I always get compliments on my Christmas candles - as a master perfumer these are the only ones I'd recommend

I tested all the best Christmas candles from The White Company through to Diptyque and Dunelm. These are the best for making your home smell festive this season

All the Christmas candles I tested on the fireplace witha fire underneath
(Image credit: Future)

Forget the advent calendars, mince pies, and Christmas jumpers, the festive season hasn’t fully started until I get a whiff of my Christmas candles. These seasonal treats will uplift your home, your mood, and your festive spirits, especially if you’ve been playing Michael Buble since the 31st of October (me too).

When it comes to candles, I have to admit, I’m a bit of a snob. I worked for a luxury perfume brand for six years and trained as a master perfumer on the side. Whilst I am picky about the candles that come into my home, I'm also on a budget, so I like to look for affordable candles that make my friends say 'wow'. Having burned my way through every single Christmas candle that's on the high street (and your Instagram feed) I've pulled together this list of the best Christmas candles.

Some of you will want to go for a classic combination of festive notes. You’ll look for candles that are packed with cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and spices. I don’t blame you. These are rich, cosy, and naturally sweet. For most people, they're what Christmas smells like.

At the other end of the spectrum are those who want something sharp and fresh, like pine and spruces. I love green, fresh scents, but some are a little too reminiscent of toilet cleaners, so I've opted for ones that are softened with some musk, resin, or other woody essential oils. In between the warm spices and sharp green fragrances are another two categories of Christmas candles: smoky, woody scents, and fruity, fresh 'gourmand' combinations too (these very on-trend right now).

I've put something for everyone in this guide. Each candle has my master perfumer guarantee, as well as approval from my bank card. Only now that we’ve sorted the candles can we start with ideas for decorating the Christmas tree and Christmas crackers.

The best Christmas candles for a festive, cosy home

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All the christmas candles that I tested, lined up on the fireplace

(Image credit: Future)

I've grouped the candles under five different sections:

  • Classic Christmas candles: these are warm, spicy, and a little sweet. If you love cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, warm orange, and the likes, you'll love these candles
  • Fresh and fruity Christmas candles: this collection draws on warm orange, sharp neroli, and red berries. They're still effortlessly festive, but fresher and lighter
  • Green and fresh Christmas candles: in here, we've got pine scents, evergreens, and Christmas tree candles. They're like having a whole forest of real trees in your home, just without all the nasty needles.
  • Woody and smoky Christmas candles: as well as fireside, logs, ambers, and all things rich and woody. If you want a candle that'll leave a lasting scent, look no further than here
  • Gourmand Christmas candles: a fragrance that smells good enough to eat is en vogue and it has been for years. The candles that I picked for these are packed with caramels, vanilla, and candied notes, but they're never too sickly to smell.

Classic Christmas candles

When most of us think of a classic Christmas candle, we dream up the gingerbread, mulled wine, and mince pie-type spices. The six candles below have bottled that up, diffusing warming cinnamon and cosy clove with a pinch of nutmeg, and ginger. Some will add woody undertones (sandalwood is always a failsafe), whilst others will go for something a little more aromatic and rich, such as frankincense. Alternatively, it's popular to lean in on the natural sweetness of the spices and add a juicy orange note in there. Whatever the blend, I always think these candles are delicious.

Fresh and fruity Christmas candles

Fruits are another great go-to around this time of year and you can take fruitiness in different directions. Some will lean into red berries and resins, think cranberries, holly berries, and snowy scenes. Other brands take the orange theme and run with it, creating negroni and orange bitters-inspired candles that smell almost too good to burn.

Whilst I do love a classic Christmas candle, I often find myself reaching for these in the daytime, because they're lighter and less heavy.

Green and fresh Christmas candles

Green and woody fragrances can either contrast or complement each other. The ones that I'd call 'green' in this section are pine-inspired, so they're sharp and very fresh. They're the ultimate replacement (or enhancer) for your fresh, real Christmas tree. I like burning these in the daytime as much as the evening, because they help to cut through stuffy air inside, when all the windows are closed and we're all full of food.

Woody and smoky Christmas candles

If you like the strong, delicious, enduring scents in your home, these are the ones to opt for. Lots of people consider woody fragrances to be more 'masculine', but that's rapidly changing; I've seen a lot of development in the perfume industry of female-focused woody fragrances. 

Around this time of year, candle companies like to blend the woody notes with vanillas, ambers, and musks. They make for a delicious, rich scent that makes your home feel extra-cosy.

Gourmand Christmas candles

Gourmand fragrances have been on the rise for the past five years and there doesn't seem to be any slowing in the demand, which is why brands keep bringing these deliciously edible fragrances to the table. Around Christmas, the notes will be all sugar and caramel, with a touch of spice. However, I often find that brands over-do it and you end up with a candle that smells like pure sugar. These three are sweet, but refined. They're sugar, but done elegantly.

FAQs

What is the most Christmassey scent?

There's no escaping the appeal of spices around Christmas time. If I had to select just a few notes that are guarenteed to evoke Christmas, I'd go for cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. That's not to say that sharp pine, bitter orange, or smoky firewood isn't Christmassey, because they all make for perfect home fragrances, but the spices really come into their own around this time of year.

Which Christmas candle smells the strongest?

Woody and leather notes are the strongest, so they'll be the most noticeable and most enduring in the same quantity as orange, for example. Spices will also be relatively strong, whilst fruits and florals are the least potent of all. If you're someone who loves an orange scent around Christmas and you want to know how to make yours last longer, think about opting for an orange candle that has some woody undertones, because this will help to 'hold' your fragrance for longer.

What type of wax should by candle be made from?

Natural waxes are much better for burning, endurance, and, most importantly the air quality in your home. I always look for soy, coconut, rapeseed, or beeswax in candles. As long as it's natural, you should be okay. The one to avoid is paraffin, because this is cheap, it doesn't burn well, and it's likely to leave black on your walls.

What kind of wick should my candle have?

Always go for a natural wick, such as cotton. Some used to have lead in, but most are advertised as lead-free now. It's always good to check though.

What is a good burn time for a candle?

It depends on the size of your candle. I wouldn't really buy a 200g candle if the burn time was under 20 hours. Bigger candles should have up to 100 hours of burn time, so make sure to check that you're getting good value for money.

Which candles won't leave black on the walls?

Any that don't use a paraffin wax or a lead-containing wick. This is why I always opt for natural waxes and cotton wicks. If there's black on your walls, it's probably also in the air, being breathed in my you and your family.


So, there you have it. I've tested over 60 of the best candles on the market and these are the only (and the best) Christmas candles out there. I won't be burning anything else in my home except the ones that you see in this list. The great thing about them is that they're also an easy gift to give to anyone that you're seeing around Christmas too.

Laura Honey
Homes Ecommerce Editor

Laura is woman&home's eCommerce editor, in charge of testing, reviewing and creating buying guides for the Homes section, so you'll usually see her testing everything from the best dehumidifiers to sizing up the latest Le Cruset pot. Previously, she was eCommerce editor at Homes & Gardens magazine, where she specialised in covering coffee and product content, looking for pieces tailored for timelessness. The secret to her heart is both simplicity and quality. She is also a qualified Master Perfumer and holds an English degree from Oxford University. Her first editorial job was as Fashion writer for The White Company.