Candles

Candles add warmth, fragrance and atmosphere to a room with very little effort - there's a reason people reach for one when they want a room to feel different. A single lit candle on a dining table changes the atmosphere more quickly and cheaply than almost any piece of furniture, and yet a good candle is also a considered object, something that earns its place on a shelf or mantel even when it is not burning.

The type of candle determines where it belongs. Pillar candles are made to stand alone without a holder, and look best on a solid surface like a mantel or coffee table where the proportions work (a fat pillar on a narrow ledge rarely does). Tealights and votives are the more social candles, lined along a dining table, massed in a lantern or dotted across a bathroom shelf. Tapers and dinner candles slot into candlesticks for the more formal end of the range. Jarred candles, including clean white and graphic black designs alongside coloured glassware, are the workhorse of the scented candle world, as they burn cleanly, contain the wax and tend to hold fragrance well. Hurricane and floating designs work in centrepiece arrangements where the visual effect of flame through glass is part of the point.

Wax matters more than most people realise. Soy burns slowly and at a lower temperature (which is why it appears in most premium scented candles), while paraffin is cheaper and throws scent more aggressively - which is why plenty of good candles blend the two. Beeswax sits apart from both: it has a natural, very faint honey scent that makes it a pleasure to burn unscented. Woodwick candles add a soft, low crackling sound, but bear in mind this will be less noticeable in a busy room. For situations where an open flame is not practical, candle warmers release scent from the top layer of wax without lighting the wick, and LED candles now do convincing work in places where fire is not appropriate at all.

The most useful thing to know about scented candles is that the first burn matters. Letting the wax pool reach the full diameter of the vessel on the first light (which usually takes two to three hours) stops the tunnelling that plagues candles burned in short sessions. Keeping the wick trimmed to five millimetres from then on keeps the flame clean and the scent consistent. Fragrance families have loose associations: lavender and sandalwood tend towards calm, citrus and eucalyptus towards energy, vanilla and cedar towards warmth.

At Flitch, you can browse candles from over 100 UK retailers in one search. Price histories show how a particular candle has tracked over time, and price drop alerts allow you to catch any saving on premium brands. If you'd rather have a steer on building a room scheme around scent, our expert stylists are on hand for tailored advice.

How long do candles last?

A standard tealight burns for four to six hours, a votive eight to fifteen, a medium jarred candle around 40 to 60 hours, and large pillar candles can reach 80 hours or more. Soy and beeswax tend to outlast paraffin of the same size.

How do I prevent tunnelling?

Let the wax pool reach the full width of the vessel on the first burn, which sets the memory of the candle for all future lights. Trim the wick to five millimetres before each use. If tunnelling has already started, wrapping the top of the candle in aluminium foil with a small opening at the centre helps remelt the surface back to the edges.

Are soy candles better than paraffin?

Soy is natural, renewable and burns cooler, with less soot. Paraffin is cheaper and throws scent more strongly. Most premium candles blend the two. Neither is definitively better: it depends on what you want from the candle.

Are LED candles a convincing alternative?

For places where an open flame genuinely is not appropriate (including children's bedrooms, shelves near curtains, or outdoor spaces in wind), modern LED candles do a convincing job. The flicker quality has improved significantly, and battery life in most designs is measured in hundreds of hours.

How should candles be stored?

In a cool, dry spot away from direct sunlight, which fades colour and warps shape over time. Jarred candles stay fresher with the lid on between burns, which also prevents dust settling on the wax surface.