20 Best Cheap Candles That Smell High-End

From vibrant citrus scents to soothing botanicals, these candles offer maximum ambiance for an incredible value.

Updated January 16, 2024
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Candles are the gift that keeps on giving with their luxurious scents and chic designs. Our team has researched and enjoyed enough candles to know that they don’t have to break the bank to be a winner. You can find deliciously scented candles in all shapes, sizes, and scents from your favorite online retailers. There are even plenty of well-trusted and clean-burning candles made from soy, beeswax, or paraffin wax and infused with essential oils.

Lighting a candle can make a gloomy day turn bright and sunny with tropical and uplifting scents or set the perfect tone for a relaxing yoga and meditation session. We’ve compiled a list of the best affordable (and often eco-friendly!) candles that smell high-end. Our 20 picks are made from high-quality wax and fragrances that fill your home with instant ambiance. But don’t just take our word for it; each one features hundreds of glowing reviews from verified customers.

Things to Consider

Fragrance: Scent is probably the most significant deciding factor on whether you purchase a candle or not. Some candles give off a light scent while others quickly fill an entire house with its aroma.

Price: How much a candle costs doesn't always justify how well it works. While many high-end candles are worth the splurge, all the candles on this list provide you with a decadent experience for a budget-friendly price.

Ingredients: Candles are made with various ingredients and waxes, including essential oils, soy, beeswax, and paraffin. Look for candles made with wicks free of lead and zinc for a clean burn.

If you're looking for a beautifully scented candle that's also eco-conscious, Wax and Oils' candles are for you! Each 8-ounce candle is free from harmful chemicals and additives. These candles are made entirely from soy wax and are biodegradable, so you don't have to feel guilty about burning through them. The packaging they come in is also completely recyclable. The Mountain Air scent is a top pick that combines crisp mountain air, green fir, lavender, cedarwood, and mahogany that'll make you feel like you're in the middle of the wilderness while relaxing on your couch.

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This caramel coffee bean candle from Ardent Flame Candles is for all of you java lovers. Quickly transform your office into your favorite cafe with this caramel coffee bean-scented candle that buyers rave about. This 8-ounce candle is made in the USA from 100% soy wax that is vegan and paraben-free. All Ardent Candles use lead and zinc-free wicks, so you don't have to worry about breathing in dangerous toxins. Many reviewers on Amazon love this candle's strong scent and noted that it quickly filled up their homes with a lovely coffee aroma.

These 2.5-ounce soy candles bring energy and zest to any space they inhabit. Each candle comes in a vibrantly designed tin you can repurpose after close to 30 hours of clean burn time. These candles are poured using 100% vegan wax and include lead-free cotton wicks that produce a clean burn. The four lively scents include cinnamon clove, grapefruit, ginger peach, and lemongrass.

These adorable succulent and cactus tea candles easily win the cutest mini candle award. Bring life and color to your home or event with these mini candles that burn for up to five hours. Reviewers on Amazon love the attention to detail etched on each whimsical candle, which many say makes them a great purchase even if they have a short burn time. They're perfect as gifts for plant lovers or as a subtle accent piece to table centerpieces.

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Vanilla is a popular candle scent due to its warm and cozy fragrance, but not all are made equally. HHI Candles' vanilla musk soy wax candle smells like a high-end candle but with a more wallet-friendly price tag. This candle gives off a vanilla scent mixed with cinnamon and amber, along with notes of musk. Not only does it smell fantastic, but the design of the candle is modern and chic with its bamboo lid and clean and elegant label.

With its masculine-forward scent that’s soothing without being overpowering, this whiskey caramel-scented one from Craft and Kin is perfect for people who shy away from the more flowery candle scents. It's hand-poured using 100% pure natural soy wax and uses a cotton wick. Once lit, it produces a luxurious and cozy aroma of whiskey and caramel for up to 45 hours.

This single-wick aromatherapy candle from Aroma Naturals is perfect to light when you're winding down at night with a good book or during a yoga session. It exudes a floral fragrance with bursts of patchouli and frankincense for around 50 hours. These luxuriously cheap pillar candles are made in small batches in Southern California with essential oils and all-cotton metal-free wicks. Just pair this candle with a chic and simple candle holder and let the scent take over.

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Animals fill your home with love and joy, but they also bring unpleasant smells. Eliminate those unwanted odors with this lilac blossom candle specifically made to combat pet, food, smoke, and other unwanted smells lurking in your home. This candle boasts an 80-hour burn time and is made with a mixture of food-grade and soy waxes. If you're looking for non-floral smells, no problem; this candle comes in 15 different scents at a great price to make your home smell fresh and welcoming.

If you're looking for the perfect candle to gift your best friend, you can't beat this 8-ounce soy wax candle. This candle will serve as a reminder of your friendship with "I always wished for a friend like you," etched in a beautiful script on the ceramic container. It has a light and peaceful aroma, perfect for those who would like a more subtly scented candle. The jar can even be used as a plant holder after the wick runs its course.

Escape on a tropical getaway without the long plane ride with this vanilla and coconut-scented candle. This 6.5-ounce candle comes in a botanically designed tin container and burns for around 45 hours. Its scent is a mixture of vanilla and coconut with floral accents sure to help you relax from the minute it's lit. Like many other candles on this list, it's made from soy wax and includes a lead-free cotton wick.

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Yankee Candle is one of the most well-known candle brands, and it's easy to smell why once you light this 22-ounce candle. It features a two-wick design and produces a fragrance reminiscent of a warm summer's night. You'll notice hints of musk, patchouli, sage, and mahogany cologne while this candle burns for up to 110 hours. If its scent and burn time don't win you over, maybe the 4.6-star rating on Amazon with over 32,700 reviews will convince you this candle needs to be in your home.

This single-wick, 100% soy candle is the perfect gift not only for its smell but also because it seamlessly fits with any decor style. You can feel confident in choosing this candle, knowing it forgoes any added dyes for a worry-free, clean burn. Enjoy this classic vanilla bean scent from a hand-poured, minimalistic candle that burns for up to 60 hours. Once you've burned through the wax, clean out and reuse the mason jar as a flower vase or plant holder.

Make your tealight candles pop with color and the fresh scent of lavender. These mini candles are great for weddings or afternoon tea. Each candle contains 1/2 ounce of paraffin petrolatum blend wax and burns for close to four hours. The candles are scented with essential oils to create a natural and relaxing lavender aroma. Though they're small in size, many Amazon reviewers mention they give off a strong scent and are long-lasting.

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If you love the smell of fresh-cleaned laundry, then you'll love the scent of this gorgeous candle from La Jolie. It's infused with essential oils to give off notes of cleaned linen, rose, lavender, and cedar. This 10-ounce candle has a 70-hour burning time and features 100% paraben-free ingredients. Bonus: it comes in a beautiful box complete with a shiny green bow, making it perfectly giftable.

If you’re in desperate need of a moment of zen, this Balance + Harmony candle from Chesapeake Bay is like a meditation in a jar. It features fresh and relaxing notes such as apple, pear, bergamot, orange zest, tropical fruits, waterlily musk, and rosewood. The natural soy wax blend is designed and poured in the USA and comes in a 100% recyclable jar.

The sleek and polished design of this candle from Benevolence is enough to win anyone over, but the fact that it combines two fan-favorite scents (rose and sandalwood) is what makes it one of our top budget-friendly picks. This candle features six ounces of soy wax poured into a matte black container you can use for a total of 35 hours. Not only will you feel good about its clean burn, but a portion of the proceeds for this candle go to Zoe International, which is a charity working to put an end to human trafficking.

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You're probably familiar with Glade candles, but if you've never used one, you're missing out. I grew up smelling these candles and can confirm they are an excellent bargain purchase that'll keep your house smelling fresh and divine. Their Sheer Vanilla Embrace scent rivals more expensive vanilla-scented candles for half the price. This 3.4-ounce candle uses essential oils to create a warm and homey aroma that'll welcome any guest who walks through your doors.

Mrs. Meyer's is a popular household brand known for their natural ingredients, and their candles don't disappoint. This lavender aromatherapy candle comes in a recyclable glass filled with soy wax and essential oils. This 4.9-ounce candle gives off a subtle yet relaxing lavender aroma and has a 25-hour burn time. Its lead-free cotton wick gives off a clean burn, so you can feel comfortable having these candles around your family and loved ones.

No fireplace? No problem. This woodfire-scented candle from Illume fills your home with the scent and ambiance of a crackling fire. Enjoy cedarwood, smoke, patchouli, and vanilla scents for a delightfully woody aroma. Not only does it smell great, but it has a metal and lead-free wick that burns for up to 20 hours. This 3.4-ounce candle comes in a floral and rustic designed tin with luxurious gold accents.

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Not only does this TIKI citronella candle smell good, but it also keeps pesky mosquitos away when you're enjoying an evening on your patio. This outdoor candle is powered with a floral citronella scent to keep bugs at bay for up to 35 hours. It comes in a rust-resistant tin that can keep up with the elements. When done for the night, place the provided lid on top until you're ready to use it again.

20 Best Cheap Candles That Smell High-End