wax melts vs. candles (+ why we will always choose wax melts.)

there's no denying the major difference between the two most popular products in the home fragrance industry.

on their own, candles and wax melts have their pros and they have their cons. and, of course, everyone's preferences differ based on these.

but considering our line does not feature one but features the other, i figured i'd take the time to shine a light on why that is, just in case you were curious.

fire hazards.

the biggest (+ most obvious) difference between these two products is that one requires a flame and the other one does not.

while our wax melts (and any wax melts, really) can be paired with a wax warmer that uses a tealight candle as its primary heat source, many of our customers tend to opt for the electric options on the market because they don't want the risk of an exposed flame.

for many, candles are one product that they like to keep out of their homes, whether that be because they have little children running around, pets, or just a personal preference to not have to monitor a burning candle nearby.

we wanted to make sure that our product line featured items that were not only safe but also easy to use and didn't require much maintenance. which, speaking of:

minimum burn times.

not everyone may pay attention to this little detail about candles, but it is certainly recommended if you want an even burn.

burn times vary depending on the size of the candle, but typically you want to allow the entire top to be a melt pool before extinguishing to ensure that your candle doesn't "tunnel" (in other words when you begin to notice a wall of wax building up around your candle jar that goes unmelted while the rest of the wax burns down to the bottom). in some cases, this can mean having to burn your candle for up to 4 hours at a time to avoid this issue.

this can be a serious pain, especially if you're only able to burn it for an hour or two before something comes up and you have to blow it out.

wax melts, on the other hand? you can melt them for any duration of time, whether that be 30 minutes, an hour, 3, etc. though it's suggested to melt no more than 3-4 hours to preserve the fragrance, you can melt them for however long you like without having to worry about such a bothersome problem like tunneling.

space-saving.

if you or someone you know has used candles in the past, then you know just how much space they can take up. i myself have an entire shelf in our linen closet from my time working at a candle store and believe me, they quite literally take up the whole shelf.

after all, glass/ceramic/etc. vessels tend to take up far more room than say snap bars, clamshells, etc. that wax melts tend to be offered in.

as a result, wax melts are ideal for people with limited space and/or the desire to live a more minimal life without having to sacrifice the desire to scent their home.

because let's be honest, who wants to have a ton of clutter in their house just for the sake of enjoying some nice home fragrance?

speaking of living a minimal lifestyle:

cost effectiveness.

our number one priority when launching our brand (apart from making more eco-friendly products) was to make sustainable home fragrance more financially accessible to people.

so when you look at candles and how much brands have to charge for them as far as the vessel, wick, fragrance oil, wax, etc. go, it can get to be pretty pricey. not to mention the amount of testing that has to go into making sure the proper wick size is used with the right vessel, fragrance oil, etc. it can get to be a lot.

but because wax melts require fewer materials and the cost of those materials tends to cost less than those for candles, the price for the final product tends to be lower as a result, making it perfect for those with limited incomes who want to make the switch to more eco-friendly home fragrance options.

which is why our decision to focus solely on wax melts at the start of our business (before introducing room sprays, reed diffusers, + car diffusers in late 2024, of course) was a no-brainer.

which one do you prefer, candles or wax melts?

any particular reason why? any reason we didn't dive into above?

let us know! we'd love to hear from you!