The Best Incense Burners for Home and Office Relaxation

Incense burners are far more than a college dorm room fad. Sure, they act as perfect complementary pieces to your bookshelves and coffee tables without ever turning them on, but when you do, that’s when the real fun begins. To call these devices practical seems like an understatement. An incense burner’s entire purpose is to disarm, de-stress, and create a transformative experience even out of the most mundane places. If you’re on the hunt for an incense burner that can blend in or stand out in any setting, here are a few options that we recommend.

What You Should Look for in an Incense Burner

Consider these factors when making a selection:

• Burner Design: There’s no single incense burner. Each one comes in its own unique design, with the device’s layout offering an equally unique presentation and way to cater to different types of incense. The most familiar and guru-centric options you’re likely to find are coffin and boat designs. They’re designed for the simplest use, employing stick incense that burns from one long end to the other. High-end burners, including the likes of bowls and classic hanging options, employ cone and charcoal incense.
• Heat Absorption: On the heels of a burner’s design, it’s crucial that you understand which incense burners are designed for low and high heat. As previously noted, wooden options like coffins and boats can handle a simple stick incense, as they’re wide enough to catch fallen ash that’s never hot enough to burn. However, if you’re looking into cone or charcoal incense, then it’s imperative you purchase correctly and select a ceramic or hanging option. The reinforced construction of these consoles is suitable for these materials alone, as the incense is too hot for standard wooden choices.
• Selecting Your Incense: Finally, certain burners will include the compatible incense you need to burn. However, when making this selection and sifting through future incense purchases, it’s important to consider your preferences and ideal smell. Traditional incense emits a smoky firewood scent that’s never overly offensive to the sinuses. Scented cones can come in a wide range of familiar smells, everything from cinnamon to eucalyptus. Of course, their potency can vary and may affect those with sensitive sinuses.

Best Box Burner: COTTON CRAFT Coffin Style Incense Burner

Across its 13-by-2-inch frame, this COTTON CRAFT Coffin Style Incense Burner features beautiful handcrafted wood, brass inlay decorations of the sun, two moons, and stars, as well as a hidden compartment for a user’s incense sticks. The wooden coffin includes two ports where incense sticks can be placed and burned simultaneously. Product care is as simple as gently wiping the interior clean after each use.

Best Bowl Burner: uniidea Ceramic Handicraft Incense Holder

A simple ceramic bowl with a culturally beloved set piece at its center, this uniidea Handicraft Incense Holder brings the healing sight of a sacred lotus into your home. Its 4.6-inch bowl is made from a high-quality, never-fade ceramic that’s available in three speckled shades: grey, light blue, and dark blue. The incense stick is to be placed in the heart of the bowl inside the lotus flower, burning upright and dropping ash into the bowl below.

Best Hanging Burner: Accessories Brass Hanging Censer

A traditional option reminiscent of those you’d find in any place of worship, this Accessories Brass Hanging Censer is 4.5 inches of solid brass that was forged in India. It’s a hanging censer that includes three brass chains, but it works just as well on any heat-resistant tabletop. The key difference to this brass burner, however, is its capability to hold charcoal incense rather than standard stick options. Overall, this is an appropriate option if you’re looking to disperse a calming sensation throughout each room in your home.

Best Cone Burner: SPACEKEEPER Waterfall Incense Burner

A dual-functioning incense burner with one of the most eye-catching designs you’ll likely find on the market, this SPACEKEEPER Waterfall Incense Burner is both a visual and aromatic treat for your home or office space. It’s capable of being used in two ways: with incense cones or sticks. The burner’s dreamy smoke waterfall appearance is achieved simply by burning one of the included incense cones at the top of the console. 120 cones are included with this burner, each burning for approximately 15 minutes and available in seven different scents: lavender, sandalwood, green tea, apple, osmanthus, rose, and jasmine. Additionally, this burner includes 30 incense sticks and a heat-absorbent pad to place underneath the console.

Best Boat Burner: UnitedPrime Incense Holders

For users seeking a simpler means of aromatherapy in their incense burner, this UnitedPrime Incense Holder is uncomplicated in use and design. There are two drilled holes on both ends of the concaved burner, both of which can hold an incense stick to burn at the same time, given its 11-inch length. And while it may not call attention to itself like other devices, this burner still provides users with an elegantly crafted shape and rustic finish.