When it comes to autumn, there’s very little that gets us more excited than investing in and discovering some of the most delicious-smelling candles. Gone are the light floral scents of summer; it’s time for some smoky, warming fragrances.
Once summer dwindles away, it's important to ready ourselves for the cosy evenings ahead. And what better way to do that than choosing the best scented candles for the season?
Choosing a signature seasonal scent is the simple way to reset your home for autumn and fully immerse yourself in all the best things this time of year has to offer.
A selection of some of the candles we tested.
With that in mind, we scoured all the new autumn releases and some beloved classics from our favourite brands to put together an all-star list of the best nine. Get ready to scent-scape your home like never before.
The best candles for autumn 2025
RRP: £35 | Weight: 210g | Burn time: 40 hours | Wax: High-quality mineral wax | Notes: Pear, Quince and Amber
This scent from The White Company is not what you'd expect from an autumn candle, which is what made us love it even more. With its crisp and fruity fragrance, it fills the room quickly without becoming overbearing or sickly.
We've never not been impressed by a candle from The White Company; however, this was awarded best autumn candle overall due to its masterful way of evoking the season with unconventional scent notes. The way pear and amber complement each other is an art, and one we look forward to enjoying all autumn long.
Whilst this is one of their signature candles, the brand has updated its style, making the vessels slightly larger and using only 100% natural mineral wax, which is, of course, hand-poured in Sweden. As always, for a reasonable price point, The White Company deliver a luxury product with the utmost quality.
RRP: £58 | Weight: 190g | Burn time: 50 hours | Wax: Mineral wax | Notes: Pumpkin, spices and vanilla
This is definitely one of our favourite candles out of the bunch, and one that surprised me the most thanks to its elevated yet subtle pumpkin notes.
The scent is impressively strong and yet isn't overpowering like a lot of pumpkin-scented candles tend to be. In fact, for a scent that features all the classic autumnal notes, this offering from Diptyque is wonderfully timeless. Which of course goes hand in hand with their iconic chic packaging that looks right at home in any space, autumn decor included or not.
The burn time is also pretty impressive, but considering the particularly higher price point, this is to be expected. So, if you're looking to splurge a little and lean more towards the sweet side of fragrances, this is absolutely the autumn candle for you.
RRP: £31 | Weight: 280g | Burn time: 50 hours | Wax: Plant-based wax | Notes: Lemon, jasmine, patchouli, amber, tonka, cedarleaf
While most autumn candles focus on a blend of heavy, woody notes in the name of comfort, this Aery offering is a light, citrus alternative. With its top notes of lemon mixing with the base of cedarleaf and amber, your space will smell cosy yet fresh.
After burning the candle for the first time, I noticed that when the wax solidified again, a hole remained in the surface. This may be due to the type of wax, but it hasn't affected the strong fragrance this candle emits or the wonderful ceramic pot it's housed in. I look forward to reusing the packaging afterwards!
Aery is big on their environmental practices, from fully recyclable packaging to carbon-neutral shipping, so not only are you getting a truly fantastic candle, you're doing it responsibly for the planet.
RRP: £56 | Weight: 200g | Burn time: 45 hours | Wax: paraffin wax | Notes: Vanilla and cedarwood
As one of the most well-known brands for candles, we weren't surprised when this scent was impressively strong. Almost immediately after lighting, the room smelled of the subtle baked biscuits, and it was an unbelievably comforting scent.
Whilst this isn't a particularly conventional autumnal scent, it's a welcome change from the pumpkin spices that most brands offer. And although it does have the sweetness of vanilla, the cedarwood offers a balancing malt smell reminiscent of the beloved rich tea biscuit. What could be more delicious on a cold autumn night?
If you're a fan of the best Jo Malone perfumes, you'll know how strong the brand's fragrance is, and of course, the thoughtful packaging makes this the perfect gift. Even if it's for you.
RRP: £40 | Weight: 185g | Burn time: 37.5 hours | Wax: 100% naturally derived wax | Notes: Sandalwood, frankincense and nutmeg
Housed in a stylish ombre vessel, this Neom candle is here to bring the comfort of crackling log fires to your home. With deep notes of sandalwood, this is an incredibly smoky scent, one that's lifted with the sweetness of frankincense and warmed with added notes of nutmeg. If you're looking to make your home cosy, this candle will certainly do the trick.
As is typical with Neom products, this candle doesn't just smell and look great; it'll actually help you relax thanks to its all-natural essential oils. The well-being benefits of lighting this beauty are numerous. The sandalwood will help relieve stress, frankincense is known to help reduce worry whilst improving mood, and nutmeg is great for easing tension in the mind.
If you're a lover of more masculine woody smells, this fragrance is a great fit, just don't be surprised when you're left feeling physically relaxed after lighting it.
RRP: £70 | Weight: 240g | Burn time: 60 hours | Wax: Vegetable wax | Notes: Plum, cinnamon, leather accord, violet, birch woods, patchouli, vanilla
Byredo is one of the best brands for luxury fragrances, and this candle is proof of that. The iconic brand has a few offerings that aren't marketed as autumn scents but that are perfect for the season.
These candles are incredibly pricey, we'd recommend opting for the 70g candle if you're unsure on the investment, but they're complex scents and impressive burn time sure make up for it. This candle is definitely for those who prefer a more stripped-back, refined scent than one typically belonging to this time of year. The leather accord adds nicely, cutting through the other traditionally sweet autumn notes.
While the scent definitely stuck around even after blowing out the flame, this is still something of an investment for a scented candle – but a worthwhile one, especially with its reusable chic black jar.
RRP: £14.99 | Weight: 320g | Burn time: 60 hours | Wax: Paraffin and plant wax blend | Notes: Vanilla, sandalwood and ember
This H&M candle is the least expensive on our list, and considering the reasonable price, burn time of the candle and decadent glass jar, we think it’s a great value for money.
The glass jar has a swirled caramel effect, which, combined with the delicious smoky vanilla scent, makes this an attractive candle to have burning during cold, dark evenings. We found the scent to be well-balanced for a vanilla candle, which can often be overpoweringly sweet.
For such a low price point, this is an impressively powerful fragrance and one that comes in a showstopping holder. Consider us thoroughly impressed with H&M's candle game.
RRP: £32.99 | Weight: 609g | Burn time: 136-176 hours | Wax: Blend of soy and paraffin wax | Notes: Cardamom, cinnamon, white pepper, saffron, clove, bronzed leather, whiskey, smoked cedar and Sandalwood
We loved this deliciously rich, woody fragrance that's spiced to perfection, thanks to the addition of cinnamon and clove. This is an incredibly sultry scent, and thanks to the one-of-a-kind WoodWick, it sounds like a cosy crackling fire when lit. Which is why we awarded it the best autumnal experience; it truly delivers on scent, sound and appearance.
In addition to the comforting smell and sound, this candle is designed to encourage a fully melted wax pool, a fast fragrance release and has one of the best burn times we've seen. All without breaking the bank, which makes this WoodWick candle an easy and rewarding choice.
RRP: £17 | Weight: 520g | Burn time: 40 hours | Wax: Natural wax | Notes: Cardamom, cinnamon leaf and sandalwood
Marks and Spencer is an underestimated force when it comes to their home fragrances, and this three-wick candle is not one to be overlooked. A part of their Apothecary range, it's designed to bring a sense of calm and comfort to your space, and we can confirm it most certainly does.
It's advertised as a woody scent, but it's a lot softer than some of the other woody candles we tested. In fact, it's the cardamom and cinnamon leaf that hold up the most, which keeps the fragrance from becoming too overwhelming. The candle itself is stunning and provides a warm glow once lit, which is ideal for those cosy evenings curled up on the sofa.
Unfortunately, the 3-wick version of the Warmth candle is currently out of stock online, with stock still available in stores; however, the Warmth candle with refill is ready to buy.
How we tested the best autumn candles
- Strength of the scent: While nobody wants a scent that makes them feel queasy or is too overwhelming, we thought about how much the candle we were burning actually reflected the notes and general fragrance that was on the box. We also noted how much the scent lingered after burning the candle.
- Burn time: One of the most important factors in purchasing a candle is how long it will actually last you. With the burn times of these candles being up to 50 hours, there weren't enough hours in the day to put each of these claims to the test, but we did light the candles for several hours at a time to get a feel of how the scent matured and how much of the wax had burned.
- RRP: Scented candles shouldn't be too much of an investment, but certain brands will certainly cost you a little extra. We tested a range of candles at different price points, so whether you're looking for a luxurious gift or just want something cheap and cheerful, there are different options on our list.
FAQs
What is the perfect autumn scent?
While scents are certainly subjective, there are particular notes you can usually expect to see in an autumn candle. These often represent darker nights, woodfires, warming fragrances and scents that have a relaxing feel.
Nicola Elliot, founder of fragrance brand Neom Organics, agrees, telling us that "autumn is fragrances like vanilla, patchouli, cedarwood and sandalwood." While autumn candles often contain a mix of these stronger notes alongside more fresh or fruity ones, Elliot says that "woody, golden, warming and comforting fragrances that make you feel cosy inside out" are what autumn scents are all about.
Amanda Morgan, UK Managing Director at Diptyque, echoes this sentiment, telling us that "for autumn and the cooler months, scents with woody, resinous notes are a perfect way to create a cosy atmosphere."
How to choose an autumn candle for your home
If you're struggling with what the best scent for your home is there are a few things you should keep in mind when shopping for autumnal candles.
Laura Honey, Woman&Home's eCommerce Editor and qualified Master Perfumer says, "Scent is deeply personal, so the most evocative scents will be the ones that you remember best."
She adds, "Personally, I love the greener, woodier autumn candles that take you outside for earthy, organic notes, with a touch of sweetness. This can be cultivated in several ways, but there’s one thing that sets the best autumn candles apart from summer candles: they’re heavier and richer than the light, breezy florals of summer - and I love them all."
This season's candles will most likely offer scents with sage, fig, ginger and bergamot but Laura points out that many perfumers will mix these with a variety of scents so it's all about knowing your nose and its preferences.
Laura has recently joined the woman&home team fresh from being the eCommerce editor at one of Future's other magazines, Homes & Gardens where she specialised in covering all their coffee and product content, looking for pieces that are tailored for timelessness.
Laura was trained as a master perfumer by John Stephen who makes perfumes for the royal family. Whilst learning the craft, she worked for the luxury perfume brand Penhaligon's for five years.
Once your home smells beautiful and autumnal, why not decorate your home with the latest autumn decor ideas to enhance the cosy ambience?
