{"id":52365,"date":"2022-03-03T19:53:14","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T18:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/?p=52365"},"modified":"2026-09-28T10:12:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T08:12:35","slug":"choose-a-candle-wick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/candle-making\/choose-a-candle-wick\/","title":{"rendered":"Choose a candle wick"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For beginners and more advanced candlemakers alike (even though they won’t always admit it), the most confusing and difficult aspect of candlemaking is the choice of the right type and size of wick!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And indeed, the correct burning behavior of your candles will depend for more than 90% on the correct wick choice: too small a wick and the melting pool will be too narrow, the flame will bore a hole through the middle of the candle (called tunneling) and leave most of the wax intact. The flame might even die out due to a lack of oxygen or be put off by too much liquid paraffin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too thick a wick and it will produce smoke, mushrooming and generally melt the wax too quickly…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flat braid candle wicks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Historically, one of the most popular wick types has always been the flat braid.
It’s used mainly in taper candles, those long, thin candles created by repeatedly dipping wicks in a pot full of melted paraffin. Flat braid wicks are also used for pillar candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Square braid candle wick<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Its big sister is the square braid wick. The square braid is almost identical to the flat braid except it’s braided in such a way that its section is square instead of flat, which allows it to stand up straight in the candle’s melt pool. It’s used primarily in pillars and is also the recommended wick when using beeswax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cored candle wicks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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In certain types of candles, especially container candles where the proportion of melted wax can be important, it is crucial that the wick stands up straight so that it would not fall into the melt pool and die out. To achieve such rigidity, we use cored wicks. They have either a zinc, a paper or a cotton core around which the cotton threads are braided. The core not only provides the required stiffness, it can also (depending on the type) make the flame burn hotter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cored wicks must be centered at the bottom of the container before the wax is poured. To make this possible, the wick is attached to a round piece of metal called a wick sustainer tab that gets glued in place at the bottom of the container, either with a small amount of melted wax, a glue gun or glue dots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candle wick families<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are dozens upon dozens of variations on the previous three types of wicks and each variation is a better fit for a specific type of candle or type a wax than another. Together, these variations form the extended family of specialized wicks (to name but a few, meet the RRD, TCR wick<\/a>, CD, ECO wick<\/a>, HTP or LX series of wicks).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, a new type of candle wick has become increasingly popular: the wooden wick<\/a>.
Used almost exclusively in container candles, made of soywax or paraffin wax, a wooden wick is made of one or two very thin strips of wood (different essences are used but cherry seems to work well) pressed together and treated with a secret blend of additives to ensure an even combustion.When it burns, a wooden wick crackles like a tiny wood fire and smells just like one too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When making votive candles, it is advisable to use specially designed wicks. They are cored wicks, with a zinc or cotton core, and are wax-coated (the wick is covered with a paraffin coat) and pre-tabbed so that you can use them straight away in your candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A candle’s burn rate<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An important notion when wicks are discussed is their burn rate, in other words how much wax a wick can consume in a given time. The burn rate is expressed in grams per minute.
This is an interesting data because people will usually choose (and buy) the longest lasting candle they can find. Here again, experimentation will teach you a lot. For example, the burn rate will go up or down whenever you use another wax formula and\/or another type of wick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To calculate the burn rate of a wax \/ wick combination, start by weighing your candle and write its weight down. Example: 420 grams.
Light the candle and let it burn for exactly one hour. When done, blow it off and weigh it again, including any wax that may have dripped. Example: 350 grams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wax consumption is thus 420 – 350 = 70 grams in one hour, which means 70 \/ 60 = 1.16 grams per minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can say that this particular wax \/ wick combo has a burn rate of 1.16<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wick size calculator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With our wick guide, you can quickly find a suitable wick for your candle. Simply select the type of wax and the diameter of your jar or candle, and the tool will recommend the most suitable wick size. In some cases, several wick options are displayed, so you can test which wick works best for your specific combination of wax, fragrance and colouring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The results are based on general test data and guidelines. As every candle formula is different, we always recommend carrying out your own burn tests before selling a product or producing it on a larger scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the Wick Finder as a starting point and save time finding the right wick for your next candle project.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Find your perfect wick<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t

Select your parameters and discover which wick suits your candle best.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t1<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWick Type\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCotton or wooden wick?<\/small>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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