If you can’t have open flames in your home, SwitchBot has a surprisingly effective alternative for ambiance.
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Tyler Lacoma Editor / Home Security
For more than 10 years Tyler has used his experience in smart home tech to craft how-to guides, explainers, and recommendations for technology of all kinds. From using his home in beautiful Bend, OR as a testing zone for the latest security products to digging into the nuts and bolts of the best data privacy guidelines, Tyler has experience in all aspects of protecting your home and belongings. With a BA in Writing from George Fox and certification in Technical Writing from Oregon State University, he’s ready to get you the details you need to make the best decisions for your home. On off hours, you can find Tyler exploring the Cascade trails, finding the latest brew in town with some friends, or trying a new recipe in the kitchen!
Expertise Smart home | Smart security | Home tech | Energy savings | A/V
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
SwitchBot Smart Candle Warmer
Pros
- Surprisingly effective at spreading candle scents without an open flame
- Smart features allow for remote control and scheduling without fire hazards
- Extra bulb included
- Relatively little heating on surfaces
- Speedy setup
Cons
- Hard to say how it will react with surfaces or candles over the long term
- Some remote features may require a SwitchBot hub
- Won’t fit extra, extra large or tall candles
A terrible tension exists in the world: People who love candles and their smells must often live in places where they cannot have open flames. That may be caused by rental rules, allergies, concerns over home fires or even local fire laws for certain buildings.
Now SwitchBot has released a solution to the candle conundrum. Its smart candle warmer ($35) is app-connected with a mini heat lamp and a method to release the pleasant fragrance of scented candles without the associated dangers of an open flame.
The best part about this home device? It really works and the smart features (although you don’t absolutely need them) provide additional capabilities that no ordinary candle can have. Here’s why I was charmed.
Design and setup
The small bulb of the candle warmer focuses heat and provides a little light.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETThe SwitchBot candle warmer design (available in black or white) is easy to understand. The base is a heavy ring, in the middle of which you place your scented candle. The top is a hooded lamp, a bit like an ordinary table lamp but made to hold specialized, tiny heating bulbs. The lamp comes with two of them if one burns out, but after that you will need to buy SwitchBot’s replacements.
While the lamp does provide some light — not quite as much as a standard lamp but enough to provide some ambiance similar to, you know, a candle — its real purpose is directing the heat of the bulb downward to the open candle below, heating the wax and releasing the scented oils trapped within.
How the candle warmer works — and it really does work
A candle warmer sound odd, but it really is effective.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETThe cord of the candle warmer contains physical controls for turning it on, adjusting the brightness/heat of the bulb and setting a timer for the warmer to eventually go off at 2, 4 or 6 hours. But the most important part is how it treats a candle. I made my tests more difficult by using a half-melted vanilla cupcake candle from last fall, and was still impressed by how the candle warmer performed.
At medium heat and higher, the warmer did an excellent job of releasing the cupcakey smells into the surrounding area, very similar to how a lit candle would (but without the need to use an extended lighter to reach all the way down to the wick). It even melted and bubbled the wax a bit over time. Lower heating settings also produced results but with a lighter effect. A nearby fan would probably make the results even more noticeable.
While the bulb released plenty of heat, it felt very focused to me. The glass candle jar grew very warm at higher levels but not as hot as it would with an open flame.
SwitchBot’s bulbs seem very focused to me and don’t appear to be harmful to any surfaces.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETThe surfaces I tried the warmer on, including granite and varnished wood, did not grow hot even after a few hours of use. However, there may be some risk of sensitive surfaces bubbling or scorching. It’s not suitable for carpet, for example, and I’d hesitate to put it on glass or a very thick lacquer.
One caveat: I can’t easily say how well the candle warmer performs over an extended period of time. That includes how quickly the bulb burns out on higher settings and if its scenting capabilities fade over time, as it won’t exactly melt through the wax like a traditional candle would (although the results may prove similar).
Smart features without fire risks
SwitchBot’s app let me control the candle warmer at a distance and set schedules.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETSwitchBot’s app let me add the candle warmer and connect it to Wi-Fi in a couple of minutes. That provides app controls that work remotely or let me set a schedule for the candle warmer even if no one is home.
Leaving a normal candle unattended like this would be a notable fire hazard, but with the candle warmer that’s not a concern. That allows for interesting routines and preparation so the room is smelling lovely when you get home or wake up.
You can schedule the candle warmer for certain times without worrying about fire risk.
Tyler Lacoma/CNETThe candle warmer also can connect to Alexa and Google Home for controls on broader platforms. Apple Home controls seemed more limited in my testing, offering Siri shortcuts but little else. I used this device with a SwitchBot Hub Mini, which may be necessary to unlock full remote capabilities, and perhaps upgrading to a larger hub would add more options.
Final thoughts on SwitchBot’s candle warmer
I found plenty to like about SwitchBot’s candle warmer, particularly how well it works to spread scents around. That makes it a wonderful addition to a candle-loving apartment or home that can’t tolerate burning materials.
I also appreciated the smart app features, which let you schedule the candle or turn it on remotely to prepare a room, without worrying about open flame rules or fire dangers.
I do have some questions about longevity, including how long bulbs last and if the candle “runs out” of scented oils in the top layers. And, of course, you need to find a scented candle that fits the base of the warmer (although that appears to be most of them).
Overall, the candle warmer was a very pleasant experience, one I’m tempted to keep using. It could also make a unique gift for a renter or someone in a similar situation who needs a way to enjoy candle-scented goodness.
