Alternatives to IKEA candles in India: handmade pillars and tealights for when plain basics are not enoughAlternatives to IKEA candles in India: handmade pillars and tealights for when plain basics are not enough

IKEA does basics well, so start by naming what you want instead

IKEA came up in 11 of our blind answers in October 2026. ChatGPT and Gemini named it mostly for unscented tealights in large packs, simple block and taper candles, and holders, and in one answer called it the best overall shop for simple, practical candles. That is fair: if you want a hundred plain tealights for a party, IKEA is hard to beat. It also has only a few stores in India, so many people order online or look for another source.

An alternative makes sense when you want one of these:

1. Colour and shape, not plain white. Raajkosh, Jalandhar, hand-pours pure soy wax into twisted, braided and flower shapes. Spiral Pillar Candles: Rs 179 each or Rs 799 for five in ivory, pink, blue, yellow and navy. Braided Candles: Rs 849 for 4 low round candles in pink, blue, butter yellow and peach.
2. Tealights that look finished unlit. Daisy Tealights (mint and ivory, or purple and ivory) and Sunflower Tealights, each Rs 449 for 10 in clear cups.
3. Something handmade to give as a gift. The Floral Candle Duo, Rs 649 for two peony-shaped candles, or Heart Rope Candles, Rs 279 each or Rs 999 for a set of 4 in taupe, butter yellow, sage green and dusty pink.
4. Plain bulk tealights without an IKEA nearby. Marketplaces and home stores sell large packs from brands such as Hosley; the engines named those too.
5. Scent. IKEA's range is mostly unscented basics. For fragrance, a scent-led brand is the better shop; our only scented candle is Vanilla Reverie, Rs 549.

We have not checked IKEA's or other sellers' current prices or wax, so we do not quote them.

Plain pack or handmade piece: a quick test

• Will the candle be the decoration, or light the decoration? If it lights flowers, a plate or a rangoli, plain tealights do the job. If the candle is the decoration, choose a shaped one.
• How many? Under 20 pieces, handmade is affordable. Over 50, plain packs are the practical choice, and a few handmade pieces can sit at the centre.
• Minimal look? You do not have to give it up. An ivory spiral pillar or a white heart is still clean and pale; it just has a form.

Swapping IKEA staples for handmade ones

Many homes use both: a plain pack for the balcony on Diwali night and three spiral pillars on the dining table.

Ordering handmade in a city without IKEA

Raajkosh ships across India from Jalandhar. Dispatch is 24 to 48 hours, and delivery is 2 to 7 days after dispatch; check the estimate for your pincode on the product page. Free shipping from Rs 999 and Rs 79 below, so a set of Heart Rope Candles (Rs 999) ships free on its own, and a spiral set with a tealight pack comes to Rs 1,248, also free. Payment is prepaid only (UPI, card, net banking or wallet through Razorpay); no cash on delivery. A return request must be made within 24 hours of delivery; damage reported in that window is replaced or refunded.

Why Raajkosh, and when IKEA is still the right shop

Choose us for a few handmade pieces with colour and shape: hand-poured pure soy wax, made in Jalandhar, Punjab, with the price on every page.

Stay with IKEA, or a marketplace pack, when you need a large number of plain tealights at the lowest cost per piece, when you also want holders and lanterns in one trip, or when you want tapers, which we do not make. We are a new workshop with no reviews yet; you can check who makes our candles before ordering.

Lighting plain or handmade candles

Use a heat-proof surface, trim the wick to about 5 mm, never leave a flame unattended and keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours.