Do WoodWick Candles Really Crackle? How?

Wood wick candles really do crackle! They bring the sound and ambiance of sitting by the fireplace on a cold winter night! Now I am sure you want to know how they crackle!

Wood wick candles crackle because they are made of actual wood and not cotton like most wicks. Because it is made of wood, when it is lit, it gives off a crackling sound similar to a fireplace with wood logs.

If you want to find out more about how wood wick candles crackle, then keep reading. I will discuss in detail what makes them crackle and even the levels of crackle!

The History of the Wood Wick

You probably think that wood wick candles is a new idea, however, it was originally created by the Romans over 3000 years ago! They used papyrus as their wicks. The papyrus created something like the wood wicks that are used today. Later wicks were changed to Cotton, tallow, and hemp to create a longer burn time.

In 1990, the Virginia Candle Company out of Lynchburg, VA created what we now call wood wick candles. In 2001 technology caught up with cotton, tallow, and hemp.  Wood wicks came back into the market and started producing crackling candles.

What Makes Wood Wicks Crackle?

The wood wicks are little sticks of soft wood. They are prepared for wood burning by reducing the moisture is removed it creates gaps and small pocket of water are created.

When you lite the wood and it begins to burn, the water heats up and it causes it to boil and release steam. If the steam gets trapped, the pressure is exerted on the wood surrounding the water. This causes the wood to weaken and give. The steam then creates a small bursts of flames that rise to make the crackling sound.

Levels of The Crackle

There are several different factors that swill determine the level of crackle that is made from the wood wick. A few of those factors, I am going to list below. 

• The type of wax used influences the degree of crackle that the wick makes.
• The amount and type of fragrance oil in each candle will also affect the level of crackling sound that the wick remits. The crackling sound is made from any of the chemical compounds that are in the candle. When those chemicals reach their flashpoints, it gives off the crackling sound as well as the water that is in the wick, wax and fragrance.
• The intensity of the crackle that it puts out can also be influenced by the type of wooden wick used and is it the correct size for the type of candle container.

Features of Wood Wicks

 What makes wood wick candles different from any other candle? Wood wick candles feature a wide, short wick, made from organic wood. When you light the wick, the candle gives off a crackling noise that sounds like burning wood in a fireplace.

Styles of Wood Wick Candles

Hourglass Candles

Hourglass Wood Wick candles are the most popular. They have the wooden wick that is all-natural and has a consistent burn. It utilizes the Pluswick Innovation technology that helps to create the sound of a crackling fire. It is made with a premium mixture of soy and paraffin waxes that give it a even burn for the life of the candle. The life of the candle starts with forty hours for the smallest candle.

Trilogy Candles

The Trilogy Wood Wick candles offer three different layers that are set inside of a hourglass shape. It also uses the Pluswick® Innovation technology. It not only allows the candle to burn faster, but it also spreads the fragrance around so that it fills the entire room. They burn clean all the way to the edges and provide over seventy-five hours.

Reserve Candles

The Reserve WoodWick Candles are set inside of a stylishly designed glass. and an attractive front label made from stamped leather. It also crackles as it burns.

Wood Wick Petite Candles

There are also Petite WoodWick candles. They are 1.1 oz, the and burn for six to eight hours. They also crackle while burning.

Hearthwick Candles

The Hearthwick style holds the wax in an ellipse-shaped glass basin. It is a beautiful candle. It burns for about fifty hours. It was created specifically with the sound and smell of the hearth to give you that feeling of sitting in your favorite chair all cozy and warm.

Learn about candle toxicity!

Best Practices for wood wick candles

• When you light a wood wick candles for the first time you have to light the entire length of the wick. This will allow it to burn evenly.
• It is recommended that most candles burn for up to two hours. It is suggested to let the wood wick candles burn for three to four hours. This allows for the melted wax to reache the edges of the container.
• You need to allow the candle wax to completely cool before relighting.
• You should trim the wick to 1/8 of an inch and remove all the wick trimmings before relighting them.
• Always make sure that you sit the candle on a burn free surface.
• Always keep the candles away from pets and children. 
• It is best to never sit the candle near any open windows or air conditioning vents. Drafts of air will catch a hold of the flame or blow the candle out prematurely. 
• If you ever see your wood wick candles smoking it is possibly sitting in an are where there is a draft. You should then move it to another area.

Differences Between Wood Wicks and Cotton Wicks

The crackling is the number one reason that makes consumers purchase wood wick Candles. Ninety-six percent of consumers who by wood wick candles said that crackling wick candles are more calming than the cotton wick candles and that they create a more enriched ambience.

 There are other advantages to using wood wicks over cotton wicks. One reason is they burn with more coverage and more efficiently. They also have a higher burn rate and more contact with the wax because their base is larger than cotton wicks.

 Crackling candles are also easier to use because they are rigid stay in a one place. This means that you don’t have to worry about moving the wooden wick around from the wax.

The primary difference with wood wicks is you have to choose a type of wood. You either choose a booster strip or not. The only time that option is different depends on how fancy you want the wick to be and then you would choose between the spiral or tube wick.

Making Your Own Wood Wick Candles

If you want to make your own wood wick candles, they are not as hard to make as you probably think. It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned candle maker or a beginner, you can learn to make them.

Creating wood wick candles is not that different from making normal candles. For both you have to melt and combust wax with a wick in the middle. The only real difference is the design of the wick.

Picking the wick can feel like a large task, but it really isn’t. Let’s go over some of the wood wicks.

• Single ply wicks (Flat Wick) are a strip of wood that is characterized by three factors: the crackle type whether it is a whisper which is quieter or crackling which is louder. The thickness that ranges from 0.02″ to 0.04″. And the width or the flat side of the wick and they range from 0.375″ to 0.75″.
• Booster wicks function a lot like single-ply wicks, the difference is that there is an extra strip of wood down the middle. Booster wicks have their own patents, and function a little better than non-boosted wicks. If you are wanting integrate wood wicks with natural waxes, boosted wicks offer the capacity and strength that is required to handle them.
• Spiral wick is kind of like a core-less cotton wick, but made of wood. They are shipped in a tube in order to hold their shape. Basically, they are just a sheet of wood wrapped into a spiral shape. They are fairly difficult to design around. They aren’t recommended for any serious candle products because they will frequently change in behavior and test results.

Related Questions

1. How many hours will the wood wick candle burn?
It really depends on the size and kind of candle. Here are some examples that I ran across that are based on the styles listed above.

• Petites will burn for approximately 7 hours.
• Hourglass burn between 40 and 160 hours depending on their size.
• Trilogy will burn between 75 and 160 hours depending on their size.
• Hearthwick burn for about 50 hours.

2. Do wood wick candles burn faster?
The answer is yes, they do burn faster when made with soy and paraffin blended wax, but it is a cleaner burn.

Considering starting your own candle making business. Click this link to checkout my startup documents here.

Please note that the contents of this blog are for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Any action taken based on the information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk. Additionally, all images used in this blog are generated under the CC0 license of Creative Commons, which means they are free to use for any purpose without attribution.