Candles & Lanterns

Real flame or LED candles

Head to our candles section if you want a real flame. A few candles come ready-filled in a jar or bowl, so they need no holder. Some of our candles are scented, so check the listing if you want fragrance, or would rather go without.

Our LED and flameless candles give the look of a lit candle with nothing to blow out, so they make sense on a high shelf or anywhere a flame would go unwatched. Several have a wax body, which looks closest to the real thing. A few of our LED candles come with a remote control, so you can switch them on from your chair. Check the product page for how a candle is powered.

Matching candle holders to the candle

In our candle holders section, choose by the candle you plan to burn. A candlestick with a socket grips a taper or dinner candle, while a pillar wants a plate, cup or column wide enough to catch drips. Where a listing gives a candle type, it tells you what fits.

Some candlesticks come in pairs, which saves matching them by eye. A few candelabra hold a cluster of candles, ready for a long dining table. On a busy table, look for a weighted or broad base, and a drip tray if you burn real candles.

Tealight and votive holders for small flames

Tealights are small and quick to swap, so our tealight and votive holders are the easy way to set little flames along a mantelpiece or down the middle of a table. A votive holder is a small cup that holds a tealight or votive candle and keeps the wax in place. Clear or coloured glass lets the whole flame show. A few designs have cut-out shapes, which throw patterns of light onto the wall. Some tealight holders come as a set, so you can space them out or group them together.

Telling a lantern from a hurricane

A lantern and a hurricane both keep draughts off a flame, which steadies it and helps a candle burn evenly. A hurricane is a tall sleeve, open at the top, that stands around a candle, and it suits a pillar on a sideboard or coffee table. A lantern encloses the candle in a frame of glass panes, cut-outs or woven sides. Several have a carry handle, so they are easy to move.

Our lanterns and hurricanes section brings both shapes together, while our candle lanterns section focuses on lanterns made to take a candle. Some of our lanterns are woven wicker, which feels more relaxed than a metal frame. A few lanterns and hurricanes stand on the floor, which suits an empty corner.

Glass, ceramic and metal candle holders

Across the range we stock glass, metal, ceramic and wood, in modern, rustic and classic designs. Clear glass keeps the flame crisp, while ribbed or hammered glass breaks the light into a softer glow. Ceramic suits a calm, earthy scheme, and a lattice design lets the light scatter. For a neutral room we stock white, cream, beige and grey, and for contrast, brass, gold, silver and black. Some pieces have an antique finish, which gives an aged look.

Placing candles and lanterns around the home

Most of what we stock here suits a living room, and many pieces also work in a dining room, a bedroom or a hallway. On a dining table, keep candles low or slim so nobody has to talk around them. In a hallway, a lantern or hurricane keeps the flame sheltered as people come and go. In a bedroom, LED candles mean there is no flame to worry about at bedtime.

Whatever you choose, stand real candles on a heat-safe surface away from curtains, trim the wick short before lighting, and never leave a flame unattended.