Best Incense Sticks

Burning incense compounded from various plants and herbs figures prominently in religious ceremonies. Incense is burned by lay-people and clergymen in Buddhist and Hindu temples. Native Americans also revere the use of types of incense and smudge sticks in their traditional practices as well. But for the wider public, incense has also been employed in aromatherapy, spirituality rituals and meditation techniques. There are also fragrances that lend a relaxing atmosphere to the surroundings. You can also employ it as a natural room deodorizer. But there are probably thousands of compounds of incense available. Here is a guide to some of the best incense sticks on the market.

• Indirect-burning: This is incense that must be placed on a heat source, such as charcoals, in order to burn. The incense itself can either be whole, powdered, or a paste.

• Direct-burning: This is incense that is lit and burns directly. The incense can take a variety of shapes.

  • Cored stick incense: This is fragrant plant material that has been mixed with a binder, and then used to coat a bamboo or sandalwood stick. The bamboo or sandalwood stick serves as the core, and burns together with the incense material.

  • Solid incense: This is incense that can come in the form of incense coils, incense cones, or sticks. There is no separate combustible core—it's just the aromatic plant material pressed into a shape.

• Smudge stick: This is a bundle of dried herbs that is wrapped in paper and tied together with a string. They are used by Native Americans in various traditional rituals. Alternative Imagination sells California White Sage Smudge Sticks. 

Based on all the consumers' reviews we've scanned, these are the top things they mentioned about their new stuff:

• Different scents: The incense brands will have a variety of fragrances. Some will be intended to soothe and relax. Some were considered to be too strong and overwhelming (for example, Nag Champa jasmine blossom), or too artificial.

• Varieties: Nag Champa sells an assortment of incense sticks in a single package. This way, you can see which type appeals to you more.

• Promotes positive feelings: The NewAge Smudge sticks, made from sage, are reputed by some users to help them feel more positively about themselves.

• As room deodorizer: If there are people in your house who smoke, and especially if they smoke heavily, it might be worthwhile using incense to get rid of that tobacco odor. (This way, you won't have to insist that they stop smoking.)

• As insect repellent: There are certain fragrances that are known to repel mosquitoes. Sage smudge sticks are especially known to repel mosquitoes—if you have a mosquito problem, or if you're holding an event outdoors, you might want to try sage incense to make the event bug-free.

• Incense burners: There are special implements for burning incense. They can consist of a vessel with small holes, into which you insert an incense stick. There are also ash-tray type holders and stands, for the solid types of incense.

• Burning time: Nag Champa Incense sticks are 15 grams each, and tend to burn around 45 minutes. The smudge sticks don't usually burn completely—they'll tend to go out by themselves. Bosen Incense Tibetan Sandalwood sticks last for an hour.

• Extinguishing incense: If you want to extinguish an incense stick or smudge stick in the middle of burning, don't use water. It will make it very difficult to relight. Just smother the incense until the fire goes out.

New Age Incense—are importers and distributors of w wide variety of types of incense, as well as incense burners. They also sell a variety of Eastern religious paraphernalia and meditation items. The company was started in 1995, and have their headquarters in Placentia, California.

Nag Champa—is a product line of incense, soaps, oils, and bath and body products, sold by Nandi Imports. They sell incense, aromatherapy, and home fragrance products, as well as hand-crafted gifts from India and Nepal. They were founded in 1974, and their headquarters is in Petaluma, California.

Satya—is named after the founder of the company, Shri K.N. Satyam Setty. He started making incense sticks in 1964, since incense figures greatly in Hindu ritual and tradition. They make masala (a spice mixture made into a paste and rolled onto a bamboo stick), dhoops (incense paste pressed into sticks or cones), incense sachets, oils, and more. Their headquarters is in Bengaluru, India.

Alternative Imagination---are makers of incense and smudge sticks, typically made from California White Sage. They also make stands and burners for lighting incense, as well as incense cones, oils, and health products.

JBJ Trading—are retailers of incense sticks, but also offer a wide line of home and kitchen products, as well as electronics and aquarium supplies.