Wickless candles and wax melts both scent your home without lighting a wick, so it is easy to wonder what the difference is. Here is how they compare.
The difference in a sentence
A wax melt is a small piece of scented wax that you place in the dish of a burner or warmer. A wickless candle is a full jar of scented wax that sits under a candle warmer lamp, ready to use again and again.
How they compare
- What you need. Wax melts need a burner or an electric warmer with a dish. Many burners use a tea light, which brings a flame back in. A wickless candle needs a candle warmer lamp, which uses a bulb.
- Day to day. With melts, you add a new piece when the scent has gone and clean out the old wax. With a wickless candle, you switch the lamp on and off. There is nothing to top up or scrape out between uses.
- Changing scents. Melts make it easy to switch fragrance often, or to try a new one without committing to a whole jar. A wickless candle is one scent that you live with for longer.
- How it looks. A wickless candle looks like a candle: a glass jar under a soft lamp. Melts are more functional.
- Gifting. A boxed wickless candle makes a lovely present on its own, and even better with a lamp.
Which should you choose?
Choose wax melts if you like to change scents often and you already have a burner you love. Choose a wickless candle if you want something simple that stays in one place, looks beautiful, and needs no flame at all.
Plenty of people use both. Our scented wax tags are a good example: hang one on the tree or in a wardrobe, then break it up and use it as melts when the scent begins to fade.
Find yours
Browse our seasonal wickless candles or our scented wax tags. New to candle warmer lamps? Start with our guide to wickless candles.