This $13 Accessory Single-Handedly Made Me a Candle Person

I have a confession to make: I’m low-key obsessed with candles. Maybe it’s the delicious scents or the gorgeous glow, but there’s something instantaneously soothing about lighting a candle. Not only do I have one burning virtually 24/7 (when I’m home, that is), but I also have an entire cabinet solely dedicated to candles. Think they’re a lame or impersonal present? I’d happily take ’em off your hands! (Kidding… ish.)

But it wasn’t always that way. If I’m being totally honest, I was once nervous to light candles in my house. What if I forgot to blow it out before going to bed? What if a stray spark flickered the wrong way, caught my couch on fire, and burned my entire apartment down? I know, it’s a little dramatic, but stranger things have happened. For a while, the mere thought of something bad happening made me reluctant to even have candles in my house.

Shortly after I moved into my first grown-up apartment, I purchased a hurricane—and am giving it full credit for my candle-loving ways.

In case you’re just dipping your wick into the candle game, a hurricane is a big, open cylinder that acts as a protective barrier between a candle and the rest of your home. So if a flame goes awry, it’s at least enclosed in glass or metal.

I know what you’re thinking: “Yeah, so? It’s a no-brainer. Candle hurricanes are just as common as trivets or throw pillows.”

However, I cannot tell you how many friends I have who don’t own hurricanes and proceed to tell me about close calls with their candles. Whether or not you have a hurricane, it’s important to practice proper candle safety. You should never, ever leave an open flame unsupervised, but my hurricane gives me peace of mind that my entire apartment won’t burn to a crisp should I leave my apartment’s main room to use the bathroom or take my eyes off my candle for a millisecond.

There are a bunch of styles, shapes, and sizes to choose from, but I prefer something simple like this one from Royal Imports. It’s versatile enough to look great in any room, plus it puts the focus solely my candle’s bright, beautiful glow. And since this hurricane is completely clear, I can always tell if I forgot to blow out my candle before going to bed.

As a bonus, it can double as a vase should you (gasp!) not want to light a candle. While this particular style comes in a range of sizes, I’ve found the five-inch by eight-inch works for tea lights, small candles, and larger multi-wick styles alike.

Now the only question that remains is which candle you should burn…

Love candles? Share your favorite ones with us below!