Wood wick vs. cotton wick candles

The short answer

Choose a wood wick when the crackle and a wide, low flame are part of what you are selling, and choose cotton when you want the most forgiving, dependable burn. Get Custom Candles makes both, from just 12 candles, and test burns every combination. See wood wick candles.

Side by side

When a wood wick is the right call

A wood wick burns as a wide, low flame and makes the crackle people buy it for. It also holds up better in a draught, which suits hospitality. The trade-off is tolerance: it is less forgiving than cotton, and width is the whole spec. Too narrow and it drowns in its own melt pool and keeps going out, too wide and the flame turns aggressive and sooty. It is also why we print the trimming instruction on the label rather than leaving it to a review.

When a cotton wick is the right call

Flat-braided cotton curls slightly as it burns, which helps it self-trim and reduces carbon build-up, so it is the dependable default for soy jar candles and for tins, where the wick is specified for metal rather than borrowed from glass. Cored cotton comes in series that each behave differently in different waxes, which is why a test burn matters more than any chart. Our guide to choosing the right candle wick explains how diameter, wax and fragrance load drive the choice.

Does the wick change what I order?

Not the process. Either way you send your logo, fragrance brief, vessel and a rough quantity, you get a free mockup within 24 hours, and standard production ships in about 2 weeks after you approve it. The wick is specified for your vessel and wax before anything is poured.

The verdict

Pick a wood wick when the crackle and a wide, low flame are the point.

Pick a cotton wick for the most forgiving, everyday burn.

Not sure which fits? Send your vessel and quantity and you get a free mockup within 24 hours, with orders starting from 12 candles.