Here are Our Favorite (and Not So Favorite) Fall Candles After Hands-On Testing

Laura ranked this Yankee candle as a perfect 5/5. Its scent description is accurate in saying it smells like “Pumpkins baked in simmering spices of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon, and sweetened with brown sugar, and the burn time is about 50 hours as described.

Laura rated this candle as a perfect 5/5, but again wasn’t sure if the burn time equals the description of 25-45 hours. The scent is described as: “Tahitian Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, Homemade Marshmallow, Drizzled Caramel with Essential Oils,” but Laura said the caramel didn’t specifically stand out to her, although she loved the “Sweet, wonderful scent.”

Laura was pleasantly surprised that this little candle casts as much scent as it does. She rated it a perfect 5.5, agreed with the description of “Orchard-fresh apple cider scented candle has a sweet and crisp scent, with a little touch of spice,” but was unsure if the burn time hits the 25 hour mark it claims to have.

Laura gave this candle a 4 out of 5 score. The scent description is “Woodsy, Sandalwood, Vanilla,” and she agreed with that description. The burn time also holds true to its 50 hour approximation as well.

For Laura, this wasn’t one of her typical scent profiles, so she rates it a 3/5. She did say it has an accurate description with “Gooey Brown Sugar Filling, Toasted Pecans, Homemade Pie Crust with Essential Oils,” and brought a very cozy vibe to her space.

This generic Falling Leaves candle from Target ranked lowest on Laura’s list, and she gave it a score of 3 out of 5. Which considering its price point compared to the name brand options might not be a surprise. It is described as “Autumn leaves scented…will soothe nerves and give a cozy vibe,” but Laura said “Not sure it would soothe nerves…just a fall fragrance to bring an autumn ambiance to your home. Perhaps not a cozy vibe but definitely a fall scent.” Laura was also unsure of the 110 hour burn time.

In her application, Victoria said Rustic Smoke Candle Co. was her favorite, so we wanted her to smell their whole fall line and tell us which stood out. She was impressed with all, but Toasted Almond Torte stood out among the rest. She said “While each had a lovely, unique smell, the almond torte easily surpassed the the others for me – a strong smell, but not unpleasant, filling my home with such a lovely baked-goods scent.” The toasted almond scent is pared with cherry vanilla notes, and burned for 45+ hours, as described.

Of the four Rustic Smoke Candle Co. scents, Autumn Dreams was still lovely, but not Victoria’s most favorite. She gave the scent, described as “a beautifully intriguing blend of Green Leaves, Cinnamon, and a slight hint of citrus,” a score of 4 out of 5.

Similar to Autumn Dreams, Sleepy Hollow took a tiny ding on the scoreboard, but still came in with a score of 4 out of 5. The Pumpkin / Caramel / Butterscotch scent was as described, but when compared to the Toasted Almond Torte and Pumpkin Pie Spice, it just scored a bit lower.

Spiced pumpkin pie is a very close second to Toasted Almond Torte. This scent is “a perfect blend of Pumpkin Pie Spice and Sweet Vanilla,” according to its description. With a generous burn time especially considering its size, this and all of the Rustic Smoke Candle Co. candles were “thoroughly impressive.”

In Victoria’s opinion, the best part of the Fig candle was the gold holder, not so much the candle itself. “The scent was accurate to the description, but too light for my taste,” she said.

The Dutch Apple Waffle had the opposite problem as the Fig candle. The scent was overpowering, and altogether wasn’t a very pleasant scent. Victoria scored this candle a 3 out of 5.

This scent scored a perfect 5 out of 5 for Jessica. The scent of “home-grown apples and pumpkins blended with ginger and clove,” stood out among the rest of her candles, she explains “I think that the Apple Pumpkin Yankee candle was a personal favorite because it was a blend of all fall scents. It burns clean, and has a long burn time.”

Jessica scored both of the Yankee candles she tested a perfect 5 out of 5, the only brand to earn the honor from her. She was won over by the “spicy warmth of autumn leaves and cinnamon apples,” and it burned for 50 hours.

The Flannel candle from Bath & Body Works was not something Jessica would normally purchase. She said “I enjoyed the flannel one more than I expected. It is a scent that I have never heard of, never considered, and when I first smelled it I wasn’t sure how I would like it. However, after burning it, I felt that it really made my home feel more comfortable, “home-y” and clean.” This scent of this candle is described as Fresh Bergamot, Heirloom Mahogany, Soft Musk with Essential Oils, but Jessica felt that some notes stood out stronger than described. “I smell the bergamot and mahogany, but I think the soft musk is more prominent. It smells fresh, clean, and more of a cologne scent than I anticipated. However, it is a nice refreshing smell for my home.” She scored this a 4 out of 5, so don’t be afraid to try something new!

Jessica gave the Gather scent from Bath & Body Works a score of 4 out of 5. The smell description is “Bourbon Glazed Apples, Maple Sugar, Creamy Vanilla with Essential Oils,” which Jessica felt was accurate, and like all Bath & Body Works candles so far, seems to burn for the 25-45 hour burn time.

The Pumpkin Spice Things Up candle from Glade exceeded Jessica’s expectations, and proved that some bargain candles may surprise you. Jessica said “I anticipated the pumpkin spice things up to be a least favorite because I didn’t anticipate the quality to be as good as the other candles. Although the burn time was less than the other candles, and the candle did not burn as clean as the others, I really enjoyed the scent and aroma.” She still gave this candle as core of 4 out of 5.

At the bottom of Jessica’s list was the Bourbon Pumpkin candle from Chesapeake Bay. She was unsure if the burn time matched the 26-32 it claimed to have. She scored this candle a 3 out of 5, so you may want to pay the higher price tag for the Yankee Candle options if you’re able to. That being said, she still had nothing bad to say about the scent.