Candle Wick Size Estimator & Guide

Measure the inside diameter across the wax area, from inside wall to inside wall. Do not use the jar's outside width or ounce capacity. If the container changes width, is square, tapered or unusual, use the closest shape in the optional details and allow extra room for testing.

There is no reliable wick size based only on an ounce label. A 4 oz, 8 oz, 10 oz or 12 oz jar can be tall and narrow or short and wide, and candles with the same ounce label may need different wicks. Measure the inside diameter, choose the wax, and use that width in the estimator.

For a tealight, use Container candle mode and measure the inside width of the cup; do not choose a wick from wax weight alone. For a votive, use the Votive column in the published pillar-wax chart below when your exact wax is listed. Votive molds can have different shapes and widths, so treat that chart entry as a starting test for a standard votive rather than a universal size.

Beeswax can vary by source, refining and batch, so one universal wick chart is not reliable. Square-braid cotton is commonly sold for beeswax, but supplier sizing charts do not always agree. In Container mode, the broad beeswax choice is therefore marked as a rougher starting point. If your beeswax or wick supplier gives a tested chart for the exact materials you own, use that chart first and compare nearby sizes in burn tests.

Yes. Choose Pillar / molded candle at the top of the estimator. Pillar mode uses separate published LX chart points for exact pillar waxes instead of reusing container-wax logic. For a regular pillar, enter the finished candle diameter. For a figure or novelty mold, use the widest body width only as a starting reference.

The calculator does not invent an interpolated wick. It shows the published chart point below your diameter and the published point above it so you can burn-test both sides. For example, a 2.5 inch BW-921 pillar is bracketed by the published 2 inch LX 20 and 3 inch LX 26 points.

Diameter is only part of the burn. Exact wax, fragrance oil, fragrance percentage, dye, additives, candle shape and wick construction can all change performance. The estimator narrows your first test to useful candidates; the finished candle still has to pass burn testing.

Two waxes that are both called soy, coconut or paraffin can have very different published starting wicks. When your exact wax is listed, that product-specific chart is used before a broad wax-family or wick-series baseline.

They may be based on different waxes, fragrance conditions, wick lots, containers and diameter boundaries. A supplier chart documents a starting point under its own test conditions; it is not a universal conversion table. That is why this estimator shows the source level and keeps exact-wax evidence above generic charts.

For container candles, Auto first keeps a supported published setup for the full diameter. If a wider candle needs multiple wicks, it can move to two or three smaller wicks instead of forcing one oversized wick. You can also choose 1, 2 or 3 wicks yourself.

It uses the section method: full inside diameter ÷ number of wicks = planning width for each wick. A 5 inch candle with two wicks becomes two 2.5 inch planning sections. Each wick is then sized from the strongest available chart for that section width.

Yes, in container mode. Leave wick count on Auto and the estimator can use a two- or three-wick starting layout when the selected wax or series does not support a useful single wick at that full width.

Yes. Choose 1 wick, 2 wicks or 3 wicks. If that count is not supported by the selected chart and diameter, the calculator shows an honest no-result state instead of silently returning a different wick count.

For two wicks, start with even spacing on a line through the center and keep comfortable clearance from the walls. For three wicks, use a symmetrical triangle around the center. Placement is part of the burn test; the small top-view graphic is a planning aid, not certified spacing.

They are different wick series with different constructions and numbering systems. ECO 10 is not the same wick as CD 10 or LX 10. Most beginners should leave the optional series control on Auto; choose a specific series only when you already use or can buy it.

A chart number is not a guarantee. Testing nearby sizes in otherwise identical candles gives you real evidence. The calculator therefore shows the smaller, starting and larger sizes when the selected series provides them.

Choose Wooden wick in container mode, then choose a sizing system. You can use a flat wood-width plan, Bulk Apothecary WW Medium Crackle sizes, or NorthWood Premium sizes. The result gives an actual starting width or named size and can plan multiple wooden wicks for wider containers.

Wood-wick thickness and booster construction are not standardized across brands. Current published wood charts can use different thicknesses for the same vessel when the wax changes. The estimator gives a defensible width or exact named supplier size without pretending one thickness rule works everywhere.

No. Two fragrance oils can burn differently at the same percentage, so the calculator does not use a fake universal fragrance multiplier. The optional fragrance field adds testing context while the published wick size stays tied to its source chart. Always stay within the exact wax and fragrance supplier limits.

Yes, they can change the burn. Select the optional dye/additives checkbox so the result reminds you to compare nearby candidates. The calculator does not automatically jump to a larger wick because the effect depends on the exact formula.

Choose the closest broad container wax type or the broad pillar range only when it truly matches your project, and treat the result as lower-confidence. The calculator does not calculate a wick from blend percentages because there is no universal formula that turns a soy/paraffin/coconut ratio into one proven wick size.

Not necessarily. A small amount of wax at the edge during an early burn does not automatically mean the wick is too small. Judge the candle over repeated controlled burn cycles and watch flame behavior, soot, mushrooming, melt behavior, vessel heat and how the candle changes as it burns down.

Make otherwise identical candles and change only the wick size or wick count. Use the real wax, fragrance and dye. Trim consistently, use controlled burn cycles, let the candles cool between cycles, and continue through the candle's usable life before finalizing production.

No. The estimator stores the physical width internally and converts only the displayed unit. Repeated unit switching does not reinterpret the candle size, and a value you edit after switching becomes the new physical measurement.