WWW Deep Reviews: 74 Fall Candles Later, We Chose the 10 Worth Your Attention

Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. Every month, the Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market’s most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations. To put it simply, stick with us, and buyer’s remorse will be a thing of the past.

We're big fragrance people here at Who What Wear, especially when it comes to candles. And even though we love setting a mood and lighting our candle of choice any day of the year, there's something about fall—chillier temperatures, amber leaves, and premature sunsets—that make the ritual all the more exciting. Scent, in general, is extremely polarizing (what some people love, others might hate), and the quintessential scents of fall—think pumpkin spice, apple, and anything and everything "sweet"—are the most controversial. I don't know anyone who takes a neutral approach to seasonal pumpkin mania. Do you?

Since autumn and winter is the prime time to shop for a new stock of candles, we decided to set out on the ultimate quest: find a small, ultra-select grouping of the best-smelling, cozy yet elevated fall candles money can buy. Keep scrolling to learn more about our review process and to find out which 10 (of 74!) candles our discerning WWW staffers declared the absolute best. 

Our Deep Reviews Research & Testing Process

For this round of Deep Reviews, we wanted to keep things simple and straight to the point. Therefore, when we called in 74 candles from 26 brands, our strategy was to choose our favorites based purely on scent regardless of brand, price, and/or familiarity. Yes, we called in some of the most expensive candles on the market from labels such as Byredo and Frédéric Malle, but we also called in the budget-friendly classics you know (and may or may not love) from names such as Bath & Body Works. The goal: Every fall candle we sniffed would be judged on an equal playing field.

Once all of the candles arrived, they were set out on a table in the lobby of WWW's L.A. headquarters. Throughout the day, staffers from all departments were tasked with smelling each and every candle—yes, lots of palate-cleansing coffee beans were involved—and submitting their top five, aka the select few candles they would gladly throw their money at to enjoy at home.

Then, from the hundreds of favorites that were submitted (we had at least 20 employees participate, therefore 100 potential contenders), I tallied the candles that appeared most often to come up with our final 10. 

We have a top three that consists of:

The Overall Favorite: The candle that appeared in almost every top-five list.

The Best Budget Buy: The candle that appeared the most often albeit with a wallet-friendly price tag. 

The Best New Launch: The most beloved newcomer that's most likely not on your or anyone you know's radar (yet).

The following top seven fall candles will be introduced based on their scent profile and what they immediately call to mind. For instance, if you love to sip a warm, creamy beverage or sit in front of the fireplace wrapped in a plaid fleece blanket, we have curated candle recommendations for you.

Approximate burn time: 60 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"I love the leathery undertones of this candle. It has a slightly sweet yet woody aroma to it that sits just right with me for the season!" — Shawna Hudson, Associate Beauty Editor

"A decadent fall scent. This candle perfectly encapsulates the sheer pleasure of wasting the day reading while it rains outside with zero expectation of having anything on your schedule." — Sabrina Paparella, Senior Manager, Search

Approximate burn time: 45 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"This scent made me extremely sentimental, as it reminded me of my father. It brought back fond memories of simpler times … and reminded me of my father's love of vintage cars, leather wallets, and cigars." — Sarah Nuñez, Associate Workplace Experience Manager

"I love this candle. It's clean and fresh, but it has this warm, totally comforting 'house' smell to it that is perfect for fall without being overbearing." — Megan Harris, Senior Manager, Integrated Marketing

Approximate burn time: 40 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"This smelled like a warm hug. It's pretty close to perfect. It has all my favorite notes: sandalwood, eucalyptus, cypress, and musk. If it came in a perfume, I would 100% wear it every single day, especially in the fall and winter." — Caitie Schlisserman, Beauty Director, Branded Content

"This is a great candle for anyone who loves being out in nature and has a soft spot for rich, earthy scents. I love the smell of beachy sandalwood with a subtle hint of green eucalyptus." — Bailey Burke, Influencer Marketing Associate

Approximate burn time: 40 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"Without smelling this candle, I would have assumed it would be my least favorite out of all 74. (Sorry, but I despise matcha!) I was surprised when it became a clear front-runner out of the entire bunch, and I kept moseying my way back to it again and again. You'd think the mix of bergamot, matcha, and moss might lean spring, but there is something so grounding and creamy and earthy about the scent (without smelling like grass) that feels absolutely perfect for fall. It's decadent yet fresh, rich yet peaceful." — Erin Jahns, Beauty Director

"The name of this is spot-on. It truly smells like a comforting cup of creamy, slightly sweet matcha on a cold rainy day. That said, if matcha weren't in the candle's name, I don't know if someone would immediately discern it as as one of the key notes." — Schlisserman

Approximate burn time: 60 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"The first word that comes to mind is elegant. This candle has a full-body smell that invokes a strangely good taste on your tongue—I'd light it any time of year, but I especially love it for fall." — Brandon Chreene, Group SVP, People

"This scent is elegant and timeless, I would imagine a flapper in the 1920s dabbing it on as a fragrance before a night on the town." — Nuñez

Approximate burn time: 100 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"This candle looks so chic and smells so cozy. It has the tiniest bit of sweetness with a touch of musk, which makes it smell both luxurious and quintessentially fall." — Burke

"If you're someone who wants a fruity scent that translates for fall, you'll love this candle. It's fresh, subtle, and smells a little bit like an expensive vacation somewhere exotic." — Harris

Approximate burn time: 50 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"This is probably the most classic fall candle of the bunch and surprisingly still made it in my top five, even though it has such different notes than my other favorites. I loved how sweet this candle is but not sickening, as so many sweeter candles are. I got notes of smoky vanilla, honey, and caramel. The perfect candle if you're looking for that cozy fall treat scent without the cliché." — Schuyler Youngstrom, Senior Manager, Email, SMS, and Partnerships

"I don't normally go for bonfire-smelling candles, because they're a bit too much for me, but the warm notes of chestnut really give this one a delicious light, nutty flavor that I absolutely love." — Hudson

Approximate burn time: 45 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"This candle feels aspirational to me in the best way. It's like, if I'm burning this, it means I get up early to meditate and journal before starting my day. It's light, a touch fruity, and super energizing and comforting at the same time." — Natalie Thurman, Associate Podcast Preditor

"This scent is light yet sophisticated. It's the scent of the woman I aspire to be!" — Nuñez

Approximate burn time: 60 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"This skews woodsy and forest-like—a crackling fire without it being super obvious or at all sweet. It's not as heavy or intense as a lot of fall scents if you like something that's fresh with a bit of a lift." — Paparella

"The only way to describe this? Burned wood, in the most luxurious kind of way." — Schlisserman

Approximate burn time: 50 hours

Praise from our testers: 

"Just one whiff of this candle gives me all the warm, fuzzy fall feels sans cheesiness or predictability. It smells rich—like what beautifully furnished old cabin would smell like just naturally. My family and I love to watch old movies, especially around the holidays. We watch Christmas in Connecticut each year, which takes place at a dreamy farm in Connecticut circa 1945. This candle is exactly how I would image that classic country house to smell." — Jahns

"To me, this is a perfect-smelling candle. It reminds me of being a kid on winter break, at a cabin, snuggled up by the fireplace. It's woody, a little smoky, and has subtle layers of what smells like pine." — Schlisserman

Up next, Honestly, I Love It: The New Face Mist That Banished My Redness—Immediately