How to Choose Candle Wicks for Candle Making: Candle Wick Size Charts

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To make things simpler, we have made a list of mainstream candle wicks in the market and what type of wax they work best with. It is hard, and not right, to simply recommend a specific wick (the length, the thickness, the type, etc.) as the best candle wick. It should vary according to the specific candle you’re making. When burning a candle in the room, we want a pleasant atmosphere around. We all want our candles to burn cleanly,  or even better, to purify the air in the room.

  • Burning a candle that the wick works best with other candle making supplies, you can enjoy the aroma hassle-free.
  • You must consider all of these elements when choosing the right wick for your candle.
  • Start with our wick selection guide to find the best wicks to begin your testing.

Burning a candle that the wick works best with other candle making supplies, you can enjoy the aroma hassle-free. If you’re making candles without a container, like pillars, go to measure the diameter of your mold. If your cotton wick candle crackles while burning, there must be burning problems. Cotton wicks are usually pre-waxed and trimmed to the right size when produced. You only need to trim the wick to about ¼ inch after using.

When To Use Two Candle Wicks

You may find that the perfect wick for one recipe doesn’t work as well in a candle made with a different one. Using scents and dyes that are not made specifically for candle making can alter how well your candle burns. Alcohol based perfumes, food colouring, crayons, mica and even some essential oils can interfere with your candles capillary action and combustion.

Instead of basing the wick size on the total diameter of the container, you need to divide the diameter in half. Then choose a wick size that is appropriate for half of the diameter of the jar. For example, a 4” diameter soy wax candle might be suitable wicked with two candle wick size chart LX 10 wicks rather than one LX 24 wick. 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.

If you’re running a candle making business, using waxed wicks will make your candle more professional. Referring to the characteristics of a right-wicked candle mentioned at the beginning, you can find out which candle wick size works best for this recipe of candles. The wax type plays an important part in wick selection as it provides the fuel (melted wax) to support burning.

  • When burning a candle in the room, we want a pleasant atmosphere around.
  • Use the following chart to find out how compatible your wax is with each type of wooden wick.
  • For example, if the diameter of the container is larger than 4 inches, the candle wick isn’t able to have enough fuel around.
  • Wicks come from cherry, oak, birch, maple, balsa, rosewood, or some combination (according to the patent’s description), available as one of the following types.
  • Some wooden wicks burn like a natural flame, crackling and all.

A right-wicked candle burns cleanly, less or no soot given off. But if not, you need to choose the right wick size by yourself. The only way to know how long and how thick your candle wick needs to be is through testing. It’s not easy, but we will walk you through the whole process.

This wick chart will be updated as we add more types of wicks. You can always download a new copy of the chart at any time!

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. Choosing the right wick size is not as easy as rolling logs. But when you find the best wick size for your candle recipe, it’s all about copying and pasting in the future.

A right-wicked candle has no mushrooming on the end of the wick.

In other words, your candle will have a longer life with a wood wick. In fact, wood wicks are easier to handle, even if you’re a beginner at candle making. 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.

A Complete Guide on Choosing the Right Type of Wick and Wick Size

Possible solutions to these problems include increasing the size of the wick or getting a wick that burns hotter such as hemp. 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. It may be exactly the wick you need depending on the fragrance oil, fragrance oil load, dyes and type of wax you are using.

Let’s start with the most vital factor in choosing candle wicks – the diameter of the candle. Either pull out a ruler and measure this or read the details for this information before ordering your candle containers. Wooden wicks can add a lovely campfire atmosphere to a room. Some wooden wicks burn like a natural flame, crackling and all.

If the wick is too long or too thick, compared to the diameter of your container, it will get too much more energy than that size of the candle really needs. Too much fuel being delivered to the flame causes a high flame. With the right wick size, the candle can burn with a consistent flame, less flickering, and no self-extinguishing. If you’re interested in DIY candle making, don’t hesitate to make a wood wick candle by yourself.

You must consider all of these elements when choosing the right wick for your candle. Keep in mind that these are only estimates for LX and ECO wicks. The wick is sometimes the last choice to be made when making candles. This can prove to be a mistake as the wick you use can make or break your candle.

For instance, an LX-22 may or may not be bigger than an ECO 8. If you have any questions or need help using the wick guide, please contact us. Also keep in mind that this chart is not intended to be used in lieu of testing your candles. It’s very important to test your candles before giving them as a gift or selling them. If you’re making candles from non-The Wooden Wick Co. supplies, everything here applies too. In the candle making community, many people note their inability to produce consistent results from the wicks, citing the material and quality as the main reasons.

Check Out These Other Candle Making Posts

This braiding technique also greatly improves rigidity compared to standard cotton and paper cored wicks. They have been designed to significantly reduce the “afterglow” and smoke often seen in paper cored wicks. Each wick has been cut to the specified length, primed with a vegetable wax (161°F), and has been crimped with a 20mm diameter x 10mm tall tab. Actually, you can try any type of mainstream wicks for soy candles, including ECO, CD, LX, and wood wicks. You can refer to the candle wick size chart for soy wax to find the recommended wick type and size.

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. Our soft wood wicks are comprised of two identical pieces of wood pressed together. The dual wick is ideal for natural waxes such as soy as well as waxes that can hold a lot of fragrance oil.