How Long Do Soy Candles Burn? Burn Time Chart by Size

A soy candle burns on average 5-7 hours per ounce of wax, so a typical 8 oz jar (about 6.5 oz of wax) gives 35-50 hours and a large 12 oz candle 50-70 hours. Those figures assume a correctly sized wick and correct burning; below we explain where the differences come from and how to use them to your advantage.

Soy candle burn time chart

The formula: working out burn time yourself

Weigh the candle, burn it for exactly 3 hours (after curing, to a full pool), extinguish, let it set, and weigh again. The difference is the wax used in 3 hours. Burn time = wax weight ÷ (wax used ÷ 3). Example: a candle with 6.5 oz of wax loses 0.4 oz in 3 hours, so 0.13 oz per hour. 6.5 ÷ 0.13 = about 50 hours. Typical consumption for soy: 0.1-0.18 oz (3-5 g) per hour per wick.

What shortens burn time

• A wick that is too big. Consumption rises to 0.2-0.3 oz per hour, the pool is deep, and the candle is gone a third sooner. The most common cause.
• Burning longer than 4 hours. An overheated pool evaporates and burns more wax per hour.
• Drafts. A flickering flame burns wax faster and unevenly.
• A high fragrance load. A candle at 10% burns a little faster than at 6%.
• A long, untrimmed wick. Bigger flame, more wax per hour, plus soot.
• Two wicks where one would do. Multiple wicks cut burn time by 25-35% in exchange for a full pool and stronger scent.

How to make a soy candle last longer

1. Burn the first time to a full pool to avoid tunneling: a tunneled candle leaves up to 30% of its wax unused on the walls.
2. Trim the wick to 1/4 inch before every burn.
3. Burn in 2-3 hour sessions, not 5-6.
4. Keep the candle out of drafts.
5. Snuff instead of blowing out: less wax evaporates and the wick does not fray.
6. Stop at 1/2 inch and use the leftover wax in a warmer.

All of these rules in detail: how to burn a soy candle.

Soy versus paraffin burn time

Soy wax melts at a lower temperature and burns more slowly than paraffin of the same weight: the difference is usually 20-40% longer burn time in soy's favor. A 6.5 oz paraffin candle burns about 25-35 hours; the same soy candle 35-50. That is one argument for the higher price of soy candles: per hour of scent they often come out cheaper. Full comparison in soy vs paraffin wax.

How many hours the candle you are buying really has

Makers print burn time on the label, but it is worth checking whether it comes from a test or an estimate. A credible claim falls in the 5-7 hours per ounce range for soy. An 8 oz candle claiming 80 hours either has a very small wick (and will tunnel) or an optimistic label writer. We publish burn times from workshop tests: see Wavemade soy candles.