If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best sandalwood candle is, then we recommend Lulu Candles Jasmine, Oud, & Sandalwood Scented Soy Candle as the best one.
We’ve covered many candle scents in our previous posts – today, our guide is going to be focused on the best sandalwood candles. If that’s what you are looking for, then read on to find our picks!
Our guide formula is like always – we’re going to first help you better understand the product so that you can make an informed decision. And next, we’ll move to the core of this post – the best sandalwood candle reviews.
Let’s begin without any further ado!
In this article, we’re going to review the following sandalwood candles:
- Lulu Candles Jasmine, Oud, & Sandalwood Scented Soy Candle
- Smoke Odor Exterminator Sandalwood Candle
- Yankee Candle Harvest Wick 2-Wick Candle
- WoodWick Suede & Sandalwood Scented Candle
- Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille Soy Candle
Where Can You Use A Sandalwood Candle?
The scent of sandalwood is generally considered to be relaxing and therefore suits bathrooms or bedrooms the best. It might also work in living rooms in some situations, but if you need to stay focused, then sandalwood might not be the best choice.
Soy VS Paraffin Wax – What Would Work Best For A Sandalwood Candle?
Sandalwood-scented candles are mostly made from either soy or paraffin wax. These days, paraffin candles are in a majority, but soy candles are increasingly gaining popularity. There also are the so-called soy wax blends.
Soy wax is very popular these days due to the following reasons:
- Soy wax is made of soybean oil and is thus more eco-friendly than paraffin wax. Paraffin wax, in contrast, is produced from crude oil. Note, however, that soybean oil may be produced with GMOs, so it also isn’t always eco-friendly.
- Soy wax is safer than paraffin wax. Paraffin wax has been linked with cancer – however, you have to use a paraffin candle every day for years for health issues to develop. According to Healthline, though there are some studies showing the dangers of paraffin, the evidence is still inconclusive.
- Soy candles tend to burn longer and cleaner than paraffin wax.
So far, the biggest reason why people start preferring soy waxes is the possible health harm of paraffin. But even if we ignore the health drawbacks of paraffin wax, soy wax looks better thanks to its cleaner & longer burn and environmental-friendliness.
These days, 100% soy wax candles are a rarity, especially if we are talking about pillar candles. Soy wax isn’t rigid enough to stand on its own, so manufacturers have to add paraffin or other types of wax to reinforce soy candles.
This isn’t an issue with jarred candles, but even jar candles aren’t always purely made of soy. Sometimes, paraffin is still added to improve the scent throw (paraffin generally produces a stronger scent) and reduce costs. If you want to stay risk-free, soy blends obviously aren’t an option for you.
The takeaway – paraffin wax may be harmful in long-term use, and it also isn’t as eco-friendly as soy wax. For many people, soy candles would be preferable.
Note, however, that soy candles still produce smoke, and any smoke is harmful. Plus, remember that the harms of paraffin wax aren’t yet conclusive. We don’t think that occasional use of paraffin waxes will do any long-term harm, but if you are worried, just avoid paraffin candles.
Just in case, check what the ingredients of the available candles are, but know that some manufacturers advertise their formulations as “trade secrets” and don’t provide any info on them.
Key Things To Consider In Sandalwood Candles
Finally, before moving on to our Top 5, let’s quickly talk about a few important things to consider in sandalwood candles.
We’ve covered these points in our other scented candle guides, so if you’ve read any of them, you may skip ahead to the review section. Otherwise, we’ll talk about them again so you don’t have to go and look for our past guides.
Scent notes and intensity
First up, pay attention to the scent notes in available candles. Though we are talking about sandalwood today, scented candles are rarely 100% sandalwood – they most often deliver hints of other scents as well.
Candlemakers offer a virtually endless range of scent combinations, so we can’t possibly cover them all here. The best tip we can give you is that you should pick scent notes that you like.
As for scent intensity, it is difficult to assess when shopping online. Your best bet would be to read buyer reviews – if a lot of people complain about a weak scent, for example, then you’ll know what you are dealing with. From here, proceed according to your preferences.
Burn time & size
Long burn times are preferable since you would be getting more value for the money out of a candle.
When comparing burn times, also pay attention to the size of the candle in ounces. All else equal, you should pick a sandalwood candle that offers a longer burn time. However, don’t ignore other features as well – it may so happen that a candle with a shorter burn time is a better pick for you.
Packaging
Scented candles – including sandalwood – are often purchased as gifts, so candlemakers do everything they can to deliver their candles in gift-worthy packaging.
If you are getting a sandalwood candle for personal use, then the packaging won’t matter much. Otherwise, be sure that the candle is coming in a nice gift box, not in a plain cardboard box like some scented candles do.
Best Sandalwood Candles Reviewed
Lulu Candles Jasmine, Oud, & Sandalwood Scented Soy Candle
If you want something on the stronger side, this soy candle from Lulu Candles is a worthy pick.
This particular candle has notes of jasmine, oud, and sandalwood. The scent here is strong and even overpowering – as testified by buyer reviews, filling entire rooms with fragrance is no challenge for this scented candle. However, we think you should be careful with this candle if you don’t like strong scents.
The scent quality here is great – plenty of people have liked this particular fragrance combo for its cleanness and authenticity. Well, we wouldn’t expect otherwise for the price.
Lulu Candles offers this candle in multiple sizes – from 6 to 11 ounces as of this review. The burn time of these candles is pretty long, reaching maybe 60-70 hours.
The Lulu Candles scented candle is manufactured from soy, so you shouldn’t have to worry about any adverse reactions or health effects with it. The candle is also cruelty-free, which we know matters for many of our readers.
Note that some listings of this candle don’t include lids or boxes. For personal use, this shouldn’t be a problem, but if you are looking to buy a candle as a gift, make sure that you are getting a boxed version.
Pros:
- Made cruelty-free.
- Powerful, quality fragrance.
- Available in multiple sizes.
Cons:
- Pricey
Smoke Odor Exterminator Sandalwood Candle
The Smoke Odor Exterminator sandalwood candle is uniquely formulated to eliminate odors and smoke. In fact, the candle doesn’t just mask odors – it contains enzymes that actually remove them.
Now, the Smoke Odor Exterminator candle won’t magically remove smoke or pet odors of any intensity. If the air is heavily contaminated, then it will probably struggle a bit. But judging by the highly positive user feedback, this scented candle has worked for most buyers.
The fragrance in the Smoke Odor Exterminator candle is sandalwood with no side notes. The sandalwood scent here is mild but high-quality, and although the formulation in this candle differs from that in regular candles, this candle works very well as a standard scented candle.
Our and some buyers’ main gripe with this candle is the paraffin contained in the wax. The Smoke Odor Exterminator features a paraffin and soy blend, and though we don’t think the amount of paraffin here will be harmful, it may still be a deal-breaker for some people.
Pros:
- Rather inexpensive.
- Formulated to eliminate smoke and pet odors.
- Mild but quality sandalwood scent.
Cons:
- Contains small amounts of paraffin.
Yankee Candle Harvest Wick 2-Wick Candle
Boasting 2 wicks, the Harvest Wick candle from Yankee offers a stronger, more even burn.
Yankee also offers a 3-wick candle for even more intense burning, as well as a single-wick candle for a more traditional experience. These alternative candles are smaller and thus burn shorter, but it’s nice that you have a few options to choose from.
The 2-wick Harvest Wick candle is advertised to burn for up to 65-80 hours, which is pretty nice given that there are 2 wicks. The scent here is nice and mild and has notes of not only sandalwood but also birch, red oak, and eucalyptus.
What we also absolutely love about the Harvest Wick candle is the elegant glass container it comes in. It’s unlike most scented candles on the market and is a great pick if you are bored with traditional glass jar candles. The brushed metal lid is cute too, and it’s also designed to serve as a pedestal for the jar.
Pros:
- 2 wicks for a stronger, more even burn.
- Notes of sandalwood, birch, red oak, and eucalyptus.
- Burns for 65-80 hours.
- Gorgeous candle container.
WoodWick Suede & Sandalwood Scented Candle
If you’ve never tried a scented candle from WoodWick, then you ought to do at least once. WoodWick offers a wide range of unique candles, with their key feature being the organic wooden wick.
What’s interesting about this wick is that it produces a crackling sound as it burns. Many people find the crackling soothing, and some also like the fireplace feel delivered by the wick. We can’t guarantee that you will like the sound – after all, some people find it annoying – but at least give it a shot.
Apart from the wick, which also sets the WoodWick candle apart is the elegant hourglass-shaped container with a wooden lid. This candle looks gorgeous and can complement any interior.
In terms of scent, the WoodWick candle delivers quality notes of sandalwood, suede, ylang-ylang, and vanilla. The burn time is a generous 130-180 hours, which is among the longest burn times you will find on the market. So although this sandalwood candle is rather pricey, you are getting a lot of value for the money.
Pros:
- Crackling wooden wick.
- Burns for 130-180 hours.
- Elegant hourglass container.
- Notes of sandalwood, ylang-ylang, vanilla, and suede.
Cons:
- Pricey
Aquiesse Sandalwood Vanille Soy Candle
And as our #5 pick, we have the Sandalwood Vanille soy candle from Aquiesse. This is an outrageously expensive sandalwood candle, but it perhaps delivers the best scent quality on our top. The candle is far from being cost-effective, but if you use it sparingly, you will be able to enjoy its intoxicatingly good smell for quite some time.
The fragrance in the Aquiesse scented candle is centered around the musky tones of fresh-cut sandalwood. Along with it, you are getting subtle tones of white vanilla, citrus-infused bergamot, and lavender. Aquiesse promises that you’ll be able to enjoy the scent for 100 hours, which is a great deal of time for the candle’s size.
Although the Aquiesse sandalwood candle comes in a traditionally-shaped glass jar, its chic smoke-brown tint is quite the eye-catcher. In our opinion, the jar makes the candle a fine addition to classically-styled interiors.
Pros:
- Burns for 100 hours.
- Excellent quality.
- Offers the scent of fresh-cut sandalwood with touches of citrus-infused bergamot, white vanilla, and lavender.
- Classy smoke-brown glass container.
Cons:
- Really expensive.
Final Words
Frankly, it’s quite difficult for us to pick the best-of-the-best sandalwood candle – all our top picks are excellent and have something unique to offer!
Still, we have to pick something. We decided to go with the Lulu Candles Jasmine, Oud, & Sandalwood Scented Soy Candle. Though this isn’t the most interesting sandalwood candle on the top, its key benefits are the eco-friendly manufacturing, the quality, clean scent, and the premium soy wax blend that doesn’t seem to contain any paraffin.
This is just our opinion, however, and we think that the remaining 4 picks are excellent too – in their own ways. Don’t feel pressured by our recommendation – if you like another sandalwood candle, go for it. Just be sure to read through our reviews and the candles’ product descriptions to know what you are getting!