One Wick, Two Wicks, Triple Flame—or Wood?
Not all aroma candle flames are created equal. The difference between a single wick candle and a triple wick candle isn’t just how cool it looks on your coffee table. It’s science. Wick size, count, and composition control how your candle burns, how fast it finishes, and whether it’s going to pool right—or tunnel into a frustrating mess. At Willis Candle Shop, wick choice is an obsession, and we’re about to break it all down.
Single Wicks: Small Room, Strong Presence
The classic single wick candles are perfect for compact spaces like bathrooms, bedrooms, and desktops. They offer a slow, steady burn and are best when paired with wax formulas that have excellent scent throw. But single wicks require attention. A poorly trimmed wick, or one not centered, will ruin your burn in minutes. That’s why we only use Premier 700 series cotton wicks from Black Tie Barn. They’re high-quality, consistent, and tuned to our container sizes.
Double Wicks: Power and Balance
Double wick candles step it up. When two wicks are placed properly, they work in tandem to melt the wax edge-to-edge, especially in wider vessels. This isn’t about overkill—it’s about balance. A single wick in a wide jar can’t reach the edges, which leads to leftover wax and wasted product. Our 10 oz tin candle uses a 2 wick candle setup to maximize melt without overheating the vessel.
Triple Wicks: The Showpiece
Triple wick candles are built for big rooms and bold scent. But the trick is wick sizing. Too thick, and the candle overheats. Too thin, and you get a bad burn. That’s why we use smaller wicks placed in a triangular pattern to ensure a stable, even melt pool. 3 wick candle placement isn’t guesswork—it’s tested and measured. Burn performance has to match scent quality or it’s a waste of wax.
Wooden Wicks: The Crackling Favorite
Wood wick candles bring something extra: a soft crackle, a unique glow, and a modern aesthetic. But lighting them? Totally different game. You don’t just flick a lighter and expect results. A cotton wick absorbs wax and ignites fast. Wood? You’ve got to hold the flame to it, often for 8–10 seconds, lighting all edges. That’s the only way to create the melted wax vapors that actually fuel the flame.
At Willis Candle Shop, our wooden wicks come from Makesy and are sized specifically for our vessels—#03 and #04 Ultimate Wooden Wicks. We never soak them in additives, and we trim them down to a quarter inch before pouring. The result? Clean ignition, smooth burn, full wax pool. Our wood wick candles are featured in our 10 oz and 14 oz black tin candle line, our 8 oz red tin candle line, and our upcoming **frosted green fall candle** will carry a fresh cedar, pine, and musk blend inspired by the Sam Houston National Forest of Willis, Texas.
How Wick Size Affects Burn
Here’s the technical bit: a candle doesn’t burn because of the flame—it burns because the flame melts the wax, which turns into vapor. That vapor ignites and sustains the burn. If the wick is too thick, it’ll overheat the container. Too thin, and it won’t pull enough wax to fuel the flame. That’s why every wick we use is selected to be on the edge of “underwicked,” just hot enough to achieve full melt but cool enough to preserve your scented candle vessel.
Even the residue you sometimes see on the inside of a tin isn’t a flaw. As the candle burns down, the heat from the flame travels lower in the container and eventually melts that thin wax film, dropping it right back into the pool. This happens across our single wick, double wick, triple wick, and wooden wick candles.
What We Use and Why
We stick with clean, efficient containers. Our tins come in black, red, and silver, with either press-on or screw-on lids. Our clear glass jars have bamboo lids, press-on lids, and screw-on lids, and our frosted glass candles all include eco-lids made from sustainable bamboo. Our 14.75 oz wax weight candle has a sleek 21 oz clear glass candle vessel with a black press-on lid. For our mug jar candles, both 16 oz versions include secure screw-on closures—but soon, we’ll be transitioning to a more traditional mason jar style.
Why Wick Choice Matters
The wick is the engine of your candle. Get it wrong and nothing else matters. A poor burn affects fragrance throw, candle lifespan, and even safety. That’s why we build every product around wick performance first—and style second. Whether it’s a clean cotton wick from Black Tie Barn, or a hardwood wick from Makesy, it’s all calculated to deliver a clean, even, and long-lasting experience.
Want to learn more about how we compare to other brands? Visit our Comparing Candle Brands page to explore what really makes us different in the clean candle space.
And when you’re ready to upgrade your space with an eco candle that burns better, cleaner, and longer, go light one from the brand that obsesses over every wick, every vessel, and every pour. (Bonus: our My Four and More feature has a few ideas on styling too.)
