In this guide
Most Maine candle makers share a few things in common: they pour by hand, they use soy or coconut wax (almost no one is doing paraffin anymore), and they almost always reach for a Maine-coded scent profile — balsam, sea salt, woodsmoke, blueberry, lobster bake. The result is a candle scene that has more soul than the average national brand and tends to outperform on the actual scent throw, the metric that matters once the candle is lit.
Below, ten Maine candle makers worth ordering from — sorted by what they do best.
Seawicks is the most established Maine candle brand at scale — their natural soy candles are sold at retail across New England and online nationwide, and their Travelers Candle (a screw-lid tin perfect for bringing into a hotel room) is a small genre unto itself. The Salty Sea Air and Pine Tree State scents are the picks.
Named for the iconic Cape Neddick lighthouse, Nubble Light Candle hand-pours soy candles in small batches with a coastal Maine bent. The Maine Bug Blocker citronella candle is genuinely useful in summer.
Maine Made Stuff sells a wide range of Maine candles alongside other state-pride goods. Useful when you're shopping for a multi-item gift basket.
The most aesthetically considered candle line in Maine. John and Linda Meyers are former designers (he's a Real Simple alum) who pour soy candles with strange and excellent fragrance combinations — Tomato Vine, Library of Books, Rose Hill. The packaging alone is worth the price; the candles are even better.
Near & Native is a Portland storefront and online shop pouring small-batch coconut-soy candles with woodsy and herbal scent profiles. Strong gift candidate for the cottagecore reader.
Colley Hill in Sebago hand-pours all-soy candles with cleaner-burning wicks and Maine-themed scents. The pricing is reasonable and the throw is strong.
Norway Candle Co. works out of western Maine, hand-pouring soy candles in vintage-style tins and jars. The aesthetic skews farmhouse-rustic in the best way.
Maine Mountain Soap & Candle works out of the Highlands region near Moosehead Lake, pouring soy candles and cold-process soaps with woodsy scents that match the geography. One of the few makers based that far north.
Style Candles makes "ring candles" — hidden-jewelry candles where a real piece of jewelry surfaces as the wax burns down. Specifically a gift product, but a fun one if it's the right reader.
Primitive Keeper hand-pours soy candles plus dipped beeswax tapers in classic primitive country style. Best for someone furnishing an old farmhouse.
If you want one default Maine candle to gift, Seawicks or Wary Meyers will not steer you wrong. If you want something distinctively Maine, the Travelers Candle from Seawicks or anything coastal-scented from Nubble Light covers it. If you want the candle to also look beautiful sitting unlit on a console, Wary Meyers wins on packaging. And if you're filling a multi-item gift basket, mix two scents from different makers.
For more Maine makers, explore the full Home Decor category on Maine Open Online.
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