Best scented candles of 2021: Our favorite candles to burn all year

Never underestimate the power of a good candle to transform your space into a cozy oasis, transport you to a place you wish you were or remind you of sweet, happy memories. Luckily, there are plenty of candle options in the market to find the one that’s exactly what you’re looking for.

We scoured the web (and critiqued our personal collections) to source our favorite scented candles to burn at any time of year.

Soy scented candles

Homesick Just Married Candle ($34; homesick.com)

It’s time to pop the champagne — someone just got married. A great gift for newlyweds or to your own partner, Homesick’s Just Married Candle boasts notes of sea salt, champagne, ocean air, and creamy musk for a fresh, bubbly scent — made from a natural soy wax blend.

This is the ultimate candle to burn after a long day or a spa-like experience right at home. Made with 100% natural oils, soy wax and a cotton wick, this Sundays candle smells of green figs, sandalwood and ginger for an unmatched tranquil fragrance.

Apotheke Charcoal Candle ($42; apothekeco.com)

While charcoal may seem like an odd candle scent, just reflect on the comfort you feel outside next to a smokey fire. Housed in a chic matte black vase, this soy wax blend candle sports a 60 to 70 hour burn time to fill your space with notes of cedarwood, amber and oud.

Brooklyn Candle Studio Sunday Morning Minimalist Candle ($28; brooklyncandlestudio.com)

This candle is truly easy like Sunday morning. Reminiscent of strolls through the farmer’s market before noon, this popular Brooklyn Candle Studio number smells of pear, bergamot, jasmine, gardenia and amber woods for a hearty yet refreshing scent.

Chesapeake Bay Candle Cranberry Dahlia ($14.99; target.com)

It’s common knowledge that Target’s candle assortment is elite, so it was hard for us to choose just one. We can’t stop thinking about this Cranberry Dahlia one by Chesapeake Bay Candle that’s housed in an eye-catching frosted glass jar with a wooden lid.

Beeswax scented candles

Boy Smells LES Scented Candle (starting at $32; nordstrom.com)

This iconic candle is inspired by the eclectic, inclusive, and free-spirit of New York City’s Lower East Side. Made from a blend of coconut wax and beeswax, this fun scent features notes of blackcurrant, peach blossom, Asian pear, jasmine rice, coconut, cardamom and white cedar.

Root Candles Vineyard Chateau Candle ($21.99; amazon.com)

Crafted from Root Candle’s natural beeswax blend, this top-rated candle delivers a modern style and long-lasting burn to any space — especially the Vineyard Chateau scent that features notes of grapes, sweet herbs, sandalwood and musk.

Hyoola Beeswax Taper Candles ($29.49; amazon.com)

Perhaps you like to place tapered candles around your home. Grab this set of 12 beeswax candles that offer a 7-hour burn time — perfect for candlelit dinners or setting the mood.

Luxury scented candles

Tom Ford Fabulous Candle ($135; nordstrom.com)

Sometimes you just need a reminder of how amazing you really are — let that reminder be Tom Ford’s Fabulous Candle. It features notes of clary sage, bitter almond and blonde woods for a lusciously, splurge-worthy fragrance.

Le Labo Santal 26 Candle ($78; nordstrom.com)

What’s there not to love about Le Labo’s Santal 26 candle? Boasting notes of cocoa, vanilla, spices and sandalwood, this seriously cozy candle has a fragrance that permeates through the whole house — without being too perfumy.

Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Candle (starting at $59.50, originally $70; nordstrom.com)

If you’re looking for a moody, fruity scent, turn to Jo Malone London’s Pomegranate Noir candle. With notes of pomegranate, Casablanca lily and guaiac wood, you get a scent that’s sweet, yet smoky, housed in a jar that meshes well with any decor.

Voluspa Three-Wick Tin Candle ($24; nordstrom.com)

Voluspa’s luxurious candle jars are certainly some of our favorites in the market right now, serving as decoration even when you’re not burning the candle. Made of a coconut wax blend, this three-wick candle is available in 13 scents — but we’re loving the Goji Tarocco Orange scent.

Maison Margiela Replica By The Fireplace Candle ($62; nordstrom.com)

Here’s another cozy candle perfect for fall and winter — formulated to remind you of evenings by the fireplace. With notes of pink pepper, orange flower petals, chestnut and vanilla accord, this sweet-smelling candle is sure to become your new favorite.

Byredo Bohemia Fragranced Candle ($43; bloomingdales.com)

No luxury candle collection is complete without an option from Byredo. When you’re craving adventure, light the brand’s Bohemia candle that evokes the feeling of wandering through notes of rum, geranium and vanilla.

Food scented candles

Diptyque Baies Candle (starting at $38; nordstrom.com)

When we need new candles, Diptyque is one of the first brands we look to. As the name suggests, the Baies candle (it translates to berries) is a warm, fruity scent combining blackcurrant berries with accents of rose.

If you don’t want your entire home smelling like the food you just cooked, try out Brightland’s Digestif Candle. While we’ve long been fans of the brand’s olive oils, we’ve recently discovered this candle created to burn during or after cooking — featuring notes of neroli, orange blossom, black pepper and the brand’s oils. One of our editors was impressed with its ability to mask cooking odors.

Nest New York Pumpkin Chai Candle (starting at $16; amazon.com)

Fall or not, there’s never a bad time to burn a pumpkin-flavored candle. Don’t be surprised when this top-rated candle by Nest New York makes you crave a trip to your local coffee shop, though.

Malin+Goetz Dark Rum Candle ($55; malinandgoetz.com)

We’ve heard nothing but great things about this Malin+Goetz candle that’s inspired by bay rum. Along with it comes smells of plum, bergamot, leather and creamy mix for a warm, dark and spicy scent.

Wild Rose Shop & Studio You Make Me Smile Candle ($36; urbanoutfitters.com)

Wild Rose Shop & Studio’s You Make Me Smile Candle smells of orange, sriracha and coconut. An unlikely but divine combination of scents will fill any room with that just-cooked feel. Better yet: the candle is vegan, cruelty-free and made of soy wax.

Other scented candles

Whether you’re looking for a holiday gift idea or a candle for yourself, we’d always recommend The Birthdate Candle. With a soy and coconut wax blend, this candle is customized to your personality based on your birthday. Even cooler, the fragrance of each candle is custom developed by a master perfumer to match your spirit.

Snif Instant Karma Candle ($49; snif.co)

Our favorite try-before-you-buy fragrance brand Snif has candles now, and we couldn’t be more impressed. You can either sample the candles before you commit to the full-size and take a leap with one of the brand’s new scents — each made with a blend of soy and vegetable wax. The creamy, dreamy Instant Karma candle is our current fave.

Otherland Woodlands Candle ($36; otherland.com)

We can’t get enough of Otherland’s candles. Everytime we think we’ve found our favorite, the brand releases a new collection. One of our favorites is this Woodland’s option that smells of palo santo, redwood bark and smoked vanilla.

Skylar Vanilla Sky Candle ($45; nordstrom.com)

A hand-poured candle crafted with soy coconut wax? Sign us up immediately. Skylar’s clean-burning Vanilla Sky candle features notes of cappuccino, pure vanilla and caramelized cedar for a warm, comforting vibe.

Chloe Glass Cypress Cotton Candle ($18; urbanoutfitters.com)

On each Urban Outfitters trip, we’re tempted to buy another Chloe Glass candle because the glass geo-etched vessel catches our eye every time. We’re thinking of burning the Cypress Cotton scent next, which smells of bergamot, cypress, wood, moss and musk.

Anthropologie Aurelie Balsam & Cedarwood Glass Jar Candle ($32; anthropologie.com)

This candle’s so good it sports a 5-star rating at Anthropologie, where reviewers say this is the ultimate fall scent. Take your pick of three pleasant hand-poured scents, each housed in a decorative glass jar. We’d grab the Balsam & Cedarwood option that smells of orange, berries, fir needles and cinnamon.