In this post, you’ll learn everything there is to know about wood wicks for candle making. With this wood wick guide, we’ll review the different types of wood wicks, which wax combinations work best with them, as well as a few tricks on how to ensure your wooden wick-crafted candles burn perfectly every time.
Wood wicks offer an aesthetic charm and extra ambiance with their crackling wooden straw, allowing you to create beautiful, one-of-a-kind candles. They help to spread the heat evenly throughout the wax, giving a more consistent burn. But with so many sizes and types of wood wicks available, it can be difficult to choose the best ones for your candles.
In this wood wick guide, we’ll help you find the perfect wood wick for your candles. We’ll cover the different types of wood wicks and which waxes you should pair them with, along with our top picks for the best wood wicks available on the market today.
Related Post: Ultimate Wick Guide: How to Choose the Right Wick for Your Candles
Types of Wooden Wicks
Wood wicks come in a variety of sizes and types. Let’s review the different types of wood wicks.
Single-ply
Works best with:Paraffin, parasoy, and natural blends
Single-ply wood wicks are the most common type of wood wick and come in many different sizes. They’re made from thin, straight pieces of wood that have been compressed to form a single strand. The thickness is usually between 0.02 inches and 0.04 inches, while the width (the flat side) is between 0.37 inches to 0.75 inches.
Single-ply wood wicks are the perfect choice for small candle containers with a diameter of 2 inches or less. Single-ply wood wicks also work great with all non-natural waxes, such as paraffin and parasoy blends that incorporate palm or coconut wax.
Booster Wooden Wicks
Best Wax:Soy, beeswax, coconut, or blends
If you’re looking to make soy, beeswax or palm candles, then you should consider using booster wood wick. A booster wick has an additional strip down the middle that makes it thicker than a traditional one-ply option.
Not only does this provide extra help burning but also ensures reliable performance when used with natural waxes such as soy and beeswax.
Spiral Wooden Wicks
Best Wax: All
Spiral wicks create a stunning cylindrical flame, but also radiate heat. The thicker you make the spirals, the greater amount of warmth is generated in those larger diameter containers.
These wicks work well with all types of candle wax and are ideal for larger-diameter candles.
What Type of Wood Wick is the Best?
Searching for the perfect match of wood wick types and candle wax can be confusing, so to make it easier we have provided a comprehensive list.
Instead of simply finding the best wood wick type, remember you need to find the best combination between wood wicks and waxes.
Below are a few recommendations to help you know where to start testing:
- Soy wax: Booster wick
- Paraffin wax: Single-ply
- Parasoy wax: Single-ply
- Beeswax: Booster
- Coconut wax/blends: Booster
Related Post: Best Soy Wax for Candle Making: Ultimate Guide (2023)
Wooden Wicks: Pro and Cons
Wood wicks bring a unique charm to your candles, but they also come with their own set of pros and cons.
Pros
- Wood wicks produce brighter flames and more stable lighting.
- Some containers are easier to wick with wooden wicks vs. cotton wicks (usually larger diameter jars)
- Don’t need a tool to center your wick.
- Stay more centered during the burn & evens the melt pool
- Easy to trim
- You can sell wood wick candles more than candles with cotton wicks.
- Wood wicks throw fragrances better while burning so you can enjoy a stronger candle scent.
- Wood wicks burn slower so you’ll have a longer burning time of your candles.
- Wood wicks can create a crackling effect like a campfire if you prefer.
Cons
- Candles with wood wicks require more maintenance.
- Wood wicks can be easily extinguished when burning outside.
- The temperature of wood wicks is higher. So it may be more dangerous if it’s out of sight.
- Wooden wicks are more inconsistent compared to cotton wicks. Each candle might burn a little differently.
- Wooden wicks cost more than cotton wicks.
- More difficult to find the perfect wick size. Not only do you have to know the width, but also need to take into account the thickness.
Wooden Wicks vs. Cotton Wicks
As there is very little difference between wood wicks and cotton wicks when it comes to their candle burning properties. However, the question everyone wants to be answered is: which one offers a more optimal experience?
To answer this, let’s compare them in regards to the manufacturing process, scent throw, maintenance needed, lighting quality & duration of burn time versus cost.
Let’s explore further!
Manufacturing
Wood wicks and cotton wicks both require an external metal base in order to stay upright within candle vessels. While there are a myriad of sizes for cotton wick, the selection of wood wick is much more limited. The larger the size you choose, the greater heat it can generate which further enables its ability to absorb fuel efficiently and burn brightly.
Wood wicks can emit more heat and shorter flames than their cotton counterparts. Moreover, while there is a variety of thread types available for cotton wicks (such as ECO, CD, LX), wood wicks are crafted from the same type of material – regardless of the kind.
Scent Throw
When choosing a candle, numerous elements can affect its scent throw: the wax type, fragrance oil used and fragrance load are only some considerations.
However, the most important component is often overlooked: the wick itself. Wood wicks usually produce more heat than cotton alternatives – allowing for an even distribution of aroma throughout your room! As such selecting candles with wood wicks guarantee an improved scent experience for you to enjoy.
Maintenance
Cotton wicks require far less maintenance than their wooden counterparts, as they generally come pre-waxed and already trimmed to the optimal size.
After each use, you need only to reduce it down to a ¼ inch in length; whereas with wood wicks there is more of an investment in terms of time due to having to wait for them to melt enough fuel around before being able to burn stably.
Additionally, wood wick candles extinguish easily, thus requiring frequent monitoring while burning – unlike cotton which can remain alight without much attention.
Nonetheless, both types must never be burned for longer than four hours at once.
Lighting
Lighting a candle with a wood wick can be more difficult than lighting one with cotton, especially if you need to re-light it. Wood requires extra heat for the flame to take hold – so much that it’s almost impossible to use a matchstick.
Burning Time
If a candle is created with a wood wick, it will deliver low and long-lasting flames that can burn for an extended period of time.
In contrast, candles made with cotton wicks generate high flames that quickly reduce the lifespan of your candle.
Price
Although wood wicks are more expensive than cotton wicks, they offer customers several benefits that make them worth the investment.
For example, wood wicks are less likely to tunnel when burning, as their wider base allows for more even and clean burning.
Additionally, the enhanced thermal output of wood wicks helps to expand the wax pool and prevent uneven burning.
Wood Wick Guide
Our wood wick guide will cover three parts:
- The Best wood wicks
- How to choose the right size of wood wicks
- Wood wick sizes chart
The Best Wood Wicks
Did you know that when people mention wood wicks, they are mainly referring to the trademarked product from Wooden Wick Co.?
Unless you are their legal seller or distributor, companies producing and selling these items under the names “wooden wick” or “wood wick” will be at risk of violation due to Wooden Wick Co.’s patent protection.
When it comes to wood wicks for candles, Wooden Wick Co. is the go-to supplier.
How to Choose the Right Size of Wood Wicks?
Struggling to choose the right size candle wick? Don’t worry; we have a guide that walks you through the process of selecting wood wicks. With our concise steps, it’ll be simple for you to pick out the perfect wick.
Step 1:Discover the perfect wood wick size and type for your candle wax. You’ll likely find what you’re looking for by consulting with either the supplier or manufacturer.
Step 2:In order to get the best results, it’s essential to experiment with various wood wick sizes. To that end, you’ll need three different options; one size smaller than recommended, a suggested size, and then an incremented large option for comparison. So all in all – try out those two alternative sizes.
Step 3:To begin, prepare 3 candles that have been created with the same type of wax and fragrance oil load, fragrances, dyes, and any additional additives.
Step 4: Carefully pour candles and allow them to cool down.
Step 5:Perform candle burn tests to identify the best wood wick for your recipe of candles.
Wood Wick Guide: Size Chart
Select the right wood wick size for your jar or container based on its diameter and wax type with the help of this helpful chart.
Wood Wick Guide
Wrap-Up
When it comes to choosing between cotton and wood wicks, the decision is ultimately yours. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so consider your candle needs carefully before making a selection.
We hope this wood wick guide was helpful to help you choose the right wood wick for candle making. Happy candle making.
Check Out These Other Candle Making Posts
If you’re interested in making your own candles, then you’ll love these other posts:
- Best Soy Wax for Candle Making: Ultimate Guide (2023)
- 7 Best Candle Making Kits For Beautiful, Aromatic Candles (2023)
- Ultimate Candle Making Supplies List: Everything You Need To Make Aesthetic Candles At Home
- Ultimate Wick Guide: How to Choose the Right Wick for Your Candles
