Candle Wick Size Guide
Find the right wick for your container diameter and wax type. Get recommendations across LX, CD, ECO, and RRD wick series — instantly.
How Candle Wick Size Guide Works
Find the right candle wick size for your container diameter and wax type. Covers LX, CD, ECO, and RRD series. wick sizing tool. Use the tool above to get your results instantly — everything runs in your browser with no data sent to any server.
How to Choose the Right Candle Wick
Choosing the correct wick size is one of the most important decisions in candle making. The wrong wick causes mushrooming (carbon build-up), tunnelling (wax left on sides), soot, or a weak throw. No chart replaces burn testing — but this guide gives you the best starting point for each container and wax combination.
Wick sizing depends on four main factors: container diameter (the most important), wax type (softer waxes like soy need larger wicks), fragrance load (heavier fragrance oils clog wicks, requiring a size up), and dye (dye can slightly restrict burn, sometimes needing a half-size increase).
Understanding Wick Series
Different manufacturers use different naming conventions. The most popular series are:
- LX Series — Good all-rounder for soy and paraffin. Flat-braided cotton. Numbers range LX-10 to LX-36.
- CD Series — Coreless cotton wick with paper filament. Excellent for container soy and blends. Slightly more rigid. Numbers CD-8 to CD-24.
- ECO Series — Flat cotton with paper core. Self-trimming and low mushrooming. Good for natural waxes. Numbers ECO-1 to ECO-16.
- RRD Series — Round braided, good for paraffin and beeswax. RRD-40 to RRD-126.
Always buy a wick sampler set so you can test one size up and one size down from the recommendation. A proper burn test takes 3–4 hours per session across multiple pours.
Burn Testing Protocol
After selecting a candidate wick, perform a formal burn test: burn for 3–4 hours, extinguish, let cool completely, then measure the melt pool diameter and depth. A good wick creates a full melt pool (edge to edge) within 3–4 hours without excessive mushrooming, sooting, or tunnelling. Check the wick tip — it should self-trim to about 6mm (¼ inch) after extinguishing.
Tips for Difficult Waxes
Beeswax is the densest natural wax and typically requires a larger wick than soy for the same diameter. Coconut wax is very soft and may need a size down from paraffin. Soy blends (parasoy) often perform similarly to 100% soy but with a slightly higher max fragrance load. When using essential oils instead of fragrance oils, note that EOs often burn cleaner, so you may be able to use the standard recommendation or even one size smaller.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my wick is too big?
Signs of an oversized wick: mushrooming (black carbon ball on tip), soot on jar or surrounding surfaces, flame taller than 1 inch (2.5 cm), wax temperature above 82°C (180°F), and rapid melt pool in under 1 hour.
How do I know if my wick is too small?
Signs of an undersized wick: tunnelling (a hole forms down the centre leaving unmelted wax on the sides), weak scent throw, flame self-extinguishing, and melt pool not reaching the edges after 3–4 hours.
Why do I need to test multiple wicks?
No chart can account for every combination of container shape, fragrance oil viscosity, room temperature, and wax lot variation. Always test one size up and one size down from the recommendation and compare results.
What is the correct wick trimming length?
Trim wicks to 6mm (¼ inch) before each burn. A properly wicking candle will self-trim to around this length. Longer wicks cause mushrooming and soot; shorter wicks may struggle to stay lit.
Does container shape affect wick selection?
Yes. Straight-sided containers (tins, straight jars) follow standard sizing. Tapered or curved containers (flared jars) may need a slightly larger wick at the base since the diameter narrows as wax burns down.
Can I use this guide for pillar candles?
Pillar candles use different wicks (usually RRD or square-braided series) since they are designed not to pool edge-to-edge. This guide is optimised for container candles. For pillars, use the container diameter at the widest point as a guide.