We scoured stores, online, and brick-and-mortar options for the 20 best candles you can buy. Our favorite is the Voluspa Mokara, a bright floral beauty that combines Mokara orchid with white lily and spring moss. It’s like opening the windows and taking in a deep breath of summer-scented sunshine. Our other picks run the gamut from a great budget buy and a savvy splurge; to tapers and a flameless option; to our faves among several scent categories, including woody, spicy, herbal, and more. There’s something to light up everyone’s life on our list of best candles. Keep In Mind: Nothing. It just might be perfect. The Mokara candle is undeniably exotic, with notes of orchid, tuberose, freesia, and white lily, but cooling oak moss tempers all that hothouse heat. It smells like a cool breeze coming into the house on a sunny day and carries the scents of summer’s best blooms. Price at time of publish: From $14 Size: 12 ounces | Wax type: Coconut blend | Burn time: 40 hours Keep In Mind: Nothing—we love that this bargain beauty doesn’t make you overspend to enjoy a thoughtfully made candle. Designed with a pretty pastel glass container and metal lid, users can experience a worry-free experience that contains smoke from a smoldering wick. Price at time of publish: $10 Size: 15.1 ounces | Wax type: Soy blend | Burn time: 50 hours Keep In Mind: Nothing—this is a fantastic two-wick, soy-blended candle, that’s worth the higher price point. With a burn time of up to 90 hours, users will experience nothing but subtly sweet scents. Blended with peonies, camellia, and cassis, the feminine scent is irresistible enough to make you want to light it up on repeat. It’s subtle without being too much. Price at time of publish: $70 Size: 15.5 ounces | Wax type: Soy-paraffin blend | Burn time: up to 90 hours Keep In Mind: Each candle requires two C batteries, which are not included. This flameless candle also features a timer and remote-control operation to light and extinguish the flames from a distance. Price at time of publish: From $40 Sizes: 3x4, 3x6, and 3x8 inches | Burn time: Until the batteries run out (about 600 hours). Keep In Mind: The candle is on the heavier side, and its jar is large, so you’ll want to handle it carefully. The Palo Santo oil provides a sweet, woodsy scent, and tames citronella’s medicinal edge. That way, your gathering smells great to everyone but the bugs. Price at time of publish: $65 Size: 20 ounces | Wax type: Soy blend | Burn time: 100 hours Keep In Mind: Always burn pillar candles on a dish to catch melted wax. Plus, all six colors of this daisy candle are unscented. (Which is great for anyone who is sensitive to overly fragrant scents.) Price at time of publish: $12 Size: Six inches | Wax type: Soy | Burn time: Three hours Keep In Mind: It’s best to house these candles in a non-flammable holder before lighting. Price at time of publish: $35 Size: Nine inches | Wax type: Paraffin | Burn time: Eight to nine hours Keep In Mind: Not much—it’s lovely and lilac-y. Lilacs are fleeting flowers, blooming only for a few weeks in the spring, and then only in cooler climates. Capturing their distinctive scent, as this candle does, means you can extend spring in your home. Who doesn’t need a little extra springtime? It’s great for sprucing up any room in your home or gifting around the Easter season. Price at time of publish: $38 Size: 20 ounces | Wax type: Soy blend | Burn time: up to 120 hours Keep In Mind: The scent is strong, and those sensitive to overly fragrant smells might be apprehensive to purchase. Perfect for those who love fruity and spiced scents, this particular blend is nothing short of “fall in a jar.” Blended with golden nectar, warm clove spice, and crisp red apple, we’re confident they’ll be crowd-pleasers. Plus, there’s a burn time of up to 45 hours–what could be better? Additionally, it is blended with essential oils which could be problematic for some (if you have allergies). Price at time of publish: $24 Size: 14.5 ounces | Wax type: Patented soy wax blend with natural essential oils | Burn time: 45 hours Keep In Mind: Nothing comes to mind—other than it will be a fan-favorite. A “fresh” or “clean” scent is hard to pin down, but you can’t go wrong with one that smells clean and not artificial. Here, that’s what you get. This ‘Canvas’ candle is not heavily floral, though Lily of the Valley does contribute to the fragrance. Rather here, this year-round scent is ethereal and sparkling. Price at time of publish: $42 Size: 11 ounces | Wax type: Soy blend | Burn time: 60–70 hours Keep In Mind: This medley of tobacco leaves presents an experience that’ll be hard to forget. This premium, soy wax blend candle is housed in a flared jar for a distinct look. Though, if the larger-sized hourglass is not your cup of tea, there is also medium-sized and ellipse-sized candle available. You’ll want to remember that the Woodwick brand is known for its “crackle” candles that ignite a multi-sensory adventure. After you light the candle, prepare to hear a noise (a crackle) upon igniting the flame. As a result, this candle produces a fast fragrance release that’s unmatched. Price at time of publish: $26 Size: 21.5 ounces | Wax type: Soy and paraffin | Burn time: 180 hours Keep In Mind: The price of this particular vessel varies widely, so shop around before buying. With dozens of jars and sizes up for grabs, you’ll want to decide which version you like best. However, with a burn time of 15 hours, some might think that this steep price point might not be as justified as others on the market. Price at time of publish: $102 Size: 48 ounces | Wax type: Soy-paraffin blend | Burn time: 15 hours Keep In Mind: The distinctive, powerful scent makes an impact that might not be suited for all. For first-time users, you’ll want to light this candle for a minimum of two hours to ensure an equal burn. Price at time of publish: $82 Size: 6.5 ounces | Wax type: Soy | Burn time: 60 hours Keep In Mind: This candle is just five ounces and it also comes in a reusable food-safe pan. Price at time of publish: $28 Size: Five ounces | Wax type: Soy blend | Burn time: 12 hours Keep In Mind: This beautifully rich scent is intense and might be too powerful for some. The signature blend features incense, raspberry, and cedarwood, and offers a burn time of up to 50 hours. Plus, the unisex fragrance is free of parabens and phthalates. Price at time of publish: From $46 Size: 8.5 ounces | Wax type: Coconut and beeswax | Burn time: 50 hours Keep In Mind: This soy candle is an exceptional mix of masculine and sultry. With a burn time of more than 40 hours, this choice is poured from domestically grown soy wax and fragrance oils. Plus, it features a clean utilitarian appeal style-wise. The glass jar and metal lid work anywhere in your home. Price at time of publish: $35 Size: 7.5 ounces | Wax type: Soy | Burn time: 40+ hours Keep In Mind: This candle is heavy and made of glass, so handle it with care. More than 100 ounces of sweet-scented wax and five (!) cotton wicks fill this gorgeous blush-hued glass vessel. It’s visually stunning, and its fragrance is sweet and sparkling with fruity top notes, middle notes of tea, and a patchouli base. When the wax is gone (possibly years from now!), use the lovely glass jar in your décor. Price at time of publish: $175 Size: 108.7 ounces | Wax type: Soy blend | Burn time: up to 275 hours Keep In Mind: The “heavier” scent might be too much for some users. Both sweet and spicy, this scent has a burn time of up to 50 hours, and the large 21.5-ounce size makes it worth the price point. Price at time of publish: $20 Size: 21.5 ounces | Wax type: Paraffin | Burn time: 50 hours Keep In Mind: All of the available sizes sell out fast—so you won’t want to wait to buy this one. It’s housed in a gorgeous gold-glitter vessel. It pledges a burn time between 50 to 60 hours. Thanks to its proprietary premium wax, users can experience a clean and evenly burned candle. Price at time of publish: $46 Size: 8.1 ounces | Wax: Proprietary premium wax | Burn time: 50-60 hours Keep In Mind: The burn time is not ideal for the price point. With a burn time of 30+ hours, this soy blend is hand-poured and measures 10 x 6 x 3 inches. Price at time of publish: From $32 Size: 16 ounces | Wax type: Soy-paraffin blend | Burn time: 30+ hours Multiple wicks will also create a deeper wax pool, “and then that wax pool circulates the wax because of the heat and the draw up the wick, and that big pancake-size wax pool will throw fragrance pretty aggressively.” A single-wick, three-inch-diameter candle would scent a bedroom or office, while a wider, three-wick candle is needed for a large living room or great room.

Wax Type

There are four categories of candle wax: animal, vegetable, mineral, and insect wax. Animal wax is derived from the fat of cows and pigs and is a byproduct of our food manufacturing process. “It burns beautifully and very cleanly,” LaVanier reports, “and it can be added to a candle to keep the price down.” Vegetable wax commonly comes from soybeans (often grown in the U.S.A.), but coconut, jojoba, and other oils can also be hydrogenated (that is, chemically altered so they’re solid at room temperature) and made into candles. On the upside, these oils are renewable resources; on the downside, “they don’t hold heavy fragrance loads very well,” says LaVanier. “They can also crack and get crumbly.” Many manufacturers blend soy with paraffin (more on paraffin below), “which solves all those problems and dramatically improves a candle’s shelf life.” Paraffin is the best-known mineral wax; “it’s stable and clean and holds a lot of fragrance oil,” LaVanier says. “And the idea that paraffin is not healthy for you is an urban legend. It does not put out carcinogens when it burns; nothing about paraffin is different for your health from burning any other type of wax.” Insect wax is—you might’ve guessed—beeswax. It’s rare and therefore expensive: “Bees have to make eight pounds of honey to make one pound of wax,” LaVanier notes, “and most beeswax is used in cosmetics, so it’s expensive. You’re pampering yourself with a 100% beeswax candle.” On the plus side, this wax burns hotter, so it’s a more efficient candle, but it is also reactive and has a shorter shelf life, and white fat can accumulate on the candle’s surface.

Burn Time

Most manufacturers list a candle’s “burn time” so consumers know how long it might last, but there are no rules governing how companies come up with that number. It’s usually an estimate based on the candle’s size, number of wicks, and how long a manufacturer assumes a consumer will burn a candle each time it’s lit. Industry standards recommend that people burn candles for three to four hours at a time: More than that and you’ll use up the candle quickly, and less than that and the candle will tunnel (meaning, only the wax immediately surrounding the wick will burn). “Three to four hours at a time will give you the best experience and the best use out of the candle,” says LaVanier. Two other things candle lovers should know: One, trim the wick(s) to ¼-inch, and two, discard the trimmings (and any globs of soot) before lighting. “That way, the next time you light it, you get a much cleaner burn,” says LaVanier, “and you’ve made your candle safer to boot.

Scent Notes

Perfumers and candlemakers slot fragrances into 10 or 11 categories, which are helpful for consumers to identify certain smells and recognize which scent groups you’re drawn to and which ones put you off. The categories can differ by manufacturer, but generally, they include: Floral: With subcategories of sweet (lilac and honeysuckle) and fresh (lily and rose), floral scents come from—you guessed it—flowers. Spicy: It’s warm, enveloping, and nose-tickling ginger, clove, and cinnamon. Camphoraceous: The herbal, woody, warm-cool scent of camphor, eucalyptus, and thyme. Herbal: These garden scents tend toward fresh (like lavender and anise) or green (pine and juniper). Green: Think of a vast forest where earthy scents (moss and vetiver) mingle with fresh ones (grass and cucumber). Minty: These can be menthol-like (peppermint) or warm (spearmint). Gourmand: Food-like fragrances are the most popular in the U.S. (followed by herbal-woody and floral in spots two and three), and they veer either warm (coffee or nuts) or sweet (honey). Vanilla: A common base note, the vanilla category also includes balsam and powdery scents. Woody: Resinous woods, such as cedar and patchouli, fall into this category. Animalic: These scents, such as amber, musk, and barnyard odors, originated from animals, but perfumers no longer create fragrances using animals and instead make these scents synthetically. Fruity: Subcategories include fresh (apple, peach, and pear), berry (cherry and strawberry), and tropical (mango and pineapple). Note that citrus fruits fall into their own category (below). Citrus: Zesty-skinned limes, lemons, and grapefruit are examples; bergamot and lemongrass are less so. It’s worth noting that “Fresh” is a common fragrance category; that adjective can mean a lot of things, from floral or fruity to herbal or green. That Fresh is such a common subcategory explains why it can be a hard scent to pin down—and why one Fresh candle smells harsh while another smells heavenly.

Your Questions, Answered

Why are luxury candles so expensive?

“One of the main contributors to the expense is fragrance oil,” says LaVanier. Luxury candles are often crafted of several different fragrances, many of which can be rare and pricey. Another contributor to cost is a candle’s packaging: The fancier and more elaborate the vessel and the box, the more expensive it’ll be.

Which candle wax holds the most fragrance?

Paraffin is a refined mineral wax. “It makes the best burning, best fragrance-throwing candles out there,” says LaVanier. “It’s not a renewable resource because it’s coming from the same stream as oil and gas, but it makes fantastic candles from a performance point of view.”

What is the cleanest burning candle type?

Beeswax candles with no added fragrance. Contrary to popular belief, fragrance oils—not the wax base or wick—are often to blame for smoke and soot. “Essential oils don’t combust as well as synthetic fragrances, and some fragrances, such as woody ones, won’t combust at a candle flame’s temperature. A candle made of 100 percent wax and no fragrance will burn incredibly cleanly. It’s when you add fragrance oils that all bets are off," says LaVanier.

Who We Are

Sarah Halverson has more than 25 years of experience as a writer and editor—and even more as a candle and fragrance fan. Brittany Romano is a senior editor at Better Homes & Gardens with over eight years of experience covering home design, home products, and reviews. To research this story, industry experts who specialize in candles were consulted to come up with the 20 best candles.