Should you choose a cone incense or a stick incense?

Choosing a cone or stick incense

Let’s take a look at the differences between cone incense and stick incense to determine which type you would want to use.



Cone incense is stronger and usually lasts shorter than regular stick incense. Cone incense may be easier to use because the ash does not scatter. However, it may take a little longer to start burning because of its thick structure. When lighting a cone incense, you would place it on a cone holder that sits in a plate or directly on top of ash. It may be best to burn a cone in a larger space rather than a smaller room as cone incense is stronger than other types of incense.



On the other hand, stick incense comes in short, regular, and long lengths and has more variety of fragrances to choose from. Stick incense can be placed in a hole of a stick incense holder that sits in a plate to catch ash. Some plates have a hole already to hold incense. Stick incense can also be placed vertically or horizontally by using ash inside a burner.

Remember, fragrances from both cone and stick incense will still give off fragrance even after they are extinguished. It is up to you to choose cone or stick depending on your preference, so try both to find out! You can also check out our customer reviews to give you a better idea.


Recommended Nippon Kodo cone incense
- Kayuragi – Aloeswood
- Kayuragi – Green Tea
- Café Time – Refreshed Mood (Lime & Mint Tea)
- Asian Elegance –Cho Cho San (Assorted 36 cones)


Recommended Nippon Kodo stick incense
- Ka-fuh – Assortment of 5 (White Plum, Aqua, Lavender, Daphne, Hinoki)
- Modern Zen
- Mainichi-Koh (Sandalwood)
- Yume-No-Yume Gift Set (Bamboo Leaf) 

Customer Review

Asian Elegance-Cho Cho San (Assorted 36 cones)
5/2/2022
“Gorgeous incense- This cone incense is wonderful. The scent lingers much into the next day. I will but this again.” – Michael Yolen

Kayuragi cone –Wisteria 12 cones
8/15/2016
“I love this incense- This is my favorite incense. The aroma is amazing. It lasts for days after burning. Each cone lasts about 10 minutes… The box makes a nice present box and it hold the Wisteria scent. Great product.”- Eugene Caggiano

Café Time Incense –Quiet Evening (Cassis & Mocha) 10 cones
11/27/2020
“For specific use- So the cones are pretty small, and burn quickly. But the smell of the mocha is delicious and the cassis smells like a freshly blended fruit smoothie. This is not a long burning incense, but more like a fragrance bomb. If you need instant area fragrance coverage this is the thing…” – Mat

MORNING STAR –Cedarwood 200 sticks
5/25/2022
“Cedarwood incense- I have been using these Cedarwood, Pine, and Sandalwood for years. It is fragrant incense that burns clean. I find that it is always consistent. Your company shipped right away and the sticks arrived unbroken.” – EdCamp

Fragrance Memories –Spring Leaves 20 sticks
10/11/2018
“Clean and Green - A nice balance between floral and green, this is my go-to incense for focusing my mind for telework and other tasks requiring concentration. Very green and crisp, but not bitter. Highly recommended.”  – Julie

Ka-Fuh –Hinoki (Japanese Cypress) 50 sticks
11/8/2019
“Smells like real cypress- This one was an instant favorite! With next to no smoke and a natural smelling woody scent, ka-fuh hinoki is my new go-to incense. It’s a different sort of smell than the floral or perfume-like scents. Even my friend who doesn’t like incense likes it!”  – Allison

MAINICHI-KOH Cherry Blossom & Sandalwood Reg. 280 sticks
2/4/2022
“No smoke at all- this incense burns with so little smoke and there is only ash at the end of it when its’ done burning which is great. The room does not get filled with heavy smoke. The scent is musky and floral but does change a significant amount when burned. Definitely a daily burn type of incense!” -sophia

Kohden - Sweet Aloeswood 40 sticks
3/30/2018
“Kohden- Sweet Aloeswood - This product lives up to its name. It is a very sweet aloeswood with a subtleness that pervades the entire area. You will catch hints of the scent lingering in the air hours after the sticks have burned down. This is an excellent choice when entertaining guests or simply meditating.”  –Derek

Cone Incenses Regular Stick Incenses