17 Winter Candles that Will Give Your Space Ultimate Cozy Vibes

Winter is peak candle season, with tons of wintry scents to choose from and an actual reason to light them (darkness!). Since there’s pretty much no limit to the number of winter/holiday candles out there, I surveyed the Apartment Therapy team and my own extensive candle collection to bring you the best of the bunch (and on National Candle Day, no less!). Enjoy, and let us know your favorite winter candles in the comments.

Outdoor Fellow’s Woods scent from their core collection gives off serious wintry vibes. It includes notes of cedarwood, patchouli, pine needle, sandalwood, and teakwood, and has a burn time of 40-50 hours.

Buy: Outdoor Fellow No. 14 Woods Candle, $36 from Outdoor Fellow

“This is like a cinnamon stick in apple cider,” a staffer said. Homesick’s holiday collection also has other festive scents, including the cedar-scented Ski Trip, the redcurrant and sugar plum Holiday Stroll, and Latkes and Lights with more apple notes.

Buy: The Nutcracker Candle, $34 from Homesick

“This scent is fresh and floral with a hint of holiday, which is my kind of vibe,” one tester said. “It’s festive and cozy enough to get me into the spirit, but can easily be used well after the holidays.” Voluspa’s candles also come in seven sizes from travel tin to large five-wick jars, as well as reed diffusers.

Buy: Gilt Pomander and Hinoki Candle, $36 from Voluspa

“One of my go-to’s for years, Anthro’s Fir & Firewood candle is a limited edition scent that comes back every holiday season,” commerce editor Nicole Lund says. “I’ve purchased the set of 6 votives in the past and used them when hosting holiday parties, and gotten rave reviews every time. (What else would you expect from the makers of the famous Volcano candle?) The key to this scent is that it’s surprisingly fruity, combining apple and clove with the usual suspects: fir, pine needle, white birch, cedar, vetiver, and musk.”

Buy: Capri Blue Fir & Firewood Jar Candle, $16 from Anthropologie

P.F. Candle Co.’s Spruce candle is becoming a staff favorite. It’s more subtle than other Christmas tree-inspired scents, so it’s a good pick for someone sensitive to smells (or if you’re buying it as a gift). The scent list includes blue spruce, snow, pine, cedarwood, and citrus (yeah, not sure how they found a “snow scent”, but I’m not questioning it). And of course, the amber jars are perfect for reusing once the candle’s done.

Buy: P.F. Candle Co. Spruce Candle, $20 from Urban Outfitters

“Really soothing and sophisticated,” one sniffer noted. “If you told me this is what Meryl Streep smells like, I would believe you.” High praise for any candle. Apotheke calls it a “sultry fragrance” with notes of cashmere, eucalyptus, and lilac combined with earthy vetiver, sandalwood, amber, and cedarwood. “It might be the candle to burn when you’re looking for motivation to work on New Year’s resolutions or a start-of-the-new-year home organization project.” January Cure, anyone?

Buy: White Vetiver Candle, $38 from Apotheke

Winter isn’t all pine trees and smoky firewood — it’s also citrus season. This Black-owned brand showcases the tart fruits beautifully with orange blossom and Buddha’s hand lemon, balanced by vanilla and lavender.

Buy: Sugar Hill Candle, $45 from Harlem Candle Co.

In 2020, when it comes to drinks and candles, you don’t have to choose just one. Jonathan Adler’s trio has votive-sized versions of the bestselling Pop candles in boozy scents Bourbon, Vodka, and Champagne. Cheers!

Buy: Pick Your Poison Votive Set, $68 $51 from Jonathan Adler

If you want to spoil someone (yourself?) this season, the Parisian perfumer can’t be topped. They have some gorgeously designed holiday motifs for 2020, including this rose and cinnamon scented beauty. Can’t choose? Grab all three holiday fragrances, or go big with the coveted advent calendar.

Buy: Floral Majesty Candle, $78 from Diptyque

I smell a lot of candles each year, and none impressed me more in 2020 than IKEA’s OSYNLIG collaboration with Ben Gorham of Byredo. It’s shocking how complex and balanced the scents (and how lovely the ceramic vessels) are for a candle that’s under $10. The fig and cypress is a favorite, but you’ll probably want all 13 fragrances.

Buy: OSYNLIG Candle, $9.99 from IKEA

According to Branded Content Editor Elizabeth Entenman, she “would die for this candle.” It has three wicks and a burn time of 60 hours, and combines Siberian fir, cedarwood, and sandalwood to make a deeply comforting scent. It’s expensive, but makes a great hostess gift—and if you love the scent, there’s a whole Frasier Fir collection you can buy from.

Buy: Thymes Frasier Fir 3-Wick Candle, $50

Part of the queer-owned candle company’s Rituals collection, Broken Rosary “is a light cashmere cardigan that’s been neatly folded in a drawer next to a a sachet of potpourri,” a tester noted. Rose water and cardamom are grounded by cedar, moss, and cinnamon.

Buy: Broken Rosary Candle, $39 from Boy Smells

I’m a sucker for currant anything, be it jam or candles, and Anecdote makes a great version. The millennial-favorite brand with cheeky names and scents do the holidays justice with this fruit-forward fragrance that’s balanced by amber. Also check out the spruce and cypress-scented Aprés Ski, and Spiked & Spiced if you’re a fan of mulled wine.

Buy: Mistletoe Candle, $39 from Anecdote Candles

You don’t have to spend a lot to find a good wintry candle, as proven by this budget-friendly option from reliable Mrs. Meyer’s. It’s a favorite of Branded Content Editor Matt Gurry, who says that “this one comes the closest to smelling like actual woods.” With a 35 hour burn time it’s on the smaller side, but it’s so inexpensive that it’s easy to stock up at the start of the season.

Buy: Mrs. Meyer’s Iowa Pine Large Jar Candle, $9.99 from Target

If candles are part of your self care routine, look no further than Spoken Flames. With crackling wooden wicks, shimmery coconut wax, and corresponding mantras, these candles are an experience. “Lighting these candles is a true joy for the senses,” our tester said. The orange, clove, and cedar notes of the Fearless scent brings the holiday spirit.

Buy: Fearless Candle, $34 from Spoken Flames

If you’re the type that’s sinking into the sofa and streaming your favorite holiday films of yore, this candle belongs in your stocking. Nostalgia is scented with sandalwood and sugar plum. The founders are “homebodies to the core”, so you can trust them to bring the cozy vibes.

Buy: Nostalgia Candle, $28 CAD from Land of Daughters

It’s expensive, but it’s a classic. Byredo’s Bibliothèque candle is meant to evoke the distinctive (and hard to replicate) library/old book smell, and it comes the closest of any similar candle I’ve smelled. It combines notes of peach, plum, vanilla, and patchouli, creating a scent that’s warm, romantic, and tailor-made for winter nights (preferably ones where you curl up with a good book).

Buy: Byredo Bibliothèque Candle, $85 from Nordstrom