The best scented candles in the UK: 17 affordable, genuinely great-smelling candles – tested

From sea salt to cardamom, soy wax to sustainable refills, these are the best, most nausea-free scented candles around for Christmas and beyond (and they’re all under £30)

• The best diffusers for your home

While scented candles are a failsafe gift, they can be seen as a bit unimaginative. But they’re perfect for winter days at home and thoroughly festive. Lighting a candle is a ceremony, and the flickering flame can trigger something comfortingly primal in us.

Retailers, from supermarkets to artisan independents, are developing huge ranges of scented candles, and it’s hard to know where to start, and what’s any good. Many of us have been disappointed by a candle that smelled divine when we had an in-store sniff, only to be distinctly underwhelming once it’s home. So we’ve sniffed, burned and rated dozens of candles for you.