Best Candles to Buy on Amazon

7 Scented Candles You Can Burn All Year Long

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Let’s face it — between cooking, bathroom usage, pets, laundry, sex, and frankly just existing, the aroma around our homes can get a little funky. While you could stick to raw fruits and vegetables (sure, okay), clean every single day (yeah, right) and aim for complete celibacy (we won’t hold you to that one), but the fact of the matter is, you’re going to have to live your life, and therefore it will inevitably reach peak pungency from time-to-time. It’s only human.

RELATED: How to Make Your Home Smell Amazing

So if these occasional unpleasant odors are unavoidable, how we can camouflage or even remove them? Well, one of the most surefire and time-tested ways to knock ’em dead is with the trusty scented candle. This classic funk-fighting solution has been around since the ancient Egyptians (or ancient Romans, depending on who you ask) because it works. However, unlike our ancestors, we don’t have to rely on gathering our own beeswax, animal fat, or sperm whale oil to make them.

Instead, modern day candles are made with refined materials and essential oil-infused alternatives. From clean-burning citronella to scents that remind us of our favorite vacation, we can get just about any scent we can imagine delivered straight through our smelly doors.

What to Look for When Buying a Candle

When shopping for the best candle for your home, there are a few things you’ll want to consider to ensure a quality product that you’ll actually enjoy, including:

Burn Time: The rate at which a candle burns depends on the candle’s size and the length and number of its wicks. Even though their overall burn time will be longer due to their size, larger candles actually tend to consume wax at a faster rate, so that’s something to keep in mind.
Ingredients: It’s best to opt for ethically sourced, eco- and animal-friendly candles made without synthetic fragrances, artificial coloring and lead wicks. Instead, opt for non-toxic ingredients like essential oils, cotton wicks and soy wax — a renewable resource that tends to burn cleaner than traditional alternatives.
Scent: Last, but probably most important of all, you want to purchase a candle that actually smells good! This is, of course, completely subjective and dependent on your own likes and dislikes, but keep in mind that certain scents can have varying effects. Lavender, for example, is a very calming scent that may be best suited for the bedroom, while citrus scents can have an energizing effect ideal for living spaces and home offices. There are also traditionally “masculine” scents — like tobacco, leather and sandalwood — that can create a warm, comforting ambience in any room.

With that criteria in mind, here are some of our favorite picks of the best candles you can buy for your home right now.