Cotton Wicks vs. Crackling Wooden Wicks- Guide to choosing the right wick for you.

Due to popular demand, we offer both crackling wooden wicks and cotton wicks for all of our candle collections! There are minor differences with the candle burn between both wicks, so we hope you find this blog post informative when choosing your next Baisun Candle! 

Cotton wicks are made with tiny cotton fibers that are twisted together and cured with wax to create a single cotton thread. Our cotton wicks have a higher paper to cotton ratio and curled together so that the fibers will un-curl while lit. This causes an even heat ratio and smooth melt pool. You can never go wrong with a cotton wick!

Crackling wooden wicks are made with slabs of wood that are precisely cut to fine measurements. The wick is then reinforced with another smaller strip of wood down the middle to strengthen the structural integrity of the wick as well as help create a higher flame temperature. Not only does a wooden wick add modern sophistication to our nostalgic traditional aromas, Baisun Candle Co. strives to operate in the most eco-friendly and sustainable manner possible. Every candle made with a crackling wooden wick helps plant a tree through the 'Tress for the Future' non-profit organization.

What's the difference? They both burn, right?

Well, yes and no. Both crackling wooden wicks and cotton wicks will both produce enough heat to melt our 100% soy wax candles; however, there are little subtitles of each that create a fan following for their respective qualities. Some of these qualities include:

  • Aesthetics/ Sustainability
  • Scent throw 
  • Burn duration

Wow, that wick looks wack-- said no one ever.

It's the truth; studies show that 94% of people love the sleek concept and timeless look of wood. With 34% of those customers still preferring cotton wicks, they still seemed to be open to testing out the smooth crackling sound from our crackling wooden wicks. 

Not only are these wooden wicks hand crafted, they are an incredibly sustainable way to continue the love and use of candles. Delicate slabs of wood are precisely cut to ensure an equal distribution of heat from the flame. 

Does this candle smell stronger, or is it just me? 

Although there are many factors to the scent throw of a candle, wicks can play a huge role. Cotton wicks will produce a tall flame at the tip of the wick. Wooden wicks typically burn lower and smolders over time. This helps warm the wax and release the aroma evenly, as where a cotton wick soaks up the wax and uses it as fuel to burn constantly. 

Wick care instructions for both wick types.

﻿﻿Did you know that soy wax has a memory of its own? If proper wick care isn't practiced, this can cause uneven heat distribution to the wax which leads to tunneling. Tunneling is when the heat is only able to reach a certain surface area, not allowing the whole top area of the candle to melt. 

Cotton wick care is pretty simple and straight forward! Baisun Candle Co. will always pre-trim wicks so that they are ready-to-light right out of the box. We recommend to allow the entire top of the wax to melt before you snuff/ blow out the candle. If you see soot flickering out, it may mean that the wick might need to be cut a little bit shorter. Mushrooming of the wick happens when there is too much carbon build up. Wick mushrooming looks like an (Enoki) mushroom at the tip of the combusted wick. When trimming your wick, make sure to remove the mushroomed area. 

After the candle cools down and has solidified, use a pair of scissors, nail clippers, candle wick trimmer, etc. to cut the wick. Leave about 1/4th'' of wick to be lit later. 

Wooden wicks take a little bit more effort, but it is very much worth the work! Like our cotton wicks candles, our wooden wick candles will be pre-trimmed so they can be lit right out of the box. 

Once the wooden wick candle cools down and has solidified, we find it easiest to use a pair of unused nail clippers to trim the wick down to 1/4th'' short; you can use a pair of scissors too, but this will cause some of the charred wood to fall into the wax. If this happens, you can simply shake out the wood remains.

Note: Candles should not lit for more than 4 hours at a time. Doing so may lead to a warm/hot candle tin. For best practice, place the candle on top of a candle holder or coaster. 

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