When a room is being put together, sight tends to dominate the conversation. But the sense that registers first on stepping through a doorway is smell, and that is where scented candles enter the design brief. A Room Decor Editor at Ideal Home, who has spent years sniffing and burning candles at home, has set out a list of 12 brands that have stood out to her over time, published in October 2021.
The editor is explicit that scent is subjective, so the guide is not a ranking of individual candles but a survey of brands whose ranges she considers high quality. She assesses fragrances for freshness or cosiness, longevity and reach through a room, the materials used, and the design of the vessel. Her judgments draw on earlier retail work in the home fragrance departments of Harrods and Fortnum & Mason, alongside department store sniff tests and research into brand ethos, wax type and customer feedback.
Heritage and designer names
Cire Trudon opens the list as the oldest candlemaker still active, a French house that once supplied the French Royal Court and Versailles, including Louis XIV and Napoleon. Its deep, intense fragrances suit those who prefer richer scents over light, fresh ones, and its dark green or blue glass jars carry the signature Trudon emblem. The editor singles out the Icons range, including the bestselling Ernesto with its leather and tobacco profile, and Abd El Kader, inspired by Moroccan mint tea with clove, ginger, vanilla and jasmine.
Diptyque is described as a fixture in stylish homes, with recognisable scents and a jar redesign coinciding with five new candles tested by the team; from September of that year, most core-range candles became refillable. Among the icons, Figuier is the editor's favourite, with Baies and Ambre also praised, while the then newly released Shiso offered a fresh, green scent with sweetness.
Jo Malone London is characterised by uncomplicated, ingredient-focused scents such as Lime Basil & Mandarin and English Pear & Freesia, presented in clear glass with white wax and a silver-toned lid. Its candles use paraffin wax, which the guide notes is valued by many high-end brands for a stronger fragrance and lower cost as a petroleum byproduct. Pomegranate Noir is enjoyed, but the Townhouse range in white ceramic vessels appeals more, particularly the Green Tomato Vine for summer.
Loewe candles are noted for bold, colour-coded jars that have become something of a status symbol, a vegetable wax formula and unusual fragrances including Marihuana, Oregano and Tomato Leaves, sold at John Lewis from £92. The editor also mentions the earthy Beetroot, clean Cucumber and softly floral Honeysuckle.
London independents and sustainable options
Earl of East, a London brand with a sustainable ethos, makes its candles with soy wax rather than traditional paraffin, a choice the guide links to lower soot and non-toxic burn properties. Purchases through its website contribute to forest tree planting, and packaging from cardboard to amber-glass jars is chosen for eco-friendly qualities. Its soothing Shinrin-Yoku blends cedarwood with black pepper, while the Cafe range arrives in reusable ceramic mugs and the Primavera collection includes an unusual Pasta candle.
Homework, also London-based, draws on traditional Chinese medicine, with candles named after the five elements in green-tinted glass jars with matching lids, made from rapeseed and coconut wax. The editor burns the Wood candle at home, a blend of cedar, pine, cypress, vetiver, moss and clary sage that took time to fill the room on first burn but now performs quickly.
Osmology, formerly Aery, rebranded around what it calls the science of scent, manufacturing locally in Bristol with vegan, cruelty-free plant-based wax and fragrance oils. The Hinoki candle pairs cloves and geranium with cedarwood, patchouli and Japanese cypress, and the Fig Leaf and Tomato Leaf candles are also favourites.
Pott builds its range around sustainability, with hand-poured candles in hand-thrown ceramic pots made by local artisans. The pots can be reused as coffee cups or kept going with refills, and the seasonal fragrance line uses natural wax, essential oils and sustainable fragrance oils. Two scents stood out in Selfridges: Tonka, and Orangery, which tempers orange blossom with rosemary, basil and cedar.
Accessible and wellbeing-focused picks
Malin + Goetz is recommended as a more affordable alternative to Loewe, with candles at £59 each at John Lewis, vegan and cruelty-free formulas using a natural wax blend, and clear glass jars printed with the story behind each scent. The Tomato candle and the Cannabis candle are noted, along with the cosy Leather blend of leather, amber and woody notes for autumn and winter.
Marks & Spencer is the budget recommendation, particularly the Apothecary collection, which was updated to make fragrances up to twice as strong. The Warmth candle is positioned as a budget alternative to Le Labo's Santal 33, and the refillable format is highlighted as among the most affordable.
Neom Wellbeing uses naturally derived wax and essential oils in all-natural candles aimed at reducing stress and supporting sleep, energy and mood. The bestselling Real Luxury centres on jasmine with lavender and sandalwood, while Perfect Night's Sleep leans on lavender.
The White Company offers what the guide calls attainable luxury from £25, with seasonal ranges and newer Spa candles focused on wellbeing. Seychelles remains the long-running bestseller with bergamot, orange, coconut, amber and vanilla, while the newer Portofino blends orange leaf, jasmine, leather and oakwood.
For anyone weighing a candle against a reed diffuser, the guide notes that candles create atmosphere and look good on display but require lighting and extinguishing, release scent more slowly, and offer no control over intensity, unlike diffusers and room sprays. Candle care matters too: trim wicks to about a quarter of an inch with a wick trimmer, use a snubber to avoid wax splatter, burn until the melt pool reaches the edge of the jar to prevent tunnelling, and use tweezers or a candle dipper to straighten a leaning wick. Those seeking a fragrance candle may find the range of wax types and vessel designs in this selection a useful starting point, while the shift toward refillable formats at Diptyque and M&S shows how soy scented candles and other wax blends are being folded into longer-term home fragrance routines.