Why Do Woodwick Candles Crackle


Candles are the best way to light up your home and create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Even better is a woodwick candle. The crackle will set the perfect atmosphere, but why do woodwick candles crackle?

A wooden wick crackles because it’s expertly prepared and sucked dry of moisture. Due to the wood being dry, air pockets form inside. These air pockets are ultimately responsible for the signature crackling sound we know and love.

We’ll get more into the details of woodwick candles and why they crackle throughout this article, though. This way you fully understand why woodwick candles crackle!

What Are Woodwick Candles And Why Do They Crackle

Woodwick candles are high-end candles that can instantly bring you to a calm and happy place, especially with their low and relaxing crackling sounds. In fact, many people are reminded of campfires and the slow-burning of wood in a fireplace with woodwick candles.

Woodwick candles are distinct from other fragranced candles in that they crackle when they are lit. The scent is highly concentrated in these products, and the candles are filled around a wooden wick. This is what creates the crackling sound of these candles, which reminds us of wood fires!

The wooden wicks of woodwick candles not only recreate natural sounds in your home, but they also provide great value. Most woodwick candles last for hours on end, sometimes, they can even last for up to one-hundred hours. There are tons of woodwick candles to look at and consider as well.

Whether you enjoy more natural scents, such as lavender, or prefer a sweeter or even romantic scent such as vanilla, chances are that there’s a woodwick variant of that candle.

How Are Woodwick Candles Created To Crackle Specifically

As we have mentioned previously, woodwick candles crackle because of the wood used within them. Other candles use a cotton string as their wick, which cannot crackle. However, this is not the case with a woodwick candle. Instead, woodwick candles wicks are made from the best lightweight woods. These woods are soft and prepared expertly for your home candles.

To create crackles, most wooden wicks are processed and sucked dry of their moisture. The drier the wood, the better the crackling sound will be. This is because the absence of water creates pockets of air inside the wooden wick.

Once the wick is burned, and when you light your candle up, steam becomes trapped in the wick and its air pockets. The pressure of the steam in the hollow wood builds. The wood breaks a little from the pressure. This allows the steam to release into the flame and this is what creates crackles as your candle is lit.

This crackling sound is extremely relaxing and perfect for setting the mood. Most commonly, you’ll see them paired with more sensual scents, but there are woodwick candles in all sorts of scents.

What Other Factors Influence The Crackling Sound Found In Woodwick Candles

The steam in your wooden wick plays a big role in the creation of an ambient crackling sound. In addition, though, other factors can change how your candle crackles.

1. The Type of Wax

The wax of your candle is one example of this. It can influence how much crackling you hear when using your candle at home. For instance, certain candles wax just burns better with a wooden wick. In particular, soy wax creates the perfect combination of materials and makes for a better and hotter flame and crackling sound. Really, high-quality waxes will increase the amount of crackling you hear in your candle.

2. The Fragrance Concentration

Furthermore, the concentration of fragrance used in your woodwick candles can also play a role in how much your candle crackles. The chemicals used in candles can react to the flame and create extra steam and heat. This leads to a crackling sound, too. In addition, though, if there is a lot of moisture from the fragrance in the wax, this could lead to fewer crackles.

3. The Type Of Wood

Other influences include the type of wood used in the wick and the size of the wick. Not only can certain waxes make the wick burn harder, but certain woods will burn better in a candle holder. Cedarwood is a popular choice for many woodwick candles nowadays. Not only does it crackle, but it can have that distinct wood smell that goes well with just about every scented candle.

4. The Size Of The Wooden Wick

Still, good wood alone won’t make a candle crackle well. The size of the wooden wick should also be considered, too. Bigger wicks can make a candle resemble a crackling fire. But, if the wick is not the correct size for the candle, it won’t make as pleasing of a sound.

Overall, the combination of these factors, is what causes the sounds you hear when you light the wood in your woodwick candle. From materials used, to the process of dehydrating the wick in your candle, you can get a more prominent or subtle crackling sound from your candle purchase.

How To Perfectly Light Your Woodwick Candle

A woodwick candle is arguably the most aesthetic wick for a candle. However, this type of wick is a little harder to use then your common candle wick.

With a normal wick, you’ll need to light one small spot and you’ll guarantee an even burn. With a woodwick candle, the wick is much larger. In order to guarantee an even burn, light all across the wick. An uneven burn can cause some complications later on and, honestly, it looks a bit weird as well to have you candle burn on only one side.

Furthermore, you shuold not move the candle while its lit. This goes for every candle, though, not just for woodwick candles.

I also mentioned before that the length of the wick has an influence of the crackle. Try to maintain your wick’s lenght at around 1/6 inch. This will be the optimal length to cause the crackling sound, as well as keep the wax in good condition.

Comparing Woodwick Candles Vs Cotton Wick Candles

The Difference In Materials

Woodwick candles are the only type of candles to make this kind of crackling sound. Your typical cotton wick candle, while pleasant and aromatic, will not make the same crackling noises as a woodwick candle. This is due to the differences in material and construction of these different candle products.

For most of history, though, cotton candles have reigned in popularity. Woodwick candles are popular now, but that hasn’t always been the case. Some of the first candles were made with papyrus, which created a sort of cracking effect.

Unfortunately, the use of this material did not lead to a consistent or even burn for candle users in the past. So, crackling papyrus wicks were traded in for cotton wicks. Most candles were created using these types of cotton wicks for thousands of years.

Advances In Candle Making

Really, the technology and candle making skills needed to create wood wick candles was not available until much more recently. In the early 2000’s crackling candles really hit their stride. Candlemakers were finally able to make wood usable for candles. Because of this, many people now enjoy the woodwick candle.

Most consumers say that they prefer woodwick candles to cotton wick candles. This is justified by a number of reasons. Not only are the crackling sounds of this candle relaxing and great to have in a home, but the ambiance they create also draws in buyers.

Advantages Of Woodwick Candles Over Cotton Wick Candles

While cotton candles have created a more even burn in the past, this is not the case today. Most woodwick candles burn better and longer than cotton candles. The high-quality materials of woodwick candles create the perfect conditions for candles to burn. Woodwick candles are also eco-friendly. They don’t leave behind waste, as the wick burns away with the candle wax.

Further adding to the value of these candles, wooden wicks also tend to be larger than cotton wicks. So, this creates a more efficient flame within a candle holder.

Getting A Woocwick Candle For Your Home

Overall, woodwick candle makers have really upped their game in the past few decades. Not only have they created great candles that crackle, but they have also changed the way candles light up our homes. More people can enjoy the scent and atmosphere their candles create at home with the added bonus of crackling wicks.

You want to choose a woodwick candle that is right for your home, of course. But with all the options available to you, you should have no trouble finding a relaxing woodwick product for yourself! With so many options, finding the right one can be difficult, though. Here are some of my favorite woodwick candles in vanilla scent, cinnamon chai scent, and lavender scent, all available on Amazon!

You get the relaxing sounds of a crackling fireplace without the hassle and mess. These candles are also compact, well scented, and easy to manage!

Jasper Pieterse

Hi, my name is Jasper and I've been a long time fragrance fan. Ever since 2014, I started to get a huge interest in fragrances and I've had my nose on countless of different fragrances. I'm excited to share my experiences!

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