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Candles add mood lighting and a fresh aroma to your home, but you can also use them to create a centerpiece or dress up your decor. Plus, they make for excellent gifts. With elegant labels or handblown jars, many of our favorite brands make candles so beautiful you may be tempted not to light them at all. Cookie Tins With Lids
Fragrance preference is personal, whether you love fruity notes, like to keep it fresh and simple, or want a signature winter scent wafting through your home. When gifting, try to suss out what your giftee likes by sneaking a peak at their perfume or noting what scents they compliment in your home.
Knowing that there's an overwhelming number of candle options to explore, we rounded up the best candle brands based on our team's collective love for good candles and our own experiences.
Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches home products.
With their elaborate packaging and delicious scents, Otherland's candles live up to their name and will transport you to another world.
Great for gifting or as a treat to yourself, Otherland candles have become a top choice among millennials thanks to their beautiful packaging and labels, coupled with unique scents.
If you can't quite make up your mind, you can build a three-pack and save 18%. Or you can build out a gift set with a black or white box, a single candle or three-pack, and a matchbox with options for saying thanks, wishing someone a happy birthday, and more.
Good for: Unique scents, gifting
Thanks to tasteful scents and statement vessels, Voluspa candles offer a luxury experience with a mid-range price tag.
Known for their textured jars and patterned tins, Voluspa candles are great for gifting. The brand has a variety of scents, from seasonal crushed candy cane to timeless santal vanilla, and each candle is hand-poured in California. We've tested this brand and loved how the scents diffused throughout the room without becoming overpowering.
Voluspa candles come in many shapes and sizes, but we particularly love the jar candles. The thick glass and embossed exterior make each one feel like a statement piece. Plus, the jars are sturdy and attractive enough to be repurposed once your candle burns down.
Good for: Gifting, repurposing jars and tins, mid-range prices
For high-end candles with intoxicating scents worth gifting or putting on display, you can't go wrong with Diptyque.
French fragrance company Diptyque is practically synonymous with high-end candles. Though pricey, its options exude effortless elegance in both looks and scents. Classic favorites like the Baies scent make for excellent gifts (they've long been my go-to housewarming gift), and the colorful glass and ceramic candle jars will certainly win you compliments.
If you're vigilant enough to check for its annual limited-edition city candle collection, which usually sells out fast, you can score decor-worthy candles featuring aromas that will transport you to Tokyo or Berlin from the comfort of your living room. You'll also find limited edition pop-up collections throughout the year.
You can also find Diptyque candles at popular retailers like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales.
Good for: High-end candles worth gifting and using as decor
A buzzy brand that's quickly amassed a loyal following, Boy Smells candles are known for great branding, inclusivity, and delicious aromas.
With a marketing mission to make their candles "genderful" — as opposed to specifically targeting men or women or being gender-neutral — Matthew Herman and David Kien launched Boy Smells in 2016. Though it's a relative newcomer on the candle block, the brand has a devoted following thanks to its unique black candles with pink labels. Plus, they smell great.
The company partnered with Kacey Musgraves on a Slow Burn collection, and its signature candles include scents you won't find anywhere else. The popular Kush predictably smells of pot, mixed with suede, white musk, tulip, and amber. If you can't choose just one, pick up a bundle instead.
Good for: Votive candles, the in-the-know millennial in your life
Like the name implies, Homesick features nostalgic candles that will bring you back to a specific place.
Whether it's for yourself or a gift for a loved one, Homesick candles are great for bringing you the scent of a specific favorite locale. The brand features fragrances based on every US state, plus many popular cities and countries. It even has aromas to remind you of specific moments and favorite memories, such as Ski Trip, Pumpkin Picking, and Grandma's Kitchen.
Each candle is 13.75 ounces and comes in a simple glass jar with a black-and-white label.
Read our full review of Homesick candles.
The brand you know and love for hand soap and cleaning products also makes fresh-scented candles.
Mrs. Meyer's is most well known for soaps and cleaning supplies. But the brand also makes simple candles that will leave your house smelling fresh and clean. While the candles may not come in fancy containers, they're under $10 and smell great. If you do want something that looks a little nicer, you can also opt for the small tins that have cute illustrations on them.
The candles also use soy wax and vegetable wax, and the glass jars can be repurposed once you're done burning. Choose from crisp scents like Honeysuckle, Lemon Verbena, Basil Soy, and more.
Mint Tin Box Good for: Basic and classic candles, clean scents, affordable candles