Candle, reed diffuser or wax melts? How to choose

Every Saltbox scent comes three ways: as a candle, as a reed diffuser and as wax melts. They smell the same, but they do quite different jobs. Here is how they compare, so you can pick the right one for each room.

The candle: for an evening

A candle gives you two things the others cannot: a flame and a warm glow. It scents a room within an hour or so of lighting and fills it more fully than a diffuser. It is the one to light when you sit down for the evening, run a bath or have people over.

The catch is that it needs you there. A candle should never burn in an empty room, so it is not the answer for a hallway or a spare bathroom.

The reed diffuser: for all the time

A reed diffuser has no flame and needs no power. The reeds draw the scented oil up and release it into the air around them, gently and all day. It is a quieter scent than a candle, and that is the point: it is the background smell of a room rather than an event.

It suits the places you pass through or do not sit in for long: an entryway, a bathroom, a landing, a closet. Turn the reeds over every week or so to bring the scent back up. Keep the bottle off polished wood and out of direct sun.

Wax melts: for a strong scent without a wick

Wax melts are small cubes of scented wax that you warm in a wax warmer, either an electric one or one with a tea light underneath. Because the wax only melts and never burns, the scent can be strong and quick to fill a room, and you choose how much to use: one cube for a little, two for more.

Electric warmers have no open flame, which many people like in a home with pets or children (a tea light warmer still needs watching). Melts are also the easiest way to try a scent, because a six-pack lasts a good while.

So which one?

• Living room, evenings: a candle.
• Hallway, bathroom, entryway: a reed diffuser.
• Kitchen, or anywhere you want a strong scent fast: wax melts.

Many people end up with one scent in all three forms, so the whole house smells the same. Our three scents are on the scent library, with the notes for each.