Candle Wicks 101: How To Choose The Right Candle Wick Size | Candleers (2024)

One of the most important parts of candle making is matching the right wick to the rest of the ingredients that you will be using. The size needed for a candlewick can be impacted by the type of fragrance oil, the fragrance oil load, the amount of dye used, and the shape of the candle.

When people begin making candles they obsess over what type of wax they are going to use, what fragrance oil they are going to use, what color dyes, and what type of containers.

The last thing they think about is what wick they need to use or how to choose the right candle wick size.

Without the right candle wick, you could experience problems with tunneling, drowning wick, soot, and no hot scent throw. It could burn a candle down too quickly wasting the ingredients and angering your customers and not want to burn at all.

Let’s take a closer look at candle wicks and how to choose the right candle wick size so that your candles work as intended every time.

Candle Wicks: Getting Started

So we know that candle wicks are important to our candles, they are important to how it burns and how long it lasts. However, we have a few things that we specifically want from our candle wicks.

Characteristics Of A Great Candle Wick

• Consistent flame
• No mushrooming
• No soot
• Complete wax pool

Consistent flame

We want candle wicks that have a consistent flame. A nice steady flame with minimal popping, and flickering. Some different types of wick material, low-quality wicks, and homemade wicks if you have not yet mastered your craft can be problematic. However, if you purchased your wick from a reputable supplier and not eBay or Alibaba then you should be good.

No mushrooming

Some wicks are more likely to mushroom than others and this is not ideal. While mushrooming can sometimes be attributed to the dye or the fragrance oil those problems can still be solved by choosing the correct wick. So read the descriptions of all of the wicks that match your container size and choose one that doesn’t mention mushrooming.

No soot

We want a candle wick that burns clean. If a customer keeps seeing wisps of smoke rising from their candle they might be less likely to purchase a candle from you in the future.

Complete wax pool

A complete wax pool means that the wick is hot enough to melt the surface wax of the candle from rim to rim with the surface wax completely melted. A wick that is hot enough to do this, while maintaining its level is essentially the perfect size wick for a container.

How To Choose The Right Candle Wick Size

When you are choosing the right candlewick for your candle there should be a few things you want the wick to do for you.

How To Choose The Right Candle Wick Size? Choosing the right candle wick size by measuring the inside diameter of your container and then take that measurement to reference the candlewick size chart based on the type of wax you are using. The wick suggested on the chart is a good starting point for choosing your wick size.

It may be exactly the wick you need depending on the fragrance oil, fragrance oil load, dyes and type of wax you are using. However, some adjustment may be needed if you are using a particularly high fragrance load or special blend of wax.

Candle Curing And Wick Size

Candle curing is an important part of the candle-making and candle testing process. The longer a candle cures the harder the wax becomes, the harder the wax becomes the hotter the flame required to burn the candle adequately.

I recently made some 4 oz soy wax candles in tin containers using CD 6 wicks. A CD 6 wick worked great the day after the candles were poured. However, I waited a full week before testing the other test candle that I made. After giving the candle a week to cure, a CD 6 wick was just not big enough and the wick kept drowning out. A CD 8 wick was the way to go.

So keep that in mind when you are making candles to sell or give away when it could be a week or more before the candles are going to be used. You not only need to cure the candles you sell, but you also need to wait long enough to cure your test candles to make sure your customers or friends get a properly working product.

I know this process will take a long time and you will use a lot of supplies. However, the truth is you should make a few dozen candles and a few months of testing before selling candles to anyone.

Candle Wick Size Chart

Container Candle Wick Sizes

Choosing The Right Size Candle Wick For Soy Candles

This chart will tell you the wick you need for a soy wax container candle based on the type of wax and the diameter of the container you are using.

It is good practice to buy both the wick options in any given box and test them both.

Choosing The Right Size Candle Wick For Paraffin Candles

This chart will tell you which wicks you need for paraffin wax container candles based on the wax type and the diameter of the container that you are using.

Choosing The Right Size Candle Wick for Paraffin/Natural Wax Blend Candles

This chart will tell you what kind of wick you need based on the paraffin/natural wax blend you are using and the diameter of the candle container that you are using.

Pillar Candle Wick Sizes

This chart has the wick sizes for various wax types and pillar candle sizes.

When To Use Two Candle Wicks

When To Use Two Candle Wicks. Use two candle wicks when candle size is nearing 4 inches in diameter. At a certain point, increasing candlewick size produces too large and too smokey of a candle flame. Prevent those things from happening by using two smaller wicks instead. For example, use two CD 6 wicks instead of a CD 24.

If you are struggling to choose the right candle wick, candles with two wicks can cover up a lot of problems that some candle makers experience such as a weak scent throw, uneven burning or not being able to find the right size for a single wick.

As long as you do not go too large on the double wicks, the benefits usually out weigh the drawbacks for double wick candles. Cleaner flame, less mushrooming, better scent throw and a more even burn.

How To Troubleshoot A Candle Wick

How To Troubleshoot A Candle Wick. Light the candle and let the wax melt from rim to rim before blowing out the flame. If the wick begins to drown itself out then the wick may be too small, if the flame becomes too large or the pool of molten wax becomes deeper than 1/2 of an inch then the wick may be too big.

There are several other types of problems that can occur when troubleshooting a candle wick, and associated solutions to those problems.

Here are some common symptoms related to candle wicks and how to fix them.

Candle Wick Issues And Solutions

Flame is too small

When a candle flame is too small it means that the wick is too small for the size of the candle it is in, or the wick is too small for the type of wax used to make the candle. Possible solutions to these problems include increasing the size of the wick or getting a wick that burns hotter such as hemp.

Candle smoke/soot

If the candle is smoking or producing excessive soot then it is likely due to too much dye or too much fragrance oil in the candle wax mixture or the wick is too large. Some solutions to this problem are reducing the number of additives in the candle or using a smaller wick or a different type of wick.

Flame is too big

If the candle flame is too big then the wick size is too big or the wick needs trimming. You need to try to use a smaller size wick in your test candle or you need to make sure the wick is trimmed to around 1/4 or 5/16 of an inch.

Wick is mushrooming

A mushrooming candle wick is a sign that the wick you are using is too big or the wick simply needs to be trimmed. You can try to use a smaller wick, trim the wick you are using or change the wick type altogether. Zinc wicks are known for mushrooming so if that is what you are using, consider another type.

Not burning evenly

If your candle is not burning evenly then it is due to the wick not being on center or the wick is not going straight up from the bottom. You can fix this problem by using a wick-centering device such as a wick bar or a clothespin. Another possible problem could be the location you are testing the candle has a draft. Make sure there is no draft that can impact the burn profile of the candle while testing.

Will not stay lit

If the candle will not stay lit the wick you are using may not be primed or the wick may be clogged. A primed wick is a wick that has been precoated in wax before it is used to make a candle. Primed wicks are easier to light and have a more steady burn.

If it wont stay lit because it is clogged that could be from using something to dye your candle with pigments in it or accumulated dust and debris on the surface wax. Pigments are coloring that uses small particles like mica or using crayons to color your candles.

Candle is tunneling

If your candle is tunneling or leaving wax around the sides of the container as it burns down this is likely due to the candle wick being too small. Some solutions to this problem are increasing the size of the wick, or using a softer type of wax.

How To Test A Candle Wick

How To Test A Candle Wick

1. Select the suggested wick size, the size below, and the size above.
2. Create 3 identical candles, each with one of the 3 wick sizes.
3. Let the candles cure for a minimum of one week.
4. Trim the wicks to 1/4 of an inch.
5. Light all three candles and let them burn at the same time.
6. Place the candles on a clean flat surface spaced six inches apart and light them.
7. Record burn profile and size of melt pool after two hours.
8. Record burn profile and size of melt pool after four hours.
9. Allow candle to completely cool and repeat steps seven and eight.

Selecting wick sizes

After measuring the inside diameter of your container, select the suggested wick size from the chart. In addition, select the wick size both below and above the one that is suggested. This will give you three wicks to make test candles to insure you are getting the right wick.

Create three test candles

Create a mixture of enough material to make three identical candles, the only difference in these candles will be the size of the wicks in them. These three different wick sizes will allow you to test a variety of wicks allowing you to see the impact of your wax, fragrance oil and dye combination.

Let candles cure

Let the three candles cure for a minimum of 7 days for soy wax. Wax hardens as it cures so if you test the candles immediately after pouring them vs waiting 7 days you will get different results. To get results more similar to what a customer experiences you need to wait the full 7 days.

Trim wicks

Trim all three wicks to 1/4 of an inch so that each candle starts out at exactly the same point.

Light all three candles

Light all three candles and record when they were lit, or begin timing them so that you can trace their burn over time.

Safely position candles and light them

When you light the candles make sure that they are spaced out on a safe burning surface at least 6 inches away from each other.

Burn two hours

After burning for two hours the surface wax should be molten from rim to rim of the container. If it has not then the wick size that you are using is likely too small. If the molten wax pool is deeper than 1/2 of an inch, then the wick is likely too large.

Burn four hours

After burning for four hours the surface wax should be molten from rim to rim of the container. The molten wax pool should be at least 1/2 inch. If the pool of molten wax is significantly deeper than 1/2 of an inch, the wick may be too large.

At this point the wick may be mushrooming and burning larger than normal. This is generally the limit to which a candle should be used at a time.

Allow to cool then repeat steps seven and eight

Once the candle completely cools, repeat steps seven and eight. You need to make sure that the burn profile continues through the rest of the candle without any significant issues. Continue to document the candle profile through each step in the process.

Record the way the candle looks when you light it, how it works after 2 hours and how it looks after 4 hours.

You do this so that you will know how the candle will perform for your customers. If you can test the candle and see if any problems arise then you can save yourself a headache later if the candles have an issue that need to be addressed, it is better than you see it and fix it than have customers that want a refund.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

In conclusion, several steps are involved when trying to figure out how to choose the right candle wick size. This problem even comes with more than one solution depending on candle size and what type of wick you want to use. In the end, it comes down to trial and error.

Use the 3 wick sizes to test your candles and if one of them is not perfect then consider testing out two smaller wicks per candle to help resolve the situation.

The most important thing is to test, test, test your candles. Burn multiple candles on your own for varying burn times that you think a consumer could do just to see how the candle performs. In addition, give some candles away to your friends and family and ask them to try the candles out.

Ask your friends and family for feedback on how they thought the candles performed vs candle brands they’ve used in the past. Ask them questions about burn time, mushrooming wicks, scent throw, tunneling, and get all the feedback you can.

Ultimately it might take you a few months of testing to make sure you have the perfect product for your customers and that your candles are something you can sell with confidence. However, it is worth it. If you want to read more about the fire testing standards and specifications for candles checkout ASTM F2417.