Are Wax Warmers Better Than Candles?  | Furnishing Tips (2024)

The scent is an incredibly important sense, and it has a tremendous impact on your home. To ensure their homes smell gorgeous, people turn to one of two scent-delivering devices: wax warmers or candles. But which is better, and – more importantly – why?

Wax warmers are better than candles because they don’t need a flame to operate, they produce a longer-lasting and superior quality scent, are safer to use and have in your home, provide you with the option to customize scents, and – in the long run – better value for money.

Candles have been around longer than wax warmers, but the latter is gaining popularity quickly. What’s all the fuss about? Why are more people opting for wax warmers? Have candles had their day? All these questions and more are about to be answered, so keep reading.

9 Reasons Why Wax Warmers Are Better Than Candles

So, are wax warmers better than candles? According to most people, yes. The truth is that these days wax warmers are thought to be better than candles. This is the verdict of so many different people for many different reasons – here are just nine of them.

1. Wax Warmers Are Safer Than Candles

Most wax warmers boast flame-less operation, so you needn’t concern yourself with lighters and open flames. This is an obvious advantage for accident-prone and those with inquisitive children, adventurous pets, or diagnosed pyrophobia. Plus, the fear of accidentally burning your home because you forgot to blow out a candle is eliminated.

2. Wax Warmers Have Longer Burn Times Than Candles

Wax warmers are thought to have a much longer burn time than regular candles. This is because the high heat of a flame causes scents to diffuse into the air faster, which means the smell from a candle doesn’t linger as long. Conversely, wax melts absorb heat at a much slower pace, and thus they release scents at a slower rate, which means that the smell sticks around for longer.

3. Wax Warmers Create Less Mess Than Candles

When using a wax warmer, you don’t need to worry about blackened glass, crumbs of burnt candle wick, or spilled wax spoiling your scent time. While, of course, the risk of melted wax ending up somewhere it shouldn’t always be present, the wax itself is much more contained in a wax warmer, and therefore the risk of mess is lessened.

4. Wax Warmers Give You More Control Of Your Scent Compared To Candles

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With candles, you light them and enjoy the smell they produce. To get the most scent out of a candle, your only real option is to place it in a smaller room so it has less space to dissipate. Wax warmers can be as strong or as weak as you like – it all depends on the scent of the wax you choose, its intensity, and how much of it you decide to melt in one go.

5. Wax Warmers Are Much More Entertaining Than Candles

One of the best aspects of a wax warmer is that, as mentioned above, you control your scent. This means that – on top of choosing how strong or weak you want a scent to be – the opportunity to mix different types of wax to create your signature scent is presented. You could even make your wax altogether while making your candle would be a little more difficult.

6. Wax Warmers Are Potentially More Eco-Friendly Than Candles

Another benefit of wax warmers is that they’re much more eco-friendly than candles. This is mainly because of the removal of the (sometimes harmful to humans!) toxins that a candle releases into the air when it burns, but also because glass jars for candle burning are difficult to recycle. Wax warmers last for years so you won’t be filling up that landfill.

7. Wax Warmers Cost Less Than Candles (When You Work It Out)

One of the biggest advantages of a candle over its wax melt counterpart is that it costs less to purchase. And this is true – at face value. You see, after the initial cost to purchase the device is out of the way because wax warmers are designed to waste less wax while producing more scent, it works out cheaper to use them over candles in the long run.

8. Wax Warmers Provide Soot-Free Scent, While Candles Don’t

One of the candle’s biggest downfalls is the soot it produces when extinguishing. Not only does soot have a strong smell that interferes with the lovely scent of your candle, but it can also negatively impact your home and your health. When released into the air, soot can cause discoloration on your walls, exacerbating health conditions such as bronchitis or asthma.

9. Wax Warmers Are Less Hassle Than Candles

Quite frankly, when compared to wax warmers, candles aren’t convenient. It would be best always to have a lighter or box of matches on hand, as they can be troublesome to move once lit. They can easily spill, they can’t be used in specific areas or types of spaces (think offices), and transporting them can be a pain. You don’t have any of those problems when you use a wax warmer.

Are Candles Better Than Wax Warmers?

Based on the above alone, it’s safe to say that wax warmers are impressive enough to possibly snuff out the candle’s popularity within just a few years. And impressive they are, but that doesn’t mean that the humble candle doesn’t deserve its spot in our homes – and our hearts.

Now you know why wax warmers are considered better, let us give the candle the respect it deserves. Though they ultimately don’t win the candle vs. wax warmer battle, they have many advantages over wax warmers.

Candles Are More Readily Available Than Wax Warmers

Candles have been around for a very, very, very long time. Though wax warmers are steadily rising in popularity, they’re nowhere near as popular as candles. Because of this, it is much easier to find a scented candle in a store than find a wax warmer.

While you can purchase wax warmers in specialty stores, online, and in the odd grocery shop, you can purchase candles almost anywhere. As long as you use candles, you’ll never have to worry about where to find them as you’re spoilt for choice.

Candles Are Cheaper Than Wax Warmers

Earlier in this article, we mentioned that a wax warmer is cheaper than a candle in the long run. However, in the short term, candles are much more affordable as matches and lighters are typically inexpensive. You can purchase candles from dirt cheap to wildly expensive at every price point.

Wax warmers, though cheaper, in the long run, come with an initial running cost that is much more expensive than simply buying a candle and some matches. After purchasing the wax warmer, one must still factor in the cost of the wax melts, candle tarts, or scent chips.

Candles Are More Homely Than Wax Warmers

Wax warmers, as has been proven time and time again in this article, trump candles in most areas. However, there is undoubtedly one area in which the wax warmer doesn’t even come close to the candle, and that is in the warmth department.

A candle produces warmth, bathes its surroundings in a wash of golden light, and makes your home smell gorgeous. Very few things in this life can compare to the warmth brought about by the glow of a flickering candle – and a wax warmer isn’t one of them.

How Are Wax Warmers Different From Candles?

Everyone knows that scented candles and wax warmers are separate items, though they serve the same primary purpose. But not everyone knows just what makes the two different from one another. To properly determine if wax warmers are better than candles – or vice versa – one must see how the two differ from each other.

Candles And Wax Warmers Are Designed And Operated Differently

The main difference between candles and wax warmers is their design and operation. Both have the same purpose: making the space around them smell pleasant, but how they serve this purpose is quite different.

You likely know that a scented candle consists of a wick (usually made out of braided cotton) surrounded by a body of wax. The wick is lit using a lighter, a match, or the flame from another candle. Once the wick is lit, the heat melts the wax, releasing the candle’s scent. Simple stuff, indeed.

On the other hand, a wax warmer (also referred to as a wax melt, candle melt, or candle warmer) is a device in which candle wax is placed. Once the wax is placed in the warmer, it is melted without the help of a flame but instead of an alternative heat source such as a light bulb or battery. As with a candle, the scent is released into the surrounding air as the wax melts.

Candles And Wax Warmers Are Different In Appearance

Unsurprisingly, wax warmers and candles look different because they are different! No one is mistaken for the other when you spot it on the shelf or observe it in action.

Whether you’re talking about pillars, votives, cartridges, or tea lights, candles come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. But they’re all instantly recognizable as candles.

While there might not be as many wax warmers as candles, an assortment of wax warmers are available, ranging in style from incandescent bulb wax warmers to wall-plug wax warmer. But the wax used in the warmers looks different from the image of candle wax most people have in their heads.

The wax used in a wax warmer varies in appearance according to the brand and the style. In some cases, the wax will be smooth and look almost like a tablet or pill, while in others, the wax will be shaped like a love heart or even a Disney character!

What Do Candles And Wax Warmers Have In Common?

For as many differences as candles and wax warmers have, they have their fair share in common too. For starters, both are fantastic ways to ensure your home smells wonderful without you walking around with your finger pressed down on the trigger of a spray bottle of air freshener!

Furthermore, they both use candle wax to operate and produce the above-mentioned beautiful smells. In addition, they both play a huge role in lending your home a cozy feel and won’t break the bank. Whether you opt for a wax warmer or a candle, either option will greatly impact your home’s aesthetic, overall feel, and – obviously – its smell!

Now that you know how candles and wax warmers are different and similar and what advantages each has, you should know whether wax warmers are better than candles.

Conclusion

Sure, a candle deserves its spot in a drawer in every home (especially those that are located in areas known for blackouts and electrical cuts!). Still, a wax warmer deserves its spot on the mantelpiece. In the war of the whiffs, wax warmers will emerge victorious over candles every time.

Whether you want your space to smell better for longer or enjoy the benefits of a candle without the risk of the open flame aspect, wax warmers are the better choice for everyone except the most loyal candle connoisseurs.