We Smelled All of the Fall Candles at Walmart so You Don’t Have to (Mainstays Fall Candles Review)

We acknowledge that it is still August, and it is still super warm where we live. However, school is starting up again, the sun is setting sooner, and the leaves are starting to change color. Fall is quickly approaching, and we definitely have to get our candle game right before September starts. We've already found the best cereal-scented candles at Target for our arsenal, so this is a logical next step.

We are major candle people, and we are willing to acknowledge our faults. Truly, we don't care exactly what season it is. If a candle is good, it will get burned in our house. That doesn't mean we don't make every effort to save candles for their appropriate time frames, and we aren't completely mad. We're not generally burning pine-scented candles in Summer (with Christmas in July being a notable exception). It does mean that we are more than willing to burn fall candles in August, and we'll likely carry many of them a little too far into the winter. 

Since we're ready to burn fall candles, we figured you all are ready, too! So, we’re here to help. We spent the afternoon smelling every single Walmart-brand autumn-scented candle so you don’t have to, from the gross ones to the ones earning our Good, Better, Best stamp of approval - plus, a few honorable mentions. Trust us, we're saving your noses here. More than a few of the fall candles were overbearing and not great. This is coming from the people that absolutely love fall, and are more than willing to accept our apartment smelling like a grandma's kitchen. 

Let’s dive in! Actually, “jump in” might be more appropriate. Like, into a pile of leaves. Yeah, let’s jump in!

Here are all of the Mainstays candles we smelled, including links:

• Apple Pumpkin
• Banana Nut Bread
• Bourbon Pecan Pie
• Cozy Comfort
• Fall Farmhouse
• Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin To Talk About
• Mulled Cider
• Pumpkin Spice
• Spun Pumpkin Sugar
• Sweet Apple
• Warm Apple Pie

Good: Pumpkin Spice

Good ol’ pumpkin spice. It’s a classic fall scent that takes the world by storm every year around this time. The Mainstays Pumpkin Spice candle offers a full-bodied aroma of this autumn staple and is sure to fill your home with all of the great fall vibes. Pumpkin spice can be overwhelming since it is available everywhere, but we think this is a good option for every home. It’s like a comfort food, but a scent. You can’t eat it, but how exciting is it to smell it? 

We do want to acknowledge that this one is extremely strong. It may not be your winner if you have a sensitive nose, or don't want it taking over your whole house. That said, If Starbucks is your fall home and pumpkin spice desserts are your favorite food, this cheap candle will leave you spiced up all fall long. We would advise grabbing a few, as we could easily imagine this one selling out! It's rare to find a level of pumpkin spice that smells so good for such a cheap price. 

Better: Spun Pumpkin Sugar

If you want a twist on the popular pumpkin spice scent, opt for the Mainstays Spun Pumpkin Sugar candle. It smells like sweet pumpkin cookies and definitely made us crave these hypothetical treats. This one is more unique and you can easily pick up on the sugary, sweet notes that differentiate this from a typical pumpkin spice candle. Also, it just smells really good, so even if you don’t love pumpkin spice, you’ll probably be a fan of this one. 

This is the candle for all of you bakers out there. It won't overpower the sourdough in your oven, but it will make your home smell like sweetness and fall. If you are going for a complementary smell (maybe to a Thanksgiving dinner?) this could be your absolute new favorite. 

Best: Apple Pumpkin

The crowned winner of this Good, Better, Best has to be the Mainstays Apple Pumpkin candle. It combines two of the most iconic fall scents (apple and pumpkin) to create a charming epitome of autumn. We can’t wait to burn this one in front of a window with some falling red leaves in the background while reading a book (probably something by Colleen Hoover… read our recommendations here). Doesn’t that sound perfect? We’re excited.

So, depending on what you’re looking for, any of these candles would be a great addition to your home - they’ve all earned our stamp of approval! Since they’re less than $4 for an 11.5oz candle, you may just want to grab them all.

Honorable Mentions

Best Fall Decor Candle: Let's Give 'Em Pumpkin To Talk About

If you just want something that looks good on your counter, grab the Mainstays Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin To Talk About. The adorable packaging is complete with the perfect fall colors and a cute pun to make you smile. This one is really just for the aesthetics, but you could still burn it just fine. Decorations are just as important as candles, and this candle happens to be both. That's frugal baby! 

Most Versatile and Overall Really Good Smelling Fall Candle: Cozy Comfort

This one in particular is not your classic fall scent. It strays from the standard apple and pumpkin that we all know and love, but it brings a very comforting scent to your home. It’s not your standard vanilla; we consider this the most versatile candle because it could work for fall, but it is more suited for winter. We aren’t sure how long it’ll be available, so you might want to grab it now before it’s gone!

If you liked reading about our favorite fall candles you may be interested in our Target Cereal Candles review. You can never truly have enough candles, right?