There's a simple joy to be found in lighting one of the best fall candles. Soft, warming, and delicately cozy − it instantly sets the mood for waving goodbye to summer and slowing down with the new season.
Whether you opt for delicious notes of baked pumpkin and creamy vanilla, fresher, fruitier scents of apple cider and berry, or smoky, moodier picks is a matter of preference. But what all these fragrances have in common is a unique ability to shift your space, taking it from the easy, breezy tones of summer to a warm, welcoming home that invites you to hunker down and relax.
In fact, in my opinion, the very best candles can be found at this time of year. Below, I've handpicked 12 seasonal staples to light, burn, and enjoy.
Traditional Pumpkin Spiced and Gourmand Scents
It would be wrong to put together a guide to the best fall candles and not include any classic pumpkin picks.
Notes: Kabocha pumpkin, coconut crema, cinnamon-spiced brûlée
Sizes available: Mini Tin, Small Jar, 3-Wick Tin, Luxe Classic, Large Jar, 3-Wick Hearth, 5-Wick Hearth ($16-$275)
There's no scent more synonymous with fall than classic, sweet pumpkin spice. I recently smelled this iteration from Voluspa at The London Home Fragrance Show and was immediately transported to a cozy kitchen filled with the scent of baked goods. It's made with a unique coconut wax blend and is free of phthalates, parabens, and sulfates, and never tested on animals.
Notes: Brown sugar, toasted nutmeg, pumpkin, butter.
Sizes available: 7.2 oz
P.F. Candle Co. picks are my favorite for a non-toxic, clean burn. Each candle is made in California using 100 per cent domestically-grown soy wax, fine fragrance oils, and cotton-core wicks. Though this candle is a relatively small size, it boasts a burn time of up to 50 hours and effectively fills a room with a sweet, welcoming fragrance that will last all season.
Notes: Wild pumpkin, spicy masala chai, cardamom, ginger, cinnamon
Sizes available: 2 oz, 8.1 oz, 21.2 oz ($23-$92)
If you want to lean into the pumpkin notes but don't want anything too gourmand, try this spiced version instead. NEST launched in 2008, created by fragrance authority Laura Slatkin, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year, and has been ever popular since. This warming candle blends a fresher side of pumpkin with all the spices you'd use in seasonal baking, and none of the sweetness.
Notes: Pumpkin, sugar, vanilla
Sizes available: Small, Medium ($28-$58)
Why shouldn't a pumpkin-scented candle be shaped like a pumpkin, too? This candle turns your fragrance into a seasonal decoration, with a textured glass jar that you can reuse every October. It features a plant-based wax blend and knitted fiber candle wick.
Fresher, Fruity Picks from the Apple Orchard
Sometimes the right space calls for something less sweet and a little more fruity.
Notes: Crisp apple, cinnamon, clove, cedarwood
Sizes available: Medium
To me, warm apple cider is to fall what mulled wine is to winter. This candle is crisp yet spicy, and features a 70-hour burn time. Brooklyn Candle Studio uses 100 per cent soy wax for an eco-friendly, sustainably clean burn, and lead-free cotton wicks. Each is also petroleum-free, cruelty-free, phthalate-free, and vegan, and made by hand by their in-house team of skilled artisans.
Notes: Macintosh apple peels, crisp greens, grapefruit, cloves
Sizes available: Large
Apple scents certainly don't have to be sweet. This tart option from Yankee is named after the well-known variety famed for its red and white skin, and is grounded with cloves for a rounded finish. In my experience, Yankee Candles are affordable, burn cleanly, and strongly fill a room of any size with their scent.
Notes: Freshly picked blackcurrants, rose, greens
Sizes available: Small, Classic, Medium, Large, Very Large ($48-$440)
Baies is one of Diptyque's bestselling scents (it's even one of Victoria Beckham's favorite candles), and it really comes into its own over the fall season. It's fruity yet luxuriously warming, and has the added benefit of looking beautiful placed on your mantelpiece, or among your fall table decor. In my opinion, you can't choose a better candle than those found at Diptyque − they're expensive, but I find them worth the extra spend every time.
Notes: Fallen leaves, cassis berry, wild blackberry, golden amber.
Sizes available: Mini Tin, Small Jar, Classic, 3-Wick Tin, Large Jar, 3-Wick Hearth, 5-Wick Hearth ($16-$250)
Walking through woodlands is one of the most beautiful parts of fall. This foraged wildberry candle captures all the notes of leaves crunched underfoot and plump, ripe berries picked and eaten along the way. The single wick size allows for a scent throw of 60 hours.
Moody Notes of Smoke and Leather
Lean into the shorter days and darker nights with deeper scents.
Notes: Wood fire, flickering flames, smoke
Sizes available: Small, Classic, Medium, Large, Very Large ($48-$440)
If, like me, you're not a fan of gourmand scents, this is the truest 'wood fire' scent I've ever burned, and my favorite to light as soon as the seasons turn. It fills large spaces with the unmistakably comforting scent of a roaring open fire, with dense, smoky notes. I usually burn this more seasonally versatile scent through to February, so there's plenty of longevity with this investment.
Notes: Australian sandalwood, cedarwood, cardamom, ambrox, leather
Sizes available: 8.6 oz
There's no better scent than Brooklyn-born Le Labo's Santal. Inspired by the American West, it's filled with character, depth, and spice, so it's no surprise that it's Jennifer Lopez's candle of choice. It's smoky yet sophisticated, and made with soy wax for an intoxicating yet non-toxic, clean burn. Each is carefully crafted by hand in the US.
Notes: Smooth leather, muted florals, rustic wood
Sizes available: 9 oz
After sampling a few scents from Malin+Goetz, it has quickly become one of my favorite brands for home fragrancing. This leather scent, also available in a much-loved perfume, is rugged yet refined, with an undertone of nostalgic wood. The vegetable wax used in Malin+Goetz candles offers the cleanest burn I've ever seen (so much so that I enjoyed a cocktail out of a repurposed vessel at an event), and each is vegan and cruelty-free.
Notes: Bergamot, violet, and sandalwood
Sizes available: 11 oz
If you prefer your woody scents with a floral undertone, this, from woman- and family-owned brand Linnea, is the recommendation for you. It's hand-poured with soy wax and double cotton wicks for an even 60-hour burn across the wax surface, and each candle also includes matches for a gorgeous gift this holiday season.
If you'd prefer to do one big seasonal shop from one retailer, these are the fall scents I'm shopping from Net-a-Porter.
Love the latest product news and helpful shopping advice? Sign up for our newsletter and get the latest features delivered straight to your inbox.
