Backflow incense can smell amazing. If your cones smell bad, it's probably because they are low quality. It’s sad that so many of the backflow burners available online come with these cones because it’s such a bad introduction to incense. Low quality incense can be made with synthetic scents, sawdust, charcoal, and glue. Although these cones do give you the backflow effect, the smell can be decidedly unpleasant. ​ Real incense is made with a mix of natural binding agents, resins, oils, herbs, and wood. But how can you know their quality before you buy them? A general rule is that if they seem too cheap to be true, then they probably are. Backflow incense should be priced similarly or a bit higher than normal cone incense. When cone incense costs ~$3 for 10 cones, and backflow cones cost ~$7 for 100 cones, it’s pretty obvious that the backflow cones aren’t anywhere in the same quality range. ​ I would suggest looking into normal incense cones, then buying backflow cones that are similar to those. After all the only difference between normal and backflow incense is that hole in the bottom. I also sell backflow cones in my shop.