2020's Best New Holiday Candles — All Tested by PEOPLE Editors

Perhaps no brand has as many holiday candle options as Bath and Body Works, so narrowing down our favorite was no small feat. According to our editor-tester, this festive fragrance "has a perfect cozy combination of sweet from the vanilla frosting and brown sugar notes, and spice from the gingerbread and spiced rum." The scent lingers for hours without being too overpowering, and makes any space feel "warm and welcoming."

Buy It! $24.50, bathandbodyworks.com

Refreshing notes of juniper berries and wood shine through in this single-wick candle. The holographic glass vessel is perfect "to have lit in the background during a Zoom holiday party," comments a staffer. 

Buy It! $50, moltonbrown.com

Dressed up in an elegant green-and-gold bough pattern, this votive envelopes you in the earthy scent of balsam. It's also highly-scented: "I could literally smell this candle through the box as soon as it was delivered to my door," one staffer swears. "It evokes memories of heading to a Christmas tree farm and bringing home your favorite fir."

Buy It! $65, bloomingdales.com

Inspired by the "13 desserts" holiday tradition in Provence, France, (where it's customary to share 13 different desserts with your guests), this candle makes you feel cozy, like the last course of a winter meal.

"I was worried that this candle was going to be too sweet, but was pleasantly surprised that it hit the right balance thanks to the Sweet Orange and Dry Nuts top notes," our editor shares. "And while I'm not much of a baker, at least my kitchen will smell like a French patisserie."

Buy It! $54, loccitane.com

Handmade in Massachusetts by female refugees, this candle boasts a "perfectly balanced scent of wintery juniper and balsam trees," according to our staffer. It also comes in a gorgeous, reusable votive — once the wax has burned low, you can use it as a trinket dish! 

Buy It! $38, mollyhatch.com

"I wasn't sure what my New Year's Eve quarantine plans were going to be until I smelled this candle (which like the name suggests, is cozy and vibrant at the same time), and now I am clear," one staffer says of the new Speakeasy scent from Harlem Candle Co., which is sweet and spicy with notes of palo santo, bourbon and dark chocolate. "I'm going to light this up while I listen to one of my favorite DJ DNice 'club quarantine' sets, and sway the night away."

Buy It! $45, harlemcandlecompany.com

Cranberry, strawberry and ruby-red pomegranate mingle with sweet vanilla sugar in this highly-scented candle. (Light this up and your home will be filled with fragrance almost immediately!) According to an editor, it's "not too sweet, perfectly refreshing, and not your average Christmas scent, but still has a festive feel." 

Buy It! $29.50, yankeecandle.com

Siblings has a sustainable mission we love: you microwave the bagged wax yourself and add it to your favorite vessel  (a great social-distancing-friendly activity)! The No 09 scent is their winter pick due to its fig-forward fragrance, but according to our staffer, "it has a holiday vibe, but it's a candle I would burn all year round." 

Buy It! $22, siblings.co

Another brand with an eco-friendly focus, this candle is 100 percent plant-based and toxin-free. Our staffer says the scent is far more luxurious than its price tag would suggest and fills small spaces quickly. " I used it in our bathroom and enjoyed how the mix of pine, fresh cypress, and palo santo wood filled the room," they shared. 

Buy It! $34, growfragrance.com

Pomegranate, pine, sandalwood, mint and musk all mingle together in a festive fashion in this votive from Love Notes. "I love that it's called Grace for our non-denominational holiday folks and can be burned at any time of year," says our staffer. "Not to mention the name is very 2020 appropriate. We could all use a little Grace right now."

Buy It! $38, lovenotesfragrances.com

Our editor loved this candle so much, she immediately sent a couple out to her sisters-in-law for Christmas! "It's a very happy smell and everything a holiday candle should be," she says of the scent, which boasts top notes of red currants and sugar plums and base notes of winter rose and sandalwood. 

Buy It! $34, homesick.com

FVITH's entire line of holiday candles won us over — but none so much as Silver Bells. According to one staffer, it has a "perfectly balanced" blend of essences — including clove, eucalyptus, musk and oakmoss — making for a candle that's "so fragrant, but not overwhelming." Plus, the pure black wax is just too cool. 

Buy It! $45, fvith.com

Vanilla, honey and cinnamon bark swirl together in a chic, gold votive for our favorite holiday pick from the candle connoisseurs at LAFCO. "While the sweet notes are very fragrant, it's not overpowering thanks to the balance of a bottom note of musk," our staffer assures, also calling its impressive burn time. 

Buy It! $17, lafco.com

This hand-poured, coconut-soy blend candle from Blk Sunflower is as adorable as it is wintery. With notes of pine, vanilla and clove, the scent is "clean and pure like a fresh winter snowfall," according to our staffer, and the blue-and-white marbled wax is "unlike anything I've ever seen before." 

Buy It! $32, blksunflower.com

If you don't have a fireplace, this candle from Target will give you the same feel and sound due to its crackling wood wick. "This smells like sitting by the fire and opening Christmas presents, but can definitely still be burned after the holiday is over," our staffer says of the scent, which boasts cinnamon and amber notes along with fresh rosemary and linen. 

Buy It! $17, target.com

"The three-wick size came in the most immaculate packaging I have ever seen," one editor says — but that's not the only reason we love this elegant candle from Sicily Hill. With notes of bubbly Champagne and florals, the scent is "fresh and sparkly," and the votive is oh-so giftable. "It also burned slowly and pristinely," our staffer shares. 

Buy It! $39, sicilyhill.com