Oil and wax melt burners are the simplest, most powerful way to infuse your space with incredible aromatherapy.
The flexibility is fantastic: easily swap your essential oils or highly scented wax melts for a fragrance to suit your mood, daily.
We cut through the noise with this quick guide to electric wax warmers and classic tea light burners. Discover the best home fragrance burner for maximum scent throw, safety, and style, and instantly elevate your home’s mood!
Table of Contents
The Traditional Oil and Wax Melt Burners
What material should my traditional burner be?
The traditional oil and wax melt burners use a tea light candle to heat the oil or wax and can be made of a variety of materials. Ceramic is considered the best overall but here are some factors to consider.
| Material | Heat distribution | Heat resistance | Safe to touch | Easy to clean | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ceramic |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Yes |
Yes, if glazed ceramic. Clay is harder to clean. |
Can chip or crack. Heavier than copper. |
|
Soapstone |
Excellent |
Excellent |
Yes |
Yes |
Good |
|
Borosilicate glass |
Good |
Good |
Yes |
Yes |
Good – stronger than regular glass |
|
Copper |
Excellent |
Excellent |
No. Can burn. |
Yes |
Does not rust but can tarnish over time, forming a green tinge. Regular polishing recommended. |
Ceramic burner
Soap stone burner
Borosilicate glass burner
What else should I consider for a good burner?
- Check it is made with a stable base to prevent tipping over, spills and accidents.
- The bowl should be relatively deep. For an oil burner, you will be adding essential oil into water. A deep bowl ensures a slower evaporation and longer lasting fragrance. For a wax melt burner, you will need a deep bowl to fit enough wax melts without overflow.
- Ensure a safe distance. For oil burners, a distance of 6cm (around the height of a standard key) between the heat source and the bowl.
For wax melt burners, a distance of 10cm is required (around the length of a toilet roll). This is to ensure the wax does not melt too quickly causing the scent to become too overpowering and a possible fire risk. - Have a separate oil burner and a wax melt burner. Why?
Using diluted oil and water in the same burner you’ve enjoyed a wax melt in, could cause the mixture to splutter making it pretty dangerous. Also, they require different distances between heat source and bowl to operate well.
But if you do only get one burner for both oil and wax, make sure it has the safer distance of 10cm. Let the wax harden before scraping off and clean the bowl thoroughly with some damp cotton wool.
How do I use an essential oil burner?
- Firstly, clean the bowl out with a damp cloth – not a scourer.
- Fill the bowl with water and add a few drops of your chosen essential oil.
- A regular sized tealight should be placed beneath the bowl and lit. .
What are the benefits of essential oil burners?
- Reusable – It’s a device that can be re-used with different aromas.
- Great scent throw – For a small product, it distributes the scent of the oils well and gives you a boost of aromatherapy.
- Variety – As you’re only committing to a couple of hours of aromatherapy at a time, you can mix and match different essential oils to suit your mood.
- Compact – small but sturdy, you can put it anywhere in the home.
- Inexpensive – You can invest in a burner from £10 and a handful of your favourite essential oils from £12. And this will give you months of divine home fragrance.
How do I use a traditional wax melt burner?
- Pop a wax melt into the bowl or two melts if they are small cubes.
- Make sure your burner is exactly where you want it. Perhaps in the bathroom for a little spa like decadence, or in your bedroom for a relaxing night.
- Light the tea light underneath the bowl and enjoy the gorgeous fragrance infuse your surrounding as the wax gently melts.
What are the benefits of wax melts over candles?
- More cost effective. If you burn a wax melt for as long as a standard tealight burns – roughly 4 hours, this effectively releases enough lasting fragrance to fill your room. You can buy a box of 16 melts for roughly £10.
- You can mix and match your fragrance with a plethora of little melts.
- The wax melts seem to have more burn time than candles due to their molecular structure.
- Stronger fragrance release – these little beauties pack a punch!
The Electric Wax Melt Burner
A rather nifty gadget you may already have or suddenly need in your lovely home. As the name suggests, this uses a built in heating element powered by electricity, that melts the scented wax cubes without the need for an open flame. Ingenious!
How do I use an electric wax melt burner? (Also called wax melt warmer)
- Place the burner on a stable, heat-resistant surface. Ensure there are no flammable materials nearby. And out of reach of children and pets.
- Place a piece or two in the dish at the top of the burner. The amount of wax can be adjusted based on how strong you want to be hit with the fragrance.
- Plug the burner into an electrical socket and switch it on. Some models have adjustable temperature settings or timers, allowing you to control the rate at which the wax melts and the duration of the fragrance release.
- Relax. As the wax melts, it releases its fragrance into the air making your home smell heavenly.
- Once the desired fragrance level is reached, switch off the burner and allow it to cool before handling. The cooled, solidified wax can then be removed and replaced with fresh wax melts.
What are the benefits of an electric wax melt burner?
- Safety: No flame! Every so often you want your surroundings to still exude a sense of luxury and relaxation without the risk of a fire hazard. With no open flame, it’s safer.
- Ease of Use: Just switch it on. No need to light or trim wicks, replacing tea lights or dealing with smoke.
- Versatility: You can have control over the intensity and duration of the fragrance with adjustable settings. And if you’re somewhat of a McScatter brains like me, some electric wax burners feature timer and automatic shut off.Phew!
- Pretty darn gorgeous: Electric wax melt burners can be rather arty and decorative. Even when not in use, they add a certain sophisticated touch to your home. From boho chic, to scandi style, there a variety of tasteful designs out there.
- Eco-Friendly: Once you own an electric wax melt burner (or two depending on how large your home is), you’ll be using individual little wax melts, majority made from soy. It also eliminates the need for the disposal of so many tealights!
- Cost-Effective: Over time, using an electric wax melt burner can be more economical. Wax melts tend to be less expensive than candles, and since the burner itself is a one-time purchase, it can save money in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re happy with the warm glow of tealights or enjoy the pretty functionality of an electric wax melt burner, your home would thoroughly thrive from having some of these beauties dotted around.