Cedar is one of those notes that can go in a dozen different directions. It can be smoky and campfire-like, clean and architectural, or wrapped in pine and balsam. We carry three candles that each take cedar somewhere completely different, and they are worth comparing side by side if you know you love woody scents but are not sure which style fits your home best.
The three: Dilo Burning Cedar ($12), Studio Stockhome Cedar ($38), and Broken Top Sitka Woodland ($26). Same note family, very different personalities.
Dilo Burning Cedar: Campfire Cedar
Dilo's Burning Cedar is the most dramatic of the three. If you have read our full breakdown of the Burning Cedar line, you already know this one hits hard. Top notes of black currant and smoldering ash open with an immediate sense of fire. Incense, tobacco leaf, and clove build the middle. The base lands on red cedar, wood smoke, and amber.
This is not polished cedar. It is cedar smoke. The candle smells like someone just threw a few logs on a fire pit and the whole backyard is filled with that warm, smoky haze. The throw is strong for a 3.5oz candle - it will fill a room quickly and linger well after you blow it out.
Best for: People who love smoky, earthy scents. Fall and winter evenings. Anyone who wishes their house came with a working fireplace.
Price: $12 for 3.5oz (20-25 hour burn). Hand-poured in Philadelphia with 100% soy wax.
Studio Stockhome Cedar: Clean, Architectural Cedar
Studio Stockhome's Cedar goes in the opposite direction. Where Dilo gives you campfire, Stockhome gives you a freshly built cedar deck on a warm afternoon. The note breakdown is cedar leaf and bergamot on top, cedarwood and cypress in the heart, and sandalwood with musk at the base.
The overall impression is clean, warm, and grounding. There is no smoke here. No fire. Just wood - rich, natural, almost meditative. The bergamot adds a slight brightness that keeps it from feeling heavy, and the sandalwood base gives it a creamy warmth that lingers in the room for hours.
The candle itself is beautifully designed - Stockhome's Scandinavian aesthetic shows in the minimal packaging and the quality of the wax blend (soy, coconut, and beeswax). The throw is medium to strong, and the cold throw is noticeable even when unlit.
Best for: People who want a woody candle that reads sophisticated and clean. Bedrooms, living rooms, home offices. Year-round.
Price: $38 for a larger format candle. Natural soy, coconut, and beeswax blend.
Broken Top Sitka Woodland: Pacific Northwest Cedar
Broken Top's Sitka Woodland brings cedar into a forest context. The inspiration is explicitly Pacific Northwest - think chopping wood outside a cabin with fresh pine wafting through the air. Dry gin and spruce sit on top, cedar and red currant in the middle, and sweet balsam rounds out the base.
This is the most complex of the three in terms of what is happening around the cedar note. The gin adds an unexpected herbal crispness. The spruce gives it a green, evergreen quality. And the balsam at the base adds a sweet, resinous warmth. Cedar is not the solo star here - it is part of an ensemble that paints a full forest picture.
The throw is strong. At 9oz with a 50-hour burn time, it fills a room with a woodsy, crisp scent that feels distinctly masculine but works for anyone who loves the outdoors.
Best for: People who want a forest-in-a-candle experience. Pacific Northwest fans. Anyone who likes layered, complex woody scents with some green freshness.
Price: $26 for 9oz (approximately 50-hour burn). Hand-poured in Bend, Oregon with 100% soy wax.
The Quick Comparison
| Dilo Burning Cedar | Studio Stockhome Cedar | Broken Top Sitka Woodland | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $12 (3.5oz) | $38 | $26 (9oz) |
| Cedar style | Smoky campfire | Clean, architectural | Forest ensemble |
| Throw | Strong | Medium-strong | Strong |
| Season | Fall/Winter | Year-round | Year-round |
| Mood | Cozy, dramatic | Calm, sophisticated | Adventurous, crisp |
| Wax | 100% soy | Soy/coconut/beeswax | 100% soy |
Which One Should You Pick?
If you want pure cedar intensity with a smoky edge, start with Dilo Burning Cedar. It is the most affordable entry point at $12, and it delivers an unmistakable campfire experience.
If you want clean, warm cedar that works in any room and any season, Studio Stockhome is the pick. It is the most refined of the three - the kind of candle that makes a room feel intentional without being loud.
If you want cedar as part of a bigger story - forest air, pine needles, the whole Pacific Northwest atmosphere - Broken Top Sitka Woodland is your candle.
The honest answer is that these are different enough that you might end up wanting more than one. Burning Cedar for movie nights in winter. Stockhome Cedar for your bedroom year-round. Sitka Woodland for the living room when you want the house to smell like the outdoors.
You can smell all three at our fragrance bar on Soquel Ave. Book a free scent flight and we will walk you through them in person - or browse our full candle collection for local pickup in Santa Cruz.