Aldi’s Candle Review – Cosy Bargain or Chemical Bonfire?

Aldi’s Candle Review – Cosy Bargain or Chemical Bonfire?

Right then. Aldi’s at it again.

This autumn they’ve launched their Wooden Lid Ribbed Glass Candle – very posh name for a £3.99 job. Three flavours: Golden Amber, Autumn Harvest, Warm Fireside. The jars look lovely – ribbed glass, wooden lid, and could easily pass for something triple the price.

On the shelf, you think: bargain. In your trolley, you think: genius. Light it at home, and you think: ahhh, autumn in a jar.

But here’s the rub: if a candle costs less than a Aldi ready meal, there’s a reason.

What You’re Really Burning is paraffin wax – basically leftover bits of petrol, pressed into a block. Light it and you’re releasing the same stuff you’d breathe in standing behind a bus. And those fragrances?– that “amber” and “harvest” is not crushed leaves and tree sap. It’s chemicals made to smell like them. Some can set off headaches, asthma, and allergies. And the Colours and Dyes that make it look autumnal also makes it belch out more gunk when it burns. And yes, there are phthalates (fancy word, horrible stuff) – used to make the smell last. Linked to hormone problems. You won’t find that on the label, of course.

Now, Aldi’s not breaking any rules. Most cheap candles are made like this. But safe? Not really. Especially if you’ve got kids, are pregnant, or have pets.

So who should run a mile from this candle? Babies and children – their little lungs are still developing. Pregnant women – what you breathe, baby breathes. Cats, dogs, birds – they can’t tell you it stinks, they just wander off looking sad.

But at £3.99, Aldi’s being straight with you. They’re saying: “This is cheap and cheerful. Don’t ask questions.” And if you don’t ask, you won’t know you’re filling your living room with smoke that belongs in an exhaust pipe.

There are better ways to make your house smell like autumn. You could bake some cinnamon cookies – the smell is better, and you can eat them. You could chuck orange peel and cloves in a pan of water – your house will smell like Christmas.

Or if you must have a candle, spend a bit more; on soy wax and essential oils.

Fewer chemicals, less smoke.

I get it, not everyone’s shelling out £30 for a posh candle. Life’s expensive. A four-quid Aldi jar seems harmless enough.

But here’s the truth: you’re not buying cosy autumn vibes. You’re buying paraffin and perfume in a frosted glass.

So enjoy the glow if you must – but maybe keep the windows open, and don’t kid yourself it’s anything more than a cheap trick in a fancy jar.

Sometimes the cheapest flame comes with the heaviest smoke.