The scented candles under £20 that the IndyBest team love

Perfuming your home can be expensive, so here are our favourite fragrances that don’t cost the earth

Our picks range from floral and fruity to amber, vanilla and tiramisu (iStock/The Independent)

Scenting your home carries the possibility of transforming your living space – an impulse that’s more important than ever as we continue to spend an unprecedented amount of time indoors.

But just because a candle smells luxurious, doesn’t mean it has to be a luxury price, and there are plenty of affordable options out there that still deliver on opulence.

Lots of us recently have looked to burning candles for comfort – just before the country’s second national lockdown last year, purchases of candles soared as the temperature dropped and we faced quarantine during winter. According to the research group Kantar, sales of scented candles, essential oils and diffusers jumped 29 per cent in October.

Read more: 10 best non-toxic candles that smell great

As such, some of us have become amateur candle connoisseurs and trends like “scent-scaping” and “fragrance-zoning” have gained traction online – both see enthusiasts dividing rooms into different scents to suit their moods.

Whether you’re a scent-scaper or not, candles are the perfect tonic to help sets the tone and allow you to relax and de-stress at the end of the day.

Beyond making your environment a more pleasant place to be in, candles with essential oils have the added bonus of having soothing aromatherapy benefits. Lavender oils are said to reduce stress, rose oils supposedly ease tension and jasmine oil is said to help with anxiety.

But burning candles is an expensive habit, and while we all might have the influencer favourite Diptyque scents on our wish lists, sometimes you just don’t fancy burning straight through upwards of £50.

Luckily we’re on hand with our top picks of scents that don’t cost the earth. All of our favourites come in at under £20, with none scrimping on quality or smell.

Read more: The taper candles we love that are almost too pretty to light

From floral and fruity notes to wistful amber and vanilla, the IndyBest team have chosen some of our inexpensive fail-safes that still deliver on throw and fragrance.

You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent. 

Emma Henderson (Editor)

Zara dark amber three wick scented candle: £17.99, Zara.com

(Zara)

Zara Home is, rightly so, one of my favourite places for interiors, from super-soft yet affordable bedsheets to unusual photo frames and gorgeous crockery. But my favourite thing to buy there? The candles. They’re incredibly affordable with a fabulous range of sophisticated scents, but what’s most impressive is the throw. In my experience, it’s far better than many brands that are much more expensive.

I have the three-wick dark amber candle which I’ve rebought time and time again over the past five years because of its seriously impressive throw. Even after the morning after using this, I can still smell it in the room. The scent is a smooth, well-rounded mix of sandalwood and amber with hints of vanilla, and it’s my go-to candle for evenings.

At only £17.99 for 620g, it’s a real steal compared to other candles of this size. It’s also made from vegetable wax, so it’s non-toxic and designed to burn for longer. I also love the dark brown glass jar it comes in, which I reuse for storing beauty minis. If you prefer something smaller, there’s a single wick version, which is £11.99 for 200g.

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Eleanor Jones (Executive editor) 

Muji green log fire tin candle: £4.99, Muji.com

(Muji)

As a self-confessed scented-candle fiend, I have dozens of favourites I could recommend, but top of my list would have to be Muji. They’re unbelievable quality for a fiver – I favour the warmer, earthier scents like this log fire tin, or the fresher options like sea salt (£4.95, Mujionline.eu), over the store’s fruitier or more floral offerings, but whichever one you opt for, you definitely get your money’s worth; this tiny tin has the throw to fill a whole room. The staying power isn’t quite as impressive as pricier brands, but when they only cost this much to begin with, you can afford to double up.

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Read more: 9 best reed diffusers that fill your home with fragrance all day long

Hotel Collection pomegranate glass candle: £3.49, Aldi.co.uk

(Aldi)

If you’ve dismissed the hype around Aldi’s range of Jo Malone dupes, I’d advise you to reconsider. Having tried both the JML original and the Aldi version, I will concur that they’re not exactly the same, but when you consider the saving (Jo Malone candles start at £49 for 200g), it’s a pretty impressive dupe. The simple glass jar and minimalist label look chic on any shelf or mantelpiece – no garish primary colours screaming “I bought this as a discount supermarket” here. However, if you do light one when you invite guests over, they’ll probably rumble you anyway – because they’ll have purchased one too. 

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Louise Whitbread (Freelance)

Zara Almafi sunray candle: £15.99, Zara.com

(Zara)

In 2019, Jo Malone, the woman behind the eponymous fragrance brand, collaborated with Zara for a collection of candles and perfumes. This, for me, is the standout piece. A blend of bergamot, mandarin and orange flower, it smells of summer. It’s fresh, fills a room, isn’t overpowering and instantly transports me to sunbathing by a pool with a cocktail in hand. Better than any luxury candle I’ve ever bought, I’m terrified it’ll be discontinued so I always buy two every time I need a new one. It’s a great gift too – the minimal packaging looks every bit as lavish as high-end candle brands and for less than £20, it’s an absolute steal that everyone should treat themselves to.

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Read more: 6 best massage candles for a romantic night in

Suzie McCracken (Senior production journalist) 

Price’s chef’s candle: £3.99, Lakeland.co.uk

(Lakeland)

I live in a tiny flat – my living room, kitchen, office and bike shed are the same room. Since working from home became a full-time affair, I’ve discovered that smells from my sometimes experimental (and often unsuccessful) cooking really stick around. So I decided to buy a Price’s chef’s candle – a product my mum has been raving about for years. I’m not entirely convinced by the brand’s claims that it “breaks down the molecular structure of unwanted odours” to neutralise smells, but it certainly helps to rid my living space of the lingering scent of fajitas. It’s not exactly luxurious, but not having a stinky sofa is self-care of sorts. It also comes in a jar, or as a pack of six tealights.

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Daisy Lester (Production journalist) 

Sainsbury’s Home jar candle lavender and geranium: £5, Sainsburys.co.uk

(Sainsbury’s)

This great budget option scents your home with warming aromatic lavender mixed with the fragrance of geranium and orris. The blend makes for a comforting yet light scent that isn’t as overwhelming as some sweet fragrances. Its understated smell means it’s suited to being lit at any time of the day, and it’s become a reliable scent burning away in the corner while I work from home. It also boasts impressive throw for its cheap price, while also being surprisingly long-lasting. The retro-style jar is a nice touch that looks just as charming on the windowsill as it does on the dinner table.

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Read more: 10 best essential oil diffusers for a sense of calm

Lois Borny (Freelance)

Yankee Candle pink sands candle: £8.99, Yankeecandle.co.uk

(Yankee )

If it weren’t for the fire hazard, I’d probably have 10 candles burning 24/7 – I love that “everything’s in order, and have you ever seen a room more serene in your life” feeling they create at the end of the day. That said, I don’t want to be sat in a mist of tiramisu or lemon and lime all night, so I prefer subtle scents, and this pink sands Yankee candle is refreshingly light. The citrus, floral and vanilla tones feel cleansing rather than sickeningly sweet, and there’s no thick waxy smell that hangs around either. If you’re like me and go for the full-on candle-lit effect, the pink wax also gives off a soothing pastel glow.

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Sarah Young (Writer) 

Malin + Goetz dark rum votive candle: £17, Spacenk.com

(Space NK)

While I’m partial to a fruity or floral fragrance, it’s musky, masculine scents that dominate my candle collection and this one is a particular favourite. Created by Malin + Goetz – a brand best-known for its line of unisex perfumes – the candle instantly transports you to the Caribbean with a warm, sophisticated scent that marries notes of leather and rum with amber and vanilla. Bold and long-lasting, this is my go-to whenever I want to sit back and relax with a glass of something equally as delectable. 

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From all-time favourites to independent brands, we’ve found the best scented candles to help you relax