If there's one essential in winter, it's a cozy candle or festive fragrance to fill your home with scent, lifting your space and your mood.
From sweet gourmand scents to fresher, lighter fragrances, the way your home smells can have a real effect on the way you feel. Here, we spoke to fragrance and home experts to find out which Amazon home fragrance finds they recommend picking up in the Prime Big Deal Days, so you can purchase with confidence.
These are our top picks of the best candles, diffusers and air fresheners to keep your home smelling great all winter.
5 scents to keep your home smelling great all winter
Berry
When it comes to festive, wintery scents, warm berry candles are the perfect way to make your home feel cozy and smelling great, and are a clever home scenting secret to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
'I am a big fan of berry scents in winter, says Larry Snider, vice president of operations at Casago, with over 20 years of experience in scenting vacation rentals. 'I find that it's a great winter scent that isn't too Christmas-centric.
'Don't get me wrong, I love the smell of pine, but once Christmas has passed, I find that I am a bit over that smell. Instead, berry scents are nice and sweet, and I don't get tired of them.'
All prices correct at time of publication.
This large candle features a cherry wood wick for an even burn and superior scent dispersion, and a removable lid to preserve the fragrance. Bergamot is often used in spa fragrances for that luxury, clean smell.
This black wax candle adds a stylish, sophisticated touch to any space. With a 35-50 hour burn time, it's designed to burn evenly for a long-lasting glow. Soy is not toxic to burn and experts recommend it over paraffin candle wax types.
This fruity berry candle has a warm fragrance with notes of red currant, petals, and oak moss. It's cruelty-free, preservative-free, and is made from natural wax with lead-free cotton wicks.
Citrus
If you prefer a fresher scent, citrus scents are a home fragrance classic for a reason – and are particularly good if you like to make a home smell nice when sensitive to fragrance.
'I'm a real estate investor who has flipped over 30 homes,' says Harpreet Saini, CEO of We Buy Houses in Metro Detroit. 'I noticed that a nice-smelling home can make a huge difference in how long it takes to sell a house. Once, we flipped a home where simply adding fresh scents to the house make it smell 20% faster.
'It was amazing to see how a small change can make a big impact.'
I recommend the Fresh Wave Lemon Odor Eliminator Spray & Air Freshener available at Amazon, which is a non-toxic spray infused with lemon plant oils, perfect for refreshing fabrics without harsh chemicals and only $7.19.
This candle uses the uplifting scent of Sicilian lemons for a fresh, sweet aroma. With 14 oz of soy wax and 3 cotton wicks, this candle offers a burn time of 35-40 hours.
Pine
My winter scent of choice is undoubtedly pine, and I love the Skandinavisk Skog Scented Candle, available at Amazon and reduced for Big Day Deals. It's a more unusual take on the classic scent, and smells much more fresh than overly woody, with notes of pine needles, fir cones, birch sap and lily of the valley.
It's also sustainably-farmed with non-GMO Swedish rapeseed wax with an FSC-certified beech wood lid. And, if you're wondering what to do with a candle when it's burnt out, I also love reusing the Scandinavian glass jars after use for makeup and brushes. Our dedicated-guide on how to get candle wax out of jars makes it easy to reuse candle jars around your house.
Karina Toner, operations manager at Spekless, also recommends pine scents for winter, and recommends using a diffuser such as the PRISTINE Balsam Pine Reed Diffuser available at Amazon.
She says, 'Pine fragrance brings a fresh, woodsy scent reminiscent of the outdoors during the colder months. Its subtle, long-lasting aroma adds warmth without being overpowering. Also, as reed diffusers are flame-free, they're safer than candles.'
Place the reeds in the diffuser to allow the natural, woody fragrance oils to diffuse into the air. 'Flip the reeds periodically to refresh the scent,' adds Toner.
I really recommend Yankee Candles, and Toner calls this one scented with balsam, aromatic cedar wood and juniper berry a 'winter staple,' for a festive, forest feel. It provides a 110 to 150 hour burn time, and uses top-quality ingredients for a superior scent.
This pine scented candle is infused with premium essential oils, and is non-toxic, and free from parabins, phthalates and parabins.
This strongly scented candle with notes of lemon zest and pine with a hint of musk is made from 100% soy wax and burns for up to 40 hours. Packaged in an artisan-designed gift box, it makes a perfect gift, too.
Linen
The scent of fresh laundry and linen makes your home smell nice year round, so why not recreate it with a diffuser, suggests real-estate expert, Saini.
'The COCORRÍNA Reed Diffuser Set in Clean Linen available at Amazon is a game-changer for creating a welcoming atmosphere in living rooms and entryways,' she says. 'Its fresh, crisp aroma reminds me of freshly laundered sheets. This 6.7oz diffuser lasts for weeks, providing a consistent, pleasant fragrance that potential buyers always comment on.'
If you're considering reed diffusers vs scented candles, there are pros and cons to both a flickering candle and elegant reeds. Either can be suited to different homes and spaces, and our run-down of the best reed diffusers are all effective products to make a home smell expensive.
Firewood
Is there anything as synonymous with winter as a burning log fire? For the crackling sound and woody scent, there is nothing more cozy than curling up in front of one.
'During the winter months, it's all about creating a warm and inviting atmosphere with the right home fragrance,' says Mark Crames, CEO & chief perfumer at Demeter Fragrances, who recommends a firewood scent for this.
I love candles which recreate this smell, and recommend the Craft & Kin Smokey Fireside Candle available at Amazon, which has notes of cedar, smoke, patchouli and vetiver.
If you do have and use an actual one, make sure you know how to clean a fireplace, and how to start a fire in a fireplace to get set for winter.
This candle is handcrafted from natural coconut wax, with crackling wood wicks to recreate the sound of sitting by a fire. It has notes of teakwood, cedar, blood orange, yuzu, white sage, rosewood, black peppercorn, vetiver, tonka beans and foxtail fir, for an all-encompassing, cozy Christmas scent.
FAQs
What is the longest-lasting way to scent a home?
While burning candles look beautiful and autumnal, if you want something that will really last, opt for a diffuser. Not only can these be refilled, the reeds will continue to dissipate scent throughout your home at all times, with long-lasting aroma.
You can also make a reed diffuser with essential oils, for a quick, easy and unique home-scenting trick.
When burning candles to keep your home smelling great all winter, our candle care guide details wick tips, vessel tips and how to avoid candle tunneling.
