rooms. Skip it if you want a bold, room filling fragrance.
Mrs. Meyer's sells the same candle in garden inspired scents like Lemon Verbena, which suits kitchens and entryways. The recyclable glass jar can be cleaned and reused for storage when the candle is finished.
How to Choose the Best Scented Candles: Buying Guide
The best scented candles burn cleanly, scent your room well and suit your space. Here is what to compare.
Intended Use and Room Size
Large living rooms and open plans benefit from multi wick candles, like Yankee Candle's 3 Wick or M&SENSE's 35 ounce 3 wick jar. Bedrooms, bathrooms and offices suit single wick candles with lighter scents. Kitchens suit fresh, clean scents like lemon verbena that cover cooking odors.
For open floor plans, burning two medium candles in different areas often spreads scent more evenly than one large candle.
Wax Type
Soy wax, used by Mrs. Meyer's, 96NORTH and P.F. Candle Co., burns slowly and holds fragrance well.
Plant wax blends, like Yankee Candle's, balance scent throw and burn. Paraffin wax throws strong scent but is less natural. Wax blends are common in popular brands.
Candles made with essential oils, like Mrs. Meyer's, offer natural scents, while fragrance oils allow a wider range of scent profiles. Both can smell great; choose based on the scent and ingredients you prefer.
Wick Type
Cotton and natural fiber wicks are standard; look for lead free wicks, which Mrs. Meyer's lists. Wood wicks, like WoodWick's, crackle and create a wide flame. Multiple wicks melt wax faster for stronger scent throw.
Wicks that are too long produce soot and tall flames, while wicks that are too short drown in wax. Keep wicks trimmed to about a quarter inch for cotton wicks.
Burn Time and Size
Burn time scales with wax weight. Yankee Candle lists up to 150 hours for its 22 ounce large jar, like Pink Sands, and up to 40 hours for the 14.5 ounce 3 wick.
P.F. Candle Co. lists 60 to 70 hours for its 12.5 ounce candle, and M&SENSE lists 150 hours for its 35 ounce jar.
Larger jars also hold scent longer between burns when you replace the lid, so a big jar can scent a room for an entire season of evening use.
Fragrance Strength and Notes
Candles describe scents with top, middle and base notes. Woody and spicy scents, like Balsam & Cedar and Teakwood & Tobacco, feel warm in fall and winter. Fruity and floral scents, like Pink Sands and lavender, feel fresh in spring and summer. Try a smaller candle before buying a large jar.
Scent throw describes how well a candle fills a room. Cold throw is the scent of the unlit candle, while hot throw is the scent while burning. Strong hot throw matters most for large rooms.
Safety
Burn candles on a heat resistant surface, away from drafts and flammable items, and never leave them unattended. Keep candles out of reach of children and pets. Flameless options, like candle warmer lamps, avoid an open flame; Funistree's warmer lamp includes 2, 4 and 8 hour auto shut off timers.
Keep candles at least 12 inches from anything that can burn, and never move a candle while the wax is liquid. Extinguish candles when the wax gets within about half an inch of the bottom.
Price vs Value
Calculate cost per burn hour. A $16 Yankee Candle large jar with up to 150 hours costs far less per hour than a small luxury candle. Premium candles often offer more complex scents and nicer jars, which matters for gifts.
Multi packs and gift sets, like the Diva & High Maintenance two pack, lower the cost per candle and make easy gifts for hosts and holidays.
Types of Scented Candles
Scented candles fall into four groups. Here is who each suits.
Budget Large Jar Candles
Large jar candles, like Yankee Candle's 22 ounce Pink Sands, Macintosh and Home Sweet Home, offer long burn times at low cost per hour. They suit everyday use.
Yankee Candle lists up to 150 hours for its 22 ounce Pink Sands jar, which makes large jars one of the lowest cost ways to keep a room scented all season.
Natural Soy Candles
Soy candles, like Mrs. Meyer's, 96NORTH Luxury Pine and P.F. Candle Co., appeal to people who prefer plant based wax and cleaner ingredients.
96NORTH lists 100 percent natural soy wax with three wicks and up to 40 hours of burn time, while P.F. Candle Co. lists 60 to 70 hours from a 12.5 ounce soy candle made in the USA.
Premium and Gift Candles
Premium candles, like P.F. Candle Co. Teakwood & Tobacco in an amber glass jar and the Diva & High Maintenance two pack with 110 to 130 hour burn times, suit gifts and decor.
Amber glass jars, like P.F. Candle Co.'s, can be cleaned and reused as planters or storage, adding value after the candle is finished.
Flameless Candle Warmers
Candle warmer lamps, like Funistree's dimmable warmer with a timer, melt jar candles from above without a flame. They suit homes with kids, pets or rules against open flames.
Funistree's warmer lists a dimmer and 2, 4 and 8 hour shut off timers, so the candle melts slowly and the lamp turns off on its own.
How to Make Your Scented Candle Last Longer
On the first burn, let the wax melt all the way to the edges, which usually takes one to three hours, to prevent tunneling. Trim wicks to about a quarter inch before each burn to reduce soot and keep the flame steady.
Burn candles for no more than about four hours at a time. Keep them away from drafts that cause uneven burning. Put the lid on after burning to keep dust out and preserve fragrance.
Use a candle snuffer instead of blowing out the flame to prevent smoke and wax splatter. Center the wick while the wax is still soft after extinguishing so it burns evenly next time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What features matter most when buying scented candles?
Wax type, wick quality, fragrance strength, burn time and jar size matter most. Match the candle size and number of wicks to your room, and choose lead free wicks.
How much should I spend on a scented candle?
Good everyday candles cost around $16 to $27, while premium and gift candles cost around $33 to $46. Compare cost per burn hour; large jars often offer the best value.
Are expensive scented candles worth it?
Expensive candles can offer more complex fragrances, cleaner burns and nicer jars, which matter for gifts and decor. For everyday scent, mid priced candles from established brands perform well.
How long does a scented candle last?
Burn time depends on size and wicks. Small candles last around 35 to 60 hours, 3 wick candles about 40 hours and large single wick jars up to 150 hours, according to makers.
Why does my candle tunnel?
Tunneling happens when the first burns are too short for the wax to melt to the edges. Let each burn continue until the melt pool reaches the jar's edge, and avoid short burns.
Are soy candles better than paraffin?
Soy candles burn slower and come from renewable plant wax, which appeals to many buyers. Paraffin and blends often throw scent more strongly. Both can burn cleanly with a properly trimmed wick and good ventilation.
Are scented candles safe around pets?
Some pets are sensitive to strong fragrances and smoke. Burn candles in well ventilated rooms, keep them out of reach of pets and ask your veterinarian if your pet has breathing problems.
Final Thoughts
The best scented candles fill your room with fragrance and burn cleanly. The Yankee Candle Balsam & Cedar 3 Wick is our best overall pick, the WoodWick Fireside offers crackling ambiance at a low price and the Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Soy Candle is a simple, gentle start. Trim wicks, burn safely and match the candle to your room.
For more home fragrance guides, see the best luxury candles, the best christmas scented candles, the best led flameless candles and the best citronella candles. Then compare current prices in the product table above.
