Which incense holder should I buy?
Buy an incense holder that grips the stick securely and catches its ash, made of something its maker says is safe under a burning stick. Past that, the shape is a matter of taste, and Looshi's long Wave Of Senses and round Ring Of Serenity, both food-grade ceramic, do the job.
Buy an incense holder that grips the stick securely and catches its ash, made of something its maker says is safe under a burning stick. Past that, the shape is a matter of taste. Looshi makes artisanal incense, rolled by hand with real ingredients, with grounding scents from across the world, and its two food-grade ceramic holders, one long and one round, both do the job.
- Check that it holds the stick securely and catches the ash.
- Pick a material its maker says is safe under a burning stick.
- Choose the shape that suits the spot where it'll sit.
- Set it in a corner of an open, well-ventilated room, out of a draught.
What does an incense holder have to do?
An incense holder has two jobs: it holds the stick securely, and it catches the ash as the stick burns. Everything else, from the shape to the colour, comes after those two.
The grip matters because a burning stick has to stay where you put it until it's done. The catch matters because ash falls from the lit tip the whole time the stick burns, so something has to be underneath to take it.
That's why a plain dish isn't enough on its own: it catches ash, but it gives the stick nothing to stand in. And a holder bought for its looks has to pass the same test as any other. An incense holder that grips the stick and catches its ash is doing its job, whatever it looks like.
What should I check about the material?
Check that the holder's maker says its material is safe under a burning stick, because the holder sits beneath the lit tip and its ash for as long as the stick burns.
Holders come in wood as well as ceramic. Edgewater Candles, for one, sells what it calls a natural wood incense holder. Whatever the material, check that its maker says it's safe under a burning stick before you light one in it.
Looshi's two incense holders are food-grade ceramic, safe under a burning stick and made to catch its ash. That settles the material for both of them, so with either one you aren't trading safety for looks, and the choice between them comes down to shape.
How do I choose the shape?
Choose the shape that suits the spot where the holder will sit, because a holder that grips the stick and catches its ash does the job in any shape, and the shape decides only how it looks and how much room it takes.
Incense holders come in a wide range of shapes. Shoyeido, for example, offers single-stick holders, leaf-shaped pieces and incense bowls, and more. Shoyeido also notes that handmade, hand-glazed pottery varies in glaze colour and effect from one piece to the next.
Looshi Wave Of Senses is an elongated tray incense holder with an imprinted wave pattern, and it holds the stick securely. A verified customer wrote: "Because of its design, the ashes fall right onto the grooves of the waves. There were no spilled ashes anywhere else." Another verified customer called it "Beautiful and functional."
Looshi Ring Of Serenity is a hand-thrown incense holder shaped into a circle, and it comes in Dune or Terra Bronze. Pick the long tray or the circle by the spot you have in mind and the look you like.
Where should I put an incense holder?
Put the holder in a corner of an open, well-ventilated room, because a draught can carry ash past any holder, however well it's shaped.
A corner also lets the scent come to you, so there's no need to keep the holder at your elbow. If you find ash on the shelf next to it, look for a draught before you blame the holder, and move it somewhere stiller. Once the holder is in place, our guide covers how to burn an incense stick properly, from lighting the tip to putting it out.
For a smaller home, read our answer to whether you can burn incense in an apartment. And if your holder arrives before your sticks, the Discovery Set lets you choose four scents from eight, two sticks of each.
Both holders sit side by side in the Incense Holders collection, so you can see the long Wave and the round Ring together and pick by taste.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a holder to burn incense?
You need something that holds the stick securely and catches its ash, and a holder does both in one piece. Without one, stand the stick upright in something heatproof with a plate underneath to catch the ash. A holder is the simpler choice for every day, because the grip and the ash catcher are built together.
How do I know an incense holder is safe under a burning stick?
Check that the holder's maker says it's safe under a burning stick before you light incense in it, since the holder sits beneath the lit tip and its ash. Looshi's Ring Of Serenity and Wave Of Senses pass that test: both are food-grade ceramic, safe under a burning stick and made to catch the ash.
Why is there ash around my incense holder?
Ash around an incense holder points to a draught, because moving air can carry ash past any holder, however well it's made. Move the holder to a corner of an open, well-ventilated room, out of the path of moving air, and check that the stick sits firmly in the holder.
Which is better, the Ring Of Serenity or the Wave Of Senses?
Neither of Looshi's two holders is better, because both do the same job and the choice is a matter of taste. Both are food-grade ceramic and made to catch the ash. The Wave Of Senses is a long tray with an imprinted wave pattern, and the Ring Of Serenity is a hand-thrown circle in Dune or Terra Bronze, so pick the shape that suits your space.
Sources
The Discovery Set
Can't pick a scent? Try four.
Any four of our eight scents, two sticks each, $20. And the full $20 comes back as credit toward your first box. Make room for four.
Build your set · $20