A wick is the engine of a candle. Size it right and the melt pool reaches the glass, the wax burns cleanly, and the fragrance throws. Size it wrong and you get a tunnel, a drowned flame, or soot on the jar. The trouble is that no single wick fits every candle, because the wax, the fragrance load, the dye, and the vessel diameter all matter. This guide gives you the tested diameter ranges for every wick series we carry, plus the rules for adjusting them when you pour soy or single-pour paraffin.
The sizes here are recommendations, not guarantees. The only way to confirm a wick is to burn a finished candle and watch the melt pool. We have sold candle wicks since 1999, and a test burn is a step we always recommend.
How to Choose a Wick Size
Wick selection follows the vessel first, then the wax. Work through it in this order, and treat the chart size as a starting point you confirm by burning.
Choosing the Right Wick
-
1
Measure the vessel diameter
Measure the inside diameter of your container or the width of your pillar at its widest point. The diameter is the key to finding the correct wick, so have that before you shop a wick series.
-
2
Pick a wick series for your wax
Match the series to the wax: zinc-core for paraffin, votives, pillars, and gel; CD, HTP, or LX for paraffin and harder blends; ECO for soy and natural waxes; a wooden wick for a container with a crackle. Each series has its own chart.
-
3
Read the diameter across the chart
Find your vessel diameter in the series chart below and note the wick size rated for it. The charts are built around a base paraffin wax.
-
4
Adjust for wax, load, and dye
If you pour soy, a single-pour wax, a heavy fragrance load, or a lot of dye, size up. Soy and single-pour paraffin often need one to three sizes larger to achieve a full melt pool.
-
5
Test burn and read the melt pool
Burn a finished candle and watch the pool. It should reach the container wall within two to four hours. A ring of unmelted wax means the wick is too small; a deep, flickering pool means it is too large. Adjust a size and burn again before committing a batch.
Types of Candle Wicks
We carry six wick families, each braided or cored differently so it burns a certain way. Knowing how a series is built tells you where it fits before you ever read its chart.
The Wick Series We Carry
Zinc-Core
A cotton wick around a zinc wire center. The wire holds it upright while the candle is poured and lit, which suits votives, pillars, small containers, and gel. Primed at a standard 180°F wax. The modern replacement for the lead-core wicks banned long ago[1].
CD Series
Flat-braided cotton woven with a paper filament, engineered for a consistent burn that trims its own tip. Handles harder, more viscous paraffin and vegetable waxes well. Primed at a 212°F high-melt wax.
ECO Series
Flat, coreless cotton braided with thin paper threads for rigidity and a controlled curl, so it self-trims and runs low on soot and afterglow. Built for natural waxes like soy and palm, and primed with a vegetable wax (161°F) so you can label an all-natural candle.
HTP Series
Coreless cotton with paper filament that bends the tip into the hottest part of the flame for more complete combustion and less carbon buildup. Works in votives, pillars, containers, and gel. Primed at a 212°F high-melt wax.
LX Series
Flat-braided cotton treated to curl and self-trim, cutting mushrooming, smoke, and soot. Performs well in paraffin and IGI 6006. Primed at a 212°F high-melt wax.
Wooden Wicks
Two thin wood pieces pressed together for a wide flame and a crackle. For containers only, best in paraffin, and rated Small through X-Large. Cut from FSC-certified mills[3].
Flat-braided wicks (CD, ECO, HTP, LX) and cored wicks (zinc) solve different problems. A core keeps a wick standing straight in a votive or pillar; a flat braid curls at the tip so it trims itself in a container. Match the series to the wax and vessel you choose, and confirm it with a test burn.
Wick Sizing Charts
Every series below is rated by the vessel diameter it suits in a base paraffin wax. For soy, single-pour, heavy fragrance, or heavy dye, size up per the note under each chart, then confirm with a test burn. We also offer a sampler kit for each series, plus a master sampler that covers every wick except the wooden wicks, so you can test sizes side by side.
Zinc-Core Wick Sizes
Zinc-Core Sizing (Base Paraffin)
| Wick | Recommended application (diameter) |
|---|---|
| 44-24-18 | Votives, pillars, small containers (2.0" – 2.25") |
| 51-32-18 | Pillars, medium containers (3.0" – 3.5") |
| 60-44-18 | Pillars, large containers (3.5" – 4.0") |
Single-pour paraffin waxes usually need a larger zinc-core wick, often one or two sizes up, to achieve a full melt pool. We do not recommend zinc-core wicks in soy.
CD Series Wick Sizes
CD Series Sizing (Base Paraffin)
| Wick | Recommended application (diameter) |
|---|---|
| CD-4 | Votives, small containers (1.25" – 1.75") |
| CD-5 | Votives, small containers (1.75" – 2.0") |
| CD-6 | Votives, pillars, small containers (2.0" – 2.25") |
| CD-7 | Pillars, small containers (2.25" – 2.5") |
| CD-8 | Pillars, medium containers (2.5" – 3.0") |
| CD-10 | Pillars, medium containers (3.0" – 3.25") |
| CD-12 | Pillars, medium containers (3.25" – 3.5") |
| CD-14 | Pillars, large containers (3.5" – 3.75") |
| CD-16 | Pillars, large containers (3.75" – 4.0") |
| CD-18 | Pillars, large containers (4.0" – 4.25") |
| CD-20 | Pillars, large containers (4.25" – 4.5") |
| CD-22 | Pillars, large containers (4.5" – 4.75") |
Single-pour paraffin and vegetable (soy) waxes generally need a larger CD wick, sometimes one to three sizes up.
ECO Series Wick Sizes
ECO Series Sizing (Soy)
| Wick | Recommended application (diameter) |
|---|---|
| ECO-1 | Votives, small containers (1.25" – 1.5") |
| ECO-2 | Votives, small containers (1.5" – 2.0") |
| ECO-4 | Votives, pillars, small containers (2.0" – 2.5") |
| ECO-6 | Pillars, small containers (2.5" – 2.75") |
| ECO-8 | Pillars, medium containers (2.75" – 3.0") |
| ECO-10 | Pillars, medium containers (3.0" – 3.25") |
| ECO-12 | Pillars, medium containers (3.25" – 3.5") |
| ECO-14 | Pillars, large containers (3.5" – 3.75") |
The ECO chart is rated for soy, so it already accounts for the upsizing a natural wax needs. Confirm the pool with a test burn, since fragrance load and dye still shift the result.
HTP Series Wick Sizes
HTP Series Sizing (Base Paraffin)
| Wick | Recommended application (diameter) |
|---|---|
| HTP-41 | Votives, pillars, small containers (2.0" – 2.25") |
| HTP-52 | Pillars, small containers (2.25" – 2.5") |
| HTP-62 | Pillars, medium containers (2.5" – 2.75") |
| HTP-73 | Pillars, medium containers (2.75" – 3.0") |
| HTP-83 | Pillars, medium containers (3.0" – 3.5") |
| HTP-104 | Pillars, large containers (3.5" – 4.0") |
| HTP-105 | Pillars, large containers (4.0" – 4.5") |
| HTP-1212 | Pillars, large containers (4.5" – 5.0") |
Single-pour paraffin and soy waxes generally need a larger HTP wick, sometimes one to three sizes up.
LX Series Wick Sizes
LX Series Sizing (Base Paraffin)
| Wick | Recommended application (diameter) |
|---|---|
| LX-8 | Votives, small containers (1.25" – 1.5") |
| LX-10 | Votives, small containers (1.5" – 2.0") |
| LX-12 | Votives, pillars, small containers (2.0" – 2.25") |
| LX-14 | Pillars, small containers (2.25" – 2.5") |
| LX-16 | Pillars, medium containers (2.5" – 3.0") |
| LX-18 | Pillars, medium containers (3.0" – 3.25") |
| LX-20 | Pillars, medium containers (3.25" – 3.5") |
| LX-21 | Pillars, large containers (3.5" – 3.75") |
| LX-22 | Pillars, large containers (3.75" – 4.0") |
| LX-24 | Pillars, large containers (4.0" – 4.25") |
| LX-26 | Pillars, large containers (4.25" – 4.5") |
| LX-28 | Pillars, large containers (4.5" – 4.75") |
| LX-30 | Pillars, large containers (4.75" – 5.0") |
Single-pour paraffin and soy waxes generally need a larger LX wick, sometimes one to three sizes up.
Browse the full range in our candle wicks collection, where each size is stocked individually and in sampler kits.
Wooden Wicks
Wooden wicks give a candle a wide, flat flame and the crackle of a small fire. Our soft-wood wicks are two identical wood pieces pressed together, and they suit containers only, never pillars or votives. They pair most easily with paraffin and paraffin blends. Soy takes more care: its lower melt temperature can leave the wide flame struggling to achieve a full melt pool, so reach for the large or extra-large size in pure soy. The wood is cut from FSC-certified mills, which must meet environmental, social, and economic standards to qualify[3].
To keep a good crackle, hold back on fragrance oil. The crackle comes from the right balance of fragrance load, wax type, and dye, and too much oil dampens it.
Wooden Wick Sizing
| Wick | Soy (diameter) | Paraffin (diameter) |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Not recommended | Up to 2.25" |
| Medium | Up to 2.25" | Up to 3.0" |
| Large | Up to 3.25" | Up to 3.25" |
| X-Large | Up to 3.5" | Up to 3.75" |
These ranges come from our own testing in a single-pour soy and a single-pour paraffin container wax. Fragrance load, dye, and wax type all change how a wooden wick burns, so test before you scale a batch. Wooden wicks are not recommended for beeswax or palm, which do not burn hot enough to keep the flame open. Shop the line in our wooden wicks collection.
Tube Wicks
A tube wick is a single ply of wood rolled into a tube that pairs with a standard cotton wick. You get the steady burn of cotton with the crackle of wood. Tube wicks need no tab, since the cotton wick carries one; they run about five inches long and half an inch wide, and each ships with a protective plastic cover you remove before use.
To size the cotton wick that goes inside, take the size you would normally use for your container from the charts above and go down one size. If your container calls for an ECO-10, pair the tube wick with an ECO-8.
A Word on Wicktab Safety
The tab at the base of a wick does more than hold it upright. Our wick clip assemblies use a taller 10mm neck tab as standard, which keeps the last fraction of an inch of wax from burning once the wick runs out. That stops the flame before it reaches the bottom of the glass.
Every wick we sell is primed, cut to length, and crimped onto its tab, ready to set. For more on matching wicks to a specific build, see our Choosing Candle Wicks for Candle Making guide and our notes on Using Multiple Wicks in a Candle for wide vessels.