The best scented candles in the UK: 17 affordable, genuinely great-smelling candles – tested

While scented candles are a failsafe gift, they can be seen as a bit unimaginative. But they’re perfect for winter days at home and thoroughly festive. Lighting a candle is a ceremony, and the flickering flame can trigger something comfortingly primal in us.

Retailers, from supermarkets to artisan independents, are developing huge ranges of scented candles, and it’s hard to know where to start, and what’s any good. Many of us have been disappointed by a candle that smelled divine when we had an in-store sniff, only to be distinctly underwhelming once it’s home. So we’ve sniffed, burned and rated dozens of candles for you.

Most of our picks are an affordable £28 or below (scented candles can routinely cost £70 and upwards). Fragrance can be extremely personal, so we asked companies for their most consistently popular candles.

A candle’s ability to fill a room with its scent – or not – is known as its “throw”. We concentrated our hunt on candles with a superb aroma and a great throw, ignoring branding and packaging – although apothecary-style brown glass jars seem to be pretty much compulsory now. Here’s our final edit.

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The best scented candles for your home

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Delicate flowers

Hedgerow candle, 120ml

£16.95 at Join

Available in four sizes, this hand-crafted soy-wax candle has a powerful throw and a gorgeous summery floral scent that includes neroli, rose geranium and basil essential oils.

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Sweet and smoky

Ember vanilla candle, 320g

£14.99 at H&M

H&M produces great, affordable candles with imaginative fragrances and plenty of throw. Sadly, though, they’re still big on paraffin (see below for more information about paraffin in candles), so you may want to give them a swerve for that reason. Here, the sweetness of vanilla is tempered by a smoky, hearth-like note. Bonus points for the swirly glass jars that will find plenty of uses afterwards.

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Sleepy scents

Dream Catcher candle, 200g

£28 at John Lewis

The first hit of vibrant lavender doesn’t immediately whisper “sleep” to me, but given a little time to develop, chamomile and patchouli come alongside, and it does indeed begin to feel just as “pillowy-soft” as the website promises. Made in England with 100% plant-based wax.

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Vibrant amber

Amber and sandalwood candle, 198g

£12.95 at Muji

Japanese store Muji has a high-quality, reasonably priced home fragrance range – and it even sells refills. This vibrant scent contains notes of amber, sandalwood and cassis.

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Walk on the coast

Sea salt candle, 200g

£28 at Cornish Sea Salt Co

As brisk and invigorating as a coastal walk, this fragrance combines citrussy bergamot with resinous oud and fir needle. We struggled to choose between this scent and smoky sea salt, the other candle from this Cornish Sea Salt Co and Keynvor collaboration, which feels like sitting by a log fire after a seaside stroll.

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Crisp winter’s day

Rosewood and clementine soy candle, 180ml

£15.95 at the Botanical Candle Co

Bright, fresh and invigorating clementine is balanced with wintery, woody notes in this handmade in Dorset, 100%-soy-wax candle. It’s a scent that’s wonderful at Christmas, but just as enjoyable throughout the year.

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Uplifting ginger

Nom candle, 150g

£23 at Little Karma Co

A joyous, sunny scent with notes of lemongrass, ginger, lime and patchouli, this candle is heartening enough to snap you out of a bad mood. It’s handcrafted from rapeseed and coconut wax, and the paper dust-cover top is seeded with wildflowers that can be planted in a pot or flowerbed.

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Mediterranean fragrance

Paddywax black fig & olive candle, 141g

£16 at Dyke & Dean

Paddywax produces interesting fragrances with a good throw. This one has a fantastic mix of rich, creamy fig and sharp, astringent olive.

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Summery seaside

Sea salt candle, 227g

£15 at St Eval £15 at Amazon

Reminiscent of warm, summery days by the sea, this candle by Cornish B Corp-certified brand St Eval blends citrus and seaside air notes with a subtle creamy sweetness reminiscent of gorse flowers.

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Deep focus

Onsen candle, 170ml

£26 at Earl of East

Made with 100% natural soy wax and an eco-cotton wick for a clean, sustainable burn, Earl of East’s fragrances are intriguingly unusual, including the floral Jardin de la Lune and this Japan-inspired blend of peppermint, eucalyptus and mandarin, created with concentration and clear thinking in mind.

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Natural and zingy

Deep vermillion refill candle, 240g

£22 at Lit

Lit, a Sheffield company, makes its sustainable refill candles with 100% soy wax and sustainably sourced essential oils before popping them into artisan-thrown pots (which cost an additional £40). This pleasing fragrance combines zingy bergamot and ylang ylang with patchouli and black spruce.

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South African woodland

Woodland savanna candle, 180g

£15 at Eden Glory Company

Part of Eden Glory’s African collection, this candle takes inspiration from the woodland landscapes of South Africa, with fresh notes of lemon, lavender and grapefruit, along with cedar, moss and spicy clove.

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Sophisticated and sustainable

All the Love candle, 180ml

£25 at SevenSeventeen

A subtle and sophisticated black pomegranate blend that includes notes of pink pepper, cardamom, clove, tobacco and musk. This sustainable brand donates 10% of its profits to mental health charities, with more than £63,000 raised so far.

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Grounding

Hinoki and vetiver candle, 142g

£20 at Wxy

An intense and earthy mix of woody hinoki cypress and vetiver with cleansing rosemary and eucalyptus. This candle has been blended to help ground those taking in its scent.

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Rosy incense

Sanctum candle, 200g

£28 at Keynvor

An intense, incense-like candle for the bleak midwinter, blending rose and floral frangipani with musk and smoky sandalwood. It’s made by the Cornish candle brand Keynvor, known for its complex and unusual blends, and it would make a lovely gift for rose lovers.

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Spa vibes

Habitat spa day candle, 500g

£12 at Sainsbury’s

This paraffin-based candle blends geranium, mint and lavender notes for a fresh scent. If possible, go for the larger size because it doesn’t have the strongest throw, but it’s perfect for bringing a home-spa vibe to a long, hot bath.

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Warm and citrussy

Neom Happiness candle, 75g

£19 at John Lewis £20 at Boots

This travel candle is smaller than most in our test but worth including for its light, citrussy mix of neroli, mimosa and lemon, blended to conjure a sense of optimism and evoke warm, sunny days.

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What you need to know

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It’s important to note that almost all methods for scenting the home – whether that’s candles, air fresheners, diffusers, plug-ins, room sprays or even burning sage – can introduce harmful chemicals into the air. In cheaper candles, paraffin wax is frequently the main ingredient as it’s inexpensive and a good vehicle for fragrance. Many luxury brands will still include a little paraffin, because it’s effective at maximising scent throw. But it’s a petroleum derivative and releases harmful VOCs and soot into the air when burned.

Any fragrances used in the home will impact indoor air quality to some extent, so use them sparingly and make sure the space is well ventilated. You can also help to offset your candle habit by using an air purifier, regularly dusting and cleaning, and using a vacuum cleaner with a Hepa filter. To minimise the risks, look for candles made with natural waxes such as soy, rapeseed, coconut or beeswax, and scented with pure essential oils.

If you’re buying high-street candles that come in various sizes, avoid the smaller versions where possible, and buy those with the widest diameter you can afford to maximise the throw. If you do end up with a candle that gives out limited fragrance, use it in a smaller room: zhoosh up the loo when guests come over, or create a home-spa feel in the bathroom.

To get the most out of your candle, burn it for at least two hours and up to four hours at a time to avoid tunnelling – that’s when a candle burns down the centre but the outer wax doesn’t melt. Some cheaper candles will tunnel regardless, though. On the flip side, burning a candle for too long can mean it gets too hot and produces unnecessary amounts of smoke. Before relighting a candle, always trim the wick to about 5mm, again to prevent smoke.

To use candles safely, place them on a stable, heat-resistant surface, away from draughts and flammable materials, and never leave them unattended. Discard the candle when there’s a centimetre or two of wax still left to burn, to prevent overheating.

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Kate Jacobs is a writer specialising in design, interiors and gardens. She gets the biggest buzz from finding pieces for her own home at car boot fairs and charity shops, and even things dumped in the street. She is trying to keep on top of a serious Facebook Marketplace habit

• This article was originally published on 10 December 2024. Reviews published in the Filter may be periodically updated to reflect new products and at the editor’s discretion. The date of an article’s most recent update can be found in the timestamp at the top of the page. This article was amended on 10 December 2025; four new candles were added after testing, and prices were updated throughout.