How to Choose the Right Candle Wick: The Complete Guide for Any Wax or Fragrance Oil

⭐ THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO CHOOSING THE RIGHT CANDLE WICK

Introduction: Why Wick Selection Matters More Than Anything Else

Every time someone walks through our door and says, “I need a candle wick,” I can’t help but smile.
For non–candle makers, it seems simple: stick a wick in wax and poof — you have a candle.

If only.

Yes, you might get lucky and the wick will burn.
But more often:

• the wick drowns itself
• or it becomes a tiny torch
• or it produces black soot
• or it burns for a few minutes and then dies

Hobby shops and YouTube videos don’t help.
“Just stick some string in wax!” they say.
Sure — if you want a candle that kind of burns.  So yes, anyone can make a candle but it takes testing and preparation to make a great candle!

The truth is simple:

⭐ Wick selection is the single most important part of candle making.

And with dozens of wick families available, it’s very easy to choose one that simply won’t work.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know — from wax type to fragrance oil behavior — and show you how to choose the right wick every time.

 

⭐ Table of Contents

1. Why Wick Selection Is So Complicated
2. The Four Things We MUST Know Before Recommending a Wick
3. Why Fragrance Oils Change Wick Size
4. How to Use Candle Cocoon’s FO‑Specific Wick Chart
5. How to Test Burn a Candle Correctly
6. Common Wicking Mistakes
7. Wick Families and When to Use Them
8. Troubleshooting: What Your Flame Is Telling You
9. Wick FAQ
10. Final Thoughts

 

⭐ 1. Why Wick Selection Is So Complicated

A candle wick isn’t just a piece of string.
It’s a fuel delivery system, and every candle variable and wick attribute affects how it performs:

Wick factors

Wick material - cotton, hemp, paper, zinc, wood

Wick tension 

wick size

Other candle factors

• wax type
• fragrance load
• fragrance chemistry
• dye
• container diameter
• container shape
• ambient temperature
• cooling conditions

This is why “small, medium, large” wick packs from hobby stores rarely work.
And why two candles that look identical can burn completely differently.

 

⭐ 2. The Four Things We MUST Know Before Recommending a Wick

1. What kind of wax are you using?

Different waxes burn differently.
This affects wick size, wick family, and overall performance.

• Beeswax – dense, slow‑burning, needs hotter wicks
• Soy wax – cooler burn, often needs larger wicks
• Container paraffin – hotter burn, smaller wicks
• Pillar paraffin – needs stability and heat control

Knowing your wax helps us narrow down the wick families that will actually work.

👉Waxes

 

2. What is the exact diameter of your candle?

This is critical.

Every ¼ inch can change the wick size in many wick families.

When measuring a container, measure the inside diameter, not the outside.
The outside can add up to an inch — which will absolutely throw off your wick choice.

👉Containers

 

3. What is the height of the container?

Height is the least important factor, but it still matters.

Height only becomes a major issue when the container is under 2 inches.
Short containers trap heat differently, which affects how the wick burns.

For more information on "Trapped Heat"

4. And most importantly… what fragrance oil are you using?

Fragrance oils have a huge impact on wick performance.

Some thin the wax.
Some thicken it.
Some burn hot.
Some burn cool.
Some clog wicks.
Some accelerate melt pools.

Some make the the candle system more basic.

Some make the candle system more acidic.  Either of which can deterioate wicks if they are not treated properly.  For more information read the difference between CD and CDN wicks.

If you’re using our fragrance oils, we’ve already tested every single one and created a fragrance‑specific wick chart to help you choose the right wick.

👉 Candle Cocoon fragrance oils collection here.
👉 fragrance‑specific wick chart

If you’re using another supplier’s fragrance oil, we can give you a starting point — but it will require testing on your end. Every fragrance behaves differently.

 

⭐ 3. Why Fragrance Oils Change Wick Size

Fragrance oils contain:

• solvents
• fixatives
• aromachemicals
• natural extracts
• resins
• essential oil components

Each one interacts with wax differently.

This is why:

• one FO may need a CD‑12
• another FO in the same wax and jar may need a CDN-18

Even if everything else is identical.

This is also why your FO‑specific wick chart is such a powerful tool.

 

⭐ 4. How to Use Candle Cocoon’s FO‑Specific Wick Chart

Your chart helps makers:

• skip guesswork
• skip wasted wax
• skip wasted wicks
• skip frustration
• get a safe, clean burn faster

But even with the chart, variables like:

• pouring temperature
• fragrance load
• wick placement
• cooling environment
• wax blend
• dye usage

…can still affect the final burn.

So always test.

👉 Add a “Download the Wick Chart” button here.

 

⭐ 5. How to Test Burn a Candle Correctly

A proper test burn includes:

• trimming the wick to ¼ inch
• burning for 3–4 hours
• checking melt pool depth
• checking flame height
• checking soot
• checking mushrooming
• checking jar temperature
• repeating over multiple burns

👉 How to TEST
👉 Link to a full “How to Test Burn” article.

 

⭐ 6. Common Wicking Mistakes

• Using outside diameter instead of inside
• Ignoring fragrance oil behavior
• Using hobby‑store wick packs
• Testing only one burn
• Not trimming the wick
• Using too much dye
• Overloading fragrance
• Pouring too hot or too cold

Each of these can make a good wick look like a bad one.

 

⭐ 7. Wick Families and When to Use Them

You can expand this section with your own wick families. Here’s a template:

CD Wicks

• Great for coconut wax (BW917) and paraffin
• Strong curl
• Good for basic or neutral candle systems

CDN Wicks

• Great for soy
• Self trimming
• Good for acidic candle systems

ECO Wicks

• Flat braid
• Good for paraffin and blends
• Cleaner burn

HTP Wicks

• Paper thread = hotter burn
• Good for containers

LX Wicks

• Low mushrooming
• Good for paraffin

👉Check out all the wicks

 

⭐ 8. Troubleshooting: What Your Flame Is Telling You

Tiny flame

Wick too small.

Huge flame

Wick too large.

Sooting

Wick too large or FO clogging.

Tunneling

Wick too small.

Mushrooming

FO chemistry or wick too large.

Overheating jar

Wick too large.

 

⭐ 9. Wick FAQ

How do I know if my wick is too small?

You’ll see tunneling, a tiny flame, or a shallow melt pool.

How do I know if my wick is too big?

High flame, soot, or an overheated jar.

Do fragrance oils really change wick size?

Yes — dramatically.

Can I use the same wick for all my candles?

No. Every FO behaves differently.

Do I need to test burn every candle?

Yes — even with a chart, variables matter.

 

⭐ 10. Final Thoughts

Wick selection isn’t guesswork — it’s science, testing, and experience.
But with the right information, you can skip the frustration and get straight to making beautiful, clean‑burning candles.

Happy Candle Making!