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A scented candle can bring effortless ambiance to everyday spaces, and the soft crackling of a wooden candle wick only enhances the experience. Whether you gravitate toward earthy, herbal notes, or prefer floral or tropical aromas, the best wood-wick candles can be found in a range of fragrances and wax types, and come packaged in vessels that bring style to your home.
Candles with wood wicks are made with a variety of waxes, and the one you choose will impact how cleanly it burns, as well as how effective it is at filling your space with fragrance. While paraffin and synthetic waxes are budget-friendly options that hold and throw fragrance well, they can sometimes result in a smokier or sooty burn. Candles made from naturally derived materials such as soy, beeswax, or coconut tend to burn cleaner, though they may emit a more subtle fragrance. (Note that beeswax may give off a slight honey scent, but it also has the unique benefit of purifying the air.) Whichever wax type you choose, your candle’s size and how well you care for it will affect the overall burn time and burn quality.
Unlike traditional candles with cotton wicks, wood-wick candles don’t need to be trimmed, however, they require special care to optimize their burn time and burn quality. To ensure your wood-wick candle has a clean, long-lasting burn, it’s a good idea to keep it lit for at least two hours at a time to allow the top layer of wax to liquify, which will encourage your candle to melt flat, rather than into a tunnel.
Vessels vary widely, from metallic jars to lidded glass canisters, so you can get the look and fragrance that best reflects your aesthetic. Below are the best wood-wick candles that will upgrade your environment with scent, sound, and style from the moment you light them.
1
This Organic Candle In A Vintage-Style Apothecary Jar
- Wax type: coconut
- Burn time: up to 48 hours
This candle in an apothecary jar comes in a wide variety of scent profiles — everything from zesty pomelo citrus to rich frankincense to light and sweet lily of the valley. The 8-ounce candle is made from organic coconut wax that provides a clean, even burn for up to 48 hours. The glass jar comes with a twist-on lid to keep the surface of the candle clean between burns. Choose from two sizes: standard or large.
2
A 3-Layer Candle That Comes In Seaside-Inspired Fragrances
- Wax type: paraffin and soy wax blend
- Burn time: up to 50 hours
Bring to mind a beach vacation with this crackling candle that features three scent layers — mimosa, salt air, and coconut — so you’ll be treated to an evolving fragrance story as it melts. A blend of soy and paraffin wax is used, resulting in a candle that throws scent well while still burning relatively cleanly. If you prefer a single fragrance, as opposed to a layered candle, you can opt for other seaside scents like, ‘Island Coconut’ or ‘Coastal Sunset.’
While the weight of the three-layer candle isn’t listed, it has a burn time of up to 50 hours, and comes in an ellipse-shaped glass jar with a wooden lid.
3
These Garden-Scented Candles In Metallic Rose Gold Jars
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: 35 hours
The metallic rose gold vessel of this 6-ounce Benevolence candle has a reflective quality that would make a chic statement in any space. The candle’s soy wax is infused with essential oils in your choice of several garden-inspired scents, including lemongrass and basil, lilac rose, and eucalyptus and orange. The soy wax burns cleanly and slowly (with a burn time of up to 35 hours), and is coupled with a natural rosewood wick, but it doesn’t come with a lid. A portion of each candle sale is donated to Zoe International, an organization that supports victims of human trafficking.
4
A Candle In A Gorgeous Glass Jar That’s Perfect For Repurposing
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: up to 55 hours
The premium glass jar that houses this soy wax scented candle is adorned with a textured daisy pattern, and is a beautiful pick if you’re planning to repurpose it for cotton swabs or other small items. This 8.1-ounce candle burns for up to 55 hours and comes in a variety of fragrances, ranging from tulip to pumpkin chai to pomegranate and pine. It comes with a matching glass lid to keep the wax fresh and free of dust, and you can also opt for a larger candle by the brand with a burn time of up to 90 hours.
5
The 3-Candle Set That Evokes Sentimental Locales
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: up to 40 hours each
This set of three soy wax candles comes in a variety of thematic collections that evoke a sense of place. For example, the ‘Mountain Retreat’ set includes alpine spruce, spring meadow, and misty falls scents, while the ‘Cozy Lounge’ series has candles fragranced like a Cuban cigar, a crackling hearth, and Spanish leather. (There are also ‘Southern Porch’ and ‘Bachelor Pad’ sets.) Each compact 4-ounce candle comes with a lid that makes it packable for travel.
6
This Beeswax Candle Scented With Relaxing Geranium & Lavender
- Wax type: beeswax and soy blend
- Burn time: up to 65 hours
Naturally soothing lavender essential oil is combined with geranium in this 6.5-ounce beeswax candle, which is tinted using a vegetable-based dye. One Amazon reviewer shared that the soft and gentle fragrance smells “like a high-end spa,” but note that beeswax may give off a slight, honey-like smell — that said, the addition of soy wax will temper that a bit. (Keep in mind that beeswax also has the benefit of purifying the air — a feature unique to this type of wax.) It burns for up to 65 hours and is packaged in a simple glass jar, but there’s no protective lid included.
7
A Soy Candle Embedded With Stones & A Quartz Crystal
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: unlisted
The zebra calcite stones and single quartz crystal suspended in this soy wax candle are meant to bring emotional balance, focus, and grounding, while the crackling wood wick naturally enhances your environment. Despite the presence of the stones, one Amazon reviewer noted that the candle burns evenly and that “there was no tunneling.” The wooden lid of the candle can be inverted to function as a stand, and after the 8-ounce candle fully melts (the brand doesn’t mention a burn time), the stones can be washed off and kept. This pick is available in two scents: nectarine and honey or English pear and freesia.
8
The Candles Inspired By National Parks
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: up to 60 hours
These crackling wood-wick candles are inspired by the National Parks, and include fragrances like Grand Canyon (cactus flower and fern), Yellowstone (sage brush and fir), and Acadia (seagrass and driftwood). The 11-ounce candle is made from a soy wax blend, with a burn time of up to 60 hours. It comes in an upcycled stone container, which has a “beautiful Southwestern feel to it,” according to one Amazon reviewer, and it can be repurposed to hold small items or used as a succulent planter. (Note that the candle does not come accompanied by a lid.) Best of all, sales of the candle support the National Parks Foundation.
9
This Wine-Scented Candle In A Recycled Wine Bottle
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: 60 hours
A cut and polished wine bottle serves as the vessel for this soy wax candle that comes in a range of wine-inspired fragrances, like champagne (citrus and floral notes), merlot (berry and spice notes), and rosé (red fruit and flower notes). The 12-ounce soy wax candle is hand-poured, and has a clean, long lasting burn, but does not come with a protective lid.
10
The White Sage Candle That’s Meant To Cleanse Energy
- Wax type: soy
- Burn time: 45 hours
An easy alternative to cleansing a space’s energy by smudging with a bundle of sage, this white sage candle is formulated with soy wax, and has a burn time of up to 45 hours. If you’re less concerned about energy cleansing — but appreciate the reasonable price point — this 8-ounce candle also comes in seven other fragrances like fresh linen, watermelon, and patchouli and amber. It’s set in a simple glass jar and comes with a gold-tone lid to keep it fresh and free of dust.
