The wick is a crucial component in candle making. It carries the heat of the flame down to the wax, which melts and, in turn, fuels the flame.
How to choose your wick: waxed, wooden or spooled?
It is important to choose a wick of the right size so that it does not drown or fail to draw up enough fuel. Quality wicks ensure your candle performs at its best.
- TCR, ECO and LX waxed wicks: coated in wax, they light quickly, making them ideal for all kinds of creations.
- Wooden wicks: they add a cosy crackling effect as they burn. Unlike cotton wicks, they never slump, and they do not give off unpleasant smells. Be aware, though: they are much trickier to use than any other type of wick.
- Spooled wicks with a flat, square or round braid: their simpler design generally makes your creations easier to achieve. You will find linen, hemp and cotton wicks.
We recommend reading our previous article on the different types of candle wicks so that you have the full picture before reading on.
How do you know which wick suits your candle best?
Bear in mind that choosing the right wick depends on a whole range of interrelated factors.
Each wick affects your candle differently: how it burns, how it melts and how well it throws its fragrance.
Every case will require testing and fine-tuning on your part to get the best performance from your finished candle. There is no universal rule.
We can, however, give you some guidelines based on the type of candle, the diameter of your glass or mould, and the type of wax.
Key general principles:
- An undersized wick will cause tunnelling.
- An oversized wick will produce a large flame and burn through the candle much faster.
- A correctly sized wick melts the wax across the full diameter to a depth of 10 mm (the melt pool).
A different choice for each type of candle
Depending on the type of candle, you will need to use different kinds of wicks.
- For container candles, where the wax is poured into a glass or aluminium jar, it is best to use pre-tabbed waxed wicks (e.g. TCR, STABILO) or wooden wicks.
- For moulded candles, braided spooled wicks are perfectly suited. They come unwaxed, in flat or round versions.
- Finally, for tealights, waxed TEA Lights Series wicks are the best solution.
The kind of candle you want to make will influence your choice of wick. Waxed and wooden wicks are better suited to container candles, while braided cotton wicks are better suited to candles made in moulds. But the most important factor remains the diameter of your container or mould.
Which wick for your container's diameter and height?
Another factor to consider: the diameter of your container or mould. Taking our flat wicks as an example, the letter P indicates the wick size (P0, P1, etc.).
- For a container candle, the more ingredients you add, the more you will need to adjust the wick size accordingly. If you are using a vegetable wax and fragrance, go 1 to 2 sizes up.
- For a moulded candle, if your mould does not have a uniform diameter, you will need to work out the average diameter.
Depending on the wax you use, you will also need to choose a thicker or thinner wick.
Type of wax: vegetable, animal or mineral?
The last key factor: the type of wax you use will influence your choice of wick.
- For vegetable waxes and beeswax, opt for TCR, ECO or STABILO waxed wicks, round spooled wicks or wooden wicks.
- For mineral waxes (except paraffin gel), choose LX waxed wicks, flat wicks, spooled wicks or wooden wicks.
In both cases, you can choose a waxed or wooden wick, but make sure you favour round wicks for animal or vegetable waxes, and flat wicks for mineral waxes.
To choose the best wick, it is important to weigh up these 3 factors together and adjust your choice according to the result you are after and your test results. This information is a guide rather than a hard-and-fast rule. There is one last detail: understanding our reference system.
How do you identify the right wick reference?
Once you have taken into account the 3 main factors for your candle wick, it is important to understand how wicks are classified in our catalogue.
On each wick product page, you will find a table setting out the different sizes available for the same reference. Taking a TCR 18/10 wick as an example, this gives: TCR 18/10 Ø32 – Ø38.
- TCR = Wick category
- 18/10 = Braid reference
- Ø32 – Ø38 = Inner diameter of the glass
The table shows the manufacturer's default values for plain candles (without fragrance or dyes). It is important to study all these parameters carefully and adapt your choice to the 3 key factors for choosing the right wick, and above all to what you will (or will not) add to your candle. You may well need to go 2 to 4 sizes up.
Conclusion
As you can see, your choice of wick will influence your entire creative process. You therefore need to choose your wick according to the type of candle, the diameter of its container and the wax used. But that is not enough! You also need to carry out thorough testing for every different candle recipe.
Now you may be wondering how to use your chosen wick correctly. Our dedicated article answers exactly that!
