I absolutely adore this store. I took a trip to San Francisco with a particular mission one weekend; find lots of candles, and plenty of jewelry. One of the first recommendations that was given to me was Often Wander. It is a tiny store, but the selection is amazing. There are so many candles to choose from, and so many delicious scents! They also have a wide variety of crystals, rocks, and quality hand-crafted jewelry. The store may be small, but you could still get lost! The workers are also very friendly and seek to help wherever they can. My one suggestion is that there be a bit more transparency about the "50% off candle refill" offer. There are more fees and stipulations than advertised, and I don't think that is entirely fair. But other than that, the store is lovely, and I will certainly be a regular! read more

Often Wander - Lots and lots of candles! - Candle Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This store is so aptly named. How many of us Often Wander, and as one of the more famous saying goes, "Not all those who wander are lost . . . " J.R.R. Tolkien. With that said, we wander in and found so many beautiful things in this store. The gem shaped soaps, the beautifully arranged wall of necklaces, the astrological candles, and these cool looking locks. read more

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We were walking down Valencia one slightly drizzly afternoon and ironically wandered into this place! The counter person was remarkably friendly and greeted us as we walked in immediately with the most sincere "Hello!". They told us about the insenses and candles that they make in store here and. They were so passionate about everything here! We had to smell every single candle as they all smelled oh so lovely. The trinkets and intense they had here we are so quirky and lovely as well. We left the store with a handful of incenses, a painting with a frame, and a few other things for spiritual rituals. The place itself is beautifully designed like a lived in loft. I haven't even gotten to the PLANTS!!!! They have a cute selection of plants at the front of the store for you to gaze upon or even purchase. All of the plants look so happy and healthy. Overall; an added stop to anytime I am in San Fransisco for sure! Thank you!!~ read more

Mixed feelings about Often Wander on Valencia. On the one hand, the beautiful mural, lovely aesthetics and displays here are fun and bright. They sell a combination of retail, crystals, plants, candles, and ephemera and display it for maximum eye swoon. On the other hand, the prices and the salesgirl experience were not the best. From the salesgirl who offered to hold my bag then told her co-worker the shop I went to is "basic" (yes I know what that means) to the lapis lazuli tower they had priced at $85 that I just purchased elsewhere for $20 (I like to head to Love of Genesha on Haight for affordable options) things were not in line for an optimal shopping experience. I keep coming in here whenever I'm on Valencia, because I do like the concept, but given the pricing and some of the experiences here, I haven't found an item worthy of purchase. read more

Often Wander is an incredible local business! Their candles smell amazing--My favorites are the fig/lilac and honeysuckle/jasmine. Earlier this year, I used their wax refill service to make a custom candle in a special vessel (a cool bat-shaped mug). The customer service is wonderful and the people who work here and own this place are very friendly and helpful. For such high-quality products, the prices are quite reasonable. Highly recommend! read more

Love this place. It brightens up Valencia Street, the staff are SO friendly and gems themselves, the products are thought out and created with purpose, the owner started the business from the ground up BY HERSELF, this shop just means so much to the small business world and I shop here as much as I can afford. Safe to say, I love this place so much. read more

Such a perfectly curated shop that smells like Heaven due to their handmade candles. There were so many gift options and things I needed for myself. Highly recommend visiting if you need (or don't need) something special. read more

Often Wander is the absolute bestest candle store in the history of the world. The interior of the store always feels like a warm summer day. The music playing are usually bangers too. As for the candles, I can't get enough. Skylar's integrity of each pour shines every time. Skylar makes your experience at Often Wander one to remember. His charm and kindness keeps me coming back, and I live in Texas :p. Overall, if you're looking to ditch B*th & B*dy W*rks candles, Often Wander is the place to go!! read more

I have been a loyal customer for over 2 years, always come back for refills. The staff is super kind, however this past Friday this shop left a bad taste in my mouth. I'm assuming it was the store owner, but when I was looking at jewelry they were overcrowding my personal space. I had to leave because I felt uncomfortable. I'm a person of color and I know when store owners closely monitor customers to ensure no stealing. I get it, we live in San Francisco. But maybe the owner should check their prejudice before doing so because I have never observed this occurrence with white customers. read more

This is such a beautiful store. Tons of gift ideas, handmade candles and a variety of other wonderful items. And they also have a lot of fun and creative events at the shop. Check it out. read more

How cute is this place?!?! Add this to yet another frickin cute shops on Valencia on the Mission. It is a small store with pretty colors and what made me stop as I passed by was the SMELL! It smells amazing in there! I stopped in and saw they have a great selection of candles (around $16), aromatherapy, necklaces, earrings, a small selection of crystals, and hand-painted cards just to name a few things. One thing i really liked were the zodiac sign necklaces in the front and tassel earrings. SO CUTE!! Very friendly and not-pushy people attending the store! I saw so many things my more spiritual friends would absolutely love!! Will be back for more!! :) read more

This is a dreamy store! I was walking my dog enjoying some afternoon sunshine and paused admiring all the beautiful plants overflowing from the front of the store. I just had to check this place out!!! This is a beautifully designed store and all of the items are so beautiful and also unique. You can tell a lot of care and time has been put into curating the items. The staff was also super sweet and made me feel really welcomed and listened to while I was in the store. They even indulged listening to a couple ideas I had. With COVID the last year and a half - my social interactions have been limited and it was so nice to have a couple gals really make me feel creative and smart. That was the best part of my experience. I bought a Cancer sign candle (coconut and chamomile) and it's perfect for a cloudy, rainy week here in SF. Thanks for literally brightening my day and week during a dreary time. read more

I loved this candle store so much! They have such a wide selection of candles for anyone to find something they personally love. The inside is so well decorated and curated as well. I love taking a stroll through and it's always super hard for me to leave without getting something. The staff is also really friendly and helpful with any and all questions you may have. But my absolute favorite thing about this store is that you can come back and re-fill your candle for half the price! And you can pick *any* scent you want to re-fill as well, doesn't have to be the same one. This is such a sustainable way to go about candles and reducing the waste produced. I can't wait to go back and get my re-fill. read more

Often Wander - Last Light Candle - Candle Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I've had nothing but lovely experiences at this shop. From their candle making events (create your own unique candle scent!) to the half-off refill program, Often Wander is a delight. Yummy-smelling, high-quality candles, adorable wares, and friendly service. Great local staple for me! read more

I can't sing enough praises. This place has the most gorgeous jewelry, all hand made and from what I understand most of their gemstones are ethically sourced (which is NOT COMMON ENOUGH). They make these gorgeous gemstone chockers and they have all the vibes; white turquoise, lapis lazuli, labradorite, pyrite- i mean its pretty special. They have so many varieties of gold layers, long pendants, and more delicate gold chains to accentuate your collar bone. AND THE PRICE POINT IS FAIR. The vibe is cute- it's definitely part of the gentrified mission and i'll admit for this reason I didn't wander in for a long time, but even so, I still give this place 5 stars. Excellent, gorgeous and vibing. read more

Great, helpful staff. Niche stuff, but great for last-minute gifts, etc. Candles, cool-ish plants, cards (a necessity for B-days/holidays/love, since our local Walgreen's has closed due to incessant shoplifting:( There's my review. read more

Don't do their refill thing - they won't tell you this when you buy but they don't refill it right away, you have to bring the container in and then you have to come back a week/two weeks later to pick up the refill- super inconvenient. To add insult to injury they want you to pay for the refill when you drop off the container. read more

Often Wander, what a GEM! Sarah, the owner, is a delightful, caring human being. I've gotten to know over the years and am continually impressed by her ability to grow a business, yet not lose sight of the details and experience she creates in her store. She's passionate about what she does and the community she does it in. And it shows. Walking into Often Wander creates a feeling of being at ease, being creative, and being connected, all in one. If I could bottle the feeling up, it would be the scent of her signature candle scent: vetiver, clove and cardimom. :) Thank you Sarah for making SF a brighter and warmer place.brighter and warmer. read more

Often Wander - Candle Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

I really wanted to like this store since it's located on my block and sells some of my favorite things in life. Unfortunately, I just can't get over the rudeness of the girls that work there- not just rudeness but also having different "hellos" for the blonde hair blue eyed customers versus the rest of us- the former being a lot more welcoming. With that being said they should probably move their store to the Marina if they don't want "us" shopping there. They even tried to talk me out of purchasing my purchase. Ugh... nasty experience. read more

I am done with these people!! How dare they sell me a candle that smells absolutely wonderful but after lighting it, it smell even more marvelous!!!?? Wow!! They are amazing candle makers!! And they have a great candle refill program. I purchased 3 candles for myself but gave one to a friend as a graduation present but I'm starting to regret that. I WANT THEM ALL FOR MYSELF!!! This is my new favorite candle shop!!! Love you guys. I'll probably go bankrupt thanks to you guys but it's so worth it. read more

Often Wander had me wonder about this store. I was on Valencia in the Mission for a visit to Kadampa Buddhist center. I decided to go wind0w-sh0pping and this store was my new target. I went inside and noticed candles. I asked the attendant what this was about. She said the owner is Sarah who makes the candles and something else. She selects other items to sell. It is "carefully curated" as I have said. The attendant was fun and I asked her what she was playing on the speaker. It turned out to be Eddie Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. I found it on Youtube myself and that will be my new jam because I was looking for a new jam. So, in order to write a legitimate review, I asked her to recommend something for to buy. And she said to try a candle, but I wanted something cheaper. I settled on the sage bundle for $3 plus tax. I had to ask her for instructions on how to burn it, so that I don't burn down the house. It's fun to visit and I sat on the couch for a bit. This is a typical new store on Valencia. read more

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It's a pretty cool store! I love that it's run by women, since most stores that are owned/operated by men might have been chain stores or something. Anyway, it has cool stuff, including different healing crystals. Another fun part is that they fight for issues that they care about and since I do too, I proudly bought a "Black Lives Matter" pin there. I can't wait to come back to this store again! read more

Often Wander - My "Black Lives Matter " pin, which I proudly bought. - Candle Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

The shop is cute and smells superb, however the only reason I didnt purchase anything during my visit was because I couldn't see price tags for the majority of the products in an obvious way (some are hidden behind some table decors). There are price stickers at the bottom of the candles but I didn't want to touch the items before I know I am going to buy it given the Covid-19 situation. Please put price tags and product information in a way that it's easier for customers to see and read without getting too close to items. read more

I had such a great experience Xmas shopping at this store! Beautiful jewelry and helpful staff. Ian was so kind and caring when helping me pick gifts for my family. Thank you! read more

The grand opening is tomorrow, but this is such a cute little mystically inclined candle shop that also sells jewellery and other accessories! The space feels just like your hip friend's living room, and while the owner/founder was originally based in San Diego, she will start making more product here in SF. She even says that the candles are refillable so that if you bring your container back, she'll refill it for half the price. That is super eco friendly and dope and feels like a lil great addition to the neighbourhood. The vibe of this store feels very SF, and I'm glad to see it be part of the city, what with its colourful decor and amazing smelling wares. They also have different sizes of candles, mala beads, that type of stuff! I'd definitely come here and get to know the owner, Sara(h?) who was super friendly and approachable and answered all of my questions. read more

I was walking down the street when a lovely cloud of yummy scents hit my nose. I followed the scents, wandering into this cute shop. I had to smell every single candle, which kept me there long enough to meet the owner, Sarah. She shared with me the gorgeous pink and green plants sitting high on shelves that she had revived and brought in to sell to nice homes. The shop not only sells candles and jewelry, but beautiful house plants and pots. If you bring back your used up candle jar/vessel, you can have it refilled at the store for a discount!! I really enjoyed Sarah's shop and cannot wait to come back. The candle I chose is nag champa! read more

Often Wander - Candle Stores Near Me - San Francisco, California

It's a really cute shop, with only slightly overpriced items, but the candle I bought just isn't holding up to its value. I purchased "I got it from my mama" which smells wonderful unlit, but barely creates any scent when lit. They told me they do half price re-pours, which was enticing enough to make initial purchase, but the diminished scent will probably deter me from getting anything else here. read more

Stopped in before dinner, bought some rad brass earrings for $68. Saw a really cool fish shaped paddlock that was $86. I chose the earrings. On way home I was having major buyers remorse on not getting the lock. I went to google in hopes to find the artist(thinking Often Wander was highly curated with mostly handmade or small produced goods) ended up finding the exact same paddlock....on Amazon..... for $30. Happy, so happy to support small shops. Big buyer at Fiat Lux around the corner. Bummer to think I almost got taken on the lock for such an upsell! Scared to try to find the earrings and not sure if they're artist made or mass produced. Anyway, just a heads up,cute stuff but not sure if you couldn't get it somewhere else..... read more

Staff was safe considering the pandemic, however the guy there was giving a really off vibe. He was anything but helpful. He kept eyeing my friends and I and never once offered to help or explain the "offers. " but there was another white lady who he kept explaining things to even when she hadn't asked. The place was also unnecessarily expensive. Scarlet sage some streets up is more affordable. read more

I love love love Often Wander. Purchased some of their candles from a different retailer and was able to have them refilled at their Mission location for 1/2 the price. It was super easy, convenient and I love that you can change scents. Staff is always friendly, helpful and oh so accommodating. I was running late for a birthday party, scrambling to find parking and the lovely gals working made sure I was able to still pick these up. Birthday heroes thank you!! Only "downside"- everything in there is so beautiful it's pretty much impossible to leave without making a purchase. read more

I was walking down Valencia this past weekend and this store caught my eye! It's gorgeous, from the inside AND out. I love that store owner makes the majority of the items in the store, including the candles. I'm in LOVE with the idea that you can bring your finished candles back to get them refilled, for half off. I've been looking for this for some time now and I'm so so glad that she's come to SF. I bought the lavender scented candle, "Year of the Woman", and it smells amazing. It's definitely high quality and I can tell it will last me a while. I won't hesitate to buy more scents in the near future and look forward to popping in to check what's new! read more

This is best place! Every candle smells wonderful. Plus, Rob is incredibly helpful and friendly. I love going in there to chat with him! Thanks for all of the goodies, Often Wander! Highly recommend. read more

Found this cute little shop as I walking down the street. There's several candle options to pick from, etc. The shop's owner is super nice as well. Unfortunately my candle I bought from the astrological collection barely releases any scent when it's burned even for hours and I've tried several times now. Other than that issue, I feel like the store seems like it has pretty good potential for great items. read more