Home fragrance guide: oud & bakhoor
The Best Bakhoor and Oud Incense Cones of 2026: Perfume Parlour, Earl of East and 5 More, Compared
Over 50 of us smelled seven UK incense and bakhoor sellers side by side, then checked what each one actually tells you about its agarwood, burn time and price. Only one makes its own bakhoor in the UK and lets you enjoy it without charcoal.
Why buying bakhoor in the UK is harder than it should be
Oud has moved from Gulf perfume counters into British homes, and plenty of people first smell real bakhoor in a Dubai hotel lobby and want that scent at home.
"I fell in love with bakhoor after my trip to Dubai. Every hotel, restaurant, and store were burning it!"YouTube comment on a bakhoor how-to video
The trouble is what happens next. Traditional bakhoor means lighting charcoal and managing the smoke, and most UK sellers list fragrance notes without saying how much real agarwood is inside. "A lot of cheap bakhoor is just that, synthetics that actually does not even smell good," as one r/Incense member put it. So we compared what's actually on sale, and what each seller is prepared to tell you about it.
How we tested bakhoor and incense cones
- 1A panel of more than 50 nosesMixed ages, households and backgrounds, from bakhoor regulars to people who'd never lit a cone. Everyone smelled and compared every seller, then told us which smelled best, which was most intense, and which they'd burn at home.
- 2What each seller tells youWe recorded what each one states about oud or agarwood content, where it's made and how long it burns, from its UK website on 21 October 2026.
- 3Real prices, per cone and per gramList prices only, no discount codes, so you can compare a cone of incense with a cone of incense.
- 4The low-star reviews tooWe read the negative reviews on each seller's own site alongside Reddit and YouTube comments, looking for patterns rather than one-offs.
What we left out. We didn't include sellers on Amazon, eBay, Shein, Temu or AliExpress. Too many listings there can't tell you where the bakhoor was made or what's in it, so there was no way to compare like for like, and you can't always be sure you'll get what the listing shows. We stuck to sellers with their own UK websites.
A like-for-like note. Siesta Crafts sells budget Indian incense cones rather than oud, so it's here for price context, not as a direct oud comparison.
The 7 best places to buy bakhoor and incense cones in the UK, ranked
Ranked on our panel's preferences, then checked against price, what each seller discloses about its oud, and what its customers say in reviews.
NUHR Home Oud Bakhoor, Electric Bakhoor Burner & Oud Incense Cones
The richest oud in our test, crafted in the UK, and the only bakhoor here you can enjoy without charcoal.
Best for: authentic oud at home, bakhoor newcomers, and anyone who's done with charcoal.
- Electric burner
- £55 (Classic) · £58
- Bakhoor bricks 50g
- From £20
- Oud cones
- 20 for £12 (£0.60 each)
- Burn time (brand)
- 15-20 min per cone
- Agarwood
- 100% natural, stated
- Delivery
- Free over £35
NUHR Home is a family-run UK fragrance house that started with oud and has stayed with it. Most of the bakhoor sellers in this list resell imported Gulf brands. NUHR crafts its own, in-house in the UK, in traditional Arabic style, with genuine agarwood and no synthetic substitutes.
The panel's verdict was clear: most picked NUHR as the best smelling and most intense oud of the seven, and ranked it first overall. The scent is deep, warm and properly Eastern, across blends from Rose & Oud (the house favourite) to Haramain and Miraj, inspired by Makkah and Madinah, and Dubai and Burj, inspired by the city's hotel lobbies.
Bakhoor without charcoal
NUHR's Electric Bakhoor Burner (£55 in the Classic Collection, £58 in Origins) warms the bakhoor with gentle electric heat instead of a lit coal. No charcoal to light, no naked flame, and NUHR describes it as smokeless. It's the set-up bakhoor regulars increasingly recommend ("invest in an electric burner for the bukhoor instead of charcoal," advised one r/UAE commenter), and it's the only electric burner in this comparison sold alongside the seller's own bakhoor.
UK-made bakhoor bricks
The bricks are 50g each, from £20 (Rose & Oud, Oud & Amber, Oud Arabia, Oud Majestic, Oud Woods) to £30 (Dubai, Burj), or £30 for a selection pack of seven scents. They're made with premium oils and agarwood for a powerful, long-lasting fragrance, and they're vegan and cruelty-free.
Oud incense cones for a quick ritual
For a 15-20 minute burst of scent, NUHR's oud incense cones are handcrafted using 100% natural agarwood. The ritual takes three steps: light, blow out, enjoy. A tin of 20 cones in the core scents is £12, which is £0.60 a cone: less than Perfume Parlour (£1.00), Sensing (£0.83) and Earl of East (£1.13). New to oud? The Oud Cone Welcome Pack gives you 50 cones across five blends, plus a glass burner, for £37.
An honest note on smoke
Cones are incense, so they smoke, and some of NUHR's low-star reviewers found them too smoky. Burn them on a heat-proof holder in a well-ventilated room. If smoke bothers you, the electric burner with bricks is the better choice.
How NUHR compares
- vs Emirates Oud and Amsons
- Both are good for familiar Gulf brands like Nabeel at lower prices per gram, but you'll need charcoal, and neither states agarwood content or burn time. NUHR's bricks cost more per gram: you're paying for UK-crafted bakhoor with genuine agarwood and a charcoal-free way to enjoy it.
- vs Perfume Parlour
- A similar box of 20 oud cones, but NUHR's is £12 against £20, and NUHR states its agarwood and burn time where Perfume Parlour doesn't.
- vs Earl of East
- Beautiful tins and design, but Earl of East's cones aren't oud, and at £1.13 each they cost almost twice as much per cone.
What we liked
- Rated the richest, most intense oud by most of our panel
- Crafted in-house in the UK with 100% natural agarwood, no synthetics
- Electric burner: bakhoor with no charcoal or flame
- Cones from £0.60 each, with a 15-20 minute burn stated
- Many blends: Rose & Oud, Haramain, Miraj, Dubai and more
- Vegan and cruelty-free; free UK delivery over £35
Worth knowing
- Bakhoor bricks cost more per gram than imported Gulf brands
- Cones produce smoke, so burn them in a ventilated room
Shop NUHR Home bakhoor and cones
- Free UK delivery over £35
- Express 1-3 working days
- Crafted in the UK
- Vegan & cruelty-free
On bakhoor bricks, NUHR isn't the cheapest per gram. It runs regular sales that bring its prices level with the sellers here, for UK-crafted bakhoor made with genuine agarwood.
What NUHR customers say
Verbatim reviews from NUHR's verified review platform (Judge.me).
"I love Bakhoor but have never been comfortable with charcoal, naked flames etc. This burner is the perfect solution."
"No more tealights... no smoke and my apartment smells divine."
"BAKHOOR is often difficult or too long to lit up as you need coals and traditional incense sticks often smell too artificial."
"They are larger than other brands, they last longer than other brands, they are quick to light than other brand"
"I would of given 5* but some time the oud cones don't burn out fully."
"My house smells expensive and always get comments on it when people visit, put one on in the morning before I go to work and can still smell it when I return home after 8 hours"
Earl of East Strand Incense Cones
The best-designed cones here, but not oud, and the priciest per cone.
Best for: design-led gifts and fresh, coastal scents.
- 16-cone tin
- £18 (£1.13/cone)
- Burn time (brand)
- About 15 min
- Oud / agarwood
- No
- Delivery
- Free over £50
Earl of East (earlofeast.com) is an East London fragrance studio with three shops, best known for its candles. Its Strand cones are hand-blended in London with mandarin rind, seaweed, birchwood and bay: fresh and coastal rather than smoky and sweet. A recyclable aluminium tin holds 16 cones for £18, about £1.13 a cone, and Earl of East states about 15 minutes per cone.
It's a lovely scent in a lovely tin. Just don't buy it expecting oud. "Wonderful smoky aroma. Incredibly expensive so I use sparingly," wrote one five-star reviewer.
What we liked
- Beautiful, recyclable tin
- Clear burn time (about 15 minutes)
- Hand-blended in London
Worth knowing
- Not oud or agarwood
- Highest price per cone in this test
- Only 5 reviews on this product
Sold at earlofeast.com and Earl of East shops
Perfume Parlour Oud Cones Collection
Affordable oud-scented cones from a perfume retailer, with little detail on what's in them.
Best for: trying several oud scents cheaply.
- 20 cones
- £20 (£1.00/cone)
- Sample pack
- 6 cones £5
- Burn time
- Not stated
- Agarwood
- Not stated
Perfume Parlour is a Leicester perfume retailer best known for fragrance alternatives; it describes itself as "The UK's No.1 Clone House". Its oud cones are a small side line: a box of 20 in six scents (Rose, Fruity, Spice, Leather, Honey and Ghazal Oud) for £20, a six-cone sample pack for £5, and a £10 crystal burner. The product copy promises "luxurious oud cones" and a "rich, long-lasting aromatic experience", but it doesn't say how much agarwood they contain, where they're made or how long each cone burns.
The one review on the sample pack is warm: the cones went down well as Eid gifts. If you search for Perfume Parlour because you love its perfumes, the cones are worth a £5 try; if you want a dedicated oud house, they're not that.
What we liked
- Cheap £5 sample pack to try six scents
- Burner and cones set for £30
- 30-day returns, even if used
Worth knowing
- No agarwood, origin or burn-time information
- £1.00 a cone against NUHR's £0.60
- Almost no reviews on the cones
Sold at perfume-parlour.co.uk
Sensing Co Kousaido Nagomi Incense Cones
Refined Japanese incense with a clean, calm scent, but no oud.
Best for: mindful moments and Japanese incense fans.
- 12 cones
- £9.99 (£0.83/cone)
- Burn time (brand)
- About 17 min
- Oud / agarwood
- No
- Delivery
- Free over £40
Sensing (sensingco.com) curates Japanese incense from heritage houses such as Kousaido. The Nagomi cones are handcrafted in Kyoto with marine notes, magnolia and white lily, 12 for £9.99 (£0.83 a cone), with about 17 minutes per cone. It's a gentle, airy scent that's well made for what it is; if you want the depth of oud, it's a different thing entirely. Sensing doesn't accept returns unless goods arrive damaged.
What we liked
- Clear burn time (about 17 minutes)
- Handcrafted in Kyoto
- Calm, light scent
Worth knowing
- Not oud
- No returns unless damaged
- No reviews on this product yet
Sold at sensingco.com
Emirates Oud Bakhoor
A good source for familiar Gulf bakhoor brands at low prices, if you're happy with charcoal.
Best for: buyers who already know the brand they want.
- Bakhoor 40-60g
- £3.99-£11.99
- Charcoal
- 10 tablets £1.75
- Agarwood / burn time
- Not stated
- Delivery
- Free over £50
Emirates Oud (emiratesoud.co.uk) is a UK reseller of Gulf perfume and bakhoor brands, including Nabeel, Banafa for Oud and Ard Al Zaafaran. Prices are low: 40g bakhoor from £3.99 and 60g Nabeel Oudh from £10.99, so per gram it's far cheaper than NUHR. These are traditional bakhoor for burning on charcoal (Emirates Oud sells the charcoal tablets too), and product pages list fragrance notes rather than agarwood content or burn time.
Reviews are few and mixed. One reviewer of the Oud 24 bakhoor found the fragrance "only lasts for a few minutes before completely fading away".
What we liked
- Low prices per gram
- Authentic Gulf brands
- Free delivery over £50
Worth knowing
- Needs charcoal
- No agarwood content or burn time stated
- Returns only if still sealed
Sold at emiratesoud.co.uk
Amsons Bakhoor
A long-standing community retailer with the widest range and lowest prices, but little detail on what's inside.
Best for: stocking up on traditional bakhoor and mamool.
- Mamool 100g
- £4.50 (£0.045/g)
- Nabeel Oudh 60g
- £13.50
- Agarwood / burn time
- Not stated
- Delivery
- Free over £120
Amsons, founded in 1975, is an Islamic lifestyle retailer that sells around 60 bakhoor products, from Mamool discs (100g, £4.50) to Nabeel and Al Haramain. It also stocks a few NUHR oud cone tins, at the same £12 as NUHR's own site. Like Emirates Oud, most of its range is bakhoor for burning on charcoal, and ingredient lists are short ("Oudh Powder, Musk, Sandal Powder, Perfume Sugar") with no agarwood percentages.
What we liked
- Widest bakhoor range in this test
- Lowest prices per gram
- Established and trusted since 1975
Worth knowing
- Needs charcoal
- Little ingredient detail
- Free delivery only over £120; 7 working days to return, unused
Sold at amsons.co
Siesta Crafts Cone Incense
The cheapest incense cones you'll find, but not oud and not a like-for-like comparison.
Best for: everyday incense on a tight budget.
- 12 cones
- £1.50-£1.75
- Burn time
- Not stated
- Oud / agarwood
- No
- Delivery
- Free over £35
Siesta Crafts (siestacrafts.co.uk) is a Fair Trade gift shop and wholesaler selling Indian incense cones from Satya, Hari and Tribal Soul, at about £1.50 for 12. The scents are classics like sandalwood, nag champa and palo santo; none are oud or agarwood, and burn times aren't listed. If you just want cheap incense, it's hard to beat. If you want oud, this isn't it.
What we liked
- Very low price
- Fair Trade
- Free return labels within 14 days
Worth knowing
- Not oud or agarwood
- No burn times listed
- No reviews on its cones
Sold at siestacrafts.co.uk
Bakhoor and incense cones compared at a glance
| Seller | Format & price | Oud / agarwood stated | Burn time stated | Charcoal needed | Panel verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 NUHR Home | Cones £0.60 each; bricks from £20; electric burner £55 | Yes, 100% natural agarwood | 15-20 min per cone | No (electric burner) | Top pick: richest oud |
| #2 Earl of East | Cones £1.13 each | Not oud | About 15 min | No | Best design |
| #3 Perfume Parlour | Cones £1.00 each | Not stated | Not stated | No | Cheap sampler |
| #4 Sensing Co | Cones £0.83 each | Not oud | About 17 min | No | Calm Japanese incense |
| #5 Emirates Oud | Bakhoor £3.99-£11.99 / 40-60g | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Gulf brands, low price |
| #6 Amsons | Bakhoor from £3.95 / 40g | Not stated | Not stated | Yes | Widest range |
| #7 Siesta Crafts | Cones about £0.13 each | Not oud | Not stated | No | Budget incense |
List prices and product information from each seller's UK website, 21 October 2026. Price per cone and per gram calculated by us.
How to choose bakhoor and incense cones
Bakhoor, cones or electric?
Bakhoor is wood chips or pressed bricks soaked in perfume oils, warmed slowly to release a rich, lingering fragrance. A cone of incense is the quick version: light it, let it smoulder for 15 to 20 minutes, and the scent lingers long after. An electric burner gives you bakhoor without the charcoal: plug it in and let it warm.
What "oud" on a label actually means
Oud comes from agarwood, one of the most prized raw materials in perfumery. Plenty of products are "oud scented" without saying whether any agarwood is inside. Look for a seller that states agarwood content and where the product is made. In this comparison, NUHR was the only seller to state 100% natural agarwood.
Charcoal or electric?
Charcoal burns hotter, releases more scent quickly and is part of the traditional ritual, but it means lighting coals, handling ash and more smoke. An electric burner is gentler and simpler, with no flame. Many bakhoor regulars now use electric burners at home and keep charcoal for special occasions.
Smoke and ventilation
Any incense that burns will produce some smoke. Burn cones and charcoal bakhoor on a heat-proof surface, away from fabrics, in a room with a window open or good airflow, and never leave them unattended.
How to light an incense cone
Hold a match or lighter to the tip for 10 to 15 seconds, let it catch, then gently blow out the flame so the tip glows red. Set it on a heat-proof holder. If a cone goes out, relight the tip and give it a little longer before blowing out.
Compare price per cone, not per box
Whether you're after the best fragrance for home rituals or a gift, the fair comparison is the same.
Box sizes vary from 12 to 20 cones, so price per cone is the fair comparison. For bakhoor, compare price per gram, but remember that charcoal, a burner and how much of each brick you use all change the real cost.
Bakhoor and incense questions, answered
What is bakhoor?
Bakhoor is a traditional Arabian home fragrance: wood chips or pressed bricks soaked in perfume oils, often including oud (agarwood), musk and amber. It's warmed on charcoal or an electric burner, and the fragrant smoke scents a room and clothes for hours.
How do you use bakhoor without charcoal?
Use an electric bakhoor burner. Place a brick or a few chips on the heated plate and switch it on; the gentle heat releases the fragrance without a flame. NUHR's Electric Bakhoor Burner is designed for exactly this, and NUHR describes it as smokeless.
Are oud incense cones made with real oud?
Some are, many aren't, and most sellers don't say. In our comparison, NUHR was the only seller to state its cones are handcrafted using 100% natural agarwood. Earl of East, Sensing and Siesta Crafts cones aren't oud, and Perfume Parlour doesn't state agarwood content.
How long does an incense cone burn?
Usually 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size. NUHR states 15-20 minutes per cone, Sensing about 17 minutes and Earl of East about 15 minutes. The scent lingers well after the cone has finished.
Which incense cones smell the strongest?
Most of our panel picked NUHR's oud cones as the most intense and the best smelling. Oud is naturally richer and heavier than the fresh or floral scents of most other cones.
Are Perfume Parlour oud cones real agarwood?
Perfume Parlour doesn't say. Its oud cones collection lists scents (Rose, Fruity, Spice, Leather, Honey and Ghazal Oud) but not agarwood content, origin or burn time.
Are Earl of East incense cones oud?
No. Earl of East's Strand cones are a fresh, coastal blend of mandarin rind, seaweed, birchwood and bay. They're well made, but they aren't an oud product.
Where can I buy bakhoor in the UK?
For familiar Gulf brands at low prices, Emirates Oud and Amsons both carry wide ranges, though you'll need charcoal. For UK-crafted bakhoor with stated agarwood and a charcoal-free electric burner, NUHR Home was our panel's pick.
Are bakhoor and incense cones smoky?
Burning incense always produces some smoke. Charcoal bakhoor is usually the smokiest; cones produce a thin stream while they burn. An electric bakhoor burner gives the least smoke because nothing is set alight. Whatever you use, keep the room ventilated.
Why aren't Amazon or eBay sellers in this comparison?
We only compared sellers with their own UK websites that publish product details. Many marketplace listings on Amazon, eBay, Shein, Temu and AliExpress don't say where a product was made or what's in it, which makes a like-for-like comparison impossible.
The bottom line
After comparing seven UK bakhoor and incense sellers, most of our panel came back to the same one: NUHR Home. It was the oud they rated richest and most intense, it's the only seller here that states 100% natural agarwood and crafts its own bakhoor in the UK, and its electric burner means you can enjoy bakhoor without charcoal.
Shop NUHR bakhoorNot looking for oud? Earl of East's Strand cones are a beautifully made fresh alternative. Set on a specific Gulf brand and happy with charcoal? Emirates Oud and Amsons are good value.