We researched dozens of candles on the market today and chose the nine best to purchase and test side by side. Our expert reviewers examined aesthetic appeal, the quality of the wax and the flame, and the permeation of the fragrance. With thousands of options out there, this review will help you narrow it down, whether you are most concerned with the way it looks, how powerful it smells, how cleanly it burns, or all of the above. We identify our favorites, as well as which product is the best overall, which are right for setting the mood or covering up other potent aromas, and which ones are best if you just need one on the cheap.
Interior decoration style varies from person to person. However, we can all agree we want household goods that make our space feel more inviting and cozy. Our extensive list of reviews can help you find everything from tasteful accent chairs to aromatherapy diffusers to suit your unique tastes. If you need the linens and accessories to match, we also have reviews of our favorite belts, egyptian cotton sheets, and hand towels.The 5 Best Candles of 2023
We tested candles from Capri Blue, Glade, Bath & Body Works, and more to find the best products
After burning and smelling them all, we'll help you narrow down your options.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Our Top Picks
By Ben Applebaum-Bauch ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Mar 24, 2023
REASONS TO BUY
Elegant blue jar
Metal lid
Subtle fragrance
REASONS TO AVOID
Lid does not secure to base
The Capri Blue Volcano 19-Ounce is a large physical presence with a subdued fragrance. Its wide base and blue glass jar give it a distinctive aesthetic, and its metallic silver lid completes the look. It could stand as the centerpiece on a coffee or dining room table. The smell isn't overpowering, and we appreciate how evenly it diffuses throughout a room.
The base of this candle is quite wide, and the lid isn't securely attached; it just rests on top. Moving this candle around is a two-handed effort. However, this is a small gripe, especially for a household item that tends to stay stationary. We love the Capri Blue candle and wouldn't hesitate to keep a couple around the house.
This model has a distinctive jar and a subtle, diffused fragrance.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Inexpensive
Subtle and consistent fragrance
REASONS TO AVOID
Jar looks cheap
Short burn time
The Glade Radiant Berries Jar Candle is a solid deal and an inexpensive way to fill a room with candlelight. A few of these will cost you as much as some of the premium options. This Glade candle helps conceal foul odors yet is small enough to sit inconspicuously on a bookcase or kitchen counter. It is also small enough that the wax will still melt evenly even if you only burn it for a short time.
This Glade jar is less decorative or elegant than its more expensive counterparts. It is also comparatively small, so you don't get the same burn time as other products. However, if you find yourself with a potent smell that needs concealing, this product has you covered.
This inexpensive, basic model can be set to the side to conceal odors.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Relaxing, powerful fragrance
Metal lid
Triple wick
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Produces moderate smoke when extinguished
The Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Stress Relief 3-Wick is our top choice for relaxing after a long day. It is excellent for a bedside table, desk, or bathroom. Its three-wick design and wide diameter allow for a powerful, soothing fragrance to permeate the room in a relatively short amount of time. The metal lid fits securely over the clear glass jar with a rubber gasket.
The triple wick means that this option creates notably more smoke than other products when you blow it out. It is also bulky, which means it requires a large surface to ensure it is stable. However, for those who need a few minutes to themselves after a long day of work, this candle will help you decompress.
This aromatherapy model has a triple wick and a powerful fragrance.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Clean scent
Metal lid
Soy wax
REASONS TO AVOID
Short total burn time
Lacks versatility
Challenging to get burning initially
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Scented Soy Lavender is an excellent option with a rustic appeal. It comes in a decagonal glass jam jar with a screw-top metal lid, which our testers found aesthetically pleasing. This soy wax option is compact enough to fit comfortably on a kitchen counter or deep window sill, and its fragrance is potent and clean, which is surprising due to its small size.
The smaller size means the burn time isn't terribly long relative to other models we tested. Also, it's not super versatile. The primary purpose particularly gears toward cleanness, as opposed to using it to relax after a long day, and it really does feel like it's designed to exist in a kitchen. However, if you are looking for a candle to burn daily and leave behind a wiped-down-the-counters-clean scent, this is your best bet.
This farmhouse-style model has a lot of rustic appeal and a powerful clean presence.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Fun concept
Distinctive jar
Minimal smoke
REASONS TO AVOID
Fragrance is not very powerful
No lid
The Homesick Scented Candle is a fun gift idea for those who need a little reminder of home. You can select scents from all 50 states, cities, memories, or a handful of countries. The product itself comes in a smooth, cylindrical glass jar, reminiscent of a soda can. It is hand-poured in the USA and made from an all-natural soy wax blend, which creates only a small amount of smoke when extinguished.
Of course, associating an entire state or country with a specific scent might not be relatable to everyone (if you hail from Iowa, for example, we hope you like cumin and eucalyptus). However, if you are looking to remind a friend (or yourself) of the best scents of home, then look no further.
This warm and distinctive model has a complex fragrance and makes a great gift.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Elegant jar
Burns cleanly
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Heavy taper may make it less stable
The Nest Fragrances Classic Sicilian Tangerine is a product with traditional appeal and just a little flair. This candle comes in a nice glass jar with alternating frosted and translucent vertical stripes. The fragrance is strong up close and diffuses gradually throughout a living room. It has a buttery wax and burns very cleanly, leaving little smoke that quickly dissipates when the flame is extinguished.
Besides a lofty price tag, our primary concern is with the taper of the jar. It is much narrower at the base than at the top, so although we never managed to knock it over during testing, we still felt like there was a distinct possibility that it could topple easily. All in all, this is a nice, simple option with a classic feel.
This model has a strong fragrance but the glass jar is probably the most interesting part.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Wooden lid
Frosted glass jar
REASONS TO AVOID
Difficult to light initially
The Chesapeake Bay Peace and Tranquility Cashmere Jasmine is an excellent, basic option. Its fragrance is pleasantly potent, and its overall look is innocuous enough that it blends in almost anywhere. Its frosted glass container is stable, and the wooden lid has a nice aesthetic. It does well in a bedroom, living room, or bathroom.
During testing, we noticed the wick was exceptionally short, and it required some time and patience to get it to a point where it would burn as it should. Though it performs well, we feel there is nothing exceptional about the way it looks and found it somewhat bland. However, if you are just looking for a straightforward, basic option, this is a great choice.
This is a straightforward model with a fair amount of versatility.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Fits in smaller spaces
Metal lid with rubber gasket
Vegan soy wax
REASONS TO AVOID
Fragrance is very understated
The Lulu Candles Luxury Scented Soy Jar Candle is a compact product with a basic aesthetic. It comes with a black metal lid that fits securely around the top with a rubber gasket. It is made from vegan soy wax and is hand-poured in the USA. It belongs equally well on a mantle, in a living room, kitchen, or bedroom. It is an excellent option if you still want the warmth of candlelight without the object being the center of attention.
We had no major gripes about this product, but there is nothing particularly special about it either. It has a relatively muted presence in all regards but is a nice option if you just need a candle.
This model is compact, basic, and affordable.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
REASONS TO BUY
Glass lid
Longer burn time
REASONS TO AVOID
Uneven wax
Smokey
The Yankee Candle Lavender Vanilla is a classic workhorse. The fragrance is strong within a few feet of the candle and diffuses rapidly outside of approximately five feet. Its cylindrical jar and 'bubble' lid offer a unique take. It is the type of product that you would expect to see on an old fireplace mantle, but it could also stand as a centerpiece on a coffee table.
The drawback is the wax is a little uneven and bubbly, suggesting it isn't the highest quality. As it burned, we noticed small streams of smoke wafted up into the air. Additionally, the distinctive lid shape is not for everyone. Those with modern decor may find the somewhat old-timey feel is out of place. Still, it is a nice option for a house with an Americana vibe.
With its unique lid, this model has an old-time feel.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Why You Should Trust Us
To find the best candles, we use an extensive process that starts with researching the market. After sifting through dozens of potential options, we purchased the most promising products at retail price and ran them through real-world, side-by-side testing to determine which ones shine bright and which flame out.
Our lead reviewer, Ben Applebaum Bauch, loves a good candle. Over the past four years, he has reviewed hundreds of home goods products for GearLab, from facial tissues to mouthwash and toothbrush heads. Having spent almost a decade of his life living in rural northern New England, he has experienced his fair share of power outages and nights spent living by candlelight.
Analysis and Test Results
We settled on four metrics through which we assessed our products. Those metrics are aesthetic versatility, burn quality, fragrance permeation, and additional features.
Aesthetic Versatility
Aesthetic versatility captures the places in a living space where each product would do its best work. Since most of the life of a candle is spent not burning, this metric is meant to assess the value add that its other aesthetic qualities bring to the table (so to speak). Here, we leverage the input of a wide cross-section of users and consider things like the number and diversity of areas in a home where it would thrive, whether or not it could be a centerpiece, and any other distinguishing characteristics.
This rustic model looks nice in the kitchen but can also find a home in a bathroom.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
There are a few products that illustrate the value of versatility. The Chesapeake Bay Jar has a fairly basic aesthetic, allowing it to blend into almost any room. The Capri Blue is a unique candle with a distinctive blue glass jar that stands out from the crowd and makes for a bold table centerpiece. It would be equally at home on a bookshelf as it would on a coffee table.
The Mrs. Meyers Clean Day makes spaces feel clean, so it thrives on a kitchen window sill or in a bathroom. The Nest Fragrances Classic doesn't come with a lid, but it is the only option we tested that combines frosted and translucent glass in its jar, making for a subtle, unique pattern that would be at home on a mantle or bookcase.
This product can stand alone in a living room, bathroom, or mantle.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Some options thrive in more specific decors. The Yankee Jar is a good example, with a jar and lid that give off an old-home vibe.
Burn Quality
Burn Quality is a complement to aesthetic versatility. It takes into account the quality of the wax and how clean it burns. How easy it is to light, the brightness of the flame(s), and the amount of smoke produced when extinguishing it are how we evaluated burn quality.
This model throws a sizeable amount of smoke when the flame is extinguished.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
One of the highest scorers here is the Homesick Scented, which has notably smooth, almost smoke-free wax. The Glade Jar also performs surprisingly well, along with the Lulu Luxury Scented and Next Fragrances Classic, while the Capri Blue and Bath & Body Works Scented 3 Wick Relax Aromatherapy throw off a notable amount of smoke when extinguished.
The rough, bubbly wax means that it will not always combust completely and ultimately throws intermittent puffs of smoke.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Lower scorers like the Yankee Candle Jar have a visibly bubbly consistency. Consequently, this product tends to give off occasional puffs of smoke when the wax can't combust fully while burning. The Chesapeake Bay Jar and the Mrs. Meyers Clean Day each proved somewhat challenging to light initially but were high-performing an hour or so into their first burn.
Fragrance Permeation
Fragrance Permeation refers to the area covered by the fragrance and how completely the fragrance conceals odors. Given people's personal preferences and the variety of scents each product comes in, we do not consider how much we enjoy the smell of the particular fragrance that we test.
The three wicks of this model facilitate rapid fragrance release throughout the room.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
The Bath & Body Works Scented 3 Wick Relax Aromatherapy has the most potent fragrance of the bunch. It not only permeated an entire room quickly and entirely while lit but also has a notable odor from three feet away when cool and unlit. The Chesapeake Bay Jar is another option with a robust perfume that fills a space uniformly. The Mrs. Meyers Clean Day also has a powerful fragrance radius for its size and is ideal for lighting after (or during) house cleaning.
Candles with more subtle but consistent fragrance permeation include the Capri Blue, Homesick Scented, and Glade Air Freshener Jar. These aren't overwhelming (or particularly strong), even when you are up close to them.
This model had some difficulty lighting off the bat because the wick was barely exposed.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Features
Features are any additional stylings or inclusions beyond a jar, wax, and wick. We look for lids, glass textures and shapes, and wax type and color.
This lid is a nice add on, but also doesn't seal tightly around the jar.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Top scorers for features include the Capri Blue with its deep cobalt glass and metal lid. The Homesick Scented also comes in a unique jar that sets it apart. Though it doesn't include a lid, each of its fragrances has a rich top, mid, and bottom note description.
Other contenders with distinctive jars include the Nest Fragrances Classic, with alternating frosted and translucent stripes on tapered glass, and the Mrs. Meyers Clean Day, in a rustic decagonal jam jar with a screw-top lid. Candles that come with lids include the Bath & Body Works Scented 3 Wick Relax Aromatherapy, Lulu Luxury Scented Soy Jar, Chesapeake Bay Jar (the only one with a wooden cover), Yankee Candle Jar, and Mrs. Meyers Clean Day. Almost all of the candles are made from soy wax, and many are infused with essential oils that contribute to their fragrance and relaxation-inducing qualities.
This distinctive bubble lid also comes with plastic threads so that it secures tightly to the jar.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Conclusion
We know that searching for the right candle can be a personal process, so our expert reviewers took a look at each product from a 360-degree view to assess the circumstances that would allow each one to excel. Whether you are looking for your first wick or are an avid collector, we hope that this review has you well on your way to finding the next right candle for you.
— Ben Applebaum-Bauch
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