The wick is the engine of your candle. It controls the flame size, burn temperature, melt pool, and ultimately how well your candle performs from the first light to the last. Yet it's one of the most overlooked parts of candle quality — and it's where a lot of cheap candles cut corners.
Wick Construction Matters
Not all wicks are created equal. There are three main types:
- Braided or knitted wicks — the gold standard for candle performance. Their tight construction regulates how much fuel reaches the flame, resulting in a controlled, consistent burn
- Twisted wicks — lower quality and more common in cheap candles. Their loose construction allows fuel to reach the flame too quickly, causing an oversized flame, faster burn time, and poor scent throw
- Metal-core wicks — sometimes found in imported candles. These can release trace amounts of heavy metals when burned and are best avoided
Material Matters Too
Beyond construction, the material your wick is made from has a big impact on burn quality. Natural cotton wicks burn cleaner and longer than synthetic alternatives, and they're better suited to natural wax blends like soy, coconut, and beeswax.
How We Choose Our Wicks at Farmhouse Candle Company
We use flat, braided cotton wicks with a special paper filament inside that promotes consistent burning and proper flame posture. Our wicks are specifically designed for natural wax blends and treated with a mineral salt bath to ensure a cooler burn and help neutralize the naturally acidic properties of our wax.
You may notice your wick curls slightly as it burns — that's completely normal and actually a sign of a well-designed wick doing its job.
How to Trim Your Wick (and Why It Matters)
Even the best wick needs a little maintenance. Before every burn, trim your wick to ¼ inch. This keeps the flame at the right size, prevents sooting, and ensures your candle burns evenly all the way down.
A wick that's too long creates an oversized flame that burns through wax too quickly and can leave black marks on your jar. Too short, and the wick may drown in the melt pool and become difficult to relight. The ¼ inch sweet spot is where the magic happens.
Our candles come pre-trimmed and ready for their first burn — but after that, a wick trimmer is your best candle care investment.
Quick Wick Care Checklist
- Trim to ¼ inch before every burn
- Check for mushrooming (a carbon buildup on the tip) — trim it off before relighting
- Keep the wick centered as the wax hardens after each burn
- Never burn past ½ inch of remaining wax
Every element of our candles — from the wax blend to the wick — is chosen intentionally to give you the cleanest, longest, most fragrant burn possible. Browse our hand-poured soy, coconut & beeswax candles and experience the difference quality makes.