Lavender is the soothing and calming scent we can all look forward to. Sit back, relax, and enjoy its wonderful scent with the best lavender candles. And with the right ambiance and aroma, it’s only natural that we enjoy the moment.
Versatile as it is, lavender isn’t beholden to a specific season. It’s one of those fragrances that you can enjoy throughout the year and feel right at home.
Of course, there’s always room for more complex scents where other fragrances are paired with lavender to create something more interesting.
Let’s take a look at our top picks for lavender candles.
10 Best Lavender Candles For 2023
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1. DS&Durga Wild Brooklyn Lavender – Editor’s Pick For Best Lavender Candle
DS&Durga Wild Brooklyn Lavender
Soy wax candle
Weighs 7 oz
Wild Brooklyn Lavender from DS & Durga is our top pick for the best lavender candles. The tinted glass container has elegant labeling and holds the 7 oz candle. Made from soy-vegetable wax and a cotton wick, the candle burns clean and has a good cold throw.
But the cold throw is a secondary concern. What we’re really interested in is the hot throw – the scent and fragrance of the candle as it burns. DS & Durga’s Wild Brookly Lavender shows off an impressive hot throw with a delightful mix of fragrances.
The key fragrance note for this candle is lavender, but it also offers notes of wayside herbs, vetiver grass, and even asphalt! It’s a bit of the company’s homage to Brooklyn from the aughts (early 2000s). With a touch of impressions from someone newly arrived in the big apple.
All of this is good, but there was still a question in my mind – what is wild Brooklyn lavender? I’ll admit my knowledge of the flora in New York isn’t first-rate, or any good for that matter. Can lavender even grow there?
So, I wrote to them, asking for information. Maggie Droushiotis replied on behalf of DS & Durga and explained that some lavender grows along Brooklyn streets and sidewalk cracks. This mix of fragrances and its impact on David is eventually what led to the creation of the scent notes for this candle. Pretty cool!
Candle Highlights
- Soy wax candle
- 7oz weight
- Burn time of 60 hours
- Expensive compared to similar and competing candles
- Glass container
- Fragrance notes: lavender, wayside herbs, with traces of suede and asphalt
2. Nest Cedar Leaf & Lavender Classic Candle
Nest Cedar Leaf & Lavender Classic Candle
Made from Nest’s proprietary wax
Weighs 8.1 oz
Here’s something for those who want a warm and relaxing fragrance. True to its brand, Nest has made this candle a wonderful bouquet of fragrances. Even the frosted glass container looks impressive.
The etched frosted stripes add a nice look to the candle. This vision is maintained as you burn the candle and the flame gradually goes completely behind the frosted stripes.
It has a strong and pleasurable hot throw and the candle is quick to show its fragrant side. As with most single-wick candles, this should be enough to make a regular-sized room quite fragrant. Although, if you want a deeper fragrance in a larger area, choose the three-wick variant of this candle.
Nest offers these candles in a variety of sizes and a 3-wick option. Its classic candle, which we’re recommending here, is the 8.1 oz variant and burns for 50-60 hours.
The key fragrance notes here are the flowery touch of lavender with the earthy and fresh notes of cedar leaf. You’ll also find some touches of rosemary and sage in the fragrance. Nest says that these are vegan candles and use a proprietary wax. I might be wrong, but I think this is largely a soy wax candle with some paraffin wax blended in.
Interestingly, the wax on the candle feels soft and somewhat pliable. If you see your candle wax behaving similarly, the first step would be to stop messing with the candle! Palace it in a good spot and just light it and enjoy its fragrance.
Candle Highlights
- Uses Nest’s proprietary wax
- 8.1 oz weight
- Burn time of 50-60 hours
- Burns clean and without a problem
- Frosted and lined glass container
- Available in several size and fragrance options
- Fragrance notes: lavender and cedar leaf, with touches of rosemary and sage
3. Paddywax Wabi Sabi Lavender Mimosa Candle
Paddywax Wabi Sabi Lavender Mimosa Candle
Made from soy wax
Weighs 12 oz
There’s a lot to like about the Paddywax Wabi Sabi collection. The aesthetics and fragrance are all on point, and they even consider what to do with the container once you’re done with the candle.
The container here is a food-safe ceramic vessel in a matte finish. According to Paddywax, once you’re done with the candle, the container is good for repurposing as a dipping bowl or rice bowl.
But all that comes after you’re done with the candle. Let’s first talk about the candle itself and what lighting it brings to the table and the room.
Paddywax calls the fragrance lavender mimosa. It’s a fresh fragrance with a good cold throw and a lovely hot throw. You’ll enjoy the fragrance as soon as you peel the label off the top of the candle.
Remember to put the dust cover back in place when you put out the candle. This helps keeps the fragrance and candle quality intact through subsequent burns and uses.
The key fragrance notes here are crushed lavender accompanied by cyclamen petals and eucalyptus leaves. Middle and base notes of the fragrance include white thyme, soft musk, and vanilla orchid.
Overall, I found this to be a soft fragrance that’s both mild and enjoyable. It makes its presence known but doesn’t feel obtrusive or overly strong. I think that works to the credit of this scented candle.
Even though the container looks small in images, it is fairly large. This is a 12 oz, 3-wick candle, so it’s wide and covers a good volume. So yeah, it will totally work as a decent rice bowl after the candle is done!
Candle Highlights
- Made using soy wax
- 12 oz weight
- 3-wick candle
- Burn time of 25 hours
- Burns clean and without a problem
- Food-safe ceramic container for the candle
- Fragrance notes: crushed lavender and eucalyptus leaves, with touches of white thyme and vanilla orchid
4. Yankee Candles Dried Lavender And Oak
Yankee Candles Dried Lavender And Oak
Made from paraffin wax
Weighs 22 oz
Dried Lavender and Oak candle from Yankee Candles are full of lavender goodness. This candle stays close to the original lavender scent, even flaunts it wholeheartedly. Other earthy and flowery notes blend well with the overall lavender touch of the candles to create a stunning hot throw.
You’ll find the fragrance of lavender flowing through as you open the lid of this jar candle. It has a good cold throw.
My preference for this candle comes from the fact that it stays very close to lavender notes. If lavender alone is the reason why you want a scented candle, this candle will be the right pick for you.
Of course, it’s not all bare lavender that this candle offers. As with most candles, the fragrance oils used are in a blend to enhance the overall fragrance and feel of the candle.
The main body (middle notes) of the scent are carried by moss, white flowers, and davana. Its base notes are vanilla, patchouli, and cedarwood.
Overall, this candle brings the scent of flowers with some woody notes.
It’s available in several sizes, including a large 22 oz jar, a small 3.5 oz jar, and tealights. This is a single-wick candle in all its offerings.
That’s one reason why I’ll suggest skipping the big jar. Even though Yankee Candles work pretty well, a single wick is usually insufficient to handle all the wax in a jar this large. There’s a good chance that there will be tunneling and you’ll be left with a fair bit of unused scented wax.
Then again, the large jar is cost-effective and there are several ways to use leftover candle wax, including putting the remaining candle wax in a wax warmer.
Candle Highlights
- Made from premium paraffin wax
- Candle weight is 22 oz (also available as tealight and 3.5 oz jar)
- Single wick candle
- Burn time of 150 hours
- Good quality jar
- Fragrance notes: lavender, with notes of davana, patchouli, cedarwood, vanilla, and moss
5. T&H French Lavender Vanilla Scented Candles
T&H French Lavender Vanilla Scented Candles
Made from soy wax
Weighs 15.8 oz
T&H French Lavender Vanilla Scented Candle is another product with a strong lavender scent and notes of accompanying fragrances.
This three-wick candle arrives in a wide jar, which is suitable and big enough for its number of wicks. I like the tint on the container. The purple blends wonderfully well with the flame to create a cool visual sensation.
But the visuals are just one part of the act here. Its lavender notes take the center stage and present a good symphony of fragrances. There’s also the touch of the base notes of vanilla, giving this candle a fresh and floral fragrance.
What I didn’t like about this candle was the absence of a proper dust protector. Pretty much no one is going to burn this candle in one go, so something to protect it between burns would be appreciable.
Although, the candle comes with a plastic sheet covering its top. You could save it and use it as a dust protector later. Then again, saving and keeping the thin sheet around can be a chore unto itself. People don’t keep packaging sheets around when they intend to use a product.
Anyways, another point of note here is the burn time. The description can vary wildly from 3 hours to 80 hours. It’s none of those. The burn time for this candle is roughly around 25 hours, at least in my experience.
It might be possible to finagle the burn time for the 15.8oz candle up to 80 hours by burning only one wick at a time, but it feels like way too much effort for very little reward.
Overall, this is a pretty good candle with good aroma and burn time. There are a few oversights in its packaging, as noted here, but it performs really well where it matters – as a lavender candle!
Candle Highlights
- Made from soy wax
- Candle weight is 15.8 oz
- Three-wick candle
- Burn time of 25 hours
- Tinted jar
- Fragrance notes: lavender, with floral and vanilla notes
6. Benevolence LA Wild Lavender Candles
Benevolence LA Wild Lavender Candles
Made from soy wax
Weighs 8 oz (also available in 6 oz)
Wild Lavender Candles from Benevolence LA are a sensual treat pleasing to the nose and the eyes. The rose gold glass containers look great and once the flame comes in, the effect is very pleasing.
The candles are made from soy wax and have a wooden wick. Working with a wooden wick can sometimes prove testing for consumers, though this candle seems to handle it well.
There aren’t any notable problems lighting it or keeping the candle going. However, wood wicks can be notoriously difficult to handle.
For me, the crackling sound from the wooden wick is one of the features and desirable parts. So it was a little disappointing to learn that these wicks burn silently. No crackling sounds here.
The wax and the wick are worthy of note, but of course, the star of the show here is the fragrance from the candle. Wild Lavender feels almost an exotic scent. The cold throw isn’t all that notable, but once you light the candle, the hot throw scent feels pretty good. It feels fresh and light, and the notes of wild lavender seem lovely.
Benevolence LA offers these candles in two sizes, at 8 oz and 6 oz. The claimed burn time is 45 hours for the 8 oz candle, though I think it’s more of a 25-30 hour candle.
Candle Highlights
- Made from soy wax
- Candle available in 8 oz and 6 oz variants
- Wood wick candle
- Burn time of 25 hours (claimed 45 hours)
- Rose gold glass jar
- Fragrance notes: wild lavender, with floral and fresh notes
7. Mrs. Meyer’s Lavender Soy Candle
Mrs. Meyer’s Lavender Soy Candle
Made from soy wax
Weighs 7.2 oz (variant 4.9 oz)
Mrs. Meyer’s Lavender Soy Candle takes on a simple and unassuming, but elegant look. The candles appear plain, with the label circling the circumference of the container near its neck. Its lid is similarly short, but effective enough to do its job.
Appearance certainly is a big part of the modern scented candle and its container, and this one handles that role pretty well. The candle is mostly soy wax, though they mention that it can contain vegetable wax and “other thoughtfully chosen ingredients.”
The star here is the lavender wax. Its aroma feels soft and clean, even refreshing and calming – just what a lavender scent is supposed to be! Steering clear of feeling overpowering is an important and likable characteristic of this candle’s scent.
You can get this candle in two sizes. There’s the 7.2 oz (large) candle and the 4.9 oz (small) candle. For the large candle, the expected burn time is 25-35 hours.
One problem that people often see with these candles is that they tend to leave quite a chunk of unused wax at the bottom. Generally, most candles will leave about half-inch of unused wax at the bottom. This one appears to leave slightly less than an inch of unused wax.
I’m not sure why this happens because the candle, the wick, and the wax, all seem to be very well made. It shouldn’t be much of a problem if you’re prepared to reuse or repurpose the remaining wax.
Candle Highlights
- Made from soy wax and vegetable wax
- Candle available in 7.2 oz and 4.9 oz variants
- Cotton wick candle
- Burn time of 25 hours-30 hours
- Comes in a glass jar with a lid
- Fragrance notes: Garden-fresh lavender, with fresh notes and a mild aroma
8. Votivo Aromatic Candle – St Germain Lavender
Votivo Aromatic Candle – St Germain Lavender
Made from soy wax
Weighs 6.8 oz
Simple and elegant looks coupled with a mild and soothing fragrance make this one of the best lavender candles you can buy. I’d have thought the simple glass container wrapped with a thin coil and the embossed “V” logo would look rustic. It actually looks quite elegant!
I think it’s the thick glass container backed with the smooth color of the candle that lends itself to this effect. Coloring of the soy wax for this candle has been wonderfully executed and it all appears so smooth and well-blended.
Moving on to the fragrance – it is strong! It doesn’t have an overpowering or overbearing element, but the scent is undeniably strong and wants to make itself known. Thankfully, it stays on the side of the soothing and calming touch we expect from lavender.
In any case, if a strong hot throw is what you’re looking for, this candle will answer your call!
The volume (weight) of the wax in the candle is 6.8 oz. This is a soy wax candle with a claimed burn time of 60 hours. I think that’s being a bit generous, and the average consumer is more likely to see a burn time of around 30 hours.
Candle Highlights
- Made from soy wax
- Candle available in 6.8 oz volume
- Single wick candle
- Burn time of roughly 30 hours (claimed time 60 hours)
- Comes in a glass container
- Fragrance notes: St Germain Lavender, with fresh and strong notes
9. Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla
Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla
Made from patented soy wax blend
Weighs 7 oz
Bath & Body Works candles occupy a special place, and it’s no wonder that one of their offerings makes it to our list of the best lavender candles. This single wick, soy wax candle sits in a nice but plain glass jar. It’s accompanied by a twist-on lid.
While the appearance of the candle is simple, its fragrance is wonderfully complex. The store page calls it a “dreamy bedside bouquet”. I like that description and am inclined to agree with it. The candle has a nice fragrance and scent throw.
When lit, the candle is quick to fill the space with notes of lavender. The scent is strong, but avoids flipping to the overpowering side.
Bath & Body Works Lavender Vanilla candle uses a proprietary soy wax blend and it seems to fit the fragrance just right.
As the name of the candle suggests, the key fragrance notes here are lavender and vanilla. Although, you’ll also find notes of white woods and sugared musks. The overall effect is a welcome fragrance that feels pleasurable and soothing.
The product description says that the candle is made from natural essential oils. It’s difficult to say if synthetic fragrance oils have been used as well, though the candle does use some fragrance additives.
Candle Highlights
- Made from a patented soy wax blend
- Candle available in 7 oz volume
- Single wick candle
- Comes in a glass container
- Fragrance notes: Lavender blossoms and creamy vanilla, with some notes of white woods and sugared musk
10. Chesapeake Bay Candle Serenity + Calm (Lavender Thyme)
Chesapeake Bay Candle Serenity + Calm (Lavender Thyme)
Made from soy wax
Weighs 12 oz (variants available)
The frosted container with a nice lid sets the mood and theme for the Chesapeake Bay Candle Serenity + Calm (Lavender Thyme). I like the diffused touch the flame gets as it peers through the frosted glass. When stored, the combination of the glass and lid looks fairly elegant.
Chesapeake Bay Serenity + Calm candle features self-trimming wicks. This is theoretically a great feature, since you don’t have to worry about wick maintenance. Most candles require the wick be trimmed to about a quarter inch (0.25-inch) before being lit.
This is the best wick length for the overall aroma, longevity, and performance of the candle. With self-trimming wicks, the wick handles this job all by itself. But there are occasional problems and if they show up, they can pretty much ruin the candle.
In some situations, the self-trimming wick can be overzealous, resulting in the candle going out automatically every few minutes. This is annoying because it means the candle never gets a full wax pool and risks tunneling straight through, thus wasting the expensive candle.
Although, most of the times they work, and in such situations, self-trimming wicks can be a godsend.
This lavender thyme candle has a wonderful soothing scent. The soft and subtle scent feels as good as the soft glow coming out of the frosted candle container! To be clear, though soft, the fragrance isn’t weak. It’s fairly dominant, and feels right to evoke the candle’s namesake feelings of serenity and calm.
Chesapeake Bay Candle offers these candles in several sizes and wick options. The candle in discussion is a 12 oz jar with a single wick.
Candle Highlights
- Soy wax candle
- Candle has a 12 oz volume (other size and volume options are available too)
- Single wick candle with self-trimming wick
- Comes in a cool frosted glass container
- Fragrance notes: Lavender and thyme with eucalyptus and rosemary; base notes of clove, cedar, and patchouli
Important Things To Know When Buying The Best Lavender Candles
Can Lavender Really Help With Feeling Calm And Is It Good For Stress-Busting?
Lavender candles and products are often praised for their soothing and stress-busting effects.
Aromatherapy believes in the soothing and calming effects of lavender. However, some well-respected scientific studies also underline this effect.
For example, this study found that lavender could have an anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effect, without any loss of mobility or balance. To be clear, this study focused on linalool, which is a product derived from lavender extracts.
While this study focused on rats, there have also been studies that involved people. This study found that lavender scent inhalation significantly reduced the mean stress, anxiety, and depression in women. This study focused on the prevention of stress, anxiety and depression in the postpartum period.
So, with multiple studies confirming, and with existing traditional beliefs, I think it’s clear that lavender does provide some aid to those who want a soothing and calming session.
Key Factors To Consider When Buying The Best Lavender Candle
Pay Attention To The Type Of Wax Used
The type of wax that makes up the candle can be a key deciding factor for many people. The most common varieties of wax in this space are soy wax and paraffin wax.
If you want a better quality wax, soy wax is almost always the sensible choice, when compared to paraffin wax.
Soy wax comes from hydrogenated soy oil, while paraffin wax is a byproduct of petroleum. Soy wax also burns cleaner and gives out significantly lower levels of soot and similar undesirable elements.
What works in the favor of paraffin wax is the cost. Paraffin costs significantly less than soy wax, which also has a bearing on the overall cost of your scented candles. Besides, paraffin is much easier to work with dyes and fragrance oils.
Soy candles too are easy to color and infuse fragrance, but paraffin is often the more convenient pick for most manufacturers and buyers.
The Candle Wick And Their Number
Another choice you’ll have to make is the wick. Most candles use a single, traditional wick, which is a great choice. Some candles will use multiple wicks.
These two or three-wick candles are bright and look absolutely wonderful. However, they also tend to be more expensive than single wick candles. In most cases, the higher cost is simply because multiple-wick candles need a higher volume and thus more materials.
While all wicks can look the same, they vary greatly by quality and use. Better candles tend to have higher-quality wicks that don’t degrade. They don’t release much soot or other harmful chemicals, as compared to cheaper wicks.
Wooden wicks are another popular choice. These are specialty wicks that work as classic wicks inside a scented candle. They look unique and mesmerizing and often give out a “cackling” sound when lit. This crackling burning sound encourages many people to choose candles with wood wick.
However, keep in mind that not all wooden wicks have that crackling sound, and many can be temperamental when it comes to staying lit in a candle.
Picking The Right Companion For The Lavender Scent
Since we’re buying a lavender candle, that will be the primary scent of the candle. However, most quality candles don’t take this singular approach. In most cases, you’ll find that lavender has been mixed with other fragrances.
This allows the candle makers to better control the fragrance and also give it specific properties. Rather than letting it be a bland and sharp lavender, they can make the aroma more subtle, which can make the room fragrant without feeling overpowering.
Then, there are others who would mix scents to create a fragrance evocative of a scene, an idea, or even a recipe. Some might even choose to make a strong lavender scent that’s quick to fill in the rooms and mask odors with its strong scent.
Understanding the type of candle you’re buying goes a long way in answering why you want a candle in the first place.
Making The Right Lavender Choice For Your Needs
When picking the best lavender candle, it pays to be mindful of properties like the type of wax, number of wicks, and the scent throw. And while we understand that the key notes will be lavender, many candle makers add additional fragrances to modify this scent for better effect.
Overall, a better understanding of what you want will make the soothing effects of lavender all the more sweeter. Or, you could take a look at the curated list above and see some great picks for lavender candles.