The best lamp oils, compared.
Top pick: CUQOO citronella oil, 6 x 1 L – Highest score at 70: a stated 6 × 1 litre outdoor pack and the only large review sample, 4.3 from 2,148. Not a lab test. Best value: Clearell indoor paraffin, 5 L – About £19.95 for the stated 5 litres, about £3.99 a litre, with BS 2869 Class C1 on the title. Score 66, not the top pick. Updated 23 October 2026.
Lamp oil is the liquid a wick lifts and burns in an oil lamp, a garden torch, a ceremonial diya or, on some cans, a paraffin heater. You buy it in the UK because the lamp is already yours. The useful check is whether the wick burns vapour instead of cotton, without sooting the glass or filling the room. Match the fuel to the lamp. Indoor decorative lamps want a colourless, unscented oil. Garden torches can use a scented outdoor oil. A diya wants the ceremonial oil sold for that lamp. A hurricane lantern wants the clear fuel its maker names. Fragrance oil, cooking oil, plant oil, petrol, methylated spirits, lighter fluid and diesel are the wrong substitutes. For an indoor lamp, prefer a bottle that says indoor lamp oil. A Class C1 mark is a paraffin grade, often sold for heaters, not proof that every lamp will accept the can. How the families differ, including the child warning on decorative lamp fuel, is in the [lamp oil buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/lamp-oil/sub/lamp-oil-buying-guide).
Lamp oil is the liquid a wick lifts and burns in an oil lamp, a garden torch, a ceremonial diya or, on some cans, a paraffin heater. You buy it in the UK because the lamp is already yours.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you filling?
Six 1 litre bottles of CUQOO citronella oil are listed at £25.99 on amazon.co.uk, about £4.33 a litre, and the title points them at outdoor torches. The star line is 4.3 from 2,148 ratings, the same pool as the smaller CUQOO listing, so this is not a second independent sample. Buyers who use garden burners often say it lights and lasts for an evening, which is why the composite score of 70 leads this set. The same reviews describe a later batch as thick, smoky, and weak on lemon scent, and a Feuerhand wick that burned down instead of staying fed. Bamboo torches in that pool are another place the oil is called too heavy to climb the wick. A wick is not included, and the bullets still name oil lamps even though the title says outdoor. It is the top pick only when you are refilling several outdoor torches and you can accept that thickness complaint.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are topping up several outdoor torches and you can live with mixed reports on how thick the current oil is.
Less suitable: You need a thin, clear fuel for a hurricane lantern or an indoor glass lamp.
Specifications
Common questions
How much oil is in the 6-pack?
The title says 6 x 1 L. The shelf price in the capture is £25.99, which is about £4.33 per litre. A wick is not listed as included.
Is this a different oil from the CUQOO 2 L listing?
The bullets match, and the review headlines match the smaller CUQOO listing. The star line is the same 4.3 from 2,148. Treat that as one review pool on two pack sizes.
Does the page say it is for indoor lamps?
The title says outdoor. The bullets still name oil lamps and lanterns, with a 5-minute soak and a warning not to leave a lamp unattended. Pet safety is asked on the page and not answered in the bullets.
The CUQOO listing at £12.99 is titled as 2 litres of citronella torch oil in a pack of two, model DYN10715, with a captured weight of 1.76 kg and United Kingdom as the origin. Litres per bottle are not split out, so the 2 litre figure is only the title total, which works out at about £6.50 a litre if that total is right. It shares the 4.3 from 2,148 rating line with the 6-pack, including praise for garden burners and complaints that a later batch poured like engine oil. Reviewers in that pool report soot on glass, a Feuerhand wick that burned away, and bamboo torches that would not stay alight. A weak lemon smell comes up as well, so the citronella note is not reliable from one bottle to the next. The material field says wick, which describes a listing attribute rather than a wick in the box. This smaller pack only makes sense if you want less oil on the shelf than the 6-pack and you are still using outdoor burners.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a smaller citronella pack for outdoor torches and you accept mixed reports on thickness.
Less suitable: You need a known litre per bottle, or a thin clear fuel for a glass lamp or hurricane lantern.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in the CUQOO 2 L listing?
The amazon.co.uk title says citronella torch oil, 2 L, and the pack count is 2. The seller describes citronella extracts and n-paraffin. Litres per bottle are not stated separately, so the 2 L figure is the title total only.
Does the listing say it suits a hurricane lamp?
The bullets say oil lamps, lanterns, citronella burners and tiki torches, and to wait 5 minutes before lighting. Reviews in the same pool include a Feuerhand lamp where the wick burned down, and bamboo torches where the oil was too thick.
Is the mosquito wording a test result?
No. It is seller text. The rating is 4.3 from 2,148 reviews on this listing, shared with the 6-pack. Reviews also mention soot, a thick batch and a weak lemon smell.
Clearell lists 5 litres of indoor paraffin at £19.95, about £3.99 a litre, the lowest stated price per litre in this set, and the title names BS 2869 Class C1 for heaters and lamps. Across 21 amazon.co.uk ratings the line is 4.3, with 11 review texts in the capture, which is a modest sample beside CUQOO. Several heater users describe a short smell on lighting and then a normal burn, and one says there is no odour once the appliance is running. The seller’s low-odour line does not survive the reviews that call the can strongly scented, and one buyer says it is the wrong fuel for indoor oil lamps and candles because of that smell. The model code CLINDP20L-5LX1 and the 27 × 29 × 30 cm dimensions are both printed, and the capture does not explain why a 5 litre can is described at that size. It is the best value here on pounds per stated litre when your heater manual asks for C1 paraffin, and it is not a small bottle of unscented decorative lamp oil.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a heater that asks for C1 paraffin, and the appliance manual also allows this can if you use it in a lamp.
Less suitable: You want a small unscented bottle sold only as decorative lamp oil, or a fuel with no paraffin smell on lighting.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this lamp oil or heater paraffin?
The title says both: indoor premium paraffin for heaters and lamps, BS 2869 Class C1. One review says it is not suitable for indoor oil lamps or candles because of the smell. Follow the appliance manual.
How much is in the can?
Style and title say 5 litres, one item, £19.95 in this capture, about £3.99 a litre. The model code is CLINDP20L-5LX1 and the dimensions are 27 x 29 x 30 cm. The capture does not explain that size.
Is it odourless?
The seller says low odour. Reviews say it is not odourless: a short smell when lighting, a strong smell from the can, and one heater user who reports no odour once it is burning.
Dheepam’s 1 litre bottle is £8.99 on amazon.co.uk, sold for diyas, traditional lamps and ceremonies, and the bullets call it purified mineral oil. The star line is 4.0 from 13 ratings, and only six review texts were in the capture, so the sample is thin next to the CUQOO pool. One reviewer using a brass puja lamp reports no black fumes, and other texts describe clay and brass lamps that burned cleanly indoors. Another review says the oil does not burn at all, which is the limit you have to price in at this sample size. Two of those six texts talk about a scented blend, which does not match the mineral-oil bullet, and the capture does not settle which bottle they received. No wick, funnel or lamp is included, and the brand field says Generic with VEENAS as manufacturer and India as origin. It is a ceremonial 1 litre if that is the lamp you own, not a substitute for clear paraffin in a hurricane lantern.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a diya or small traditional lamp and you accept a thin review sample.
Less suitable: You need a hurricane lantern fuel, or buyer evidence from more than a handful of reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
What does the listing say the oil is made of?
The bullets say purified mineral oil for a clean burn. The product-type field says synthetic. Two of the six reviews talk about a scented blend. The capture does not resolve that.
Can it be used for a puja lamp?
That is the stated use: diyas, traditional lamps and ceremonies, indoor and outdoor. One reviewer uses it in a brass puja lamp and reports no black fumes. Another says the oil does not burn.
Does the bottle include a wick?
No wick, funnel or lamp is named. You get the 1 litre bottle described on the listing, at £8.99 in this capture.
The Dheepam pooja pack is two 500 ml bottles at £12.99, about £13 a litre on the 1,000 ml unit count, and the title calls it a blend of five oils that is not for eating. The listing shows 4.0 from a single rating, and no review text was captured, so burn, smell and soot are not stated. The five oils are not named, and the base field says plant-based, which is a different claim from the 1 litre Dheepam mineral-oil bottle. A package-quantity field prints 1 while the title says a pack of two, so you should check the carton count when it arrives. There is no wick in the captured contents. The composite score is 37, the lowest here, because one rating cannot show whether a cotton wick will lift the blend. You would choose this only when you specifically want that ceremonial blend and you can accept a higher price per litre than the 1 litre Dheepam.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want this five-oil ceremonial blend and you do not need review evidence of the burn.
Less suitable: You need proof of a clean burn, a named ingredient list, or fuel for a hurricane lantern.
Specifications
Common questions
Which five oils are in the blend?
The title says a blend of five oils. The captured text does not name them.
Is this the same bottle as the 1 litre Dheepam?
No. The 1 litre listing says purified mineral oil. This title says a plant-based blend of five oils, not for eating, in a pack of two 500 ml bottles, at £12.99.
What do buyers say about how it burns?
The listing shows 4.0 from 1 review. No review text was captured, so burn, smell and soot are not stated.
Shelf prices, star lines and review notes are the amazon.co.uk snapshot already stored for these five bottles. No lab burn was run. Each score is a composite out of 100 from the star band, the review sample, burn sentiment in the captured texts, and listing clarity. Two citronella listings share one rating line, so that pool is counted once. A single rating with no text is capped. The highest composite, 70, is the top pick. Best value is separate: the lowest stated price per litre on a can that names BS 2869 Class C1.
Star line
25%The amazon.co.uk star band is 25% of the composite. Stars are not the whole score. A shared rating line is not counted as two samples.
Review sample
25%The size of the captured review sample is 25%. A single rating with no text is capped. The two citronella listings share one line, so that pool counts once.
Burn sentiment
30%Thickness, soot, smell and failure to light in the captured review texts are 30%. This is not a lab burn, and a seller line about odour or insects is not a result.
Listing clarity
20%Stated volume, a named standard and a stated job are 20%. A title volume that is not split per bottle scores lower on clarity.
You already own the lamp. The choice is which liquid its wick can lift: clear indoor lamp oil, citronella for a garden torch, ceremonial oil for a diya, or C1 paraffin when the heater manual asks for that grade. The five amazon.co.uk bottles stored for this page are not interchangeable. The top pick is the CUQOO 6 × 1 litre citronella pack at about £25.99 when you are filling several outdoor torches and you can accept mixed reports on thickness.
A lamp oil is a liquid fuel for a wick. Clear indoor lamp oil is refined n-paraffin for oil lamps and oil candles. Citronella torch oil is scented n-paraffin for outdoor burners. Ceremonial oil in this capture is either a 1 litre mineral oil or a plant-based blend of five oils in two 500 ml bottles. C1 paraffin is the refined BS 2869 grade sold for flueless heaters and, on some titles, for lamps as well.
Scented torch oil is for outdoor burners. Decorative-lamp fuels with an aspiration hazard must not contain perfume or colour. A mosquito line on the listing is seller text, not a test.
Class C1 is a paraffin grade for heaters. Barrettine sells a C1 paraffin that is explicitly not for lamps, and a separate indoor lamp oil. Follow the appliance manual before you pour a heater can into a glass lamp.
A wick that has not soaked burns cotton. Soak time on the citronella bottles is 5 minutes, and a traditional lamp may need longer. Do not treat an insect-repellent slogan as evidence, and do not substitute petrol, lighter fluid, methylated spirits or diesel.
The first check is the lamp you already own, not the lowest price. Indoor decorative lamps want colourless, unscented lamp oil. Garden torches can use citronella, which is scented n-paraffin for outdoor burners. A diya wants the ceremonial oil sold for that lamp. In this set that is either a mineral oil or a five-oil blend, and those two bottles do not make the same claim. A hurricane lantern wants the clear fuel its maker names.
After the fuel family fits, read the reviews for thickness. A wick that chars, a flame that dies, or oil described as being like engine oil means the cotton is not lifting fuel. Soot on the glass and a smell that fills the room are the same kind of complaint. A seller line that says low odour, smokeless or insect-repellent is not a result. The Health and Safety Executive treats repellents as biocides, and Business Companion says citronella candles lack compelling evidence as repellents.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are topping up several garden torches and you can live with mixed reports on thickness. CUQOO citronella oil, 6 x 1 L is the top pick at about £25.99, about £4.33 a litre, with 4.3 from 2,148 ratings shared with the smaller CUQOO listing. It is not a thin clear fuel for a hurricane lantern.
You have a heater whose manual asks for BS 2869 Class C1 paraffin, and you will check before you also use the can in a lamp. Clearell indoor paraffin, 5 L is best value at about £19.95, about £3.99 a litre, with 4.3 from 21 ratings. Reviews say it is not odourless.
You have a diya or small traditional lamp and you accept a thin review sample. Dheepam lamp oil, 1 L is about £8.99, sold as mineral oil, with 4.0 from 13 ratings. One review says it does not burn. It is not fuel for a hurricane lantern.
The top pick is CUQOO citronella oil, 6 x 1 L, at about £25.99. It scores 70, the highest in this set, because the title states an outdoor pack of six 1 litre bottles and it carries the only large review sample, 4.3 from 2,148 amazon.co.uk ratings shared with the smaller CUQOO listing. It is not a lab test. The same reviews describe thick oil, soot and a weak lemon smell, so it is the top pick only for several outdoor torches. Best value is Clearell indoor paraffin, 5 L, at about £19.95, about £3.99 a litre, with BS 2869 Class C1 on the title and a composite of 66. Smell reviews keep it off the top pick, and Class C1 is not proof every lamp will take the can.
CUQOO citronella oil, 6 x 1 L
Highest score at 70: a stated 6 × 1 litre outdoor pack and the only large review sample, 4.3 from 2,148. Not a lab test.
Clearell indoor paraffin, 5 L
About £19.95 for the stated 5 litres, about £3.99 a litre, with BS 2869 Class C1 on the title. Score 66, not the top pick.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Shelf prices are from the stored captures, not a live re-check on 21 October 2026. Updated 23 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory burn test.
