A Man's Perspective: Not Your Grandma's Ole' Candle
I have to tip my hat to the makers of this product as a man who digs good smells and great design. Let's break it down into 3 categories: looks, performance, and utility.Let's face it, lighting candles doesn't breach the precipice of masculinity. Something about a lit candle sends across a deeply romantic message which may come across as awkward if unintended. Even in their designed romantic situation, it can be a bit cheesy or forward. This candle warmer solves two problems in the looks category. First it does away with the flame replacing it with a soft museum like glow on the candle. Second, the sturdy rugged look of the lantern adds a distinctively masculine edge to it's surrounding. I have it set up on a glass table and even in this polished setting, it looks like I can simply pick it up to do some wood chopping under the California moon, working into darkness with the soft glow of my hurricane lamp.Next is performance. Wow. Pure scent without the smokiness of a lit flame. For some reason I've never got much reach or "throw" (intensity of candle's scent) with the lit candle however this pushes the scent much further. I've only had this for a few hours so I can't speak for longevity yet (hope to update this review in the future) but I'm blown away by what I've seen-- rather smelled-- so far. I'm no candle connoisseur and I started this journey a few weeks ago when I grew tired my glade plugins, so please take my input with a grain of salt. All I know is that I get hit with awesome smells when I open the door to my apartment. I would have been satisfied if it were only contained to my room. This reach may bother others and honestly should bother me since I have roommates but who can really complain with smelling this good? The answer is no one. At least no one in their right mind.Finally there is the final category of utility meaning what are the use cases. Why should I use this over a lit candle? For one, I'm hoping you're a fan of unburned homes like I am. I'll be the first to tell you that a lit fire does add a bit of ambiance visually and acoustically (if you're burning a Woodwick "crackling" candle) yet there is nothing quite so disarming as having the peace of mind to run to the store or simply fall asleep without the fear of burning down the house. I use this candle warmer for every occasion. There isn't an instance, for me, where lighting up would be preferable. The warmer adds that lazy, casual and confident vibe to what I feel is a somewhat heady hobby. The warmer and candle feels like it belongs while the dancing flame of the lit candle takes the spotlight calling attention to it's presence whether you like it or not. For my laid back personality and style, I much prefer the warmer's laid back vibe. It gives credence to the saying "It's not how much is said but how much is felt."At this point I've typed more about a candle warmer than I have a report I'm working on for work. I don't know what this says about me as a person but I hoped I helped in your decision making process.One last thing that I haven't seen in other reviews is the size of candle this warmer can take. The manual says it can take up to a 22 ounce candle which is enormous. Most candles will fit.