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The 10 Best scented candles


Scented candles have long since been used to help us relax at the end of a long day. We now find ourselves anxiously living through a pandemic, locked down in our homes with all the stresses that brings.

Lighting a candle with a relaxing scent can help you calm down, drift off to sleep or simply make your environment a more pleasant place to pass the time. But there is such a huge range of scented candles on the market that finding the right one can feel overwhelming.

If in doubt, look for soothing aromatherapy scents that use pure essential oils such as lavender, chamomile and geranium. Neom Organics London, Pure Thoughts and Aromatherapy Associates are good places to start for these.

Our round-up features some of our all-time favourite candles, some new gems mined from smaller independent brands and a candle subscription service. There’s something to suit all tastes and budgets.

Only candles with an impressive throw (ability to spread the scent around the space), burn time and suitably calming effect on our stress levels have made the cut.

Remember to burn your candle all the way across the first time you light it to prevent hollowing. Keep the wick trimmed short to stop it smoking and put the lid back on your candle after use to keep it clean, if it comes with one. Most importantly, take a deep breath and enjoy.

You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world and expert advice. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.

Pure Thoughts meditation candle collection: £62 for four 100g candles, Pure Thoughts

If ever there was a time for meditation, it’s now. This set of four miniature aromatherapy candles from natural holistic brand Pure Thoughts is designed to fill your chosen chill out space with a different calming fragrance each day. Choose from the energising lemongrass scent of “gratitude”, the soothing lavender of “peace”, the sweet geranium of “love” and the earthy patchouli of “trust”.

These candles are handmade in Derbyshire in small batches using vegan-friendly soy wax, cotton wicks and pure essential oils. Each one burns cleanly for 18 hours and throws its scent well for its size. Dot these cute amber glass jars around your yoga mat or on your bedside table for maximum zen vibes. The bigger 35-hour set costs £90.

M&J London ethical luxury Larkin candle: From £23 for 110g, M&J London

This is one of our go-to luxury brands because each candle tells an evocative story inspired by the places that founder Jennifer loves. A spring-like scent, Larkin claims to “embody love, hope and yearning”, which seems appropriate in darker times like these. It smells divine – think uplifting ylang-ylang grounded by earthy basil, sweet neroli and calming geranium. It looks beautiful too, with a striking gold winged logo decorating the recycled glass jar.

Each candle is made from creamy, renewable soya wax and the brand donates £1 from every large candle sale and 50p from every small candle sale to nia, a London-based domestic abuse charity. Quality is not compromised for doing good – the small candles burn cleanly for 30 hours and the large candles for 60 hours, each throwing the scent to every corner of even your biggest rooms. They’re good value too, especially if your budget stretches to the bigger £35 size.

Neom Organics London bedtime hero three wick scented candle: £46 for 420g, Neom Organics

Believe it or not, some people hate the scent of lavender. Luckily, organic wellbeing brand Neom Organics London has come to the rescue and blended 11 essential oils chosen for their relaxing purposes, with none of the purple stuff in sight. Famously calming chamomile takes the lead, backed up by fruity ylang-ylang and warming cedarwood to help you drift off come bedtime. The fragrance hits you as soon as you open the box and only intensifies further once lit, quickly scenting your whole bedroom.

Expect some 50 hours of burn time for your buck but be sure to melt the entire top layer of the candle the first time you use it to prevent wastage from tunnelling. Three wicks help the creamy natural wax melt evenly and we like the stylish clear glass jar it comes in. Breathe the scent in through your nose for seven seconds and out through your mouth slowly for 11 seconds for the ultimate mindful moment. It’s bliss. (Oh, and if you are a lavender lover, try “tranquillity“ or “real luxury“.)

Aromatherapy Associates inner strength candle: £42 for 270g, Aromatherapy Associates

This hand-poured, UK-made candle from the masters of aromatherapy skin and body care is part of this luxury brand’s “inner strength” range, created to offer comfort during life’s more challenging moments. The deeply relaxing scent comes from woody frankincense and spicy cardamom essential oils, hand-blended by experts in a London laboratory.

Crafted from the highest quality soy wax, it burns for up to 40 hours with an unbleached cotton wick and comes classily cased in a cream glass votive, which is embellished with the classic three dandelions logo. It spreads a scent into all corners of a room, no matter how large, and is the ideal antidote to this stressful period of uncertainty.

Kiss the Moon dream aromatherapy soy candle: £38 for 240g, Kiss the Moon

This natural aromatherapy brand was founded by a jet-lagged globetrotter on a mission to sleep better. Hand-poured in small batches in the Yorkshire countryside, the dream candle is scented with lavender, bergamot, cedarwood and chamomile essential oils to help any end of the day tensions slip away before bedtime.

It’s made from soy wax, has a cotton wick and comes in a matte black jar with the Kiss the Moon logo etched into the side to elicit a warm glow. Expect it to burn for at least 50 hours and throw its gentle fragrance around your bedside.

Lily-Flame fresh linen scented candle: £8.95, Lily-Flame

Lily-Flame candles always bring a smile to our face – the colourful packaging and cheery names make them fun to look at. They’re made in a converted cowshed in Somerset and poured into tins – something they’ve been doing for over 25 years – with lids for preserving the punchy fragrances and keeping them dust-free.

There’s a huge range of candles to choose from including a patchouli scent appropriately called “relax”, but it’s hard to beat the classic fragrance of freshly changed bed linen. This candle nails that timeless clean smell we associate with home and burns for 35 hours, but don’t expect much from the throw at this price point. It’s made from a mix of mineral and vegetable wax and is vegan-friendly. Even if you haven’t got around to ticking that big wash off your to do list, you can kid yourself you have with this powdery ray of sunshine that won’t break the bank.

Tussie Mussie London blossom: £32 for 200g, Tussie Mussie London

What’s in a name? In the case of these ethical candles, it’s the history of Victorian lovers gifting each other hand-tied posies called tussie mussies. The idea was that flowers spoke a secret poetic language. This floral, spring-like blend of fine essential oils suggests optimism (geranium), compassion (lavender) and devotion (ylang-ylang and palmarosa).

The candle itself is made from natural soy wax with a cotton wick and you can expect it to burn for up to 30 hours (remember to pop the silver lid it comes with back on after use to keep the candle free from dust). Tussie Mussie may be an under-the-radar brand but this candle surprised us by rivalling household names like Jo Malone when it comes to filling a big room with fragrance.

The Nomad Society banana pancakes scented soy candle: £35 for 500g, Not On The High Street

The 12 signature scents in The Nomad Society’s eclectic collection are all inspired by the travels of its globetrotting founder, Danielle. Based in a small surf town in southwest France, she hand pours candles in small batches using sustainably sourced soy wax and a mix of safe synthetic and essential oils to guarantee a strong scent and throw.

There’s a fragrance to suit everyone, from the subtly floral “wanderlust” to the geranium led “first light”, but our pick is “banana pancakes” with its cosy, Sunday-ish notes of caramelised bananas, toasted pecans and maple syrup. Danielle created it in homage to her days owning an old food truck where she’d bake hundreds of small banana breads every morning. It’s an apt scent for a time when many of us are turning to baking. It comes in an elegant amber glass jar with a handy twist-on black lid to protect it from dust. Reuse it as a tea light holder or plant pot afterwards.

If you’re on a budget, there’s a smaller 120g candle for £15. But this bigger, double wick one works out at much better value if you can afford it, and burns for around 85 hours.

Hopscotch spiced cedar scented candle: £32 for 150g, Hopscotch

Design-led lifestyle brand Hopscotch makes natural, vegan and cruelty-free candles from soy wax and essential oils in its east London studio. They all smell wonderful, but “spiced cedar” is a scent we always return to – its botanical blend of crisp bergamot, fresh pine and musky cedarwood reminds us of kicking up leaves in a forest. This one comes in a choice of two chic colours: stormy grey or blush pink, and will burn for around 35 hours, throwing the fragrance to every corner of your space.

Hopscotch also offers a three, six or 12-month candle subscription box, so you can discover its full range of scents. Fans of a minimal aesthetic will enjoy checking out this Danish-inspired company’s offerings. We’re afraid to confirm that we wish to buy everything.

Skandinavisk heia scented candle: £46.75 for 300g, Trouva​

This candle from luxury Nordic brand Skandinavisk will be a hit with adventurous spirits who are missing the great outdoors. Part of the escapes range, “heia” (Norwegian for “heathland”) transports you to the remote wilderness of the region, its heather, wild thyme, berry and leaf sap scent encapsulating untouched nature and offering an instant release from the claustrophobia of lockdown life.

The perfume and rapeseed wax blend has been hand poured into an embossed ceramic holder with a naturalistic engraved oak lid that will later make a pretty storage pot. This candle offers up to 65 hours of burn time and throws its fragrance well, though it’s best in smaller rooms. It’s a must-buy for any proudly hygge home.

True Grace rosemary and eucalyptus scented tin candle: £20 for 300g, John Lewis & Partners

True Grace is affordable luxury at its finest, offering a product that rivals the likes of Diptyque and Cire Trudon, with a price tag that’s within reach for more of us. Its candles are handmade in a Wiltshire factory with a green ethos. They’re made from a blend of natural waxes and coconut oil, with scents inspired by quintessential Englishness. Our choice of relaxation aid is the rosemary and eucalyptus candle with a twist of frankincense, camphor and cardamom.

Part of the “walled garden” range, it comes in a zinc container with a muted mint green label and a well-fitting lid that’ll help keep it clean. You can expect a decent 40 hours of burn time and a fragrance that pervades even larger rooms. We felt our shoulders relax within half an hour of breathing in this fresh herbal scent with universal appeal. Due to popular demand, this one is currently out of stock, if you can’t wait for it to be restocked, you can buy it in a glass jar. Its burn time and smell will be the same.

Iggy Box candle subscription service: From £12.95 a month, Iggy Box

Candle-aholics will enjoy the thrill of receiving a surprise artisan candle through the post each month thanks to multi-brand subscription service, Iggy Box. Every scented candle it sends out is made in the UK using natural and eco-friendly waxes and oils. They arrive carefully packaged in mint green boxes that also include branded matches, care tips and a note about that month’s independent candle maker. Past brands included are Seven Seventeen, Earl of East London and Plum & Ashby.

Burn times do vary but are always at least 20 hours for the smaller box (£12.95 a month) and 35 hours for the bigger one (£17.95 a month). The price of Iggy Box pleasantly surprised us – it’s decent value at less than £13 a month for a new candle. Note the gifting subscription service it offers, too, starting at just £14.95 for a one-off box or £38.85 for three deliveries.

The verdict: Scented candles for relaxation

If you really need to de-stress – and let’s face it, who doesn’t right now? – then the meditation candle set from Pure Thoughts will make your yoga, meditation or mindfulness session the highlight of your day. We love that there’s a choice of scents in the set and they’re so thoughtfully presented that we even find them relaxing to look at. Neom Organics London never disappoints either and the new bedtime candle is a welcome, albeit pricey, addition to the range.

IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.



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