Candle wick size chart

The wick to test first, by container diameter, across the four common series — adjusted for your wax and fragrance load. A starting point, not an answer: only a burn test gives you that.

YOUR CANDLE
mm
2.68 in
%
ECO is the usual series here — Soy and natural waxes. Coreless, curls to self-trim.
Burn-test every combination before you sell it. A wick that is too small tunnels and wastes wax; one that is too large smokes, soots the glass and can overheat the container.
START HERE
57–70 mm
ECO series
ECO 4
Single wick, centred
The same diameter in the other series
CD CD 6
LX LX 14–16
HTP HTP 52

The full chart

Starting sizes by container diameter across the four common series. Highlighted row is the diameter you entered above.

DiameterInchesECOCDLXHTPWicks
Under 44 mmunder 1¾ inECO 0.5–1CD 3LX 8–10HTP 311
44–57 mm1¾–2¼ inECO 2CD 4LX 12HTP 411
57–70 mm2¼–2¾ inECO 4CD 6LX 14–16HTP 521
70–83 mm2¾–3¼ inECO 6–8CD 8–10LX 18–20HTP 62–731
83–95 mm3¼–3¾ inECO 10–12CD 12–14LX 22–24HTP 83–931
95–108 mm3¾–4¼ inECO 14CD 16–18LX 26HTP 1041
108–140 mm4¼–5½ inECO 6–8 ×2CD 8–10 ×2LX 18–20 ×2HTP 62–73 ×22
Over 140 mmover 5½ inECO 6–8 ×3CD 8–10 ×3LX 18–20 ×3HTP 62–73 ×33
ECO Soy and natural waxes. Coreless, curls to self-trim.
CD Soy, coconut and blends. Rigid braid, good in viscous wax.
LX Paraffin and parasoy. Very stable flame, minimal mushrooming.
HTP Soy and blends. Self-trimming, tolerates a high fragrance load.

How this is worked out

Wick sizing works from the diameter of the melt pool the flame has to reach, which is why container width is the first input and everything else is an adjustment. A larger diameter needs more heat; a viscous wax or a heavy fragrance load holds heat back and pushes you a size up. Past about 108 mm, a single wick cannot reach the edge without burning too hot, so the chart moves to multiple smaller wicks instead. What comes out is the size to test first. It is a starting point on purpose: the correct wick for a particular wax, oil, dye and vessel can only be found by burning it.

container diameter → wick band → starting size in each series
heavy fragrance load or viscous wax → also test one size up
diameter over ~108 mm → multiple smaller wicks, not one large one

Questions makers ask

What size wick for a 3 inch jar?
A jar around 70–83 mm across sits in the 57–70 mm band. In soy that means starting at ECO 4 in the ECO series, or CD 6 in CD. Start there, burn it, and move up or down from what you see.
Can a chart tell me the right wick?
No, and any chart claiming otherwise is selling something. Wick size depends on the wax, the fragrance load, the dye, the vessel material and the shape of the container. A chart narrows thousands of options to two or three worth testing — that is its whole job.
How do I know the wick is too small?
The melt pool does not reach the edge of the container within about three hours, so wax is left clinging to the sides. That is tunnelling, and it gets worse with every burn. Move up a size.
How do I know the wick is too big?
A tall or flickering flame, black soot on the glass, mushrooming on the wick tip, and a container that gets uncomfortably hot to hold. An over-wicked candle is the more dangerous of the two mistakes. Move down a size.
When should I use more than one wick?
Once the container passes roughly 108 mm across. Beyond that a single wick has to burn hard to reach the edge, which usually means soot and a hot jar before it ever gets there. Two smaller wicks give a full melt pool with a calmer flame.
What do ECO, CD, LX and HTP mean?
They are different wick constructions, not different sizes: ECO, CD, LX, HTP. Each behaves differently in the same wax, so a size in one series has no fixed equivalent in another — the chart gives the nearest starting point, not a conversion.
How should I burn-test?
Cure the candle fully, then burn it for four hours and note the melt pool depth and width, the flame height, any soot, and the temperature of the container. Repeat over several burns, because a wick that behaves at the top of a jar can behave differently halfway down.

Read before your next batch

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