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All the beachy vibes — with none of the sand.
Regardless of the season or your proximity to the shoreline, you just can’t go wrong with candles that smell like the beach. The best beachy candles feature a scent profile, burn time, and aesthetic that, when combined, have the ability to transport you to a sunny paradise in an instant.
What To Look For
Scents
There are lots of different scents that can invoke a beachy feel. Fruit and citrus smells are among the most common — aromas with hints of pineapple, melon, citrus, berries, or coconut do a fantastic job of delivering the beach into your space. If you’re looking for more of a floral ambience, you may want to opt for a candle with notes of jasmine, violet, lavender, geranium, ylang-ylang, or honeysuckle. But, if an earthier essence is what you’re after, spice scents like cardamom, cedarwood and sandalwood can help get you there. Of course, some candles combine many of these scents for a well-balanced profile.
Wax & Wicks
When shopping around for the perfect beach-scented candle, one thing to keep in mind is the type of wax it’s made with. Traditional paraffin options are often less expensive but tend to burn faster and sometimes create more soot. Soy candles, on the other hand, usually last longer and are believed to produce less soot. There are also soy blends, which often have paraffin mixed in and thus offer a combination of these traits (although the other wax type isn’t always specified).
Another thing to think about is the style of wick — cotton wicks tend to be the most common option. But some people prefer wooden wicks for the cozy, crackling sounds they make when lit. You’ll find that larger candles often have multiple wicks — this can create brighter flames and help the scent last longer, while also helping them to burn more evenly.
Additional Factors
The final consideration is aesthetics. Candles are meant to enhance the look of your space, and if you don’t love the way it looks, you won’t be eager to display it. The options below range in style, from sleek and minimalist to kitschy beach house vibes, so there’s sure to be something that matches your taste.
To help you find the perfect option, I’ve gathered some of the best candles that smell like the beach in a variety of styles and scents.
Shop The Best Candles That Smell Like The Beach
In a hurry? These are the top picks...
- A Sleek Glass Candle With A Balanced Scent Profile: Sand + Fog Ocean Mist
- This Pretty Embossed Candle With Notes Of Violet & Cedarwood: La Jolie Muse Marine Breeze
- This Staggeringly Popular Candle From A Fan-Favorite Brand: Yankee Candle Sun & Salt
- A Modern-Looking Candle With A Tropical Scent: Lulu Candles Pineapple Evergreen
- A Vintage-Style Artisan Candle In A Mason Jar Container: Paddywax Ocean Tide + Sea Salt
- This Hawaiian-Themed Candle With Hints Of Coconut, Vanilla, & Sugar: Homesick Hawaii
- An Elegant Hourglass Candle With A Wooden Wick: WoodWick At The Beach
1
A Sleek Glass Candle With A Balanced Scent Profile
What’s great about it: Designed with a sleek glass container and a pretty wooden lid, this beach-scented candle from Sand + Fog is sure to morph your home into a sand-inspired paradise. It’s made in Huntington Beach, California, so coastal vibes are in its DNA. The “Ocean Mist” scent infuses notes of pineapple, red berries, melon, geranium, jasmine, cyclamen, vanilla, and caramelized sugar for a well-rounded profile. The double-cotton-wick candle is made with a 20% recycled glass container, and the decorative wooden lid is etched with artwork. The candle is also available in a handful of other beach-themed options too, including “California Beach House,” “Clean Waves,” and “Tropical Citrus.”
One reviewer wrote: “I love everything about it. The color is just like a fog or wet sand. The scent is fresh and light like sea mist. Delicious. It’s simple and elegant. The carved wood lid is absolutely stunning.”
Wax type: paraffin | Wick type: cotton | Burn time: 36 hours
2
This Pretty Embossed Candle With Notes Of Violet & Cedarwood
What’s great about it: Get ready to bring those sweet, salty smells to your home with La Jolie Muse’s “Marine Breeze” candle, which combines the fruity aromas of lime and grapefruit with floral notes like violet and ylang-ylang. On top of that, it blends in amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, and other muskier scents to make you feel like you’re walking along your favorite coastline. It comes in a beautiful embossed glass jar with a light blue tint featuring daisies and pretty swirls. The soy wax will give you 90 hours of burn time, and the wooden wick gives you that earthy crackling sound for maximum good vibes.
One reviewer wrote: “Very pretty candle that smells like summer days at the beach. Burns well and the "crackle" sound is a plus. Looks nice on my coffee table.
Wax type: soy blend | Wick type: wood | Burn time: 90 hours
3
This Staggeringly Popular Candle From A Fan-Favorite Brand
What’s great about it: “Sun & Sand” is part of an astonishingly popular collection of strongly scented candles from Yankee Candle, which collectively boasts a whopping 44,000-plus five-star reviews. The beloved double-wick paraffin candle, which burns for 75 to 110 hours, comes in a glass jar with a brushed metal lid. Shoppers especially loved the “suntan lotion” smell, with some noting that it’s extremely nostalgic. The scent is derived in part from notes of lavender, orange, lemon, and musk. Other beachy scents include “Beach Walk,” “Pink Sands,” “Black Sand Beach,” “Island Waterfall,” and “Tahitian Nights.”
One reviewer wrote: “Every time I burn it, I am immediately transported to a sunny, carefree day from my past when I practically lived at the beaches all summer long in Maine which is my home state. This memory is so strong and vivid and when I discovered this scent, I knew that I could relive those moments”
Wax type: paraffin | Wick type: natural fibers | Burn time: 75 to 110 hours
4
A Modern-Looking Candle With A Tropical Scent
What’s great about it: Tropical vibes await you with this breezy, Pineapple Evergreen from Lulu Candles. “Pineapple Evergreen” is just one of several coastal-inspired scents from Lulu (others include “Ocean Breeze,” “Island Coconut,” and “Poolside.” The soy-blend candle, which is made with a 100% cotton wick, is small in size but delivers a delightful scent. The essential oils invoke a blissful but subtle fragrance, according to reviewers. One fan described it as “a little fruity with some pine,” noting that it “lasts forever and the smell [is] fantastic.”
One reviewer wrote: “I got this as a gift from my boyfriend. It smells so good! It's the perfect blend of green and pineapple. It makes me feel like I'm on the beach. I just wish it was bigger!!
Wax type: soy | Wick type: cotton | Burn time: 45 hours
5
A Vintage-Style Artisan Candle In A Mason Jar Container
What’s great about it: If your aesthetic is mason jar chic, this ocean-scented candle was made for you. With a scent that’s described as “ocean tide and sea salt,” the crafty, hand-poured soy candle features a cotton wick that burns for roughly five hours. It has an “antiqued” silver lid with a faded vintage aesthetic, and a light aqua color that looks like the ocean waves — and the whole container is designed to be reused when you”re done with it.
One reviewer wrote: “I bought the Sea Salt/Ocean Tide scent as I am away at college in an inland state from my hometown in California (which is by the beach) - and deeply miss the ocean. In short, I LOVE this candle. It has a great scent - often times, ‘oceany’-smelling candles can be very strong and border onto the unpleasant scent of seaweed. This one is really gentle and nice - and more than anything, my room always smells ‘fresh’ after the candle's been burning for a while. On top of that, the candle is VERY long lasting; I can burn it for several hours without it depleting in wax.”
Wax type: soy blend | Wick type: cotton | Burn time: 45 hours
6
This Hawaiian-Themed Candle With Hints Of Coconut, Vanilla, & Sugar
What’s great about it: With thousands of positive ratings on Amazon, this Homesick candle smells exactly like the beach, according to its fans. It does so via the scent of pineapple, coconut, cyclamen, vanilla, and sugar. The hand-poured soy blend, which can burn for up to 80 hours, has a single cotton wick. The brand makes candles for every state in the U.S. that you might feel “homesick” for, along with other nostalgic locations worldwide. “Florida,” “Southern California,” “San Diego,” and “Miami” are other notable options with strong beach aromas.
One reviewer wrote: “Opened the box and bam. The smells of getting off the plane in Kauai right after it has rained. The dewy air leads to a sweet intoxicating aroma of Hawaii. You can smell the primrose, plumeria, and pineapple. As I close my eyes and wish I could hear that wonderful Pacific Ocean, the smell transports me to the warm topical breeze of Hawaii.”
Wax type: soy blend | Wick type: cotton | Burn time: 60 to 80 hours
7
An Elegant Hourglass Candle With A Wooden Wick
What’s great about it: With a smooth wooden lid and curved glass jar, this pretty “At The Beach” candle is the perfect addition to any space that could use a tropical scent (though the specific notes are not given). The paraffin-soy blend wax delivers the best of both worlds, and the crackling wood wick creates extra ambience. “Palm Leaf,” “Seaside Neroli” “Island Getaway Trilogy,” “Shoreline Trilogy,” and “Melon Blossom” are among other candles from the brand that offer beachy smells.
One reviewer wrote: “This Woodwick candle is amazing!!! It smells just like a day at the beautiful beaches of the Gulf of Mexico to me. Shipping was fast, and it came very well packaged to ensure it didn’t arrive shattered. Woodwick will always be my favorite brand of candle. Every scent I’ve ever had smelled AMAZING, and they last forever. Would highly recommend this candle, especially to beach lovers like me :)”
Wax type: paraffin-soy blend | Wick type: wood | Burn time: 60 hours
About The Recommender
As a Bustle writer since 2017, I've covered dozens of topics related to home goods and decor. I’ve also researched and reviewed products for publications including Mic, Bustle, Digital Trends, Men's Journal, Yahoo Tech, and Gear Junkie.
