Best Christmas candles: 8 fragrances to make your home smell festive

Discover the very best Christmas candles available this season. From spicy and fruity to fresh and snowy, these are the most gorgeous festive votives out there

Dunelm Christmas Candles
(Image credit: Dunelm)

Christmas candles are our favorite thing to buy as gifts and for ourselves. Nothing quite gets one in a festive mood like a brand-new candle that smells of sugar and spice and all things nice – or of resinous pine, if you prefer clean and woody scents. The other thing we like about Christmas candles is the gorgeous packaging and limited edition sets from our favorite brands – there are a couple stunning limited edition candles in this guide that we definitely want to buy before they sell out forever.

From traditional spicy accords to more modern takes on Christmas, these will delight you and everyone who comes to visit. Want more scentspiration? Visit our best candles buyer's guide. 

Then, find more Christmas gift ideas on our dedicated page. 

The White Company Winter fragrance collection

(Image credit: The White Company)

1. The White Company winter

The best Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: those who like a classic Christmas scent
Size: 140g
Notes: Cinnamon, clove

Reasons to buy

+
Classic Christmas fragrance

The ultimate Christmas candle, full of spice and all things nice.

The scent
The classic spicy scent of Christmas as you remember it. Cinnamon, clove, citrus.Yum

The packaging
Simple but effective – a clear glass jar.

What we like
It's hard to go wrong with this one. Guaranteed to get you into a festive mood.

best sweet Christmas candle: Yankee Candle Amaretto Apple

(Image credit: Yankee Candle)

2. Yankee Candle Amaretto Apple

Best sweet Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: Those with a sweet tooth
Size: 552 g
Notes: Apple and amaretto

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful and affordable
+
Delicious scent

Reasons to avoid

-
Could be too sweet for some

Yankee candles rule the roost where it comes to simple, effective room fragrance, and this festive offering is no exception.

The scent
Sweet and uncomplicated, and so addictive: sweet apple soused in equally sweet Amaretto. The perfect companion to eating Christmas pud in front of the telly.

The packaging
An elevated jar with a little golden stand. Very festive.

What we like
This fragrance really packs a festive punch – and you get such a big candle for just over £20.

What we don't like
This stuff is seriously sweet – buy in the knowledge that it will be quite intense on the sugar. 

Cire Trudon Gloria

(Image credit: Selfridges)

3. Cire Trudon Gloria

The best gift-worthy Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: A luxurious stocking filler
Size: 270g, 800g or 3kg
Notes: Cardamom, Chinese osmanthus, Cinnamon, clove, orange, myrrh, cistus, benzoin

Reasons to buy

+
Out-of-this world fragrance
+
Gorgeous packaging

Reasons to avoid

-
Very expensive

Can Cire Trudon make a bad scented candle? We seriously think not. This festive offering smells so good, we almost wish they bottled it up and sold it as perfume.

The scent
An evocative, woody fragrance with classic notes of clove, cinnamon, and citrus. Think sitting by a smoky fireplace at Christmas time. The cedarwood note is amazing here.

The packaging
Gorgeous, frosted glass with distressed gold leaf decoration and the signature gold Cire Trudon badge. 

What we like
This is the perfect Christmas present for just about anyone, but especially serious home fragrance enthusiasts. Quality stuff.

What we don't like
Obviously, the price is prohibitive (we won't even mention how much the three-kilo version is). But, hey, it's Christmas. 

Skandinavisk Skog candle

(Image credit: Coggles)

4. Skandinavisk Skog candle

The best pine scented Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: Those who love the smell of Christmas trees
Size: 65g, 190g
Notes: Pine, cedar, balsam fir, basil, sage

Reasons to buy

+
A beautiful representation of fir tree scent
+
Very pretty packaging

Reasons to avoid

-
Burns quickly

We can't get enough of the Skog candle around Christmas time – it's the best representation of the scent of Christmas trees around. 

The scent
The trouble with some pine candles is they can smell a little like toilet freshener. Straight up pine isn't necessarily gonna give you that Christmas tree vibe. This candle, on the other hand, really does, by combining pine with the fresh and sweet aroma of lily-of-the-valley, giving it a resinous and lingering quality we adore.

The packaging
Minimalist and Scandi – it's Scandinavisk, after all. The wooden lid is a nice touch,

What we like
The fragrance – it smells ten times more expensive than the candle is.

What we don't like
It's gone in 60 seconds – so get the larger size.

Nest candle Holiday

(Image credit: Nordstrom)

5. Nest Fragrances Votive Candle Holiday

Best affordable Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: Not spending a lot on a candle
Size: 2oz, 8.1oz, 21.2oz
Notes: pomegranate, mandarin orange, pine, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, amber.

Reasons to buy

+
Affordable
+
Uplifting fragrance
+
Will fill even a large room
+
Lovely packaging

Reasons to avoid

-
May give you a headache

This candle really proves you don't have to spend megabucks on scented candles – your home will still smell as nice.

The scent
The classic Christmas concoction – with the genius addition of pomegranate for a more complex scent.

The packaging
Gilded and glowing – just what you need for Christmas.

What we like
This is a powerhouse of a Christmas fragrance that will fill even the largest of rooms, even in the smaller sizes. 

What we don't like
If you're sensitive to strong smells, this may not be for you; like we said – a powerhouse.

eom Organics Christmas Wish

(Image credit: John Lewis & Partners)

6. Neom Organics Christmas Wish

Best natural Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: Those who prefer a natural candle
Size: 185g, 420g
Notes: Mandarin, cinnamon and tonka bean

Reasons to buy

+
Natural essential oil fragrance
+
Nice packaging

Reasons to avoid

-
Empty List

This organic ’s beautiful votive, depicting a street scene on a starry night in on-trend copper, is certain to be the subject of admiring looks at your next holiday get-together, but it’s just as wonderful kept all to yourself. 

The scent
The warming spicy scent, with bright bursts of mandarin and sweet tonka, is reminiscent of Christmas cake, and thanks to NEOM’s expert aromatherapy-inspired blends, it’s sure to leave you feeling serene whether you’re entertaining or home alone. 

The packaging
Very pretty, blue glass with gold engraving. Looks stunning when lit.

What we like
Will not give you a headache despite being quite sweet. 

Apotheke I Love New York City Holiday Candle

(Image credit: Nordstrom)

7. Apotheke I Love New York City Holiday Candle

The best unusual Christmas candle

Specifications

Best for: Those who love a grown-up take on Christmas
Size:
Notes: Coffee, vanilla, musk, cinnamon, citron

Reasons to buy

+
Sophisticated fragrance 

Reasons to avoid

-
Packaging is a bit basic

If your idea of the perfect Christmas morning is sipping a coffee in a luscious New York City hotel, then this is The One. 

The scent
Unlike any other Christmas candle on our list, this one features coffee quite prominently, which gives the scent a grown-up, sophisticated quality. Don't worry: there's nothing bitter about it, as there's plenty of vanilla and the usual Christmassy notes, but the coffee makes it unique. 

The packaging
The candle is housed in a frosted white container with a slight rainbow sheen to it.

What we like
That it doesn't smell quite like anything else out there.

What we don't like
The packaging is nice and understated, but maybe could've been a but more opulent. 

Diptyque Scented Candle Trio

(Image credit: Diptyque)

8. Diptyque Scented Candle Trio

The best Christmas candle set

Specifications

Best for: Those who want more than one Christmas scent
Size: 3 x 470g
Notes: Various

Reasons to buy

+
Trio of scents
+
Beautiful packaging 

Reasons to avoid

-
Small sizes

Diptyque have come up with the perfect trio of winter scents  – perfect for creating different effects in different rooms.

The scent
Everything you could wish for in one scent – Moonlit Fir has notes of pine, eucalyptus, and mint; Floral Majesty blends rose with cinnamon (yum), and Amber Feather features amber blended with cinnamon and ginger.

The packaging
So colourful and unusual, including the box – the perfect stocking filler

What we like
The ability to choose between the different scents – so you don't have to just have one Christmas fragrance throughout the house.

What we don't like
It is a set of minis, and they really are quite small, so be prepared for that.

Anna is a professional writer with many years of experience. She has a passion for contemporary home decor and gardening. She covers a range of topics, from practical advice to interior and garden design. 

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