Best Forest-Scented Candles: Recommendations From a Hiker and Candlemaker
Woodsy, pine-scented candles to bring nature to your home
December 15th, 2024
I'm a thru-hiker and candlemaker. Here's the best forest-scented candles according to me.
I'm a hiker who spends months backpacking in the forest and also my hobby is candlemaking. In addition to backpacking thousands of miles, I've made hundreds of candles over the last 5 years. I have been on a quest to find the best forest-scented candles that remind me of the woodsy feeling of being on trail while feeling cozy and luxurious at home.
I tested the top-rated woodsy-scented candles made by popular candle brands to find the ones that remind me the most of being in the forest. I set a limit of candles under $35 that are widely available factoring in real forest-smelling nature scents, burn time, the vessel it comes in, and how it smokes and melts. In addition to writing about the outdoors, I also do food and beverage writing and have developed a keen nose to parse out differences in scents.
Here's the best forest-scented candles to make your home smell like you're back in nature.
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Comparison table
| CANDLE | TREELINE AWARD | SIZES AVAILABLE | WAX TYPE | LID | VESSEL | LISTED BURN TIME | ESTIMATED BURN TIME | PRICE PER OZ | HAND-POURED? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Juniper Ridge Redwood Mist | Best overall Read why |
7.0 oz | soy wax | yes | Glass jar | 40 hrs | 66.1 | $ 4.00 | yes, California |
| Thymes Fraser Fir Candle | Best for gifting Read why |
2.5, 3.75, 6.5, 7.5, 11, 17 | paraffin wax | no | Many options | 45 hrs (6.5 oz) | 74 | $ 5.23 | unstated |
| Mala Cabin Fever | Best for small spaces Read why |
6.8 oz | soy wax | yes | Tin | 45 hrs | 54 | $ 5.00 | yes, in Canada |
| Trader Joe's Balsam Fir | Best budget Read why |
5.7 oz | soy and coconut blend | yes | Tin | 20 hrs | 17.1 | $ 2.46 | yes, unstated where |
| Village Candle Balsam Fir | Best large jar Read why |
16, 17, 19, 21.25 oz | parrafin wax | yes | Thick glass jar | Up to 170 hrs for the largest size | 26.5 | $ 1.04 | unstated |
The Winners
Best Overall Candle: Juniper Ridge Redwood Mist
Scent notes: redwood, bay leaf, air, forest floor
Strength and intensity: 4/5
Sizes: 7.0 oz
Wax type: soy wax
Listed burn time: 40 hrs
Estimated burn time: 66.1
Price per oz: $ 4.00
Ingredient notes: steam-distilled natural essential oils, without parabens, phthalates, preservatives, and dyes
Hand poured? yes, California
What we liked: crowd-pleasing scent, scents distilled from upcycled forest management, hand-poured in the US
What we didn’t like: not available in other sizes or vessel options
The Juniper Ridge Redwood is the best overall forest scented candle. I first encountered Juniper Ridge as a brand at a Patagonia store and have been inspired by their practice of distilling scents from plants upcycled from forest management from fire mitigation. The difference of creating scents from real forests means a candle that is more true to a forest than any I tested. There's no sophisticated mixologist trying to come up with a cologne-like odor here. Juniper Ridge was founded with the goal of "share the restorative fragrances of the plants and trees he encountered backpacking throughout the western United States." It just smells like a forest, and in my opinion, that is exactly what I want a candle to smell like when I can't actually be in a forest.
Juniper Ridge Redwood Mist
Over several years, I've purchased and tested all the Juniper Ridge scents and the Redwood Mist is my favorite of them all. It's piney, sweet, and uplifting with hints of floral and orange that naturally happen when you crush redwood needles in your hand.
The Redwood Mist Juniper Ridge candle has the right amount of fragrance I want a candle to be: not so overpowering that it makes me take a few steps back when I enter the room, but not so subtle that I wonder whether they forgot to add the fragrance to the wax.
The Redwood Mist is also the favorite realistic tree-smelling scent in our blind-smell tests. Some of our sniff testers fully-admitted coming into the test that they don't like the smell of pine. Of the Juniper Ridge candles, the Redwood Mist was their favorite scent. Those same testers found all the Juniper Ridge candles to be overwhelming like "being inside of a tree or woodworking shop instead of walking in a forest." The Redwood Mist smells the most like being in a forest, with smells of rain and earth added instead of just pine.
As far as the burn goes, it didn't tunnel, sweated, or created ash (see the criteria section on common problems that happen to candles). This was true for all the Juniper Ridge candles I tested (but not for every candle in the line-up). Before burning, the surface was free of pockets, divots, or bubbling as sometimes happens with lower quality candles.
Unique among candles we tested, the brand donates 10% of profits to organizations that fight to keep the wilderness wild. We also liked the recyclable glass vessel it comes with and recyclable packaging.
If you order directly from the website, the brand offers free shipping over $50 or otherwise charges a $8 flat rate. It also has a return policy of 30 days (and it doesn't say you can't have burned the candle first, so if you don't like the smell, this is a safe option).
This was also one of the brands we were pleasantly surprised to find on Amazon, which has free 2-day shipping for Prime members without a minimum order as well as easy returns.
Best candle for gifting: Thymes Frasier Fir
Scent notes: Fir, eucalyptus
Strength and intensity: 2/5
Sizes: 2.5, 3.75, 6.5, 7.5, 11, 17
Wax type: paraffin wax
Listed burn time: 45 hrs (6.5 oz)
Estimated burn time: 74
Price per oz: $ 5.23
Ingredient notes: natural and synthetic fragrance, 100% food-grade paraffin wax, lead-free wicks
Hand poured? unstated
What we liked: crowd-pleasing scent that works for straight-laced folks and dirtbags alike, decorative vessel, options of vessels and sizes
What we didn’t like: made of paraffin, lack of transparency about natural and synthetic fragrance, lack of transparency of whether handpoured and where it is poured
Candles make great gifts because they work for a variety of people and of all the candles we tested, the Thymes Fraser Fir's packaging, vessel, and scent are crowd-pleasers for everyone from those relatives you see once a year to an elegant friend. The Thymes Frasier Fir candle is arguably the most popular forest-scented candle on the market and after testing, it wins our award for best candle for gifting.
The Thymes Fraser Fir comes in a variety of decorative, festive vessels that stylistically work with different decor. Unlike many candle brands, you can choose from a variety of sizes, number of wicks, and vessels (and even vessel-free pillar and taper candles). The scent is not overpowering, so appeals to a wide variety of testers, including our testers who don't like strong scented candles. Price-wise, the Thymes Frasier Fir hits a sweet spot of being luxurious enough for a gift without being excessive. It also comes in a beautiful box that doesn't need wrapping.
Thymes Frasier Fir
The Thymes brand markets to more than just outdoors enthusiasts. But that doesn't mean they didn't nail it on the Frasier Fir scent.
Frasier Firs (also spelled Fraser Firs) are found just in southwestern Virginia and along the Tennessee / North Carolina border in the southern Appalachian mountains. This area was also particularly hit by Hurricane Helene this past year and the majority of Fraser Firs are grown commercially in North Carolina. While Fraser Firs are endangered in the wild, their cultivation is a multi-million dollar industry in North Carolina because Frasier Firs are considered the best species to use as Christmas trees.
Thymes Frasier Fir isn't as transparent on their sourcing for scents as the other brands we tested. It is made of 100% food grade paraffin and fragrances uses a combination of natural and synthetic oils. It's the highest quality paraffin candle we tested. Before burning, it was free of divots or bubbles on its surface before burning, which is better than we can say for every other paraffin candle we tested. It burns clean without soot, even outperforming some of the soy wax candles.
The Thymes Fraser Pine is less pine-y than other candles we tested. This smells like "being home for the holidays" (whatever that means) more than walking in a forest. Some of our testers like that it smells "more like a candle" or a bath product, yet it is natural-smelling enough for our smell testers who want a candle that smells like a tree. All this is to say, this candle is a crowd-pleaser that works for gifting from anyone to a fancy relative you see once a year to your dirtbag hiker friend.
Best for small spaces: Mala the Brand Cabin Fever
Scent notes: pine, marshmallow, rain, citrus
Intensity and strength: 1 out of 5
Sizes: 6.8 oz
Wax type: coconut soy wax
Listed burn time: 45 hrs
Estimated burn time: 54
Price per oz: $ 5.00
Ingredient notes: phthalate and paraben free fragrance, 100% biodegradable wax, “made from vegetables and a renewable source",” lead-free cotton wicks, Forest Sustainability certified wood wicks
Hand poured? yes, in Canada
What we liked: crowd-pleasing smell
What we didn’t like: fragrance was too subtle for some
Small spaces like bathrooms require candles with a more subtle scent throw. A small room can easily be overwhelmed by a too strong candle. Mala the Brand Cabin Fever is one of the more gentle forest-scented candles with a subtle scent. It's less intense than other candles. It comes with a lid to close it off when you're not using it. Candles with soot are a big no-no with enclosed areas and that isn't a problem with this candle. The Mala the Brand Cabin Fever is well-deserving of our winner for best forest-scented candle for small spaces.
In general, we find that smaller volume, single-wick candles tend to be the best option for bathrooms or around desks. We also like that Mala the Brand is one of the only brands that offers its candles in smaller sizes. Although we didn't test the smaller size, the tea lights size is a good option for bathrooms. While a tea light size is pretty tiny and usually burns quickly, the Mala the Brand candles had the longest burn times of any of the candles we considered, so you'll get more hours out of a Mala the Brand tea light than most tea lights.
Mala the Brand Cabin Fever
Mala the Brand rates this candle at a 3 out of 5 scent throw. Compared to some of the other candles we tested, we think it is relatively subtle. We call it a 1 out of 5 intensity, but that is because woodsy-scented candles in general are stronger-scented than other scents like citrus or floral. One tester even said, “This doesn’t smell like anything.”
Mala the Brand has a focus on sustainability. The brand plants a tree for every purchase. There's no plastic in the packaging and it uses biodegradable peanuts as cushioning and recycled paper. This is the only candle we considered that gives you the option of a cotton or Forest Stewardship Council certified wood wick. If you order directly from the manufacturer, you can choose whether you want to receive it with a box (for example, if you're giving it as a gift) or no box (getting it for yourself).
At Treeline Review, we care about eco-friendly products so were pleasantly surprised that choosing the most eco-friendly candle was challenging. Mala the Brand can be over the top on their sustainability claims, but after doing more research, most experts agree that an aluminum can is more sustainable material for a vessel than glass. We also liked that the Mala the Brand candle is available in multiple sizes, so you can choose as much candle as you need without getting extra. This candle also had the longest burn time per volume, which we think also works towards making it a sustainable choice.
It's worth noting that if you order directly from the brand, their return policy is only good for 48 hours after you receive it. But after our group of smell-testers unanimously found the Mala the Brand Cabin Fever to be one of our favorites and knowing that aluminum vessels are less likely to get damaged in transit, we think this is a candle with few returns.
Best affordable: Trader Joe's Balsam Fir
Scent notes: sweet fir, light cedar, soap
Strength and intensity: 4 out of 5
Sizes: 5.7 oz
Wax type: Coconut-soy wax blend
Listed burn time: 20 hours
Estimated burn time: 17.1 hours
Price per oz: $ 2.46 online ($1.42 in store)
Ingredient notes: Paraben-free, lead-free cotton wick
Hand poured? yes, location not stated
What we liked: crowd-pleasing scent, hand-poured, high quality ingredients for a budget candle
What we didn’t like: more difficult to find outside of the holiday season, smaller size
We tested several affordable forest-scented candles. Most candle brands keep their prices down by using less expensive materials like paraffin, which can smoke and are considered less eco-friendly as they are made from petroleum, coal and oil shale. The best affordable forest-scented candle we tested was the Trader Joe's Cedar Balsam candle. At TK per ounce, it was among the least expensive candles we tested. We think you can get a good mass market candle between $8 and $15. At around $6 shipped (and $4 in the store), the Trader Joe's balsam fir is a bargain considering you're getting a coconut-soy wax hand-poured candle.
Our smell testers said, "This may be the best smelling candle yet." It smells more like a traditional candle or bath product, but this was a win in some sniff-testers' book. Others who preferred more tree-scented candles still found this one "pretty good for something that isn't going for forest-floor natural."
Trader Joe's Balsam Fir
Before burning, we found it had no pock marks. It comes with a protective paper disc to remove before use as well as a lid to keep it free of dust when you aren't burning it.
The Trader Joe's scent is stronger than many of the candles we tested but still more subtle than other budget candles, including other scents we've tested from Trader Joe's. It also has a trickier wick than some of the candles we tested. As with all candles, we recommend keeping it trimmed.
It's not always in stock though as Trader Joe's is notorious for selling items like this seasonally. However, you can often find it on Amazon or even ebay year-round.
Best large jar candle: Village Candle Balsam Fir
Scent notes: balsam fir, soap, citrus, eucalyptus
Strength and intensity: 2 out of 5
Sizes: 16, 17, 19, 21.25 oz
Wax type: paraffin wax
Listed burn time: Up to 170 hrs for the largest size
Estimated burn time: 26.5
Price per oz: $ 1.04
Ingredient notes: food-grade paraffin wax, lead-free cotton wick
Hand poured? unstated, but poured in Maine
What we liked: pleasant scent that isn't as overwhelming as similar candles, value
What we didn’t like: Burns more wax per hour than other candles, uneven surface of the wax, some bubbling along the sides visible through glass jar
The Village Candle Balsam Fir candle is our winner for best pine-scented candle in a jar and nearly won our best affordable candle award too (technically, this is the best value candle we tested). There are several brands of candlemakers that offer large, jarred, holiday candles designed to spruce up your house before guests arrive (pun intended). Of the affordable jar candles, the Village Candle Balsam Fir is the best of the bunch.
The jar style of candle is more affordable than other candles per ounce of wax. The sheer volume of wax in this candle means long burn-times that will last the entire holiday season (and sturdy and airtight lids that mean you can use the same candle for several years.)
Village Candle Balsam Fir
"Yankee Candle vs. Village Candle" is one of the most asked questions by people buying candles. Both candlemakers create crowd-pleasing scents that aren't too overwhelming. Both the Yankee and Village candles we tested come in study jars with tight lids. They are both two-wicked candles made of paraffin wax. They are both widely available.
However, our blindfolded smell testers generally agreed that the Village Candle Balsam Fir edged out the Yankee Candle Balsam Cedar. It's less sweet and more subtle. Still, our testers who preferred more natural less "bath product-y" smelling candles found this to be cloying (though not as much as the Yankee Candle).
We also appreciated that the Village Candle came in all recyclable packing materials whereas the Yankee Candle came in plastic bubble wrap. Village Candle is poured in Wells, Maine.
Most realistic forest-scented candle: Juniper Ridge Christmas Fir
Scent notes: pine resin, pine boughs, mossy forest floor
Strength and intensity: 5 out of 5
Sizes: 7.0 oz
Wax type: soy wax
Listed burn time: 40 hrs
Estimated burn time: 39.7
Price per oz: $ 4.00
Ingredient notes: made of oils steam-distilled from upcycled Christmas trees, without parabens, phthalates, preservatives, petroleum products, and dyes
Hand poured? yes, California
What we liked: crowd-pleasing scent—especially for such a realistic candle, upcycled ingredients
What we didn’t like: not available outside of the holidays
The Juniper Ridge Christmas Fir candle is made from recycled Christmas trees. It smells fresh and "green" like walking in a forest without being overwhelming. This candle burns clean without tunneling or creating soot. It comes in a glass jar so can be reused or recycled after you've burned through it. The scent throws across the room without coming across as too overwhelming, smelling like entering a house with a fresh Christmas tree set up.
This was a crowd-pleaser among our blindfolded smell-testers. Of all the Juniper Ridge candles, even smell-testers who didn't like the real-ness of other scents found Christmas Fir to be pleasant, with some even saying they'd gift this candle. Among testers who love the strong and realistic scents of Juniper Ridge candles, this was also a favorite.
Unfortunately, it's only available around the holidays and sells out. But as a result, has developed a cult following.
Juniper Ridge Christmas Fir
Other candles we tested
Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar
Scent notes: balsam, sugar, soap
Strength and intensity: 3 out of 5
Sizes: 22 oz
Wax type: paraffin wax
Listed burn time: 75-150 hrs
Estimated burn time: 32.8
Price per oz: $ 0.95
Ingredient notes: premium-grade paraffin wax, natural fiber wick
Hand poured? hand straightened wick in MA
The Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar is one of the most popular candles out there. It's large, affordable, and comes in a sturdy glass jar with an air tight lid, which means you could use this candle all throughout the season or even multiple seasons without it losing much scent.
Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar
It's similar to the Village Candle Balsam Fir candle we tested in aesthetics, price, and scent. However, our sniff-tested like the Village Candle scent better as it was more subtle with some testers finding the Yankee Candle to be cloying. While both candles are heavy items in glass jars which can break during transport, we preferred the recyclable packaging on the Village Candle to the plastic bubble wrap on the Yankee Candle.
Still, the wax pour quality on the Yankee Candle was smoother and more bubble-free than on the Village candle. So if you’re thinking of gifting a large jarred candle instead of the Thymes Fraser Fir that we recommend as best candle for gifting, you may want to consider the Yankee Candle instead.
Scent notes: vanilla latte, chai, apple
Strength and intensity: 3 out of 5
Sizes: 8.5 oz
Wax type: soy wax
Listed burn time: 45-50 hrs
Price per oz: $ 3.76
Ingredient notes:
Hand poured? yes, Ohio
What we liked:
What we didn’t like:
The Hyggelight Apple Pine candle is the only candle we considered available at REI, which we took as a sign that other hikers and outdoorsy folk like the scent. It comes in a beautiful handmade, glazed ceramic pot and all the paper labeling is embedded with seeds. You can plant the seeds in the vessel after you've finished burning the candle and the brand lets you choose from a variety of wildflower seed options from willow to alyssum. Hyggelight is a certified B-Corp, meaning that it meets the highest standards for environmental and ethical performance.
Hyggelight Apple Pine
Our smell-testers generally agreed that while the Hyggelight has a pleasant holiday-smell, it doesn't smell like a forest and barely smells like pine. The apple shines through the most with some testers saying it smells "too sweet." It's also tied for the most expensive candle we tested, though we suspect the handmade, glazed ceramic pot may be the reason. This candle would make a great gift for many people, though we think the Thymes candle has a wider appeal beyond the REI-crowd.
Scent notes: cedar, campfire, freshly-sharpened pencils
Strength and intensity: 5 out of 5
Sizes: 7.0 oz
Wax type: soy wax
Listed burn time: 40 hrs
Estimated burn time: 56.7
Price per oz: $ 4.00
Ingredient notes:
Hand poured? yes, California
What we liked:
What we didn’t like:
The Juniper Ridge Desert Cedar was the candle that our smell testers talked about the most after this experiment. It has a smoky scent that reminds us of nostalgia and pencil shavings. Some testers found this to be a good thing. Others protested that it "smells like pine needles are up my nose." (Note: "Cedar is a colloquial name used for juniper trees. However cedars technically are native to Asia and the Mediterranean whereas junipers are native to the Western U.S. While cedars are pine trees, junipers are not pine trees. So technically, no pine needles, metaphorical or otherwise, were up anyone's nose). In short, this candle is strong and polarizing, so we recommend sniff-testing it in person before purchasing.
Juniper Ridge Desert Cedar
What makes a great forest-scented candle?
Scent
If you don't like the scent, you won't burn the candle. We looked for natural scents that don't smell too cloying or artificial. We consider candlemakers with return policies in case it arrives and you don't like what you got.
As far as forest-scented candles go, we considered pine, cedarwood, balsam fir, sandalwood, redwood, and more.
Your Budget
We kept our candle budget to around $30. We think you can get a woodsy smelling candle in an elegant jar for that price. Spend more, and mostly what you get is a fancier vessel or an elaborate perfume-like scent that is often too much. Since candles come in different sizes, we calculated price per ounce.
Type of wax
Our preference is for natural wax made of soy, coconut, or beeswax. Many less expensive candles are made of paraffin, which is made from petroleum, coal, and shale oil. Eco-friendliness aside, paraffin tends to create more soot and smoke than soy, coconut, or beeswax candles.
Many brands advertise they are phthalate-free, free of parabens, or have lead-free cotton wicks.
Scent throw and strength of scent
This refers to how far you can smell the candle when it is burning. Sometimes, when unlit, a candle may appear strongly scented, but when it is lit, it doesn't throw the smell very far. Depending on what you want in a candle, you'll want to evaluate your scent throw (sometimes called "strong, subtle, or moderate" by candlemakers). Generally, higher fragrance load (more fragrance oils) added means higher scent throw. But as mentioned above, it is possible to add too much fragrance. Additionally, soy wax’s density gives a better scent throw than paraffin wax.
Soot-free
Soot developing on the edge of the vessel. This is from a candle that was not part of our testing pool.
Some candles, often those made of less expensive ingredients like paraffin or lower-quality fragrances, will develop more soot. These can make your candle look messy. Soot happens when your wax, wick, and fragrance oils have incomplete combustion. It can also happen when your wick and wax balance isn't right. Speaking as a candlemaker hobbyist, there is an art and science to getting this right. While I'm willing to suffer some soot in my home candles, any candle I pay for should be soot free. Soot is also associated with flame instability and can happen when your wick is too long, so be sure to trim it to a maximum of 5 mm (1/8th to ¼ inch).
Even wax pour
Fragrance, color, and wax need to fully mix together to avoid uneven surfaces as happened on one of the budget candles we tested.
The surface of the candle should be smooth when you first open your vessel, unlike this budget candle we tested.
As a candlemaker, I know how difficult it can be to create a smooth, bubble-less, even pour on wax. So when I'm purchasing a candle, I expect that the pour is going to be better than what I can do at home.
Burn time
Burn time on a candle is a function of personal practices, the size of your candle, and type of wax that is used in your candle. You can help extend your burn time by trimming the wick and taking measures to prevent uneven burning or tunneling. One of the best things you can do is ensure the first melt is even by having your first burn be 1-2 hours (depending on the volume and diameter of your candles and your candlemakers' recommendations). Ultimately, the blend of waxes in your candle (e.g. paraffin, soy, coconut, beeswax) will play a strong role in determining the burn time of your candle.
Size
Generally, bigger candles will take longer to burn through. Candles are measured by weight, not volume. All the candles we considered come listed with the weight.
Candle does not "sweat"
This is when a candle looks like drops of water have developed on the surface of the candle. It happens when fragrance separates from the wax. It can also happen with your fragrance load (the amount of fragrance added) is above what your wax can hold.
Tunneling is one of the most common problems that happens with candles. It is when the candle burns around the wick with a ring of wax at the edges (it burns down a tunnel!). This happens when you don't let your candle melt enough to fully melt around the edges. Some candlemakers say have your first burn be at least 1 hour. Others say 2 hours. It depends on the volume and diameter of your candle (and the number of wicks).
Vessel
Candles we considered come in everything from simple tins to jelly jars to heftier vessels. As someone who goes through a lot of candles, I prefer the simplest jars as they are recyclable and take fewer resources to develop than some of the fancier vessels. After a while, one can have too many memorable keepsakes. However, some people like the look of a fancier candleholder. Often, the more expensive candles come in elaborate vessels but ultimately, you're often paying for the jar, not for a better scent.
Vessel Lid
The Trader Joe's Cedar Balsam scented candle not only had a lid (not pictured) but has a protective paper label to prevent the surface of the candle from accumulating dust in transit.
Dust from the air can make your candle look less elegant. Plus, if you have a scent-sensitive guest, they'll appreciate the ability to close off the smell when they visit. Lastly, we find that candles that have a lid tend to survive transport better–whether that is getting to you from the candlemaker or you taking it to a cabin or gifting it. We prefer candles with lids.
Easy shipping and returns
At first, we thought shipping and return policies were not something you needed to worry about with candles. But the more we purchased, the more we realized candles are heavy and many candlemakers charge a high minimum order for free shipping. Candles are at higher risk for getting damaged en route, too. That's why we look for brands with easy shipping and returns, especially if they are available at larger retailers that make it easy and hassle-free.
Environmentally-friendly
Many candlemakers claim to be environmentally-friendly and there is a fair amount of greenwashing in the candlemaking realm. Additionally, it's hard to tell whether the soy or coconut wax came from a sustainable source. However, we can generally say that paraffin candles, made of petroleum products, are going to be less eco-friendly.
When I make my own candles, I use soy wax from US farms (much of the soy in the world is grown in the Amazon on deforested land). Local wax also reduces the carbon footprint from shipping. We also considered where candles are poured. Some are poured abroad whereas others are made in the U.S. Locally made candles reduces the carbon footprint from shipping materials and shipping to you.
Sustainability and eco-conscious packaging
Since there is not as much transparency as we would like from candle brands, one of the few ways we can measure sustainability is eco-conscious packaging and the candle's vessel. We considered whether the vessel is recyclable and the packaging plastic-free.
Tips for getting the most out of your candles
Two candle smell testers examining forest-scented candles side-by-side.
To get the most out of your woods-scented candles, proper care really does make a difference. When I first started getting into candles, I didn't know about these candle-care habits. Now that I'm deep in the candle world, I've made this part of my regular candle lighting practice. Here are a few tips:
Trim the wick regularly: Keep your wick trimmed to about 1/4 inch before lighting. This prevents soot and ensures a steady, even burn. There are lots of candle trimming tools out there but they're a pain to clean and seem like unnecessary capitalism in my mind. Your fingers and a tissue should do the trick.
Let the wax pool fully: Allow the entire top layer of wax to melt during the first burn (depending on the candle's diameter, volume, number of wicks, and materials used, from 1-2 hours. This helps prevent tunneling and ensures your candle lasts longer.
Burn for the right amount of time: Avoid burning for less than an hour or more than four hours at a time. Short burns can cause uneven melting, while overly long burns can create soot, mess up your wick, and sometimes even impact scent quality.
Protect your candle between uses: Most of the candles we reviewed come with lids. Cover the candle or store it in a cool, dry place. This helps preserve the scent and prevent dust from gathering on the wax, which can make your candle less pretty.
How we tested
Four candle sniff-testers with some of the forest-scented candles that they smelled.
We researched the top-rated forest-scenting candles. Then we purchased them all. First, we visually observed them for signs of flaws including uneven pours, wicks that were not scented, or bubbling in the wax.
Then we did smell-only testing (blind-testing) with a diverse group of five scent testers from around the U.S. and internationally, each with unique preferences with what they like in a candle. Between each smell, testers sniffed a "palate cleanser" of coffee beans. Sample candles were mixed with placebo candles (i.e. candles that did not smell like a forest).
We measured estimated burn time by weighing each candle before and after a two-hour burning. We determined estimated burn time by dividing the amount burned by the stated volume of wax (as measured by volume). Two hours was chosen to account for the recommendation by some brands to burn the candle at minimum for two hours to avoid tunneling.
After the initial two-hour burn, each candle was burned in some cases to the bottom (though the clock was off at that point). We noted signs of tunneling, smoking, bubbling, ash or other flaws that can happen in candles.
In addition, to determine scent throw, the scent was burned in a 22 x 15 foot (330 square foot) room and a 9.5 x 5.5 foot bathroom (52.25 square foot).
Why you should trust us / About the author
Liz Thomas spends a lot of time in the forest. When she’s not hiking or camping, she wants a candle that smells like the forest. Photo by Kate Hoch.
Liz Thomas is an award-winning Los Angeles-based writer and Editor-in-Chief of Treeline Review. A former Fastest Known Time (FKT) record holder on the Appalachian Trail, Liz came to Treeline Review from New York Times/Wirecutter, the New York Times’ product review site, where she was a staff writer on the outdoor team.
I'm a thru-hiker and a candlemaking hobbyist who has made hundreds of candles over the last 5 years. In addition to writing about the outdoors, I also am a food and beverage writer who relies on my keen sense of smell to judge nuances in taste and fragrance. (Seriously, friends frequently comment on the power of my super sniffer).
In my quest to find the best forest-scented candles, I tested more than a dozen candles over several years. There's pretty much always a candle burning alongside me during the workday. I also ran side-by-side tests of the candles, weighing and timing them and running calculations to determine burn time. For this story, I put together a diverse group of half a dozen blind smell-testers hailing from different parts of the country and the world, each with different preferences of what they're looking for in a candle. The result is my winners are crowd-pleasing candles that all sorts of people can enjoy.
As far as my spending-time-in-the-forest chops, go my first book is Long Trails: Mastering the Art of the Thru-hike. The book was the recipient of the National Outdoor Book Award for Best Instructional Book, and was deemed by judges as destined to become the “Bible of the Sport.”
I’ve also represented the sport of hiking at President Obama’s Great American Outdoors Initiative.
I regularly book keynote speaking engagements about hiking and the outdoors at universities including Yale and MIT as well as on Capitol Hill, fundraising galas for the Trust for Public Land and American Hiking Society, and conferences like BikeTexas.
You can read more about me at my website or on my wikipedia page. All my Treeline Review articles are on her author page.
