Candle Quality

Sometimes it can be hard to determine the quality of the candle. The packaging design, fragrance, wax, wick and finally the cost will indicate how good the item is. Take a look at some of the main scented candle quality aspects below to find the best quality candle for you.

Burn-time

Candle burn time can be found on the outer packaging and/or on container label. Because of the nature of the candle, different environments, breezes and etc, candle burn time is usually indicative and variation for that time is around 10%. For example if candle burn time is 25 hours, burn time may vary from 22.5 to 27.5 hours.

Flame size

Size of the flame is a good quality indicator. Flame lenght ideally should be from 1 to 1.5 cm. If the flame is too small it won’t have enough heat to melt the wax and might put out the flame. If the flame is too big, candle might burn too fast.

Soot

Soot is a natural byproduct of incomplete combustion in candles. Paraffin candles has higher amounts of soot while natural wax candles has considerably lower amounts. Well-made soy candle will not produce excess visible smoke, if it does, it is possible that seller is using a mix of soy wax and paraffin or used the wrong wick.

Wax melt

It is very important that your candle burns evenly. If after about 3 hours of burning your candle only the centre of the candle has melted, you might have purchased a lower quality candle. If this is the case, then it means that your candle will never reach the stated burn time.

Glass breakage

Glass must meet certain quality criteria so as not to break while exposed to short time flame (in case when the wick has moved to a side, see candle care guide on how to fix the wick) or long time heating. If the glass container has not been approved to be safe to be used as a candle container by the manufacturer, there is a risk that the glass will break.

No scent

We know that olfactory perception is very subjective thing, but we believe that great cold (while the candle is still solid) and hot throw (when candle is lit and burning) are essential to a good product. If you can’t smell your candle, it might be a sign that the added fragrance or wax is poor quality.

Price

It is quite difficult to determine the quality of the candle by its price. There’s still vital thinking that cheap candles often are made out of poor quality ingredients and more expensive candles contain better ones. But it’s not always the case. To determine if the candle is well made you should check the overall appearance: packaging, labels, scent and ingredients list (if the manufacturer share this information on the label, or on their website).

Correct labels

Your candle should not only have those pretty front labels, but they should also have safety labels. Safety labels warns you about potential risks while using this product. These labels should have hazard and precautionary statements, pictograms and a list of sensitizers or any other ingredients that contribute to candle classification (if candle is in some way hazardous). If candle doesn’t have this label it means manufacturer do not only comply with REACH and CLP regulatations, but also haven’t assesed their products for any potential risks that could occur while using the candle.