10 best wax melts 2022: gift box melts, bar melts and more

FORGET candles, it's time to turn your attention to the next best thing: wax melts - they're wick-less, scented pieces of wax that melt over warm water.

The best wax melts come in an array of eye-catching colours, shapes, sizes, and room-filling scents that would make amazing gifts, or centre-pieces that look and smell amazing. They also make for an amazing Christmas gift.

Wax melts are cheap, long-lasting ways to scent the home. While wax melts are similar to scented candles, they do have some extra, unique perks.

The wick-free melts tend to be cheaper, typically last longer and are chemical-free, so work well in a home with young kids or an office space.

They're also considered more environmentally friendly and still have the same benefits of scented candles, infusing your home with fragrance, as well as providing aromatherapy pros.

Wax melts typically come in cubes, bars or sweet little shapes like hearts and stars (cute gift alert!).

They're a great way to test out a scent on the cheap before committing to it, since you'll often find them in sets with small chunks containing different fragrances.

If you're a newbie to wax melts, you will need to buy a wax melt warmer in order to use your wax melts (you typically light a tea light in a ceramic wax melt holder).

You can find several different styles of burner on Amazon, in different shapes and materials, many for under £10 – here, we've rounded up a selection of the best wax melts you can buy right now.

Best wax melts at a glance:

• Best Christmas gift wax melts:
• Best handmade wax melts:
• Best soy wax melts:
• Best heart shaped wax melts:
• Best natural wax melts:
• Best designer looking wax melts:
• Best chocolate shaped wax melts:
• Best wax melts with a unique scent:
• Best animal shaped wax melts:
• Best laundry scented wax melts:

Amazon Handmade Wax Melts

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• Handmade highly scented wax melts, 10 x 5g melts for £4.95 from Amazon –

This assorted set of 10 wax melts includes good-enough-to-eat flavours like black plum and rhubarb, sparkling lemon, coffee mocha and coconut.

The bright colours and chocolate-box shapes make them a great assortment of gifts for the scent-sational friend in your life.

They're extremely budget-friendly, too - for under a fiver you get 10 5g melts in a range of eye-catching, fun shapes and unique scents that linger and bring joy to any room.

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Yankee Candle Wax Melts

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• Christmas Eve wax melt 22g, £1.99 from Yankee Candle –

Yes, wax melts come in fabulous seasonal scents, too - and what better time to stock up for Christmas?! You can also mix and match your favourite melts with the current offer, 10 for £14.

Christmas Eve, by famed candle brand Yankee Candle, is a seasonal mix of 'a warm hearth, sugared plums, and candied fruits' - the perfect scent to frame snuggling up at home in front of the fire.

It's bound to bring back some serious nostalgia, and make you pause in your tracks while rushing around at home to get ready for the big day.

It claims to be scent-packed enough to burn for up to eight hours, but can be re-melted again and again throughout the Christmas season for that lingering scent.

Twinkle Cottage Soy Wax Melts

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• Heart-shaped soy wax melts, 12 for £7.99 from Amazon –

For a great Christmas or birthday gift idea under £10, these budget-friendly wax melts work a treat.

These adorable heart-shaped melts come in a range of scents including Parma Violets, Black Cherry, Peppermint, Mojito, and Banana Nut Bread (did your mouth water too...?)

Sadly, these aren't edible, but the 100% natural soy wax candle burns beautifully for up to four hours at least, and leaves a lingering fragrance that will infuse a room with a unique scent.

Once the wax melts have burned, and you're done for the evening - they can even be reheated to infuse the room once again.

We love the chocolate box idea, with flavours and heart-shaped melts - good enough to eat!

Fosse Living Soy Wax Hearts

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• Natural Lime, Basil & Mandarin natural soy wax hearts, £10.99 from Fosse Living -

These gorgeous lime green wax melts from Fosse Living are letterbox friendly, and budget-friendly coming in at under £8 for 16 - which is fantastic value for money.

When melted, the fragrance is clean and fresh - with tangy natural lime, basil and mandarin.

They're entirely plastic-free as it arrives in eco-friendly packaging and extremely long-lasting - Fosse Living recommend cutting them in half, too, to make them last even longer.

The Natural Beauty Pot Wax Melt Letterbox Gift Set

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• Wax melts letterbox gift, £24 from Not On The High Street –

If you know someone who could use a little cheering up right now, why not send them a gift of pick-me-up scented wax melts in the post?

The letterbox-shaped parcel contains six beautifully fragranced melts: Fresh Mint, Lavender Essence, Rose Garden, Sugar & Spice, Wild Lemongrass and Winter Green.

For under £25, it's a super thoughtful gift from an independent retailer and bound to make someone's day.

Ava May Aromas Wax Melt

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• Mario Black Orchid Wax Melt Pack, six for £5.95 from Ava May Aromas –

Hand-picked from Insta-famous cleaning guru, , perfume brand Ava May Aromas have teamed up with the 150k follower-strong clean-fluencer to create this heady Black Orchid wax melt fragrance.

The pack of hand-poured wax melts contains six melts which should give you a combined burn time of 24 hours - but each creamy, scent-packed cube can be re-melted to enjoy to lingering scent time and time again.

The pack screams elegance and high-fashion with it's simple, almost Chanel-like black and white packaging, complete with luxurious ribbon and diamond-shaped silver charm.

Soak & Potion Wax Melt

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• Unicorn Blood wax melt snap bar, from £1.75 from Etsy –

We may have figured out the secret to breaking that after-dinner chocolate bar habit: snap apart a wax melt bar instead, and fill your home with a lovely, irresistible scent.

Soak & Potion's handmade soy wax melt snap bars contain over 10 per cent of pure, natural fragrance oils to really create that heady, sensory experience.

Made from all-natural ingredients, each has a gorgeous two-tone finish, like this Unicorn Blood bar, which smells of tropical fruit punch with hints of sweet double cream.

At under £3 a bar, and with a whopping 50 hour burn time - that's four hours of burn time per piece - this is a seriously good value for money gift. It's compact, adorable shape (and name!) makes for a great stocking filler, or gift.

SmeltCandles Soy Wax Melts

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• Dinky donuts scented soy wax melts, from £3.50 at Etsy –

Individually hand-poured from eco-friendly soy wax, these cute mini wax melts will make your home smell just like freshly-baked donuts.

And really, who wouldn't want that?

Prices on SmeltCandles' Etsy page start from £2.75 for heart-shaped designs and snap bars, and go up to £5.55 for a pack of 10 delightful dinky donuts!

Costing just 80p for postage nationwide, we can see why they're a best seller on Etsy.

Just keep them out of the way of young children – they're pretty much indistinguishable from the real deal!

Smelly Pigs

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• Black Fig & Vetiver Wax Melts, £6.99 from Smelly Pigs -

Okay, how could we not include these cute pig-shaped candle wax melts?

Bound to be a talking point in any home, these adorable, bright prink candle wax pigs are lovingly hand-poured in small batches, with a seriously good scent of fig and citrus fruits.

The vegan, paraben-free waxes come in eco-conscious packaging, and for under £7 you get 12 nestled little piggies.

The burn time is around eight to 12 hours, and each box boasts a burn time of 100 hours. This little piggy went all the way home!

Peak House Aromas

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• Fresh Laundry Wax Melt, £4.50 from Peak House Aromas -

If you adore the smell of fresh laundry then you need the Fresh Laundry Wax Melt from Peak House Aromas.

Available for less than £5, it'll make your home smell like freshly washed sheets all day long.

The brand say that the smell is "reminiscent of early morning walks, clean white bedding and coastal sea breezes"... we're sold.

What are wax melts?

Wax melts are scented cubes or bars of wax without a wick.

They can be melted in wax melt warmers to release home fragrance and can be used to replace candles.

They're typically cheaper than candles and they come in smaller sizes, so they're a good idea if you're keen to test out a scent before splashing out on a whole candle or room fragrance.

How to use wax melts?

Wax melts are like candles - they're scented pieces of wax but are entirely wickless.

Sadly, they don't burn solo so you will need to purchase a candle wax burner - these are usually made of ceramic, have a space for a tea light at the base and are very affordable.

Once the tealight is lit, the burner will heat up and gently melt the wax melt.

We recommend checking out the selection of budget-friendly wax burners on and

How long can you use wax melts for?

Wax melts typically keep their aroma for longer than candles, with one cube lasting anywhere from five to 10 hours.

Since wax melts don't burn, they release aromas more slowly and potently, so you may find your wax melt is lasting even longer.

How to remove wax melts?

It's important not to remove the wax melts when the product is still warm.

The simplest way to remove a wax melt is to wait until it is completely dry, and solid, usually after waiting overnight - and to pop it out, then replace with another, fresher wax melt.

You can reheat and reuse wax melts however, but the scent will not be potent after the first, or second use.

What are the differences between candles and wax melts?

Unlike candles, wax melts don't have wicks.

They also burn without a flame: instead you put them in warmers (light an unscented tea light underneath them), and they'll gradually fill your space with scent.

We'd recommend them for larger spaces like living rooms, since wax melts have a more intense smell (the fragrance oils don't burn as they do in a candle).

Typically, wax melts are also cheaper than candles, and you can mix and match scents in any way you like.

Are wax melts safe?

Sadly, a fair few scented candles can contain toxic chemicals like phthalates, and formaldehyde - though candles contain minimal amounts of these, used frequently can be bad for your home, and health.

Wax melts are non-toxic, and don't burn with a flame, instead burning in a dipped wax melt burner top - so are usually safer than an open flame from a candle, especially if it gets knocked by a pet or a small child.

Are wax melts safe for dogs?

While many dog owners may want to invest in wax melts to camouflage the smell of dog in their homes, ingredients like paraffin and benzene could cause tummy upsets if ingested.

Look out for wax melts with all-natural ingredients, and brands that make pet-safe wax melts, like

Where to buy wax melts

Most retailers that stock candles will also have wax melts, from Yankee Candle to Marks and Spencers.

Other online shops like Amazon and PrettyLittleThing also has a great range to choose from.

Even your local supermarket might have some in stock, such as Asda, Sainsburys, Tesco and Morrisons.

How to make wax melts

If you're feeling creative and want to make your own wax melts, then all you need is some essential oils, beeswax beeds and coconut oil. Want bold colours? You'll need some candle dye too.

First of all fill a saucepan with 300ml of water and bring it to simmer, before putting a glass bowl filled with your beeswax, coconut oil and candle dye on top to melt it all while stirring with a wooden spoon.

When everything has melted, take it off the heat and add your essential oils.

Then, you're going to want to pour it into a mould. If you want pretty heart-shaped or flower wax melts, then you should buy those. Top tip: cookie cutters work too!

For wax melts kits, check out the below.

• 636Pcs Wax Seal Stamp Kit, £22.99 from Amazon -
• NA Wax Melt Kit, £35.99 from Amazon -
• Ultimate Wax Melt Starter Kit, £16.99 from Etsy -
• DIY Wax Melt Making Kits, £19.99 from Etsy -