Scented candles are all the rage these days for hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world and for good reason too. They greatly enhance the atmosphere in your home and can help you to set up a relaxing and soothing experience. But is burning a scented candle the only option? No, it isn’t.
A lot of people rightfully have questions when it comes to scented candle vs wax warmer vs diffuser for setting up a fragrant environment in their homes. All of them come with some advantages and disadvantages based on certain factors.
Candles are great for their smell and light but lack aromatherapy. Diffusers, on the other hand, are great for aromatherapy and can smell amazing, some even come with cool lighting effects. Wax warmers are great for a lasting effect but won’t be as potent.
Here we will be taking a look at all three options so you can decide which one might be the right one for you.
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Candle vs Wax Warmer vs Diffuser for Light and Smell
To figure out which one might be the right one for you, we need to look at all of them individually.
Scented Candle
Scented candles have several advantages when it comes to setting up an aromatic experience and for enhancing the aesthetics of a room. You can use various types of candle holders, jars and containers to customize and complement the way your room looks. To get the most out of them, you need to light them up for at least an hour to start seeing effective changes. The longevity of scented candles will depend on the type of candle wax they have, the type of wick as well as the size of the candle.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Setting up a visual and aromatic ambiance in your room | Takes some time to spread the fragrance around |
| Having a steady and consistent fragrance throughout the room in a few hours | Cannot leave it unattended as there will always be a fire risk |
| Best for illumination | The scent doesn’t last for a long time |
Wax Warmer
The wax warmer is designed to heat candle wax blocks so that the fragrance is generated more quickly. Unlike candles, they don’t require you to light them as they work on electricity. All you need to do is place the block of scented candle wax onto the warmer and then turn ON the power. They come with a heat plate inside that warms and melts the wax, which then releases the fragrance into the air.
You can greatly customize your aromatic experience by using essential oils too. You also don’t have to worry about anything nearby catching on fire. However, when it comes to illuminating the room, a wax warmer doesn’t work as well as traditional candles even if it has a bulb inside.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Runs on electricity and therefore can be placed near vents, open windows, or fans | Cannot reuse the candle as the wick will sink into the melted wax |
| Can control how strong of a scent you want by using less or more melts | May not get all the benefits of essential oils due to heat being used |
| Can leave them ON longer than a traditional scented candle | May require a specific size of candle |
Diffusers
Diffusers come in many different types but all have the same functionality. Heat diffusers heat the essential oils and release the fragrance. Evaporate diffusers sometimes come with a small fan that helps the evaporation process to get done faster. Some of them also use reeds for the same purpose. Ultrasonic diffusers are hugely popular due to their high effectiveness.
Diffusers come with a basin where you pour water and drops of essential oils. There is a metal disc at the bottom that pumps ultrasonic waves into it, which releases the scent. You also have nebulizing diffusers which are considered by many to be the best kind. They utilize pressured air through a tube that creates a vacuum to turn the oils into a mist. Diffusers, however, won’t illuminate the room efficiently (if at all) and therefore can only be used for aromatic purposes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Based on the type of diffuser you use, you can retain all the benefits of essential oils. | Most of them are not effective when it comes to filling a large room with fragrances. |
| They are specifically designed for essential oils and therefore can produce both aromatic experiences and therapeutic benefits | Diffusing certain oils may not be safe for children or pets and so you need to do some research before getting one. |
| Some of the diffusers don’t require heat and so are very safe to use. | You cannot use scented candles with a diffuser and therefore it doesn’t add much to the aesthetics of the room. |
Fragrance Vs Aromatherapy
Before choosing one over the other, you do need to ask yourself what it is that you are looking for. Scented candles are great for producing fragrances but don’t do much when it comes to aromatherapy. Even if you use scented candles with essential oils, the heat will greatly reduce any aromatic benefit you are supposed to get from the oil.
So, if it’s a therapeutic experience you are looking for, a diffuser will be more useful and not any kind of diffuser too. Anything that uses fire or heat to produce the aroma will also minimize the oil benefits. Using an ultrasonic or nebulizing diffuser would be the better choice.
With wax warmers, you can use both scented candles and essential oils but again won’t be able to get the full benefits from it. A wax warmer is targeted more towards those who want lasting fragrances in less amount of time or for those who cannot light candles due to building regulations.
Conclusion
As you can see above, there is no best way to generate fragrance in your room as all three of them are efficient in their unique way. Choosing the right option will depend more on your personal preferences and needs. If you love scented candles, then you can choose to go for traditional candles or wax warmers whereas if you prefer the therapeutic benefits of essential oils, then a diffuser would be the way to go. If you love both, then you can buy all three of them and use them as per your mood on different days. Do not use them together though as the fragrances may clash and cause a nasty headache.