Most people have bought a candle that looked beautiful, smelled wonderful in the shop and then burned out in three evenings flat. Usually this involves tunnelling straight down the middle and leaving an inch of unused wax around the edges. It's a frustrating and surprisingly common experience.
The candle market has grown enormously over the past decade and with that comes a large number of products that look the part but do not perform.
This guide covers exactly how to understand what makes a candle worth buying and what to look for.
Key Takeaways:
- Wax type is the biggest variable: look for soy or coconut wax. Paraffin burns faster and less cleanly. Quality brands like Peppermint Grove, al.ive body and Maine Beach all state their wax type clearly.
- Check the wick: cotton or wood wicks burn cleanly and evenly. An off-centre wick is a red flag regardless of wax quality.
- Smell it cold: a quality scented candle will have a clear, layered fragrance before it's even lit. A barely-there cold throw usually means a weak hot throw too.
- The vessel is part of the value: a well-made vessel can be reused once the candle is done. Flower Box's refillable format takes this furthest.
- Burn time matters: a quality soy or coconut wax candle in a 370g vessel should give you 70–90 hours. Significantly less than that warrants a closer look.
Why Candles Are Priced So Differently
A candle is a relatively simple object consisting of a vessel, a wax, a wick and a fragrance. But the choices made at each of those four stages determine almost everything about how a candle performs. This can be judged from how long it lasts, how well the fragrance fills a room and how cleanly it burns.
The price difference between a candle that retails at $15 and one that retails at $60 is not simply about branding. It almost always reflects significant l differences in the quality of materials used.
Knowing what those differences are makes the higher price point considerably easier to understand and to justify.
Start With the Wax
Wax type is the single biggest variable in candle quality. The three most common types are paraffin, soy and coconut wax, and they behave very differently from each other.
- Paraffin wax is a petroleum by-product and the cheapest wax to produce. It burns quickly, can release a small amount of soot and tends to produce a less clean fragrance throw than plant-based alternatives. Many mass market candles use paraffin, which is part of why they retail at lower price points.
- Soy wax is derived from soybean oil and burns more slowly and cleanly than paraffin. It holds fragrance well and is biodegradable, which makes it the most common choice among quality Australian candle brands. A soy wax candle of the same size as a paraffin alternative will almost always last longer.
- Coconut wax is considered the premium option. It burns the most slowly and cleanly of the three, has an exceptionally smooth finish and holds fragrance particularly well.
A quality candle will tell you clearly what wax it contains. If the wax type is not stated anywhere on the product or its packaging, that is worth noting.
The Wick Matters More Than People Realise
A poorly made wick is responsible for most of the common candle problems people encounter such as tunnelling, excessive smoke and uneven burning. Look for either cotton or wooden.
Cotton wicks are the standard for quality candles. They burn cleanly, hold their shape well and do not produce the sooty residue that some synthetic wicks leave behind.
Wooden wicks have become increasingly popular in premium candles because they create a gentle crackling sound and tend to burn very evenly across the surface of the candle.
Fragrance Load and Throw
Fragrance load refers to the percentage of fragrance oil in a candle relative to the total weight of the wax. A higher fragrance load does not always mean a better candle, since certain waxes can only hold fragrance up to a certain percentage before the oil pools or the candle burns poorly.
The best way to assess fragrance throw before buying is to simply smell the candle unlit. A quality candle will have a clear, layered fragrance even when cold.
A cheaply made candle will have an intense hit that dissipates quickly or a barely perceptible scent that relies on heat to do any work at all.
The Vessel Tells You Something
The vessel a candle sits in is not purely decorative. It contributes to how evenly the candle burns, how safely it can be used and how the product feels to own.
Glass vessels allow you to see how the wax is melting as you burn, which makes it easier to monitor an even melt pool. Ceramic vessels retain heat well and tend to produce a consistent burn. Cheap plastic or thin glass can become uncomfortably hot to handle and are less likely to survive being reused once the candle has burned down.
Peppermint Grove's hand-poured candles use vessels that are designed to be repurposed once the candle has finished, making them considerably better value than the price alone might suggest.
What to Look For in Practice
Before you buy a candle, ask these questions.
- Is the wax type stated? A brand confident in its materials will tell you clearly. Look for soy or coconut wax as the primary ingredient.
- Is the wick cotton or wood? Both are good signs. Avoid candles where the wick type is not mentioned at all.
- How does it smell cold? A candle that barely registers a fragrance unlit is unlikely to fill a room when burning.
- Is the vessel worth keeping? A beautiful vessel that can be cleaned and reused extends the value of the purchase considerably.
- What is the stated burn time relative to the size? A quality soy or coconut wax candle in a 370g vessel should typically provide between 70 and 90 hours of burn time.
The Brands We Trust at Home Basics & Design
We stock candles from brands whose quality we are confident in, specifically because we have seen how they perform over time.
Peppermint Grove candles are hand-poured in Australia using a soy wax blend and fragrance inspired by Australian landscapes. Their 370g candles are among our most consistently popular pieces both for personal use and gifting, and the quality of the fragrance throw is noticeably above the mass market alternatives at a similar price point.
Flower Box Fragrance brings a more design-led approach to candles and home fragrance, with sleek vessels and considered scents that sit comfortably in a wide range of interiors.
Al.ive Body brings their signature design sensibility to candles as well as body care. Made in Australia using naturally derived ingredients, their candles are free from parabens, sulphates and other synthetic nasties
Maine Beach draws on Australian coastal botanicals for its fragrance range, with scents that feel grounded and distinctly local rather than generic. Their candles are a consistent bestseller in store and make a particularly well-received gift
Pro Tips From Our Team
- Trim your wick to around 5mm before every burn. A long wick produces a larger, less controlled flame that burns through wax too quickly and can produce more soot than necessary.
- Always allow your candle to reach a full melt pool on the first burn, meaning let it burn long enough that the entire surface of the wax has liquefied to the edges of the vessel.
- Store candles away from direct sunlight when not in use. UV light fades fragrance and can discolour wax.
Browse our full candle collection to find the right piece for your home or the right gift for someone else.
If you would like a recommendation, our team in Glenelg is always happy to help you find the right scent.
