Candles are the perfect accessory for any home, as they offer a quick and easy way to accent your interior with luxurious, long-lasting scents. From bright citrus to woodsy vetiver, there are hundreds of candle varieties, whether you want to project an energetic vibe or a romantic mood. But choosing a scent is just one part of finding the perfect candle for you.
Soy wax candles, derived from soybean oil, are a natural and renewable option, and soy wax is not only free of the harmful ingredients that can sometimes be included with other varieties, they're also sustainable and biodegradable. They offer lengthy burn times, and they're some of the cleanest burning candles you can buy.
If you're looking to bring home the best soy candle for you, we've sifted through some of the best options with the most natural, long-lasting scents on the market. You can't go wrong with these candles, whether you're looking for an ethereal, airy fragrance or an uplifting scent to make your home feel cozy and inviting. Get ready to get comfy in your great-smelling home while you spend your time gazing and interpreting the meaning of your candle's flames.
Things to Consider:
Scent: There are practically infinite choices when it comes to selecting the best soy candle fragrance. Romantic scents can include floral notes, such as jasmine, rose, violet, and even a touch of champagne, which can enhance dinners with your significant other, cozy nights spent at home, and getting ready for a date. Fresh scents can feature notes of cotton, gardenia, and aquatic elements, and they work fantastically for clearing out stale rooms, keeping bathrooms smelling clean, and uplifting your mood.
Wick Type: When selecting a wick, it's important to ensure you have a consistent flame, with a smoke-free burn, a small flame, and an even melt pool across the top layer of your candle. So when you've chosen a soy candle and the scent you're interested in, determine what type of wick you'll be dealing with as well. You'll typically see cotton, hemp, and wood wicks adorning soy candles. Cotton wicks are all-purpose options that tick all of the boxes: a clean burn, smoke-free, and long-lasting. Hemp wicks are made from 100% organic hemp and are non-toxic, dipped in natural beeswax. Wood wicks are the most interesting of the available types, as they offer another aspect to the candle experience: a comforting, crackling noise as they burn.
Burn Time: Candles are meant to be long-lasting adornments for your home. You'll likely be burning them for hours at a time, after all, so you want to make sure the scent they're giving off lasts quite a while as well. The best soy candles can last upward of 50 to 60 hours if made with care and quality materials.
Our Top Picks:
Best Overall:
Chesapeake Bay Balance + Harmony Candle
Read more.Best Budget Buy:
Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Soy Candle - Honeysuckle
Read more.Best Splurge:
LAFCO New York House & Home Candle - Star Magnolia
Read more.
Drift away to a tropical paradise with the beloved blend of water lily and floral notes in this Chesapeake Bay Balance + Harmony Candle, the best overall soy candle with over 35,000 positive reviews on Amazon. Its strong yet delicate scent is a treat to kick back and enjoy, with a clean burn time of over 50 years. Its gorgeous translucent jar can be repurposed later, and Chesapeake Bay offers a wide variety of scents to choose from then. It's an excellent bang for your buck.
Keep in mind, however, that some buyers found the fragrance a bit too faint, with others noting tunneling happening midway throughout the candle.
Candles smell like a slice of heaven, but some of them look the part, too. This La Jolíe Muse Sandalwood Candle pulls double duty with a gorgeous, bespoke glass jar that will undoubtedly get your friends and family (and anyone else who visits) talking. Plus, its divine sandalwood scent has therapeutic properties you'll appreciate. Its wood wick brings a crackling campfire to mind as the soy wax burns through as well.
Some buyers did note that the candle did not, in fact, burn the 90 hours claimed by the manufacturer. There are also some who noted that the wick ceased to burn midway through the candle.
Flowers can perk up any abode, and the Benevolence Premium Rose & Sandalwood Candle brings the scent of a freshly-cut bouquet into your home. It offers the therapeutic benefits of striking sandalwood married with romantic rose, all in a chic black jar that looks great with any decor. Plus, each candle sold ensures you're donating to a charitable cause.
Buyers have noted that, while featuring a strong scent, the candle only burns for about 35 hours, which is a bit shorter than many soy candles on our list, but the payoff is well worth the price and trade-off. However, it does burn hotter than other brands as well.
If you've ever wondered what the act of "adulting" smells like, the Malicious Women Candle Co. Adulting Candle has you covered. This cheeky candle comes in an ornate jar with fun slogans, but it's the inside that counts here. This natural soy wax candle features a gorgeous vanilla that will envelop your home in sweetness and warmth, kind of like being an adult is supposed to -- allegedly. The brand offers several, similarly-named concept scents if you're looking for more fun options.
Buyers have noted that the scent is a bit too light, though. And it can sometimes produce small bubbles in the wax while burning.
Light your favorite candle, slip into a warm bubble bath, and let your worries melt away. Lulu Candles Scented Jar Candle in Wild Lemongrass is the exact scent you'll want on deck for that specific occasion. This quality soy candle is a spa visit in a jar, with a relaxing scent that'll help you take the weight of the world off your shoulders. It comes with a 100% cotton wick and a clean, slow burn that you'll appreciate until the very end.
Buyers have noted, of course, that it is a bit pricey for its size. It also might offer a less lengthy burn time due to its size.
When it comes time to relax, you want a scent that makes you feel like a warm blanket or a stress-relieving massage. The Broken Top Cardamom Vanilla Pure Soy Wax Candle is the best way to fill your home with the scent embodiment of coziness. Infused with essential oils, this candle burns up to 50 hours, with a smooth scent that'll put a smile on your face. Plus, the sale of each candle kicks back 1% to a environmentally-conscious non-profits.
Buyers have noticed that there is some tunneling with this particular scent, though, and that it can be rather faint.
One of the best scents to perk you up is undoubtedly a citrus blend. HHI Candles All-Natural Scented Soy Candle in Sicilian Citrus is everything you need for a burst of energy. This gorgeous candle comes in a frosted glass jar with a rustic wooden lid, containing a fizzy, effervescent blend of oranges, lemons, and limes that will get you ready to start your day in a fun and exciting way. That's what citrus scents do, after all.
Some buyers did notice a bit of tunneling after burning the candle for several hours. There were also some issues noted where the candle only burned down halfway.
Looking for a scent that'll set your home apart from others, but not interested in the typical selection? Paddywax Candles Apothecary Collection in Tobacco & Patchouli has you covered. With smart, sturdy packaging that evokes the days of old and a unique smoky fragrance that fills your home, this candle will transport you to a cool dive bar downtown -- transform you into a leather-clad punk who loves lighting incense. It's a candle that commands cool in every way.
Buyers have noted that the lid can be a bit difficult to remove, especially after you've burned the candle for some time. The wick can burn down a bit too quickly as well.
What does luxury smell like? It might be a little something like LAFCO New York's House & Home Candle in Star Magnolia. Scented to evoke the ambiance of a guest room in one's home, it's a home-filling fragrance with notes of neroli, bergamot, and yuzu as well as star magnolia, bamboo leaves, and amber. It's a simple yet timeless scent that'll permeate every corner of your home, making it well worth the extra cash you'll need to put down to enjoy this soy candle.
Some users have complained that, for the size, the candle is a bit pricey, but it does last quite a long time.
If you're looking for a candle that smells divine, but don't want to break the budget, Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Soy Candle in Honeysuckle should be at the top of your list. This modest yet mighty soy candle offers 35 hours of powerful floral fragrance, housed in a recyclable jar with a screw-on lid. It may clock less hours of burn time, but at this price, you can buy multiple.
Some users found that the wick does end a bit early, however, and bits of wax can end up sticking to the sides of the jar, which can end the candle's life a bit earlier than expected.
Check out more on LoveToKnow to learn more about the cleanest burning candles and all different types of candle wax.
