Choosing the right wick for your candle is the most important part of candle making. There are many elements you need to take into considering when choosing which wick is the best to use.
Whether you’re launching your first product line or scaling an established range, the wrong wick can result in tunnelling, poor scent throw, excessive soot, overheating containers, and customer complaints.
This guide explains how to use the chart properly — and why testing remains essential.
Why Wick Size Matters?
Wick size is not a minor detail in candle making – it is one of the most important varibles in overall performance, safety, and customer satisfaction.
The wick acts as the engine of the candle. It regulates how melted wax is drawn upward, vaporised, and burned. Every stage of combustion is influenced by wick diameter and structure, which means even small adjustments can significantly change how the candle performs.
If a wick is too small
- Tunnelling occurs
- Fragrance throw weakens
- Wax remains around the vessel edge
If a wick is too large:
- Sooting increses
- Mushrooming occurs
- Burn time shortens
- Containers can over heating.
For businesses, incorrect wick selections affects both product quality and brand reputation.
Understand the wick series
At Supplies For Candles, we offer a range of wicks to go with our different types of waxes. Each series performs differently depending on formation.
TCR Series
- Designed for vegetable waxes and blends
- Promote consistent flame height and good melt pool formation
ECO Series
- Flad braided Cotton Wick
- Often used in soy and natural wax formulations
LX Series
- Stable burn profile
- Commonly paired with Paraffin and ParaSoy blends
Stabilo Series
- Designed for the Paraffin system.
- Supports structured, controlled burn performance.
Our Candle Wick Size Guide
Our candle wick size guide offers recommendations to help you find the best wicks for your candle. Different waxes, fragrances, and colours all affect the wicking of candles, so trial and error is the only way to guarantee correct wicking
How To Use the Wick Size Chart Correctly
Our Wick Chart is organised by:
- Vessel internal diameter (mm and inches)
- Wax type
- Recommend wick series and sizes
Step 1: Measure the internal Diameter
Measure the inside diameter of your container. Do not use Jar volume (e.g. 30cl), External Diameter, Fill Weight.
Wick sizing is based on the melt width – Which relates directly to internal diameter.
Step 2: Identify your Wax Type
The chart covers: CocoPro, KeraSoy, Nature C3, ProSoy, Parasoy, Paraffin
Different waxes require different wick structure due to:
- Melt point
- Additives
- Oil content
- Viscosity
Switching wax almost always requires wick retesting.
Step 3: Select the recommended Wick Range
Locate your vessel size row, then move across to your wax column.
For example:
- A 50–57mm vessel using Cocopro TCR suggests:
TCR 21/12, TCR 24/12 or TCR 24/14
This gives you a starting testing range.
Important: Wick Charts Are a Starting Point
No wick chart can guarantee performance.
Burn results vary depending on:
- Fragrance load
- Fragrance composition
- Dye usage
- Pour temperature
- Room testing conditions
- Container thickness
Professional candle makers always conduct full burn testing before release. To read more about Wick Testing, check out our blog post.