I Smell-Tested 20 Christmas Tree Scented Candles — And the Winner Is Just $13

This candle smells exactly like going to a tree farm and cutting your own tree. The scent is fresh and simple, the 4-ounce size is small enough to tuck away anywhere, and the price is low enough to buy one for each room in your home, if you really want to commit to the Christmas spirit.

Although you probably know Vacation for its iconic coconut-banana-sunshine sunscreen smell, the brand has successfully captured a new season with their Royal Pine Deluxe candle. Its top fragrance notes include “Balsam Pine Accord,” “Siberian Pine Needle,” and “Norwegian Spruce,” although you’ll also find base notes like “Crisp Mountain Air” and “Tonka Bean Panna Cotta.” The forest green wax and gold script make the candle look just as rich as it smells — and would look lovely perched atop a coffee table.

I am a big P.F. Candle Co. fan, but, as this was a blind candle-sniffing showdown, I had no bias when smelling this limited-edition Spruce candle. The scent of this one struck us as particularly natural and truly outdoorsy — like bundling up and stepping outside to breathe in fresh fir trees. Given that all P.F. Candle Co. products are vegan, phthalate-free, and made with soy wax, that lack of synthetic smell makes perfect sense. It may have already sold out in its 7.2-ounce size, but you can still cop one in the larger 12.5-ounce size.

Another three-wick winner from Bath & Body Works, this one smells like walking into the Narnia forest — snowy, fresh, and a little bit sweet. It claims notes of woodland balsam, crisp eucalyptus, fir branches, and cedarwood, which is exactly what it delivers. Hide this on your mantel and guests will be asking where the Christmas tree is in no time.

Old Saint Wick was a candle showdown favorite, although it didn’t nail the Christmas tree smell precisely enough to take that crown. It does, however, evoke the feeling of curling up by the fireplace and shaking wrapped presents while the snow falls outside. Its scent notes include “Siberian pine, apple blossom (like a semi-dry cider), rosemary, jasmine, fir balsam, sandalwood, and cedarwood,” and the 8.5-ounce version boasts a 50-plus-hour burn time.

I have not met a Poured Candle Bar scent that I don’t adore, so I wasn’t at all shocked to find that we loved this cheekily named fir fragrance. The 10-ounce soy wax candle is sturdy and striking, thanks to the green glass vessel, and the smell (a mix of Balsam, Douglas, Silver, and Fraser fir varieties) is so fresh — and free of the minty sweetness some of the Christmas tree candle contenders had.

And, while their Cypress Chill candle has less of a straightforward Christmas tree smell, thanks to the addition of eucalyptus, it is so soothing it makes me want to rent a snowy cabin in the woods and draw a steamy bath. If I close my eyes and smell it, I can kind of believe I’m already there.

This one wins our award for most giftable candle. Though it didn’t top our charts as the most convincing Christmas tree scent, the aroma of Hazeltine’s The Tree is delectable. With top notes of pine and satsuma, heart notes of hinoki and balsam fir, and a base note of sandalwood, the resulting fragrance conjures images of a twinkle-lit living room draped in dried orange garlands and evergreen boughs. Subtler than others, I could see myself working my way through this 35-hour burn time in no time at all.

Poured in New Orleans, the woman-owned company’s stock is filled with candles that would make gorgeous gifts owing to the rounded, matte glass jars, chic tin lids, and charmingly illustrated labels. Can’t decide on one scent? Sample a few with the Holiday Trio.

Unlike Tree Farm (which we found to be very tree-like but “all pine needles, no vibes”), this three-wick candle is full of ambiance. It has a woodsy complexity that would pair perfectly with a crackling fire (YouTube fireplace highly acceptable if you don’t have a real one) and jazz playing in the background. To make it extra giftable, you could even pair it with an elaborate mini fireplace candleholder.

Since Literie candles aim to capture the essence of classic New York City moments, it’s only right to have one dedicated to “The Christmas Tree Guy” stands that pop up all around the city just after Thanksgiving each year. This scent, a delightful combination of evergreen and cloves, is equal parts fresh and cozy and really does smell like bringing home a Christmas tree. Not to mention, the white jar is nice for those whose holiday aesthetic is more winter wonderland than green decor.

Like everything Rifle Paper Co. designs, this candle is just so lovely to look at. While it’s not as strictly Christmas-y as some of the top contenders, this candle’s notes of cedarwood, oakmoss, clove, and pine all blend beautifully to create a crisp aroma that I want to fill my home with all winter long.

If you want your living room to smell like an evergreen tree, this is not the candle for you. But if you want to fill your room with a subtle bouquet of a spiced simmer pot, smoky fireplace, and perfume lingering from party guests, this is just what you’ve been looking for. Given its glitzy gold vessel and Anecdote’s penchant for telling a story on the label, Après Ski would make an excellent host gift this holiday season.

This miniature candle from Baobab Collection fell low on our list of the best Christmas tree scented candles — but that is not to say I wouldn’t love my home to smell like this. Made with notes of fir, wood fire, and vetiver, this small-but-mighty candle smells like sitting by a campfire wrapped in a cashmere throw. It’s so smoky and luxurious. As for the shotglass-sized vessel, it could not be more beautiful: Screenprinted with a 24-carat gold design of camels trekking over hills in the African deserts, these candles would make gorgeous (if not exactly affordable) stocking stuffers.